“Every generation needs a new revolution.”
-Thomas Jefferson

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
-Martin Luther King Jr.


Staceyann Chin, National Equality March 10/10/09 photo: Ed Needham

Monday, March 29, 2010

Carnage Along the Path: the Rise and Fall of the Tea Party/Palin/Christianist Movement and the Violence in its Wake.

The socio-political monster that is the Tea Party/Sarah Palin/Christianist movement must first rise for it to be slain. The result will be a more vibrant, constructive and civil political environment. But at what cost? If the last two weeks are a precursor of what is to come, it won't be pretty.


In February of this year we argued that the rise of Sarah Palin as a political figure in the U.S. would, ultimately, be good for the GOP, the Dems and America as a whole. [Read the article here.] Briefly, we believe Palin (and with her the Tea Partiers and Christianists) have placed the GOP in a position where it is splitting along ideological lines. The rift has been visible just beneath the surface since Sen. Barry Goldwater's (R-AZ) 1964 Presidential Campaign. The 1980's saw Ronald Reagan's hired gun, Lee Atwater, mobilize the "Christian Conservative" movement into a powerful base of the Republican Party. Atwater's protoge, Karl Rove, did the same for Pres. George W. Bush. In the meantime, the conservative-right has moved from being a reliable and effective grassroots supporter of the GOP to outright challengers to the leadership of the party. When John McCain ushered Sarah Palin onto the national political scene eighteen months ago, she captured the imagination of the far right as no one else in the past decade. Which was just what McCain had hoped she would do for his lackluster campaign. What he hadn't fully taken into account was the push-back from the moderates of the GOP and independent voters. In the end, Obama won the election with most of the independent vote as well as a modest, yet notable, percentage of moderate Republicans.

Jump ahead to 2010 and the Tea Party movement. The midterm elections are around the corner and the Charlie Crist/Marc Rubio Senate campaign in Florida shows what we can expect from the GOP. A big, vocal, ugly split. Charismatic young Rubio has the Tea Partiers/Palin folks sewn up. Gov. Crist has the support of the GOP establishment and the moderates along with some independents. This results of this race, the other primaries and the midterm general elections will be a precursor to what the next Presidential election in 2012 looks like.

It is most likely the Democrats will lose seats but keep the majority in both houses of Congress in 2010. The Tea Party/Palin/Christianists (TPPC) and the moderates will both claim some victories and suffer some defeats. As a result, the direction of the GOP will not be decided in the mid-terms and the struggle for dominance will boil over into the 2012 elections, culminating most visibly in the 2012 Republican National Convention.

This will do one or both of two things. The GOP traditionalists will win out and reestablish the party's fiscally conservative/socially moderate roots while reaching out to independents as the party with the "big tent." This could also mean the rise of a third party political force made up of the purged and disgruntled TPPC. Or, less likely, the vocal right wing of the GOP, bolstered by wins in the mid-terms and meeting with tepid or ineffective resistance from Republican leadership, will gain control of the party, perhaps even with Ms. Palin at the top of the ticket. Here, again, the possibility of the third party emerges with a candidate along the lines of Christine Todd Whitman, Colin Powell or Bill Weld.

How is this good? Because a healthy political system partially depends on a vibrant opposition. Look at the healthcare debate as a case in point. The GOP is still in a shambles following the 2010 election. The was very little constructive debate and negotiation between parties. With little exception, the GOP offered no proposals of their own and only a few Republican members became part of the process and suffered backlash for doing so. As a result, they are heading into the election cycle having to overcome their image as obstructionists. A robust GOP would have had plenty of political cover and wherewithall to develop and negotiate its own healthcare policy measures and temper those democrat proposals they deemed excessive. The Democrats, meanwhile, facing only the strategy of "No" were not put into a position where they had to unite, focus and fight for a cohesive policy. Instead, they split into factions and fought amongst each other, House against Senate, with the President staying above the fray without employing leadership to the cause of either faction. The result? A watered-down, middle of the road health care bill that, while making some significant headway, fell far below the expectations of just over a year ago when the new government was swept in with huge margins under a now less prescient banner of "Hope" and "Change."

Ultimately, the GOP is already heading into an identity crisis and the TPPC are accelerating that process. That is a good thing. The sooner the Dems have an opposition that relies more on constructive ideas, accountability and mutual respect than fear, misinformation and obstruction, the better.

The more timely question, given the events of the past two weeks, is what will be the cost of this process. While often characterized as such by the left, the TPPC's are neither wholly insane or racist (though arguably some of the former and much of the latter may be found). What may be said of those in the movement as a whole is that they share significant frustration, are motivated by deep-seated beliefs and are nearly entirely misinformed. This is not just a matter of believing false or misleading information from talk radio, the internet, Fox News or one another. It is also a matter of gravitating towards and accepting as legitimate information and ideas that reflect deep seated beliefs, fears and prejudices.  This phenomena, known as cultural cognition, makes beliefs specifically and perspective of reality in general impervious to fact or reason. Topical examples abound. Climate change, for instance, is accepted as fact by nearly every element of the scientific community. Yet, there are those who wholeheartedly believe otherwise. The so-called "Birthers" believe Barak Obama is not a U.S. citizen. There are those who believe homosexuality is a choice made by the individual rather than the natural development of an individual's biology as shown in every major study on the issue.  And there are those, as we covered in previous articles, who would claim America was founded as and intended to be a uniquely "Christian nation" despite the overwhelming contradiction of the U.S. historian community. In each of these instances, there are two clear factors. The belief in question is met with an irrefutable body of evidence to the contrary while it simultaneously reflects the cultural beliefs and perspective of the individual.


Cultural Cognition on display at McCain/Pain '08 rally.


Tea Party Convention, 2/10, Sarah Palin, Orly Taitz, and interviews with participants.

This is where things start to get sticky. Once one removes reason from the situation, you are essentially left with crowd control. Trying to limit the damage made by those who see themselves as leading a modern revolution. The crowd control around the Capitol earlier this month was not enough to restrain Tea Party protesters from shouting obscene language, racial and sexual slurs, and even spitting on a Member of Congress. This while other Members like Michelle Bachman stood on a Capitol balcony cheering and rallying for the protesters.














Rep. Bachman (R-MN) and fellow GOP members cheer on Tea Party health care protest.



Examples of racism at Tea Party demonstrations.

Politicians and political figures have taken to fanning the flames of the TPPC crowd to further their own political objectives. Witness the Sarah Palin poster of her "targeted" politicians, each with a gun sight symbol while encouraging her supporters to "reload." As the fears and prejudices of the TPPC are being exploited we hear of a brick through the window of Rep. Louise Slaughter's office in upstate New York. A coffin placed in front of Rep. Russ Carnahan's home in Missouri. A gas line cut at the home of the brother of Rep. Tom Periello in Virginia after the his home address was mistakingly posted as the Congressman's by Tea Party activists who encouraged others to "stop by." Earlier in the year we saw a man attack guards at the Pentagon and another fly a plane into an IRS building. Just today, nine men from a Michigan-based, Christianist Militia have been arrested and charged with planning to kill a police officer and bomb the funeral procession in an effort to spark a national uprising against the U.S. Government.

What does it take to get a highly motivated individual to move from the threat of violence to carrying out an act of violence? Seemingly, too little. And we are likely to have ample instances to inform an answer as long as there are those who continue to encourage such behavior directly or indirectly.

It will be a while before the TPPC begins to fade as it has yet to reach its apex. In the meantime, politicians and public figures who do not publicly and vociferously condemn the violence and threat of violence and, instead, fan the flames of this jingoistic, racist and fear-based anger do so at their peril. And our peril, as well.


For more on Tea Party rage, see Frank Rich opinion piece in NYT 3/27 here.
To learn more about "cultural cognition" go here.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

“The crowd control around the Capitol earlier this month was not enough to restrain Tea Party protesters from shouting obscene language, racial and sexual slurs, and even spitting on a Member of Congress.”

I am curious as to where the evidence is of these alleged racial and sexual slurs or where and individual intentional “spat” on a black caucus member. Of all the MSM cameras, individual cameras and cameras that the black caucus staff members were carrying, why can’t anyone produce the evidence to prove that this wild, racist and sexist crowd performed/said these alleged acts?

Unlike the Democrats who are doing nothing short of exploiting these alleged slurs to portray themselves as political martyrs and to smear opponents as racists and bigots; Eric Cantor (R-VA) was recently threatened not only with his life but the his children’s lives as well by a 2008 Obama campaign donor; but I digress.

How perplexing. What is even more perplexing is that you have attempted to tag my blog and couple it with “For more on Tea Party rage…”, I mean seriously?

The introduction to the article I referenced was actually regarding those supporting Harry Reid and their rage with blatant physical violence. Where photographic and video images prove that his supporters were committing criminal acts and possible hate crimes when throwing eggs at Tea Party buses rendering the drivers ability to see the road they were driving on void.

But I digress-heaven forbid there be an actual debate without throwing racism, hatred, sexism ect. into the mix from those on the left.

I wonder, given the liberal’s definition of racism: essentially those who do not agree with us, who do not fall lock-and-step in with us; you are racist because Obama is black. Therefore, by this shear definition is the black man a racist and guilty of hate crimes for throwing eggs at Tea party buses? Remember, these Tea Party goers are all white.

I think what those on the left fail to realize is that most of America is tired of the control freaks with their hypocrisy and double standards dictating what America can and cannot do, or that they know what is best for them.

There are multiple reasons why the founding fathers left Europe and fought to keep America as its own country-the main reason; to get out from complete government control. But I digress, I am sure you are the product of the bastardized government run public education. You know, where history is taught with political correctness and the Civil War was only fought over slavery.

LOL…that last part is my favorite. I mean, never mind the fact that Licoln did not even make ending slavery part of the war until two years into it or that originally it started over the fact that the government was taxing the south at some 80% and taking that revenue to build roads, bridges, schools, etc. for the north and not the south.

But, again I digress.

I do have a question and I would appreciate an intellectual answer without racist political spin:

Why should I work my butt off just so the government can come in and take my money and shuffle it over to people who refuse to work and provide for themselves? You see, I have zero issues assisting those who are honestly helpless, but I refuse to help those who are just clueless and lazy. Or, are here illegally as this segment of society should be shipped back to their own country and their country should provide for them until they can legally come into our country.

Anonymous said...

It doesn't matter what anyone in the tea party does or says. Anti-whites like the writer of this blog will continue to call them "racists"

D. Roberts said...

Here is a link on how Democrats and the liberals are sending fake protesters to tea party rallies to look like racists. http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=133829

Anonymous said...

"The crowd control around the Capitol earlier this month was not enough to restrain Tea Party protesters from shouting obscene language, racial and sexual slurs, and even spitting on a Member of Congress."

Zero evidence, and the videos debunks this.

Anti-whites seem to lie a lot about white people. They don't have problems though, when non-whites riot and kill.

Anonymous said...

"The socio-political monster that is the Tea Party/Sarah Palin/Christianist movement must first rise for it to be slain. The result will be a more vibrant, constructive and civil political environment. But at what cost? If the last two weeks are a precursor of what is to come, it won't be pretty."

Violent anti-white imagary. The non-vibrant, non-constructive white people in the tea party need to be slain. Then "vibrant" (slang word for non-whites), constructive, non-whites can take over.

The anti-white who writes this blog sure hates white people.

Leslie Parsley said...

My, my, you do attrack them, don't you? Not pretty - seems to be the same folks who deny there was a Holocaust.

Anyway, great post. I toured your blog and like it so much that I'll list it on "My Favorite Blogs."

Anonymous said...

It's "attract," not "attrack," moron. What are you prattling on about the Holocaust? Are you off your meds?

Jaycephus said...

This entire article is MSM regurgitation. In just a few days, we've gone from accusations of racism in the Washington Tea Party demonstration to the growing suspicion that there was in fact no spitting and no racial slurs, given that there is no audio or video evidence despite all the cameras present. The coffin incident was not a threat, and Carnahan was fully aware the whole time that the coffin wasn't a death threat: it was a prop used in a prayer vigil over the unborn to be aborted under Obamacare. This article goes on to conflate the actions of undeniably unbalanced individuals with the Tea Party, when no such connection can be supported, while ignoring death threats and activities directed at Republicans. The IRS building in Austin TX was hit by a man who, if any conclusion can be draw at all, was well left of center in his politics, with more of a personal beef with the IRS than a coherent political position. But this article tries to imply that this man's action are in some way tied to the Tea Party organizations, something that is absolutely untrue. Ignoring the violence and hatred directed at Republicans such as Eric Cantor is necessary for the message of this article: to admit to this Republican-directed hatred allows for the possibility that, as most with common sense are well aware, there are unbalanced individuals at both fringes of the left-right spectrum, a concept that weakens the attempt to tie it all to the Tea Party.

Assertions that the tea party members are ill-informed are left unsubstantiated, unless you count the utterly false claim that tea-partiers don't believe in Climate Change. Or perhaps the author meant that tea partiers don't believe in man-caused global warming, in which case the article's claim that virtually 'every element of the scientific community' accepts it as fact, which is also a grossly false claim.

The claim that the Tea Parties are somewhat 'insane', considerably 'racist', and 'nearly entirely misinformed' by the anonymous poster of this article is representative of the tone of the entire piece.

If the anonymous creator of this piece of fiction had any scruples, he would retract this entire article.

Anonymous said...

"If the anonymous creator of this piece of fiction had any scruples, he would retract this entire article."

He won't. Anti-whites like (Ed?), the creator of this blog, doesn't care about facts.

He's only interested in spreading his hate.

Anonymous said...

" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t7IHaHJamE&feature=player_embedded# "

Reid Supporters Throw Eggs And Assault Andrew Breitbart

repsac3 said...

Wow... Lot of anonymous commentary calling you anti-white... (which to me is pretty ironic, considering that they're claiming the race card is only played on the left-- or are we melanin-challenged folks not a race, like everyone else?)

I don't agree with all that you say in this post, but the fact that you're pissing off so many hypocrites means you must be doing something right...

repsac3 said...

I am curious as to where the evidence is of these alleged racial and sexual slurs or where and individual intentional “spat” on a black caucus member. Of all the MSM cameras, individual cameras and cameras that the black caucus staff members were carrying, why can’t anyone produce the evidence to prove that this wild, racist and sexist crowd performed/said these alleged acts?

Sometimes the evidence is circumstantial, and subject to common sense interpretation... But that doesn't mean the underlying acts didn't happen; only that the amount/degree of evidence you require to believe they occurred isn't there for you. I've heard what the alleged victims have said, I've heard what the witnesses have said, and I've heard the rebuttals, and I come away with different conclusions... That also doesn't prove anything did/did not happen, but it is all we have, sometimes... (How many criminal or civil trials take place without benefit of video tape of the alleged events?)

Eric Cantor (R-VA) was recently threatened not only with his life but the his children’s lives as well by a 2008 Obama campaign donor; but I digress.

Yes, he was... though in fairness, it seems pretty clear that the guy wasn't doing so because of his own, Cantor's, or anyone else's politics... This "son of Ennoch" seems to have long-standing problems, psychologically speaking... That he also donated to Obama back in 2008 seems pretty coincidental, at least at this point... (Though I'm sure if you have video evidence that says otherwise, we'll be seeing it momentarily...)

Where photographic and video images prove that his supporters were committing criminal acts and possible hate crimes when throwing eggs at Tea Party buses rendering the drivers ability to see the road they were driving on void.

One can argue whether the evidence proves what you and Breitbart claims it does, but if there was any evidence of crime (hate or otherwise), don't you think the nice police folks shown in the videos would've charged someone? (Or are they in on the lib'rul conspiracy, too?)

I wonder, given the liberal’s definition of racism: essentially those who do not agree with us, who do not fall lock-and-step in with us; you are racist because Obama is black. Therefore, by this shear definition is the black man a racist and guilty of hate crimes for throwing eggs at Tea party buses? Remember, these Tea Party goers are all white.

Puting a whole lotta words in a whole lotta mouths there...

Yeah, I disagree with those who jump too quickly to racism as an explanation for those who oppose Obama, and there most certainly are at least a few here on the left who do so... But that doesn't mean that there are no bigots in the tea party circus, as some on the right have alleged, either... As I said, given the totality of the testimony and other evidence I have seen, along with good old common sense, I do believe that there were some bigoted epithets shouted at black/gay/female members of Congress... I do believe that individuals on the right smashed those windows, left those nasty messages, and cut that gas line... I can't prove it, but common sense and Occam's Razor says it's likely...

While I don't blame every Tea Party participant for 'em, there's not a doubt in my mind that some of the signs shown in that "Tea Party Racism" video above express bigotry, and that the individual people holding them are hurting your cause... Trying to explain them away or otherwise defend them, or deflecting blame by pointing to bad signage on the left--as though two wrongs ever did make either of 'em right--rather than denouncing these asses clearly and consistently, only makes it worse...

repsac3 said...

Why should I work my butt off just so the government can come in and take my money and shuffle it over to people who refuse to work and provide for themselves?

Well, leaving aside the supposition that those who benefit from your tax dollars do so because they're lazy and refuse to work, that's the price of being an American. Whether or not you or I personally agree with a particular government expenditure, we both live in a country where we vote for people who then get to allocate how much the US/state/locality is going to spend, and on what, and then we live with the results until the next election, when we vote those tax & spend libs or borrow & spend cons out and install different ones, who'll hopefully do a better job allocating our money... It'd be an interesting experiment to see what'd happen if we each could allocate our own tax dollars to those expenses we personally agree with, but I fear that very little of what we now collectively enjoy (roads, museums, the military, schools, ...) would survive it.

That's why you have to pay for the lazy bums who refuse to work, and them illegals, too... "We," in our role as "the government" ("...of the people, by the people, for the people...") voted, and that's one you apparently lost... ...at least until the next time, anyway...

Hope that helps...

Anonymous said...

"I don't agree with all that you say in this post, but the fact that you're pissing off so many hypocrites means you must be doing something right..."

I think what you see from some of these posts, and this of course is my opinion, is not one of a hypocritical nature rather an inadvertent attempt at issuing the race card as it has been so nicely bestowed upon them-whether they are racist or not.

I know, childish "he did it so I am going to do it".

While I cannot attest to their reasoning for writing what they wrote, from my point of view people are getting fed up with the race card.

I know I am.

I do not agree with these policies nor how they went about "accomplishing" this farce of a health care bill. It has nothing to do with Obama's race or that Pelosi is a woman.

I am female, therefore it negates the sexist argument and as for the race card, I am half native American Indian although that in and of itself does not obsolve someone of being racist. But I hope you get my point.

If not: it is a fallacy to assume that "If a few Tea Party Members are Racist Then ALL Tea Party Members are Racist."

Kind of like how your side argues that it is wrong to associate Obama with Ayers just because they hung out together. Just because Ayers is a left-wing lunatic doesn't make Obama one. Or, Just because Rev. Wright is a racist bigoted pig doesn't mean Obama is one even though he sat in that racist pigs church for 20 years.

And the list goes on-if Tea Party Members are guilty simply becuase there are a select few within the movement who are obvious nut bags, then Obama is a racist, bigoted pig who blows up building for political reasons killing people in the process. Because of a few racist nut bags that he hung out with or mentored him.

Do you understand my point?

Charles U. Farley412 said...

Liberals are attacking White people.

But if I tell that obvious truth about the ongoing program of genocide against my race, the white race, Liberals and respectable conservatives agree that I am a naziwhowantstokillsixmillionjews.


They say they are anti-racist. What they are is anti-white.


Anti-racist is a code word for anti-white.

repsac3 said...

it is a fallacy to assume that "If a few Tea Party Members are Racist Then ALL Tea Party Members are Racist."

Kind of like how your side argues that it is wrong to associate Obama with Ayers just because they hung out together. Just because Ayers is a left-wing lunatic doesn't make Obama one. Or, Just because Rev. Wright is a racist bigoted pig doesn't mean Obama is one even though he sat in that racist pigs church for 20 years.

And the list goes on-if Tea Party Members are guilty simply becuase there are a select few within the movement who are obvious nut bags, then Obama is a racist, bigoted pig who blows up building for political reasons killing people in the process. Because of a few racist nut bags that he hung out with or mentored him.

Do you understand my point?


Not only do I understand it, I wholeheartedly agree... Sweeping generalizations about any political/social/ethnic/religious/gender group, particularly when judging the whole by their worst behaving members (or, as you say, judging someone based on his parents or a friend) is not only wrong in itself, but is often the birth of bigoted thinking...

I'm all for harshly judging the asshole with the offensive sign or the violent behavior (or if I may, the inappropriately played race card, if you get my meaning), and leaving the rest of the group to which the sign holding / violent / race card playing perp claims to belong out of it...

I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship... 8>)

Anonymous said...

People like this who criticize Christians, whites , and the Tea Party folks arent "anti-white". They are STATISTS, whether COMMUNISTS, MARXISTS, ISLAMIC SUPREMACISTS. They are doing the EXACT same thing SADDAM HUSSIEN did in Iraq for over 30 years-seperate people by groups-use minorities are blocs against the mostly anonymous majority. Saddam used the Sunni minority in Iraq much as Obama and his fellow statists and the media use blacks, hispanics and gays against the white males. The exact same kind of tactics Lenin used, Hitler used, Ho chi Mih used, Mao and Castro used. Make someone a "victim". Such people as the writer of articles like this cannot be reasoned with, they are too ideologically driven. Ask any former KGB agent-they will tell you ideologically driven spies were the best ones. Now you know why,Google Antonio Gramsci for further understanding.

Anonymous said...

Someone better tell the writer of this communist blog this-the guy who threatened Eric Cantors family contirbuted $525 to Obama and was also a MOSLEM CONVERT. Tell me about violence, scumbag.

Montana said...

I love that they asked for “Public Defenders”, they know now that there was an undercover FBI agent. The simpleton Tea baggers keep missing the point. These are the same whiners that were crying when the McCain/Bailin ticket lost. Now that their yelling (because they are haters not debaters) did not stop health care from passing, they are crying again. They think they can scare, intimidate and force others to go along with them by comments like “This time we came unarmed”, let me tell you something they are not the only ones who have guns and not all ex-military join the fringe militia crazies who don’t pay taxes and run around in the parks playing commando, the majority understand that the world is more complicated and grey then the black and white that these simpleton make it out to be and that my friend is the point. So it’s only fitting that their leaders are Sarah Bailin, Victoria Jackson, Michele Bachmann and their turn coat Glenn Beck. So if you are bothered that there are some misconceptions of your group, well then I think you need to be more careful who you invite to give you speeches.

VMM said...

If the anonymous creator of this piece of fiction had any scruples, he would retract this entire article.

What twaddle. If these Tea Party folk are sincere, why not even one attempt to try to explain what they really mean, what they really stand for. They don't even try to distance themselves from the most grotesque signs or actions at these protests. Instead: name-calling, laughable conspiracy theories, and pitiable attempts to portray themselves as victims.

If these are your critics, you must be doing something right.

Torybaiter said...

Thank you for a very literate piece that helps me, as a Canadian, glean some understanding of what the hell is going on south of the border. The health care bill passed by your congress is a little pale but like all good ideas, it will evolve and strengthen over time.

When I was born, in the mid fifties, the world was far simpler. It was the U.S. and its many often dependant friends versus Communism. John Wayne kicked ass! But the seeds of today's discontent were already being sown. Mike Pearson, Prime Minister of Canada during most of the sixties, got into huge trouble with the right for saying "Better Red than Dead." He meant that one survivies and fights for their core beliefs, but the message was, as so many here in the comments section have done, deliberately misinterreted. Nuance is a word too few of us are familiar with.

People want things kept simple. More so as the world evolves and becomes more complicated. The problem in the U.S., and certainly moving that direction in Canada, is that rational people, from both the right and the left, are being forced to the margins.

I look forward to reading this blog on a regular basis. Keep it up! Reason will prevail.

I think.

Anonymous said...

Laird of Madrona said...
If the anonymous creator of this piece of fiction had any scruples, he would retract this entire article.

What twaddle. If these Tea Party folk are sincere, why not even one attempt to try to explain what they really mean, what they really stand for. They don't even try to distance themselves from the most grotesque signs or actions at these protests. Instead: name-calling, laughable conspiracy theories, and pitiable attempts to portray themselves as victims.

If these are your critics, you must be doing something right.
==============================================

Actually, many politicians, those within the "right-wing" media and many others have condemned the obvious right wing nuts.

If you read my previous posts, so have I.

So, what's the problem?

Conspiracy theories come from both sides. Those on the left stating Bush allowed 9-11 to happen despite the fact he was only in office for 8 months when it took place; to those on the right who want Obama to show his real birth certificate, college transcripts, college thesis and Harvard Law Review Articles.

You see, until Obama shows all of the above, most of the birther element will never believe he is a "born American"; Just like those on the left will never believe Bush had nothing to do with 9-11 taking place until there have been several 9-11 reviews with the same statistical evidence each time.

Then you have some within the liberal media playing up a couple of nut bags in a failed attempt to gain some momentum for ratings.

You see, a good portion of media outlets are failing-MISERABLY! So, in the past the race card has boosted media ratings, however lately people are really growing tired of the same old crap.

The other problem?

The race card was played out several years ago, especially affter Sharpton and Jackson bastardized the Duke Lacrosse rape case and smeared 5 white collegiate boys names in the mud.

Kinda of like Tawana Bailey and those lies too.

You cry wolf enough and there is no wolf, pretty soon no one comes running. One day there is a wolf; the wolf eats you and no one comes running to keep the wolf from having you for dinner.

While I am very well aware the abscence of evidence is not evidence of abscence-when you go about smearing a persons or a groups name with something like racism, then proof beyond a reasonable doubt is necessary.

There are more than not who disagree with the health care bill that passed based on the fact of how they went about passing it, the blatant racism/dicrimination that is in it, and most importantly the fact that the government is forcing any individual to purchase a product simply because they are breathing.

It is a sad day when we have true American citizens who do not see a problem with the government forcing its citizens to purchase a product or face consequences.

Should everyone have health care? Sure, but one should not be forced to purchase it anymore than we should be obligated to purchase health care insurance that is APPROVED by the government.

Again, I digress.

Arguing that there are more people than not who genuinely disagree with the way this government is operating is futile.