Outrage over 'terrorist' is purely political

[XemaSab]

We'll say this for Bert Stead, the 67-year-old "proud right-wing terrorist" whose comment provoked an amused reaction from Rep. Wally Herger at a town-hall meeting last week in Redding and subsequent outrage, thanks to the instant reach of the Internet, from liberals nationwide: He's got a sense of humor.

It's too bad he seems to be the last person involved in our political debates who does.

To anyone who closely follows the day-to-day political scraps over health care or has an uncle with an e-mail account, it must have been clear that Stead had his tongue firmly in his cheek when he called himself a terrorist. (In a television interview Tuesday, he said he meant to say "extremist" - same difference.) Is he ready for a career as a stand-up comic? No, but it was plainly a sarcastic retort to hyperbolic comments from Democrats, including Indiana's Rep. Baron Hill, who the week before had referred to disruptive citizens at health care forums as "political terrorists."

Somehow that insult against citizens speaking up for their views didn't draw a hail of rotten tomatoes from liberal commentators. Yes, some conservative protesters have been rowdy - and the occasional firearm, really, is way over the top - but liberal activists do their share of shouting, too.

http://www.redding.com/news/2009/aug/26/outrage-over-terrorist-is-purely-political/

:puke:

[The Magistrate]

1. I Have Said It Often, Ma'am: "Comedy Is Best Left To Professionals"

It seems in any case a straight-up description to me....

[MrModerate]

2. If he's got a sense of humor it was totally lost on me . . .

On the contrary, looking at that clip, I thought he was dead serious in a creepy Timothy McVeigh sort of way and, while not as stumblebrained as most health-care deniers, genuinely convinced that healthcare reform was some sort of insidious plot.

And sorry, folks, but after being beat over the head with "war on terrorism"-induced terror from Bert's buddies over the preceding 8 years, my outrage over his self-characterization as terrorist is far from political -- it's visceral. Fucks like him are why I (and millions of others) not only don't agree with rightwing fanatics, but actively hate 'em.

It was another instance of degrading the public discussion by the introduction of vile notions, just by an amateur this time rather than a professional.

[Union Yes]

3. What does it say about right wing ideology when they have to retract views and be apologetic?

Says that they're wrong to start with.

[zbdent]

4. While Democrats are forced to apologize for being right!