Comments on: Taking Them At Their Words http://www.republicoft.com/2008/08/01/taking-them-at-their-words/ Black. Gay. Father. Vegetarian. Buddhist. Liberal. Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:11:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: raincrow http://www.republicoft.com/2008/08/01/taking-them-at-their-words/comment-page-1/#comment-183975 raincrow Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:38:07 +0000 http://www.republicoft.com/?p=2343#comment-183975 The double standard for political hate speech (just fine for rightwing nutjobs but not OK for lefties) is sinister, alarming, deplorable, and flat-out SICK. However, I am not entirely convinced the shooter was "motivated" by the above commentators. He was a lifelong resident a nearby community in my county. From the little I've heard, he had long gone around the psychological bend and was no longer recognizable to former friends, no longer married, and no longer employable. I have a strong feeling this is going to be another adult-onset paranoid psychosis sort of deal, an almost intractable treatment situation since about the only civil liberty still intact in the U.S. is the right of the wildly mentally ill to avoid forced treatment until after they've killed or injured someone. (I'm not saying this is all bad, particularly since the vast majority of mentally ill people present no risk of harm to anyone, but this individual freedom presents definite risks to the community.) If he had wanted simply to vent his anti-liberal rage on a Unitarian congregation, this man with no job and no money could have saved maybe $6 of gasoline driving 20 miles to the closest Unitarian church rather than ~40 miles to the one in Knoxville. From what I've heard, his ex-wife had been a member of the Knoxville Unitarian congregation and might have recently resumed attending there. Even the Nazis had to manufacture excuses for their atrocities, dehumanize their victims to deflect their own guilt. If rumor bears out, this man wanted to kill his ex-wife before committing suicide-by-cop, and used liberals as his excuse. Very typical. Very sad. Saddest of all is that liberals, rather than conservatives, would have been much more inclined to fund the programs that would have fed him, gotten him mental health treatment, and tried to find him a job. Don't be afraid. Love is stronger than hatred, and has the power to transform hatred's wreckage, spin sh*t into gold. The double standard for political hate speech (just fine for rightwing nutjobs but not OK for lefties) is sinister, alarming, deplorable, and flat-out SICK.

However, I am not entirely convinced the shooter was “motivated” by the above commentators. He was a lifelong resident a nearby community in my county. From the little I’ve heard, he had long gone around the psychological bend and was no longer recognizable to former friends, no longer married, and no longer employable. I have a strong feeling this is going to be another adult-onset paranoid psychosis sort of deal, an almost intractable treatment situation since about the only civil liberty still intact in the U.S. is the right of the wildly mentally ill to avoid forced treatment until after they’ve killed or injured someone. (I’m not saying this is all bad, particularly since the vast majority of mentally ill people present no risk of harm to anyone, but this individual freedom presents definite risks to the community.)

If he had wanted simply to vent his anti-liberal rage on a Unitarian congregation, this man with no job and no money could have saved maybe $6 of gasoline driving 20 miles to the closest Unitarian church rather than ~40 miles to the one in Knoxville.

From what I’ve heard, his ex-wife had been a member of the Knoxville Unitarian congregation and might have recently resumed attending there. Even the Nazis had to manufacture excuses for their atrocities, dehumanize their victims to deflect their own guilt. If rumor bears out, this man wanted to kill his ex-wife before committing suicide-by-cop, and used liberals as his excuse.

Very typical. Very sad. Saddest of all is that liberals, rather than conservatives, would have been much more inclined to fund the programs that would have fed him, gotten him mental health treatment, and tried to find him a job.

Don’t be afraid. Love is stronger than hatred, and has the power to transform hatred’s wreckage, spin sh*t into gold.

]]> By: Allen http://www.republicoft.com/2008/08/01/taking-them-at-their-words/comment-page-1/#comment-183963 Allen Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:32:20 +0000 http://www.republicoft.com/?p=2343#comment-183963 Deanna. "Aren’t conservatives supposed to be more religious than liberals?" I'm wondering what religion you may be thinking of. I suggest Googling these for starters: "The Spanish Inquisition" "The Crusades" "Witch Trials" "US Indian wars" "priest pedophile" "church Indian orphanage abuse" ... I could go on. Deanna.
“Aren’t conservatives supposed to be more religious than liberals?”

I’m wondering what religion you may be thinking of. I suggest Googling these for starters:
“The Spanish Inquisition” “The Crusades” “Witch Trials” “US Indian wars” “priest pedophile” “church Indian orphanage abuse” … I could go on.

]]> By: whois http://www.republicoft.com/2008/08/01/taking-them-at-their-words/comment-page-1/#comment-183960 whois Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:51:13 +0000 http://www.republicoft.com/?p=2343#comment-183960 Is Jim Adkisson the Knoxville-area blogger known as "Improbulus Maximus" who ranted about his guns and killing liberals? Is Jim Adkisson the Knoxville-area blogger known as “Improbulus Maximus” who ranted about his guns and killing liberals?

]]> By: Allen http://www.republicoft.com/2008/08/01/taking-them-at-their-words/comment-page-1/#comment-183959 Allen Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:13:20 +0000 http://www.republicoft.com/?p=2343#comment-183959 Perfect for Civil law. Some ambulance chaser needs get in touch with the survivors and the dead victim's families. Of course, given these example, the FCC needs to do something. Write them. Internet search "contact fcc" And also write your representatives. search "write my representative" (you'll need your 5+4 zip code). Perfect for Civil law.
Some ambulance chaser needs get in touch with the survivors and the dead victim’s families. Of course, given these example, the FCC needs to do something. Write them. Internet search “contact fcc” And also write your representatives. search “write my representative” (you’ll need your 5+4 zip code).

]]> By: Gay In Augusta » Blog Archive » The Cost of Hate Speech http://www.republicoft.com/2008/08/01/taking-them-at-their-words/comment-page-1/#comment-183944 Gay In Augusta » Blog Archive » The Cost of Hate Speech Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:28:30 +0000 http://www.republicoft.com/?p=2343#comment-183944 [...] In case you have any doubts, here’s the best exposé of right wing hate speech I’ve found to date. [...] [...] In case you have any doubts, here’s the best exposé of right wing hate speech I’ve found to date. [...]

]]> By: Buffy http://www.republicoft.com/2008/08/01/taking-them-at-their-words/comment-page-1/#comment-183917 Buffy Sat, 02 Aug 2008 03:51:45 +0000 http://www.republicoft.com/?p=2343#comment-183917 Excellent post, Terrance. It's high time the RW take responsibility for all the violence their hateful words have unleashed. Excellent post, Terrance. It’s high time the RW take responsibility for all the violence their hateful words have unleashed.

]]> By: Deanna http://www.republicoft.com/2008/08/01/taking-them-at-their-words/comment-page-1/#comment-183911 Deanna Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:16:08 +0000 http://www.republicoft.com/?p=2343#comment-183911 Aren't conservatives supposed to be more religious than liberals? I know, not true, but we're talking about stereotypes here. That's a hell of a lot of hate coming out of their mouths. No wonder some weaker-minded people walk into churches and start shooting. Savage, Coulter, Hannity, Robertson, O'Reilly all should apologize for rabble rousing. Rush too, although he's marginally more entertaining than the others. It's a sad commentary that these conservative commentators have so much power over conservative politicians, and -- of course -- conservative people. People need to learn to open their eyes, see things for how they are, and think for themselves. Aren’t conservatives supposed to be more religious than liberals? I know, not true, but we’re talking about stereotypes here. That’s a hell of a lot of hate coming out of their mouths. No wonder some weaker-minded people walk into churches and start shooting. Savage, Coulter, Hannity, Robertson, O’Reilly all should apologize for rabble rousing. Rush too, although he’s marginally more entertaining than the others. It’s a sad commentary that these conservative commentators have so much power over conservative politicians, and — of course — conservative people. People need to learn to open their eyes, see things for how they are, and think for themselves.

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