January 10, 2011 08:34 PM UTC

The Tea Party and their Brand of Violence

•  
• by: SSG_Dan

(I’m not sure I agree, promoted because it is well said and there are well formed replies thus making it a worthy discussion. – promoted by MADCO)

I don’t believe that the Tea Party had anything to do with the assassination attempt on a Democratic Congressperson. I still hold them responsible, however.

First there was Pim Fortuyn. And now, there is Gabrielle Giffords. Assassinations that have fundamentally changed politics in the Netherlands and now the United States. In each case, the political divide in that country before or after an election caused heated rhetoric to fester into violence. Unlike the killing of Fortuyn, Rep Giffords was shot in the wake of the most divisive and angry election since the Civil War. And unlike Fortuyn, there is one political movement that shares in the blame – the Tea Party.

First off, I absolutely don’t believe that the shooter in Arizona was a trained agent of Tea Party, sent to carry out the threats of another like-minded candidate who promised a “Second Amendment Solution” if she lost an election. But The Tea Party brand was violence – shown by angry followers screaming and threatening candidates during the Health Care debate, blog posts and commentators promising revolution and bloodshed if elected officials did not obey their talk-show thinking on government, and armed protestors at political events bearing banners promising to “water the tree of Liberty with blood.” It was even proudly displayed in the flag they chose as their symbol – the Gadsden “Don’t Tread on Me” yellow banner flown at numerous Tea party events.

And guns were even more embedded in the Tea Party DNA. Reacting to the false advertising of the NRA that “Obama’s gonna getcher guns” the Tea Party chose to arm themselves at every opportunity – be it public rally or a Starbucks run. And noting the Left’s obvious “discomfort” with being confronted by screaming protestors who were promising blood revolution if they didn’t get their way at the ballot box, the Tea Party ran with the meme.

“Heh – them lib’ruls are skeered about my 9-mil….ain’t it funny? I think I’ll go call O-bama a Muslim and see if he says anything, or just slinks away….”

And the Tea Party reveled in the image. This worship of firearms fit the demographic of the people they wished to energize. Knowing that the Second Amendment would galvanize their base while diverting attention from the factually-thin message on taxes and spending, the loose leadership of the Tea party movement surrendered ANY responsibility over their brand, their message and the consequences.

Now, as a gun owner, I also can see the average Tea Party member’s point about owning firearms. It’s a Constitutional right, and the ownership of at least one firearm gives those so inclined the feeling of protection, empowerment and yes, freedom. And yes, there are bad guys that on rare occasions gun owners manage to defend themselves against.

And gun rights are no longer the main issue of the Republican Party. Yes, it was a great fundraiser letter theme when the Clinton Administration finally cracked down on the avalanche of assault weapons out on the streets, but it hasn’t been a real issue for decades. Now, here was a political movement that made gun ownership a near-requirement for membership. Why wouldn’t it attract a rabid following?

But this is where the Tea Party (and their members) bear significant responsibility for the political divide in this country, and some for the shooting of a Congressperson – they never policed their own ranks.

Consider that Conservatives constantly harp the message of “responsibility”, then the Tea Party leadership and their members are guilty of failing that most basic ethical standard. Because they knew they had the crazy of the craziest in their ranks, and they failed to do anything about it.

If a few whackos show up at a Rally armed and sporting a passive-aggressive message about assassination, then hell, he’s more than welcome to be up front! If a candidate froths at the mouth at a rally about a “Second Amendment Solution” then HELL YES we cheer her on! And if we rally at the Capitol and cheer elected officials who declare we have to storm the Capitol to save America, then that’s what being in the Tea Party is all about!

If this is what you do, in front of the cameras, in front of your country, in front of you God, then you own this. This is your message, your passion, and your promise to the rest of the nation who was (and still is) watching.

Even thru all of this, the average Tea Party member is stunned that anyone would connect them to this murderous rampage at a political rally. “I never said you should kill anyone” is the meek, almost indignant response the morning after. Yes, no one in the Tea Party movement said to specifically kill THIS person on THIS day. But this political movement was out there reveling in their anger, empowered by the madness and shouted for the government to be overthrown, the leaders they disagreed with removed (by force if necessary) and all that opposed you were a threat to this nation only because they disagreed with you about a proposed health care law.

So, Tea Partiers, you have uttered you own version of “will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” and now there as been action on it. Trying to blame the violence that festered on your watch as the acts of “skateboarders” is empty and cowardly. Because even if is discovered that this madman who killed so many was not inspired by the violence and hate the Tea Party has spread, that hate is still out there. If not a grocery store in Tuscon, why not one in Broomfield? In Denver? Or anywhere else that’s represented by a “Dem-o-cratic traitor?”

The clock is ticking, and if the Tea party does not act quickly and decisively, they will fade away into the same political junkyard that the Know-Nothings, the Bull Moose party and the Lijst Pim Fortuyn silently rust away in. If the Tea Party pretends to be a “real” political party, then they have to act now to put a lid on the anger and hate that drove them to office.

Don’t get me wrong – I fully support the Constitutional Right for Tea Party members to display the depth of their ignorance. There is some value to some of their political beliefs about Federal spending, the deficit, and the size of government.

But now, you have to do it without screaming about revolution and bloodshed. The time to intimidate your way to political power is over. The only thing you can do now is stop the hate, take the higher ground, and try and close the chasm you opened up on the campaign trail. Because, now you are “the Government,” having taken an oath to the Constitution and sworn to serve ALL Americans, not just the ones with the guns and the yellow flags and the banners depicting Obama as a Muslim.

If nothing else, you have to do for your own political survival. Because if you let this continue to fester for your own political gain, it will explode. Now you can’t bring your guns to rallies and proclaim their powers of liberty – because so many more will bring pictures of the dead caused by those guns. For every shout about personal responsibility, more will shout in return – “where was yours?” For every Tea Partier who thinks this isn’t their fault and hoots his indignation about it, there will be so many more who believe that it is.

Clock’s ticking….