The right is in denial about their culpability in the Tucson shootings. They are squirming under the light of truth and grasping at any opportunity to deflect the blame. If they were truly guiltless for the climate of hate they’ve fostered, then why was there a scramble to scrub right wing websites of their inflammatory content after the killings?
A number of right wing pundits are decrying the reaction from the left, calling for a stop to the “politicizing” of this tragedy. Ironic, that. After years of wallowing in the slime of violence-laced rhetoric, they suddenly want to take the high road. How convenient.
Despite the vehement protest from progressives, I have yet to hear a single call for violence in retribution. But even now, the violent fringe seems unrepentant. “One down, 534 more to go,” posted one far-right anarchist blogger. Even if we take this as a jest, it speaks volumes.
There is no moral equivalency in this matter. For far too long, the right has knowingly exploited a lunatic fringe with a penchant for firearms to further their political agenda. If we do not speak out now against this practice, I fear the killings in Tucson may be only the beginnings of a continuing national tragedy.
Raul Ramos y Sanchez
3 comments:
They're now even attacking law enforcement. I was just listening to Rush Limbaugh's third hour today (Jan 11), in which he delivered an unrestrained screed against Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, who did nothing to offend the right, initially, but say that we as Americans should do some soul searching about the tone of our political discourse.
Limbaugh, prickly as always, took offense and began attacking, mocking and challenging the sheriff yesterday, continuing with even more extreme language today.
This is, I think, where the crypto-fascist inside the Republican Party start to show their true face to mainstream America. Republicans have always attacked Democrats in political office, but now they're targeting law enforcement officials who question their tactics.
Fascist grabs for power, historically, require some degree of lawlessness, which they foment and ultimately insert their gangs of thugs into the chaos -- Brown Shirts in Germany, Black Shirts in Italy, death squads in Latin America...
We need to stay sharp and keep a vigilant eye to make sure that it never goes this far here. "Never in America" is the old cliche, and some friends think I'm going too far with this. But after 9/11, the torture and abuse of prisoners at Abu Graib and Guantanamo, warrantless searches and indefinite detentions without trial... is it wise to still believe "never in America?"
I'm not a rightist; I'm an anarchist.
I didn't choose left vs. right sides in my post.
So, now that we know that the shooter was 'left-wing' are we going to hold progressives responsible for this shooting?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40980334/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
Of course not, that would be ridiculous.
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