Legitimized??
We are in crazy-town folks! That is where we must be living if a U.S. congressman can get away with publicly endorsing a constituent's pronouncement that he (the constituent) is a terrorist!
Remember when there were cries from the right to arrest anti-war protesters for terrorism and jail them for up to 25 years because they were disrupting traffic? (See Oregon Senate Bill 742, which was considered but not passed in 2003. It defined a terrorist as a person who "plans or participates in an act that is intended, by at least one of its participants, to disrupt" business, transportation, schools, government, or free assembly.) Republicans have conveniently forgotten that they are against terrorism.
In case you missed it, Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA) held a town hall meeting last week during which Bert Stead, a tea-partier and birther (read lun-a-tic) declared himself to be a "proud right-wing terrorist." Herger then looked around the room, smiled and nodded his head in approval. Following the confessed terrorist's ant-Obama and anti-government remarks, Herger said, "Amen. God bless you. There's a great American!" In response to criticism in the media, Herger's office released the following statement: "Congressman Herger stands by his statement in support of his constituent. Mr. Bert Stead is a taxpayer and veteran, who, like so many others, is rightfully fed up with being called 'un-American', or 'extremist' or a 'political terrorist' by liberals in Washington, for simply exercising his First Amendment rights. Mr. Stead served his country and therefore he is a great American. The Congressman doesn't at all regret commending him for standing up, exercising his free speech rights, and expressing his strong concerns with the direction liberals in Washington are taking our country."
Didn't Stead call himself a "proud right wing terrorist?" If he calls himself a terrorist, why is he fed up with other people calling him a terrorist? And, substitute left wing for right wing, switch Herger with Barney Frank, and the Republicans would be screaming for the Democrats to condemn the congressman, for the congressman's resignation and for a full investigation of him for aiding and abetting terrorism! Did we hear any such demands from the Rs on this one? Nope. Not a peep.
I haven't found a way to footnote on this blog so if I may, I will have to post a comment on my own entry. Anyway, I suspect that if Rep.Barney Frank, President Obama or most other Democrats, were faced with the situation (from a "proud left wing terrorist") they would have told the audience and the self-proclaimed terrorist that such statements and attitudes were not productive.
ReplyDelete