As you have probably heard by now the chairman of the Arkansas democratic party has been shot. The suspect was shot and killed. What role do you believe the right-wing hate jocks on radio and print have in these shootings? My own honest opinion is very little. As fun as it to blame Mouse, Shemp, Billo, Maglalang or Weiner for these acts I believe the problem runs much deeper than those fools. We have a health care crisis in this country. People seem to forget that while that means Joe Everyday can't get his finger surgically repaired and his wife can't get the meds she needs it also means that we have a serious problem with mental health care that needs to be addressed.
I guess my view is that Right-wing, Left-wing violence from a sick society is not the work of Mouse Limbourgh but Mouse Limbourgh is the work of a sick society.
That's just my view. I would like to hear others.
EDIT: Bill Gwatney has died.
6 comments:
To a certain extent, I agree with you, Count. Mental health is one of those areas that, because its social implications, is undertreated and not very well understood by most people. The rash of violence from the far right and far left probably does have a lot of its basis in that fact.
However...
The vocalization of such hate as prominantly displayed by right wing hate jocks and TV personalities can easily be the catalyst that can galvanize such unstable individuals into action. The message of these individuals does not require, and does not generate rationale. It instead tends to generate emotional reactions, which is what these personalities hope for when they put thier messages forth. They are in effect "lighting the fuse" to these individuals, and can resonably claim innocence because they didn't implicitly tell anyone to do any particular heinous act.
The bottom line is: When you have individuals who engage in polarizing demogogry, you can expect unstable and inflamed individuals to respond in the most extreme ways. So, we know what the problem is. Question is:
What can we do about it?
Honestly, what makes people do this shit?
"zilla I think you make some great points.
Jonathan that is what I would really like to know. I guess the guy had been fired from his job. Where did he work? Target. The last time I was "economically terminated" from a job it was a Saturday ( a day which I hated working anyway) They called me into the office told me they had to let go the newest employees and I could work out the day. I said no thanks and went home and watched College Football. God that job sucked.
Godzilla104 is absolutely spot-on. The worst of the pundits play a huge role in validating the worst impulses of these troubled segments of society, giving those impulses an implied veneer of respectability and even self-referential heroism that makes it easy for acts that would otherwise have been channeled into something more constructive to turn into these episodes of violence. It's always easier to justify "OUR Crusade" than "My Pet Peeve."
The other thing that bothers me is the way that it's all swaddled in the mantle of "free speech," much the same way that the current administration wraps itself in the flag whenever its actions in, say, Iraq, are questioned. It's retreat behind a symbol without any real regard for its meaning.
If you really give a damn about free speech, you'll use it responsibly. And that means that when someone else uses it to justify making aggressive, libelous or stupid remarks, you call them on their B.S. and don't take "you just don't like my opinion" as a valid answer.
I truly don't know how the Limbaughs of the world can sleep at nights. If ever demons were needed to haunt certain individuals' dreams, I could draw ya up a list...
"I truly don't know how the Limbaughs of the world can sleep at nights."
Well, the absolute worst thing that this administration did was legitimize the hatred and divisiveness that these cretins preach. It's now okay to hate, ridicule and persecute, even murder, anyone who doesn't think like you do, because, looky, the presidenterer does it! And as long as you have Jaysus on your side, how can you be wrong?
Great stuff. not sure I entirely agree but I appreciate the responses.
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