Question of the Day: How long before this nationwide right-wing primal scream gets out of hand?

[ProSense]

Question of the Day: How long before this nationwide right-wing primal scream gets out of hand?

Armed and Dangerous?

By David Kurtz

MSNBC just aired footage of the crowd gathering at the Obama town hall meeting on health care that's supposed to start later today in New Hampshire and pointed out one man in a group holding protest signs with a gun in a holster on his hip. Apparently not a law officer, but a civilian.



Whatever the concealed carry laws in New Hampshire, you have to figure guns not allowed at a presidential event. Right?

Late Update: Also important to note, the gun-toting protestor was holding a sign referencing the Jefferson quote: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants." It's a well known quote from one of the archetypal founding fathers. And in itself it's part of the American heritage, something that echoes with Jefferson's always ambivalent and frequently dilettantish attitude toward political violence. But in the context of these townhall excesses and while carrying a firearm at a presidential event, it's quite a menacing statement, in as much as it is about the need to kill tyrants. -- jmm



Later Update: The local police tell MSNBC that the man is legally carrying the gun, is nowhere near where the President will be, and is "under constant surveillance."--dk

Town Hall Attendee Fears Grim Future Of Toilet Paper Rationing



Group Of Psychos

[SIMPLYB1980]

1. It's already out of hand I just hope we can put a lid on it. nt

[maryellen99]

2. toliet paper rationing????

WTF????

[ProSense]

12. It's a health tissue.

:rofl:

[liberalmuse]

3. With the press and police as enablers...

it's already out of hand.

[musette_sf]

4. The Face Of Wingnut Poutrage:

[tekisui]

5. Sometime between now and the immigration debate.

[kestrel91316]

6. Somebody is gonna get killed. It's just a matter of time.

Didn't Coulter say all liberals should be killed? Why does anyone think there aren't people who take her at her word?

[Cha]

7. You know the corporatemediaWhoredom is salivating

at this like a bunch of rabid jackals and will do anything to propagate it.

And, those assholes are pissing on the Tree of Liberty..they're just too damn dumb to know it.

[4_Legs_Good]

8. I'm amazed how much of a frenzy they've whipped themselves into

and you *KNOW* this is not about health care reform.

David

[Fire1]

9. Katy Abram is about the dumbest bitch I've heard coming

from the sheep tribe, in quite some time.:dunce:

[SpartanDem]

10. I think there is going be another Oklahoma City

the right is more unhinged than during the Clinton years.

[Colobo]

14. I'm afraid this is just the beginning of a wave of violence.

I've never seen something like this happen.

[WinkyDink]

19. I did. 1968.

[Colobo]

20. Did it feel the same way then?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

11. I don't know

I just hope it doesn't take an OKC bombing or something worse to get people to realize what kind of climate has been created in this country since the election and especially during the time that Obama has been POTUS. I remember how Clinton really went after the wingnuts after the OKC bombing and how that seemed to put them on the defensive for awhile although, unfortunately, we're still stuck with Limbaugh and his "clones" like Hannity, Beck, Savage, etc., who all seem to be as popular as ever, particularly now that a Democrat is once again POTUS, and now they're getting all frothy and nutty again and I'm worried that this is all potentially leading up to another major climax that's going to claim a lot of innocent lives. Just over the past year, we've seen fanatics moving from hatred to violence by doing things like walking into liberal/progressive churches and gunning down people and there has been increased violence against abortion doctors/clinics that has claimed the life of a prominent doctor as well.

Will it TAKE something horrific to quell this swelling hatred? Does something horrific NEED to happen to quell this swelling hatred? My concern is that nobody on the other side (Republicans) is really trying to disavow or repudiate such hatred and incitement, which probably will continue to prevent the situation from improving much. Their collective silence IMHO lends credibility to the fears of the wingnuts. Like with what some Republicans (but not nearly enough) have done with the "birthers", Republicans IMHO are going to speak out against tactics such as intentionally disrupting/sabotaging town halls and other forums for Representatives and Senators to communicate with their constituents and demonizing political opponents to the point where people feel threatened enough to consider striking out violently at their political opponents. Political debate and dissent are avowed parts of our political system and I certainly don't begrudge other people their opinions no matter how crazy, misinformed, silly, etc. they may be but there needs to be some call for civility and repudiation of disruptive and, more importantly, violent tactics for political expression/change. I mean, the wingnuts may despise Obama and Democrats like we did Bush and the Republicans during the past eight years but people like Hannity, BECK, Limbaugh, and others trying to convince people that Obama is a tyrant or Hitler-incarnate only serves IMHO to inflame people, turn everybody against each other, put people at risk of physical harm, and completely shut off substantive legitimate debate about issues and policies.

[ProSense]

13. Frankly, I think some people are starting to realize this is insanity

and are distancing themselves from one of the lunatics' chief enablber

Sargento Cheese says bye-bye to Glenn Beck

GEICO pulls its ads from Glenn Beck show


The media and GOP are playing with fire.

[Colobo]

16. I'm hoping they are just marginalizing themselves.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

21. I sure hope so

Frankly, it seems kinda scary out there to me right now. :scared:

[JayMusgrove]

15. A very important question, well stated... and I

we all know there are THOUSANDS of people out there with guns, explosives, ammunition, and no sense of logic. Some of them, like the gun guy today in NH, just want recognition and national attention, and some of them just don't care..


I hope someone sorts out 99.9% of these guys, but that's not enough, we need to just forget about these town halls with Congress people... go back to town halls with Obama, and televise them nationally in prime time. At least no one there will have a gun closer than a mile away from our wonderful President.

[Sebastian Doyle]

17. It got out of hand back in November 2000

When these same goddamned treasonous assholes were staging similar temper tantrums to stop the counting of votes in Florida. Should have tear gassed every goddamn one of them then, and made sure the cowards never tried it again.

[Cha]

18. As long as it takes for the corporatemedia

to make it that way.

[ensho]

22. its not a primal scream, its an uneducated scream

nt

[Orsino]

23. It's already out of hand when it impedes civil dialogue. n/t