Reaping the fear
Sep 24th, 2009 | By Michael Hinckley | Read more in: Fearless HistoryWhen conservative pundits and talk show hosts play upon people’s fear, they do it for one reason: power. But they either didn’t have an Uncle Ben (or perhaps didn’t listen to him) like Peter Parker did. With great power comes great responsibility. Instead, the ends justify the means, regardless of who gets hurt in the process nor how contradictory.
Anti-government sentiment motivated Timothy McVeigh and his accomplices — all of whom warned of encroaching “big government” — to kill or maim hundreds of innocent men, women and children in 1995. Though McVeigh was executed, do neo-cons really think the militia ultra-right wingers really went away? Or that they changed their politics over a feeling of guilt?
Eric Rudolph, notorious mass-murderer and domestic terrorist was motivated by an ultra-right wing ideology that believed the government should outlaw a private medical practice they disagree with — abortion. Never mind the cognitive dissonance of NOT wanting single-payer medical care and yet WANTING the government to spy on the doctor who performs abortions. But Rudolph was a hero to anti-Liberal government types – many of whom helped him evade the police! Do Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh think these anti-abortion activists ran to their blood-soaked altars and begged forgiveness of Christ for the murders they perpetuate in the name of “justice for the unborn?” Tell that to George Tiller.
When “Tea Parties” revel in the disrespect — and grievous lies — of Joe Wilson and Jim Shimkus, they prattle on about “death panels” and Nazi-like Liberal leaders who want to institute “Communism.” Completely disregarding the fact that Nazis were conservative ANTI-COMMUNIST REACTIONARIES who stormed town hall meetings and ranted irrationally, the lies become inspiration for action by barely-educated brutes.
Take for example a Census worker named Bill Sparkman. His job was to collect data on people who live in rural Kentucky while earning a little extra money on the side – per the American dream, no less – and what happened to him? He was lynched by anti-Federal government nut jobs and dthe word “Fed” scrawled across his chest. His body was mutilated so badly that his mother says he needs to be cremated. A police officer friend of his had warned him of the strong anti-government sentiment prevalent in the region, but who would harm a guy who asks how big your house is and if you had attended college? People who get their news from Fox, that’s who.
The scariest part about this whole string of events is that the very same rhetoric and sentiments — anti-government, fear mongering, emotional appeals that defy reason and logic — that were used to justify Jim Crow laws and to bolster support for domestic terrorist groups like the Ku Klux Klan and the White Man’s Union in the years following the Reconstruction! In both cases, “conservative” politicians and newspaper men used their public power to incite the poor, ignorant, rural masses into supporting oppressive, unfair policies that are a disgrace to the words “Democracy,” “Representative Republic” and “America.” In both cases, they use false information, emotional appeals, fear-mongering tactics to make the populace lash out at those who are trying to make this country more just, more fair, and more equal.
Here’s the deal, you knuckle-dragging flag-waving, draft-dodging cowards: You’re on the wrong side of history. You are not supporting America’s ideals as embodied in the Constitution, Declaration of Independence or Bill of Rights, but instead you are working to undermine them. You will be remembered a hundred years from now not as the self-proclaimed voices of reason “Arguing with Idiots” but as engaging in acts of self aggrandizement and oppression and betraying the very principles of America for your own momentary gain –
that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
Note it says “Among these” not “Only These” “Just these” or “For those who can afford these.” Rights evolve and are in flux. Before America’s grand experiment, there was no “freedom of speech.” Before the 14th and 20th Amendment, Black people and women did not have the right to vote.
You do not want the nation to evolve. You want it to ossify, become brittle and fall apart.
Of course, this makes Sarah Palin the Nathan Bedford Forrest and makes “Ditto heads” the Sturmableitung of their era. But those are links I’m not too sure she or they would be uncomfortable with.
Subscribe by RSS feed
Follow on Twitter
Got Kindle?
I’ve lived my entire life in Kentucky. We are not a shining beacon of enlightened progress. Kentucky ranks toward the bottom in education, quality of life, and lifespan. We rank toward the top in stress, prison population, and teen pregnancy. And we have Rand Paul running for our national senate seat. Kentucky is being left behind and is desperate need of change.
I told this story to my father (also a life long native) and he said it reminded him of stories his relative used to tell him of “revenue men” being shot and killed for stepping on the wrong farm or getting too close to a moonshine operation.
[Reply]
Well said, Michael.
kim g.
[Reply]
Well, now, I grew up in them parts, and yeah, we did have our moonshiners who didn’t take too kindly to revenuers, but thas genrully when them revenuers wuz lookin for the moonshiners. This here thing with that census taker, that sounds like just plain meanness. Well, and stupidity. Which we find wherever there are pockets of Faux News addicts. It is an addiction, kinda like, well, meth. Makes you do crazy, dangerous things. Need to stop both, if you ask me.
[Reply]
Friar; I actually teach at a University in Kentucky and was shocked to hear this story. But what shocked me more was news that I and my wife heard through our homeschooling group. A young, healthy college student died of H1N1 because she lacked health insurance (http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story/H1N1-Victim-Lacked-Health-Insurance-Coverage/GbqibyT_D0y6DAjGR0ponQ.cspx) – she worked 3 jobs to pay for college and avoided going to the hospital’s ER because she couldn’t afford the bill. So while Glenn is busy mockingly stating “You’re right, there are people dying in our streets” when Liberals speak out about healthcare reform, children ARE dying. Over the past 60 years, we’ve had private insurance companies running the health care system and who gains from it? Not the majority of American people, that’s for sure. The kicker is while Glen and Rush and Sarah! are spinning yarns about Mao Tse Tung-style Socialism, another “Socialist” country with single-payer health care – Germany – has been buying and selling American companies for decades and their products (BMWs, Mercedes Benz, Porche, etc.) are considered LUXURY items in this country. Yeah, Socialism is obviously bad for the country.
[Reply]
I agree this is shocking and disturbing but it’s also disappointing.
I’d be interested to know, just out of personal curiosity, what you teach at UK.
@News Writer
My grandfather made a living (as a young man) moon shining and rum running. Especially down south here where many of the counties are still dry. So I’m not mocking anybody.
Also, I must say I am pleasantly surprised to see so many natives of the Commonwealth are here.
[Reply]
News Writer
Reply:
September 25th, 20092009-09-25T17:05:53ZF jS, Y at 1:05 pm2009-09-25T17:05:53Zg:i a
Friar, I didn’t think you were mocking, so no worries there. And just to be clear, I’m from Appalachia, but not the Commonwealth. We do have a buncha Commonwealthers here though …. wonder why that is?
[Reply]
Great post! Very informative…. and I’m really glad I live in NY (not that it isn’t a police state or anything.)
[Reply]
Friar: I actually teach History (Surprise!) at a university close to Cincinnati. World History, US History and European History, pretty much any time period; kind of nice being the low man on the totem pole – I get to teach whatever I want.
I also recently ran across a compendium of Fox “News” watchers – and I am not exaggerating, look at some of the signs which thank Fox – which I found very…illuminating:
http://www.dribbleglass.com/Jokes/illiterate.htm
[Reply]