Unfair and Unhinged:
When Right is Wrong.
Over the last few months, and indeed for most of this year, I have been writing about what I consider to be a growing malignancy within the country. This malignancy has been relentless and single-minded in its intentions. It refers to itself as conservative, yet it betrays everything responsible conservatives have been about for decades; it refers to itself as Godly, yet there is nothing Godlike about it; it refers to liberals as fascists, yet its actions expose a fascist tendency within its ranks that is unmistakable; it refers to itself as patriotic, yet with every vile and twisted stunt it pulls it reveals itself to be a threat to the very Constitution it claims to love and support; it claims to have the facts on its side, yet it is largely ignorant of anything even remotely resembling the facts; it claims to be on the side of the middle class, yet it is in bed with entities whose interests are injurious to such folk; it claims to love liberty, yet through its racist and xenophobic tendencies it seeks to deprive the less fortunate of the very liberties that it enjoys; it speaks of bringing democracy to the world; yet its actions at home belie its rhetoric; it talks about freedom of speech, yet it seeks to stamp out all who disagree with it; it rallies its supporters to “take back” its country, yet doesn’t realize or doesn’t care that to do so would destroy the very country it wishes to take back.
I have called this malignancy many things: the far Right, the Christian Right, the lunatic Right, the conservative Right, the fascist Right, or just plain old Right. In any incarnation one cares to call it, it is the single greatest threat to the future of our Republic. I call it relentless and single-minded, because that is what it has become. It is now a twenty-four hour, seven day a week, fifty-two week a year, year in year out fixation that has defined not just a major political party, but virtually anything right of center in the country. It is consumed with its own self-righteous rage and contempt for anything not of its own ilk, and openly threatens violence against any and all who oppose it. Its obsession with this current President has become a case study in paranoia. Through its agents - Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Glenn Beck and the rest of the rat pack - it has been on a non-stop crusade to berate and disparage everything he says or does.
There has been an astounding lack of respect for this President that has seen no equal in history. Bill Clinton may have been despised by the Republicans, but he was never subjected to such utter contempt. Riotous mobs who show up at town-hall meetings some with loaded weapons, shouting down anyone who dares to have a differing opinion from theirs; Republican Congressmen and Senators who encourage continued contempt for the President at these town-hall meetings by not correcting attendees who shout out flat out lies and threats, many nodding in agreement with the absurdities; fake Tea Parties and D.C. rallies decrying what they think is socialism that sport racists signs and are whipped up into a lather by “fair and balanced” correspondents, are all part of the script. Stoking the emotions of ignorant citizens through deliberate misinformation and fear mongering is part of a greater effort to blame everything that happens on Obama. This is leading to a vitriol tide that is sweeping across this country like a tsunami coming ashore. Wave after wave continue to pound the body politic of our nation, until the water is completely and irrevocably polluted. No matter what this President does, he’s wrong for doing it. The attempt to capture the 2016 Olympics for Chicago is yet another example of damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t. The constant barrage of hate from the far Right is taking its toll.
I have mentioned the increase in death threats against the President that the Secret Service has had to contend with; witness now the latest threat to appear on facebook in the form of an “opinion poll” titled: “Should Obama Be Killed?” The choices were a) yes; b) maybe, c) if he cuts my healthcare; or d) no. The poster of the poll didn’t even have the courtesy to use the word assassinate. The reluctance to even acknowledge the Office was almost as bad as the threat itself. Recently newsmax.com ran a column by John L. Perry – one can only wonder what the L stands for - that suggested the military “will intervene as a last resort to resolve the Obama problem.” While the column was pulled from the site, an official retraction or apology was never issued by newsmax.com.
Where is the moral indignation and condemnation from supposedly responsible conservatives over these acts of sedition? True enough Lindsey Graham recently came out against Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly, accusing Beck of cynicism: "Only in America can you make that much money crying." It remains to be seen what price Graham will pay for speaking his mind. And therein lies the problem. When legitimate attempts are made to call out this madness they are met by the usual objections from the Right as infringement of First Amendment rights, and dismissed from the center as over reacting to a largely innocuous trend. CNN practically belittled Bill Clinton's interview on Meet The Press in which he described the vast right-wing conspiracy that plagued him during his administration as alive and well. "It's not as strong as it was, because America's changed demographically, but it's as virulent as it was." Thomas Friedman’s op-ed piece in The New York Times, however, speaks to this insanity and is quite on point.
“I have no problem with any of the substantive criticism of President Obama from the Right or Left. But something very dangerous is happening. Criticism from the far Right has begun tipping over into delegitimation and creating the same kind of climate here that existed in Israel on the eve of the Rabin assassination. Even if you are not worried that someone might draw from these vitriolic attacks a license to try to hurt the President, you have to be worried about what is happening to American politics more broadly.”
RNC Chair Michael Steele responded by calling Friedman “a nut job.” He then defended recent conservative protests, and warned Friedman and others against drawing a connection between outrage at the President’s policies and implications of racism or threats of violence. That Steele was adamant about deflecting criticism over the Right’s actions was typical; that no one is challenging him and others on the Right, save for the rare brave voice, is appalling. Lost in Steele’s denial of any wrongdoing was any effort on his part to reject such vitriolic demonstrations as not representing the Republican Party or being in the best interest of serving the country. And that is the problem in a nutshell. You can’t criticize the bus driver when you’re still allowing him to drive the bus. The lack of any responsible voices on the Right and the inability or unwillingness of more moderate conservatives to rise up against this malignancy is the real heart of the matter.
To quote Jeremiah 5:21, “Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.” What we are witnessing is a pivotal moment in our nation’s history and I am very much afraid that we are headed towards a national tragedy. Friedman’s warning, if it is not heeded, will have dire consequences for all of us. For regardless of Party affiliation or political leanings, there is no room for out and out hatred and violent rhetoric. Those who use our airwaves to spew hate should not be allowed to hide behind the First Amendment. While the press enjoys protection under this Amendment, there is no such protection for broadcasters like News Corp. and Citadel Broadcasting, which own Fox News and WABC A.M. respectively. The airwaves, under FCC rules, are licensed by the government to private corporations for the expressed purposes of serving the community. The assumption is that this public trust will be honored by the broadcasters and will not be used irresponsibly. When that trust is violated, there are consequences. In 1978 the Supreme Court ruled against Pacifica Radio for airing a George Carlin bit uncensored. The FCC argued that Pacifica Radio was guilty of obscenity; Pacifica claimed freedom of speech under the First Amendment, to no avail. Which is worse, hearing George Carlin say the word “shit” or listening to wingnuts repeatedly incite their minions to possible acts of violence?
To those who claim that this is nothing more than censorship, I say get real. There is an enormous difference between legitimate political commentary and the kind of antics Glenn Beck pulls on his cable show. I have broached this subject before, so forgive me for repeating myself. It is time to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine to ensure that there truly is a fair and balanced message that is being heard by the masses. Talk shows that lean considerably to one side of the political spectrum may seem entertaining at first but they are launch pads for people who don’t need much of an excuse for going off the deep end in the first place. There are responsible news outlets out there: PBS has been doing a yeoman’s job for decades discussing the major issues of the day with civility. Passion needn’t give way to extremism in order to be free. With great freedom comes great responsibility. Imagine the target market for Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity being constantly bombarded by hate. Now imagine, if you will, if these blowhards had to devote a segment of their shows to a less volatile and inflammatory opinion. Still think we would’ve seen the riotous Tea Party scenes and raucous town halls in August? Do you think we could’ve had a serious discussion on the budget and health care instead of talk on death panels and socialist tyranny?
Enabling deeply disturbed and emotionally wounded people by convincing them that big brother is their sworn enemy and then encouraging them to take back their government by any means necessary, even if it means killing its “supreme leader” is not what our Founders had in mind when they wrote the Constitution. Allowing deranged personalities to speak on behalf of your interests and then calling those who call you out on it “nut jobs” is cowardice. That no one within the ranks of this cancer has stepped up and made a concerted effort to thwart such irresponsible conduct implies consent. No other conclusion is possible.
It therefore must fall on those of us who are responsible, be they Democrat or Republican to say, “Enough is enough!” If we start now, we can send this message, loud and clear, that violent rhetoric and sedition are not to be tolerated. One is free to agree or disagree with their duly elected government officials, and to peaceably protest when they wish to; one is not entitled to threaten aggression against such officials or to whip up into a frenzy the ignorant and the gullible merely because they lost an election.
Of all the speeches Abraham Lincoln made, none seem more moving and appropriate for our time than the one he delivered on the occasion of his first inaugural. His closing words are worth noting here.
When Right is Wrong.
Over the last few months, and indeed for most of this year, I have been writing about what I consider to be a growing malignancy within the country. This malignancy has been relentless and single-minded in its intentions. It refers to itself as conservative, yet it betrays everything responsible conservatives have been about for decades; it refers to itself as Godly, yet there is nothing Godlike about it; it refers to liberals as fascists, yet its actions expose a fascist tendency within its ranks that is unmistakable; it refers to itself as patriotic, yet with every vile and twisted stunt it pulls it reveals itself to be a threat to the very Constitution it claims to love and support; it claims to have the facts on its side, yet it is largely ignorant of anything even remotely resembling the facts; it claims to be on the side of the middle class, yet it is in bed with entities whose interests are injurious to such folk; it claims to love liberty, yet through its racist and xenophobic tendencies it seeks to deprive the less fortunate of the very liberties that it enjoys; it speaks of bringing democracy to the world; yet its actions at home belie its rhetoric; it talks about freedom of speech, yet it seeks to stamp out all who disagree with it; it rallies its supporters to “take back” its country, yet doesn’t realize or doesn’t care that to do so would destroy the very country it wishes to take back.
I have called this malignancy many things: the far Right, the Christian Right, the lunatic Right, the conservative Right, the fascist Right, or just plain old Right. In any incarnation one cares to call it, it is the single greatest threat to the future of our Republic. I call it relentless and single-minded, because that is what it has become. It is now a twenty-four hour, seven day a week, fifty-two week a year, year in year out fixation that has defined not just a major political party, but virtually anything right of center in the country. It is consumed with its own self-righteous rage and contempt for anything not of its own ilk, and openly threatens violence against any and all who oppose it. Its obsession with this current President has become a case study in paranoia. Through its agents - Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Glenn Beck and the rest of the rat pack - it has been on a non-stop crusade to berate and disparage everything he says or does.
There has been an astounding lack of respect for this President that has seen no equal in history. Bill Clinton may have been despised by the Republicans, but he was never subjected to such utter contempt. Riotous mobs who show up at town-hall meetings some with loaded weapons, shouting down anyone who dares to have a differing opinion from theirs; Republican Congressmen and Senators who encourage continued contempt for the President at these town-hall meetings by not correcting attendees who shout out flat out lies and threats, many nodding in agreement with the absurdities; fake Tea Parties and D.C. rallies decrying what they think is socialism that sport racists signs and are whipped up into a lather by “fair and balanced” correspondents, are all part of the script. Stoking the emotions of ignorant citizens through deliberate misinformation and fear mongering is part of a greater effort to blame everything that happens on Obama. This is leading to a vitriol tide that is sweeping across this country like a tsunami coming ashore. Wave after wave continue to pound the body politic of our nation, until the water is completely and irrevocably polluted. No matter what this President does, he’s wrong for doing it. The attempt to capture the 2016 Olympics for Chicago is yet another example of damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t. The constant barrage of hate from the far Right is taking its toll.
I have mentioned the increase in death threats against the President that the Secret Service has had to contend with; witness now the latest threat to appear on facebook in the form of an “opinion poll” titled: “Should Obama Be Killed?” The choices were a) yes; b) maybe, c) if he cuts my healthcare; or d) no. The poster of the poll didn’t even have the courtesy to use the word assassinate. The reluctance to even acknowledge the Office was almost as bad as the threat itself. Recently newsmax.com ran a column by John L. Perry – one can only wonder what the L stands for - that suggested the military “will intervene as a last resort to resolve the Obama problem.” While the column was pulled from the site, an official retraction or apology was never issued by newsmax.com.
Where is the moral indignation and condemnation from supposedly responsible conservatives over these acts of sedition? True enough Lindsey Graham recently came out against Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly, accusing Beck of cynicism: "Only in America can you make that much money crying." It remains to be seen what price Graham will pay for speaking his mind. And therein lies the problem. When legitimate attempts are made to call out this madness they are met by the usual objections from the Right as infringement of First Amendment rights, and dismissed from the center as over reacting to a largely innocuous trend. CNN practically belittled Bill Clinton's interview on Meet The Press in which he described the vast right-wing conspiracy that plagued him during his administration as alive and well. "It's not as strong as it was, because America's changed demographically, but it's as virulent as it was." Thomas Friedman’s op-ed piece in The New York Times, however, speaks to this insanity and is quite on point.
“I have no problem with any of the substantive criticism of President Obama from the Right or Left. But something very dangerous is happening. Criticism from the far Right has begun tipping over into delegitimation and creating the same kind of climate here that existed in Israel on the eve of the Rabin assassination. Even if you are not worried that someone might draw from these vitriolic attacks a license to try to hurt the President, you have to be worried about what is happening to American politics more broadly.”
RNC Chair Michael Steele responded by calling Friedman “a nut job.” He then defended recent conservative protests, and warned Friedman and others against drawing a connection between outrage at the President’s policies and implications of racism or threats of violence. That Steele was adamant about deflecting criticism over the Right’s actions was typical; that no one is challenging him and others on the Right, save for the rare brave voice, is appalling. Lost in Steele’s denial of any wrongdoing was any effort on his part to reject such vitriolic demonstrations as not representing the Republican Party or being in the best interest of serving the country. And that is the problem in a nutshell. You can’t criticize the bus driver when you’re still allowing him to drive the bus. The lack of any responsible voices on the Right and the inability or unwillingness of more moderate conservatives to rise up against this malignancy is the real heart of the matter.
To quote Jeremiah 5:21, “Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.” What we are witnessing is a pivotal moment in our nation’s history and I am very much afraid that we are headed towards a national tragedy. Friedman’s warning, if it is not heeded, will have dire consequences for all of us. For regardless of Party affiliation or political leanings, there is no room for out and out hatred and violent rhetoric. Those who use our airwaves to spew hate should not be allowed to hide behind the First Amendment. While the press enjoys protection under this Amendment, there is no such protection for broadcasters like News Corp. and Citadel Broadcasting, which own Fox News and WABC A.M. respectively. The airwaves, under FCC rules, are licensed by the government to private corporations for the expressed purposes of serving the community. The assumption is that this public trust will be honored by the broadcasters and will not be used irresponsibly. When that trust is violated, there are consequences. In 1978 the Supreme Court ruled against Pacifica Radio for airing a George Carlin bit uncensored. The FCC argued that Pacifica Radio was guilty of obscenity; Pacifica claimed freedom of speech under the First Amendment, to no avail. Which is worse, hearing George Carlin say the word “shit” or listening to wingnuts repeatedly incite their minions to possible acts of violence?
To those who claim that this is nothing more than censorship, I say get real. There is an enormous difference between legitimate political commentary and the kind of antics Glenn Beck pulls on his cable show. I have broached this subject before, so forgive me for repeating myself. It is time to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine to ensure that there truly is a fair and balanced message that is being heard by the masses. Talk shows that lean considerably to one side of the political spectrum may seem entertaining at first but they are launch pads for people who don’t need much of an excuse for going off the deep end in the first place. There are responsible news outlets out there: PBS has been doing a yeoman’s job for decades discussing the major issues of the day with civility. Passion needn’t give way to extremism in order to be free. With great freedom comes great responsibility. Imagine the target market for Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity being constantly bombarded by hate. Now imagine, if you will, if these blowhards had to devote a segment of their shows to a less volatile and inflammatory opinion. Still think we would’ve seen the riotous Tea Party scenes and raucous town halls in August? Do you think we could’ve had a serious discussion on the budget and health care instead of talk on death panels and socialist tyranny?
Enabling deeply disturbed and emotionally wounded people by convincing them that big brother is their sworn enemy and then encouraging them to take back their government by any means necessary, even if it means killing its “supreme leader” is not what our Founders had in mind when they wrote the Constitution. Allowing deranged personalities to speak on behalf of your interests and then calling those who call you out on it “nut jobs” is cowardice. That no one within the ranks of this cancer has stepped up and made a concerted effort to thwart such irresponsible conduct implies consent. No other conclusion is possible.
It therefore must fall on those of us who are responsible, be they Democrat or Republican to say, “Enough is enough!” If we start now, we can send this message, loud and clear, that violent rhetoric and sedition are not to be tolerated. One is free to agree or disagree with their duly elected government officials, and to peaceably protest when they wish to; one is not entitled to threaten aggression against such officials or to whip up into a frenzy the ignorant and the gullible merely because they lost an election.
Of all the speeches Abraham Lincoln made, none seem more moving and appropriate for our time than the one he delivered on the occasion of his first inaugural. His closing words are worth noting here.
“If it were admitted that you who are dissatisfied hold the right side in the dispute, there is still no single good reason for precipitate action. Intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm reliance on Him who has never yet forsaken this favored land are still competent to adjust in the best way, all our present difficulty. In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow-countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue. The government will not assail you. You can have no conflict without being you yourselves the aggressors. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”
May the peace and courage of our Lord be with us as we move forward in His name!
2 comments:
Thanks for the Lincoln address. Hadn't read that in years, but it certainly is pertinent now. I'm glad the WH has broken its silence and renounced Beck. Obama needs to use that bully pulpit. I'm all for freedom of speech, but the FCC should go after these guys when they overstep a line and incite violence. A quiet word to the parent company about licensing revocation should do the trick.
Obama should also read some of FDR's speeches too; Old Franklin could really dish it out. As far as that quiet word, it should be accompanied by a threatened fine if Mr. Beck and Mr. Hannity don't clean up their acts.
Post a Comment