Has the right-wing hate & violence level in the U.S. been turned up a couple notches?

[backscatter712]

That's what has me worried.

For one thing, there's Ahmedinejad's reception in the U.S. today. Granted, Ahmedinejad's a tool who I describe as Iran's answer to George W. Bush, but the media actually covered protests of his visit (when it wouldn't cover anti-war protests that were 100 times bigger.) On top of that, there was the Columbia University President's speech introducing Ahmedinejad, which whether you agree with him or not, was just plain nasty.

Then, there's the assault and battery upon Gold Star Dad Carlos Arrendondo, who was pulling a traveling memorial to his son killed in Iraq at the anti-war protests in DC. A member of the right wing Gathering of Eagles group grabbed the picture of his son off the memorial, and when he tried to get it back, several other members knocked him to the ground and kicked the hell out of him. The latest story about this is on Kos - http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/9/24/113720/185 - and includes a bunch of comments with first-hand accounts of the incident. What disturbs me is that the Gathering of Eagles had a wink-nudge relationship with the police, who zoned the protests so the Eagles had the sidewalks on both sides of the street, while the anti-war protesters had the street itself, forcing Carlos and the other protesters to walk a gauntlet of verbal, and as it turns out, physical abuse.

On top of that, there's some incidents around the Jena Six. White supremacists are on the warpath, driving around in trucks displaying nooses, and publishing the home addresses of the families of the Jena Six on the Internet.

Are we seeing an escalation in the hostility level coming from the radical right? I have the sinking feeling that we're about to see a lot more nastiness soon.

Could it escalate to a Krystallnacht?

[applegrove]

1. Yup there is something nasty happening.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. It's been on the rise again since Regan made it okay...

with the ol 'Welfare mothers driving Cadillacs" crap.

[undeterred]

3. Do you mean our hatred for the right wing

or their hatred for everything that breathes?

[backscatter712]

4. Yes.

...



Seriously, I was observing the level of hatred and violence and general nastiness coming from right-wingers.

[sandnsea]

5. First they came for the homeless

It's already happening. They've outlawed sleeping on the streets and have taken all these peoples' possessions. The shelters are putting people in tool sheds to try to comply with the no tent ordinances. There are 16,000 homeless people in Fresno county alone. If mental illness and social dysfunction had a color or ethnicity, we'd call this another US holocaust.

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/06/22/18281976.php

[Grandrose]

6. I do believe you on to something! (K&R)

Sad but true, Bush down in polls and Repubs presidential candidates not so hot....could it be the right wing feel power slipping away!
They are so hate filled, it is truly frightening! :-( :kick:

[NJCher]

7. yes, they've cranked it up a notch

The GOP's a one-trick pony. They have one trick in their arsenel: slime, slime and more slime.

It's all they know.



Cher

[backscatter712]

8. Here's what worries me.

I do go to anti-war, impeachment and other protests and rallies on a regular basis here in Colorado. In the past, while reactions for the most part have been positive, there's always some right-wing hecklers. We get lots of middle-fingers (the Republican peace sign), thumbs down, yells of "TRAITOR!", "GO BACK TO CHINA!" or "WHY DO YOU HATE THE TROOPS?!" On top of that, rednecks in their pick-em-up trucks would slow, then dump the accelerator, hitting us with clouds of diesel smoke. On one occasion, we've received actual explicit death threats.

In our protests, we have everyone from kids to the elderly, and I'm afraid some douchebag's going to hurt them and me. It'd be one thing if it was just me that was assaulted - I'm not especially big, but I can throw some decent right hooks. But I wouldn't put it past them to assault a little old lady just for exercising her First Amendment rights.

[hayu_lol]

9. Therre does seem to be a rise in the hatred levels from the right...

this is most notable in letters to the editor columns, posting boards, and calls to political talk shows on the radio.

This hate is more to distract from real issues and this allows Bush to not have to face up to any sort of reality.

[angrycarpenter]

10. yes the response to democratic victory

has always been right wing rage. Remember when Clinton was in office and militias were all the rage? These conservative people were certain that the end was near.

I have never understood the conservative mind. It sees the hopefulness of others and feels fury. It sees freedom and feels trapped. It sees harmony and feels abandoned. It sees death and calls it good.

There is a man who delivers lumber to the job sites I work on. He always has these comments when he shows up about blacks. He says these things as if he expects me to agree with him. Today I came out and told him that I found some stupid opinion of his offensive. He turned red in the face, balled up his fists and shouted "All you democrat n----- lovers can kiss my ass" got in his truck and left. He is about to lose his job due to lack of work around here, I wonder how he will blame this on african-americans.

[RiDuvessa]

11. The hate on both sides has been turned up a couple of notches.

Sorry, but it's true. Both sides demonize each other. Both sides can hardly have a civil conversation. Both sides make excuses for the things their candidates and figureheads do and say. Neither side is much better then the other when it comes to discussing things in a calm and levelheaded fashion. I'm not overly hopeful for the level of political distrust in this country.

[backscatter712]

12. Not surprising.

If someone's going to tell me they want to kill me, I'm not likely to respond by singing Kum By Ya.

[tabasco]

13. Who said they are going to kikll you?

The evil terrorists?

Must suck to live in fear.

There's lightning too. OOOGA BOOGA!

[backscatter712]

14. Let me put it this way.

When some freeper twit gives me a death threat when I'm out on a protest, I usually respond with the bowfingers gesture (that's a peace sign, but with the back of the hand facing out - people from the UK should know all about this.)

STILL PLUCKIN' YA BASTIDS!

[NJCher]

15. different reaction/emotion from Democrats

I don't see Dems particularly returning "hate" for hate. It seems to me that Democratic-type people react differently. It's more like derision, puzzlement (as to how anyone could be so obtuse), and reactions that stem more from a genuine intellectual quandary.

Maybe I'm sheltered but that's what I see. I can't think of a time when I saw a Democratic colleague express blind hatred.


Cher