A Hollywood Republican

This blog is for an open discussion on politics. My views will be to the right as will be most of the posters. But, we are willing to post alternative viewpoints as lons as they are well thought out. I started this in response to the Obama election and will continue it as long as it feeds a need.

Apr 18, 2010

"Passionate Conservatives Versus Radical Progressives Versus Anarchists, What's the Difference?" by Craig Covello

A few days ago was April 15th; tax day. If you are among the 50% who actually pay federal income taxes, you might consider this a day of sadness regardless of whether you're getting a tax refund. After all, the government has your money and a significant portion has been given to those who don't pay taxes.

But by now we all know that a growing number of people who actually do pay taxes have formed an organization called the Tea Party Patriots with the express purpose of protesting the socialization of America. Last year, they turned out in numbers by attending over 800 events around the country. This year probed to be the same. The political left and the media have unsuccessfully tried to paint this organization as racist, artificial, homophobic and uninformed. They have also implied that Tea Party Patriot rallies create a climate for potential violence. If you've read my articles in “The Obama White House Diaries” dated February 24 and April 6, you know that nothing could be further from the truth. Despite that, some people probably still believe that all activist organizations, regardless of polarity, are pretty much alike because they are comprised of people who appear to be on the fringe of society. That assessment would be wrong.

Gallup poll confirmed earlier this month that Tea Party participants truly represent the larger demographics of our country. They are not "fringe". They are simply standing up for constitutional principles upon which this nation was founded. Tea Party Patriots play by the rules, obey the laws and express their views in a straightforward, honest manner. They don't believe in any form of violence. This is demonstrated by the fact that there have been virtually no arrests at any Tea Party gatherings to date, which have numbered close to 1000. Here is a statement taken from The Tea Party Patriots website which expresses the tenor and tone of the movement:

"Last year on April 15, 2009, millions of hard-working Americans stood in unison at over 800 protests around the country. These protests, which became known as the Tax Day Tea Party, expressed real concerns against reckless government spending and spawned millions of Americans to get involved in their local Tea Parties which today are holding elected officials accountable."

Let's compare that with some recent events and statements made by those who presumably oppose conservative politics.

Example 1 - Last Friday night in the New Orleans French quarter, a group called Iron Rail rallied some protesters of their own in order to crash a Republican dinner fundraiser for Gov. Bobby Jindal. The group assembled in front of Brennan's restaurant and shouted obscenities at patrons, many of whom were families having dinner and not part of the Republican event. The crowd tried to rush the restaurant doors, but were driven back by police. Later that evening around 11 PM after the crowd had dispersed, it appears that a group of men stalked Jindal's chief campaign fundraiser Allee Bautsch and her boyfriend Joe Brown as they left the restaurant. Both were beaten savagely. Both are in the hospital, One had to undergo surgery. There were conflicting stories whether or not the attack was politically motivated, but Bautch's purse was not taken. I'll let you draw your own conclusions. Here is the charter statement from Iron Rails' website:

"Founded in December 2003, the Iron Rail is committed to an anarchist, antiauthoritarian, feminist, anti-racists, queer positive and class conscious politics... as an anarchist collective, the Iron Rail has no bosses or managers. Group decisions are made collectively in weekly meetings and members are encouraged to be creative in initiating individual projects."

Example 2 - A recent letter was sent to over 17,000 school employees by a teachers union known as the New Jersey Education Association. The association's president, Joe Coppola, jokingly prayed for the death of New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie.

"Dear Lord this year you have taken away my favorite actor, Patrick Swayze, my favorite actress, Farrah Fawcett, my favorite singer, Michael Jackson and my favorite salesman Billy Mays. I just want you to know that Chris Christie is my favorite governor."

Example 3 - On March 26, 2010, someone shot a bullet into Congressman Erik Cantor's campaign office in downtown Richmond Virginia. Police have judged this to be "a stray bullet as part of random gunfire". No suspects have been found. Cantor is a Republican, and many have speculated this violence was in response to Republican opposition towards health care bill. But again, that's speculation.

Example 4 - There is a new movement called "Crash the Tea Party" which was founded by a middle-school teacher from Beaver Oregon named Jason Levin . The following statement was taken from their website:

"Who We Are: A national network of Democrats, Republicans, and independents who are all sick and tired of that loose affiliation of racists, homophobes, and morons; who constitute the fake grassroots movement which calls itself "The Tea Party."

“What We Want: to dismantle and demolish the Tea Party by any nonviolent means necessary.”

“How We Will Succeed: by infiltrating the Tea Party itself! In an effort to propagate their pre-existing propensity for paranoia and suspicion... we have already sat quietly in their meetings, and observed their rallies.”

“Whenever possible, we will act on behalf of the tea party in ways which exaggerate their least appealing qualities (misspelled protest signs, wild claims in TV interviews, etc.) To further distance them from mainstream America and damage the public's opinion of them. We will also use the inside information that we have gained in order to disrupt and derail their plans.”

“Sound like fun? It is!! If you'd like to join us, just click on the word "crash!" Below...”
Sounds like fun? This guy is teaching our kids. So let's review. We have beatings, shootings, jokes about killing political rivals and covert activity, all directed towards conservatives.

I think I've made my point.





© 2010 by Craig Covello. Used with permission. All Rights Reserved.

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11 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Craig, there are wacko's on both sides of this debate. And I'd bet you a buck that had you spent some time researching the other side of the argument, you'd find similar actions on the part of the Right.

Frankly, anyone can make a list of 'wrongs' to support their argument...But that's really not the point at all....

The point is that, until we do away with the politics of fear, these actions will continue unabated. The result will be more of the same.

April 18, 2010 at 4:59 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You are darned right! And it is even worse - the SEIU folks beat a black tea party participant! The Black Panthers intimidated voters during the election at a vote! I am so mad I will never look at another left liberal the same - they are clueless, stupid, and have lied to us. They support communists, socialists, and the destruction of our nation! I went to my tea party, and not one incident happened. We pay our taxes and want a fiscal and safe nation. The left has done tons of more violence at us - Look at Ayers, self-avowed domestic terrorist and killer and yet he teaches our kids. Look for the conservative common-sense folks to come out in droves - We are proud to be part of the tea party - and we are not wack jobs, racists, terrorists, or any other nasty term the "Self-avowed - Sal Alinsky-dirty-trick-playing people of the left" want to shove at us. Just like their twisted and horrible bills which they support, pass, and then have no clue how huge the impact on their families and grandkids! Now they want to take our voice! Not Happening! VOTE THEM OUT! Your average, citizen, law abiding, taxpaying, ranting granny!
Gammy Sparkles

April 18, 2010 at 8:10 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The problem is really much simpler. We tinker around the edges of societal dysfunction not willing to see signs of forthcoming adversity. It was easier to embrace the cloak of revenge after Pearl Harbor than it was to see our brethren being slaughtered by Hitler and spring into action. It was easier to watch Nazi Youth Camps spring up and enjoy acceptance in America. It was easier to believe that Roosevelt was not planning on entering WWII giving his repeated promise that none of our soldiers would ever serve on foreign soil. It was easier to watch the Holocaust and do nothing, for that is the sin of good people, they see, they know, they understand and do nothing.

The arguments are rarely of substantive dialogue. They are instead, “racist, artificial, homophobic and uniformed.” Few care to remember that the “good” people in America did nothing, embracing isolationism, as the treaties, alliances and none aggression pacts in Europe slowly gave sway to the reality of an evil philosophy, a morally weak culture, the onslaught of Nazism until we were no longer isolated.. History is repeating itself.

And always hold close the principle of preemptive defense. If we prevent a catastrophe, who is to tell, to show us, that we actually did achieved that miracle. You cannot prove a negative. They will tell us this is the act of an aggressor. And if you are one, be dammed. If not, shoulder with pride, the criticism of the ignorant, and live by the consolation of your inner beliefs because the radicals will attack you. Surrendering to radicals my friend is the fertile ground of loss of liberty. Too many of us are cowards until the cruelty, and the evil are up close and personal. Until then we complain about too many nukes, the value of unilateral disarmament and the “horrible” passion of those who seem to have read about history and don’t want to repeat it.

For you see my friend, we tolerate the evil raining down on humanity until it encompasses us. Who do we know that has had this experience?

If I had the capacity to bestow a gift on us all it would be the gift of an open mind. Until then we will have to do with the likes of “Passionate Conservatives Versus Radical Progressives Versus Anarchist, What’s the Difference.”

April 18, 2010 at 9:34 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think this blog like so many others uses random stories and accusations to promote one Party over the other...as usual. The points themselves (if that's what they are) are weak and hand chosen. The sad thing is that the point you seem to be attempting to make is as usual that Republicans are the better of the two. What a surprise. And all this when one of your hand chosen incidents is a single arrant bullet that hit in the vicinity of some Republican's office while using statements like "This act of violence".
You don't and would not make mention of the "FACT" that we are currently in a war over seas started wrongfully and totally mismanaged by a home grown oil man Republican Who asked that the bodies be brought in at night and at a hidden location because his sale on the war seemed to be getting tougher.
You want to use the word violent to describe the actions of a few thought to be Democrats? Sign up and head over to George Bush's war and see the death first hand and what violence really is. Then come back and tell me how that one arrant bullet is so significant that you want to label an entire Party of American men and women over it as violent.
It's funny how a punch thrown or word yelled out during a presidential speech makes great ammunition for the judgment of an entire organization but when someone declares war he becomes almost party less...he is just an American.
This argument is trivial at best. If the Republicans have got it all figures out maybe they should take voting classes and learn how to vote because obviously the Millions of them that purposely voted for Obama didn't know what they were doing and now want to blame some one else.
This is Just typical party based sniveling. Sorry...

April 18, 2010 at 11:56 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I do believe that the two above anonymous comments make the authors point. It is almost an Ooops, never mind moment.

And God Bless those folks who still are thinking. And a special thanks to those who cause it to happen. Agree or disagree, we learn about each other.

April 18, 2010 at 1:22 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am pleased to see comments posted on both sides of this issue. Yes, I do view the article as glaringly biased but have come to expect that when I visit this site. That is primarily the reason for my intermittent visits. I can be found most often participating in dialogues which possess a greater sense of balance and less so of "only we know what's best for our country". I do agree strongly with the person who said "there are wacko's on both sides of this debate. And I'd bet you a buck that had you spent some time researching the other side of the argument, you'd find similar actions on the part of the Right." Subsequent to the health care debate and vote there were numerous events of threatened and actioned violence, many of which are still being investigated. Two people were actually incarcerated. All of this nonsense needs to stop. No President pleases all the people, one look at the last administration will prove that. The low numbers relating to their popularity were very close to being record-setting. ...and yet we survived, and we will all survive whomever is in that roll for years to come. Somehow we all need to take measures towards bridging the gap which divides us leave the partisan and TV-fueled hatred where it belongs; anywhere but here. It IS the United States of America not the republican, independent, democrat or even tea party America. Don't let our legacy be that we inspired such division and partisanship that people could no longer stand side-by-side as proud AMERICANS reaching out to each other.

April 20, 2010 at 1:52 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

As an aside;
I would love it if somehow the anonymous posters would have some differentiating factor to them. For the one who thinks it's okay to state that only those who agree with the author are the "thinkers", if I may reiterate from a prior post:
When two parties always agree only one of them is doing all the thinking. I may not agree with everything you believe but I will always try to refrain from implying you are stupid for harboring those beliefs. As to Gammy, please be mindful of the fact that we are all just living, breathing human beings, all created by God. We may take different paths in our thinking patterns but there is much more which unites us than should ever divide us. As long as the dialogue continues on this "us against them" mindset we all lose, PERIOD! I sometimes wonder how pleased Osama Bin Laden must be to see us fighting so vigorously amongst ourselves these days, and he doesn't even have to lift a finger to watch us destroy ourselves.

April 20, 2010 at 2:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nobody loses as long as we keep talking.

April 20, 2010 at 3:52 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nobody loses as long as we keep talking.

April 20, 2010 at 3:53 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's true that the dialogue itself is what matters. I'm just not sure implying to some that they don't "think" lends itself to having them remain at the table.

April 20, 2010 at 5:06 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Deborah - while your "world peace" comments are important you have to remember the current administration in the White House is one of the most partisan I've seen in years. Years.

April 29, 2010 at 12:01 PM  

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