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Y'know, some the antics of the Tea Party have been vile and disgusting, and in general, I feel that the screwballs on the far right are more violent and angry than those on the lefft. One only has to listen to talk radio or watch Faux News and the asinine spewing of vitriol from the likes of Limbaugh and Beck. But...
Those of us who find the cultural discourse descending to grade school levels of "You're a poopy-head" name-calling mixed with genuinely frightening strands of physical violence should bear in mind that there are those on the left who fall into the same wingnut category. CNN reports on a talk by Karl Rove, promoting his new book, where a group of protestors rushed the stage and shouted him down. Look, I think Karl Rove may be the progenitor of everything that's sleazy and wrong in politics today, and I believe he was behind much of the outright lies and slanted disinformation that came from the Bush, Jr. White House and mired us in a wrongful war. I honestly wonder if an impartial investigation of his action during those years might not end in criminal charges. But...
The man has a right to speak, and a right to speak without assholes barging in. Yes, people who disagree with him also have a right to protest: outside the event. People who disagree with him have a right to say they think his actions have degraded and soiled politics, and resulted in the needless deaths of thousands of Americans in Iraq. In fact, I'm saying that right now. I also have the right to not pay $40 to listen to Rove's attempts to somehow justify the damage he's done.
But if someone wants to shell out the money and listen to Rove's gilded defense of his actions, then they have a right to actually hear it.
When two sides are screaming at each, no one's listening.
Those of us who find the cultural discourse descending to grade school levels of "You're a poopy-head" name-calling mixed with genuinely frightening strands of physical violence should bear in mind that there are those on the left who fall into the same wingnut category. CNN reports on a talk by Karl Rove, promoting his new book, where a group of protestors rushed the stage and shouted him down. Look, I think Karl Rove may be the progenitor of everything that's sleazy and wrong in politics today, and I believe he was behind much of the outright lies and slanted disinformation that came from the Bush, Jr. White House and mired us in a wrongful war. I honestly wonder if an impartial investigation of his action during those years might not end in criminal charges. But...
The man has a right to speak, and a right to speak without assholes barging in. Yes, people who disagree with him also have a right to protest: outside the event. People who disagree with him have a right to say they think his actions have degraded and soiled politics, and resulted in the needless deaths of thousands of Americans in Iraq. In fact, I'm saying that right now. I also have the right to not pay $40 to listen to Rove's attempts to somehow justify the damage he's done.
But if someone wants to shell out the money and listen to Rove's gilded defense of his actions, then they have a right to actually hear it.
When two sides are screaming at each, no one's listening.
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I agree that descending to the crazy right's level isn't productive or useful, but when someone is repeatedly hitting you in the face, the urge to stop talking and just swing back is very strong.
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I think the difference is worthy of attention.
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