Thursday, March 25, 2010

He's Not Killing and Eating Babies. You Know That, Right?

As a democrat, in a democratically-elected government, what legislation or political stance could earn you a death threat?

Gun control? Nope
Pro-Abortion? Maybe, but not likely
Pro Death Penalty? Highly unlikely
Anti-Death Penatly? Nope (although you'll probably be called a soft-on-crime fag)

hmmm what else could incite enough hatred in somebody that they could actually threaten your life? Healthcare? Surely not. Surely an attempt to make sure that every body in your country can afford medical care would be met with open arms. And, if you think that, you'd be wrong.

That's right folks, a whole new, fresh batch of lunacy has broken out, south of the border.

The US President and some select Democrats have received credible threats to their lives for passing a healthcare bill. The threats are coming from the same people who are anti-choice regarding abortion and pro-death penalty. The irony and hypocrisy never ends.

Who's feeding this seething mass of hatred? Well, there's the normal culprits at Fox (Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, super-crazy Glenn Beck and of course Anne "good God I'm a racist loudmouth" Coulter). I'd add the links to their names but really, just go and search out their blogs, websites, facebook groups and twitter feeds. You'll get the idea and spare me having to lose my supper.

The one I really want to draw your attention to is Sarah "I'm a Maverick" Palin. Here's a screenshot of her healthcare-combat map. Yes, those are gunsights aimed at states that have a Democrat for a Congressman. In addition she was recently quoted as saying - on her facebook page - "Commonsense lovers and Conservatives of America: Don't retreat, instead RELOAD" (emphasis: hers). Just for fun, visit her facebook page and leave snarky comments on her wall.

There is a part of me that is really hoping this is racially motivated. Hold on, let me explain.

I can understand racial hatred in that I get there are lots of people in the world who hate other people just because they look different. If this hatred toward Obama is racial at it's root, then I can write it off as ignorant bigots who are probably already known to the FBI and Secret Service. Knuckle-dragging, sloped-forehead, mouth-breathing, inbred, undereducated crackers from south of the Mason-Dixon are a predictable threat. They're easy to spot, easy to track and the people who protect Presidents have had lots of experience dealing with them.

However, if people are truly coming at this issue from the point of view that, getting looked after in a hospital and not being presented with a $100,000 bill when you leave, is somehow going to cause the downfall of liberty; then by God I'm scared. I'm scared because while even Fox can't sell racism as an excuse for revolution, the right-wing talk-radio jockeys, Fox News, Carl Rove (yes creepy little Carl is still oiling his way around) and the rest of them can simply "report" (if ever air-quotes were warranted it's there) on the growing movement of ordinary Americans as they try to protect what left of their vanishing freedom. If you think I'm just blindly spitting words out, steel your stomach and watch Fox for an hour.

I know this post isn't as polished or even intelligent as some others I've written. But this issue has really got me confused. I just do not understand how providing the framework so that people can have healthcare without losing their lives' savings can incite the kind of hatred that would lead someone to pick up a gun or encourage others to do so.

If anybody can explain to me how universal healthcare threatens their way of life, their freedom, their liberty or their family, please leave me a comment. I will gladly sit down for an intelligent conservations. The only caveat: you have to present an intelligent argument. No "Obama-care", no ranting about socialism, no name-calling, no bible prophesies. I want an intelligent, referenced, grounded-in-non-mediated-truth explanation. If you can give me that, I'm all ears.



No comments: