Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Danger Ahead

Before I rant on the danger our country faces I will give you an update on my dental woes. I can't imagine why this would be of interest to anyone except my family, but I will furnish a quick report to all of those kind friends who sent good wishes. I did have a root canal and, after nearly two hours of working on me, my dentist told me it was not successful due to the shrunken canal. This, he informed me, was due to my advanced years. ( I'm old, is what I am.) Because he was unable to remove the infected tissue I will be seeing a specialist Monday who may do the whole procedure over. The good news is that my dentist did not charge me for his services. He is an angel.

Now on to my rant.

The crazies have been unleashed by the overblown rhetoric of the 'right'. Tucson was among the cities that had a brick thrown through the door of the headquarters of our Senator, Gabrielle Giffords, because she voted 'aye' for the health care reform bill.

The gun nuts are planning a gathering in D. C. next month and have been told to carry loaded pistols and unarmed rifles. Get that? LOADED pistols. The NRA must be so proud. The Militia are a scary bunch of neanderthals and, because they are cowards, they need to have weapons to feel important. All those loaded guns in the hands of the loonies in one place is a disaster waiting to happen.

If this dangerous situation is not defused we are in for a very horrifying and violent time in our country. Who needs foreign enemies when we have our own homegrown ones? The main target of these nut cases is, of course, the President. I hope the Secret Service does a better job of protecting him than they did with JFK and Bobby. I think he should stop going to public rallies until this insane time blows over. Maybe he should have a Pope Mobile to encase him when he is in public.

I just watched the movie Bobby and it was painful to relive that period in our history. I remember the grief when Bobby Kennedy was shot and when the Kent State students were killed. All the other horrors that occurred when the dogs of hate were released are fresh in my memory.

The lies and vicious name calling released the dogs of hate again when we elected a black president, The racism has bubbled up and has been building ever since. Words have consequences.

Sarah Palin was bad enough with her dishonest claim of death panels, but now she has shamefully exceeded herself by putting out a map with the cross hairs of a gun posted in states where the Democrats are up for re-election. If this isn't an invitation to some nut to shoot a Democrat I don't know what is.

The dishonorable taunt "You lie" yelled at the president during the State of the Union speech by South Carolina's, Joe Wilson, followed by the disreputable name 'Baby Killer' hurled at Bart Stupak by Texas Congressman, Randy Neugebaur in the Halls of Congress are all invitations to the insane that it's open season on Democrats and that civility is an anachronism.

After Wilson and Neugebaur disgraced themselves with an extreme lack of decorum, they compounded their crime by posting it on their web sites as a money raising ploy. To the shame of their followers, it is working.

Freedom of Speech allows me to write this rant, but it does not allow me to yell "Fire" in a crowded theater. Nor should it allow politicians to make cheap political points that are incendiary.

Of course, we mustn't forget Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh (Is he still here? I thought he was moving to Costa Rica if the health care reform bill passed.) They are directly responsible for the hate filled words that have incited their listeners to hate and anger.

I just heard on TV that Democrat Congressmen and women are getting death threats. Are you proud of yourselves, you stupid people who swallowed whole all the garbage spewed by Michelle Bachmann, Srah Palin, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh? And in a lesser way by the Representatives in Congress.

It is very disturbing to me that the Republican party isn't denouncing the dangerous activities of the Tea Party thugs. For awhile it was funny looking at their misspelled signs. Now the yells and signs are no longer funny; they are dangerous. To date the Repubs. have put politics ahead of averting a tragedy.

It's getting very ugly and very very frightening.

20 comments:

Joy Des Jardins said...

This is really a wonderful post Darlene. Everything you say is so true...and so horribly scary. The more I read about these kind of sick behaviors...the more frightened I am for this country...and what it's becoming. The people that you mention...Sarah, Rush, etc. need to shut up or leave and live in another country where their dispicable behavior won't effect us. Is there such a place? Like 'The Island of Brainless F#@% Ups.' Oops...sorry, in all the years I've been commenting, I don't think I've ever left one like this; but your post really affected me...and that's what came out.

Betty said...

As you know, I've been talking about these crazies for quite a while, now. Someone is going to get hurt or killed if the Republicans don't get out front and condemn them in the strongest possible terms.

This isn't free speech - it's hat speech. The First Amendment doesn't condone that.

la peregrina said...

You took the words right out of my mouth, Darlene.

Anonymous said...

Do we all feel better now? Facts are facts, but when we progressives continually use such inciteful words and tones in discussing issues, are we not merely inciting more and more radical replies? I know that in a face-to-face argument, it is difficult for one person to remain strident when the other person refuses to raise her voice. Personally, I think we should strive to apply this to advantage.

"Speak softly and carry a big stick."

Darlene said...

*Joy Des Jardins - Gosh Joy,I didn't mean to be the one to make you type those F#@% words. But I have said them too. ;-)

*Betty _ Yes, I know you have been posting about this. I guess we must be on the same wavelength or are soul sisters. We do seem to think alike on politics.

*la peregrina - I won't make you put those words back in your mouth. ;-)

*Anonymous - It would be nice is everyone were civil and calm, but there are some things that are so maddening that they call for a strong response. And the name calling comes mostly from the right. There are times when I am compelled to respond in like.

Nancy said...

Darlene,

Wow, I really have to thank you and Joy for taking the time to say the very words that are getting harder and harder to hold back. Poor Joe Biden couldn't contain his happiness the other day and he exploded that word. It's really all-purpose,isn't it? Happy or angry that word says it all.

All together now..Fu*king Tea Baggers !!!!! Feel better? I do.

Sorry your dental work did not go as well as hoped. Better luck with the other dentist.

Xtreme English said...

well, at least you don't live HERE, where all the crazies convene. wisht I lived somewhere else right now. it's scary here

Barry said...

It's alarming to read your words. I have been feeling this and worrying about it and the safety of our leaders. What is alarming, and don't take this the wrong way, you have been around to see a lot of things go down in the country.

'They' say "we want our country back". Okay, which one? Pre-1960s? The great depression? It's time that the Bachmanns, Palins, Becks and Limbaughs start taking responsibility for whipping up fear, but they never will.

And why on EARTH would The Dicovery Channel give Palin her own show?

Darlene said...

*Nancy - Sometimes strong words are called for. It would be nice if we could be civil, but when things are over the top like the death threats and the violence saying sweet things are hypocritical and not appropriate.

*Xtreme English - Maybe it's time to take a vacation and get out of town.

*Barry - History repeats itself and the same kind of demented people emerge over and over. The ray of sunshine is that we have always managed to surmount the Joe McCarthys and their ilk.

Money is the motivating reason the Discovery Channel is giving Palin her own show. They don't care if the audience will be composed of far right viewers; it's the ratings they seek. I hope the show flops.

Wisewebwoman said...

It is extraordinary that the Neanderthals don't get that the incitors, all of them, will never have to worry about health care, universal or otherwise, in their lifetimes.
I find the US a terribly disturbing place at the moment.And I'm sad for all the good, caring people like yourself, Darlene.
XO
WWW

Darlene said...

*Wisewebwoman - I think they get it; they just hope we won't.

Thank you for your nice words.

Rain Trueax said...

Sorry that your tooth problem is not resolved but nice to hear about your dentist being so honorable.

It is a very worrisome time and the Republicans have been proving themselves to be worse than we feared. David Frum though nailed it, before he got fired, that they thought they were using Fox but have discovered they are a tool of Fox and you know someone is behind them. I recommend Michael Moore's Capitalism: a love story for a good idea of who is behind them and what they are up to. The thing is they may find that as the Republicans lost control of their goals, Fox really will find them unleashed the a whirlwind they can't control either. They are still stoking it though.

Darlene said...

*Rain - I am very sure that there is big money behind everything that happens in D. C. and the real power brokers are hidden from view.

I did watch Capitalism and it's powerful.

Beverly said...

Wonderful Darlene....i think exactly as you do....

Baino said...

Darlene it's amazing the stupidity and the absolute nerve of these troglodites. The US is becoming the laughing stock of the world at large and good people are being tarred with the same brush. Unfortunately, sensible argument such as you put forward here reaches sympathetic ears and not those of the gun lobby or rabid anti democratic republican right. I wonder if a bunch of black protesters with loaded weapons would be tolerated outside city hall?

Kay Dennison said...

I've been writing on this the past couple days because my nice congressman is one of Sarah's targets and he, his family and even his staff have been threatened.

I am sick about all this.

Hattie said...

As usual, you bring everything together in the most coherent way. Thank you for this.
And I share your passion!

Darlene said...

*Hattie - Thank you so very much for your nice comment.

Xtreme English said...

You're telling me it's frightening! When we can't even sit down outside of Starbucks to have a cup of coffee without hearing visiting tea baggers talk about shooting various politicians, we've already gone too far.

Meanwhile, the news just flows for those freaking idiots. You can't open a newspaper or turn on a TV without running into the media's worshipful coverage of Palin, Limbaugh, McCain, Beck, and the rest. SHUT OFF THE TV! DON'T BUY THE NEWSPAPERS. CALL OR WRITE THE ADVERTISERS AND SAY "NO MORE"!!

Thanks for posting about this, Darlene....we're in big trouble, but most of us don't realize it yet. We're too busy watching the basketball tournament.

Darlene said...

*Xtreme English - Thank you,M. E. for agreeing with me. I appreciate the comment.