The Party of Hate

by: tabbycat31

Tue Mar 23, 2010 at 08:04:27 PM EDT

While progressives like myself (and many of my friends) were partying like it was 2008 on Sunday night when healthcare reform passed the House, others were not so happy. However they went too far in venting their frustrations, resorting to vandalism and violence. This weekend, before the bill passed, the teabaggers were out in full force trying to kill the bill.  Some even used racist and homophobic slurs at elected officials. Unfortunately, this behavior did not end when the bill passed. 

Now, in an effort to relive the summer of the town hell meeting, they are again using vandalism and threatening violence at elected officials.  Vandalism has occurred in the office of Congresswomen Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and Louise Slaughter (D-NY), as well as at the Democratic Party offices in Wichita, KS, Rochester, NY, and Cincinnati, OH.  While nothing has happened in New Jersey so far, I fear that this is just the beginning.  After all New Jersey is home to 44 hate groups according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.  Many members of these hate groups are probably also members of the tea party movement. 

The ugliest of such actions comes from a leader within the Republican Party.  While she is a coward who quits her job after one term in hopes of becoming a reality TV star, many take former Alaska governor and Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin seriously.  Using a note on her Facebook page, she used a graphic of districts her ticket won in 2008 that elected Democrats to Congress as possible Republican targets.  Unfortunately she took the term target way too seriously.  

 Congress and President George W. Bush passed some unpopular legislation and rulings in his era, but I never remember the opposition using violence and vandalism to oppose him.  In fact the opposition in his era was often cornered into "free speech zones" and not allowed near an event if wearing or driving a car with a sticker that showed opposition.

Ultimately it will be up to the voters to decide in November which party they would like to see control Congress.  Many progressives have been frustrated by Congress, and even with this bill.  But if that does not motivate the progressive base to vote and work to keep Democrats in power, perhaps this violence and vandalism will.  Do we really need more people like Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann (R-MN) in power?