On the Defense

It didn't take long for American Conservatives, far-right and otherwise, to jump on the defense after reports that the horrific Olso massacre had been perpetrated by yet another right-wing, gun-crazy nutcase who sited the writings of several American Conservatives in his "manifesto" as inspiration for his cold-blooded rampage.

Conservative Ross Douthat, writing in The Times today, suggested that former Vice-President Al Gore has used similar irresponsible, inflammatory language in describing his environmental concerns.

Please.

I don't remember waves of gun-toting, crazy liberals shooting down known industrial polluters because of anything Al Gore might have said.  Did I miss that story?

I also don't recall Timothy McVeigh being a tree-hugging lefty.

Instead of playing the "you're just as bad as us" game, Douthat and his ilk might take a serious look at the poisonous, vitriolic language their fellow Conservatives are spouting out on a daily basis:

Sarah Palin tells her acolytes to "lock and load" and provides a map on her website with gun sites, TARGETS, symbolizing areas controlled by problematic Democrats.  One of those people is Gabrielle Giffords.  We all know what happened.

Bill O'Reilly repeatedly calls Dr. George Tiller a "baby killer" on his program for providing reproductive health services for women in Kansas until he is assassinated, gunned down, while praying in church.

Michele Bachmann has called on Conservatives to rise up againest our elected government.  Her violent language is WELL documented.  She and her husband demonize gay people, calling us "barbarians": how much violence has and will result from their ignorant statements?

Meanwhile, what's the worst that the far-left have done to those whose policies they don't agree with?

Well, I recall Michele Bachmann was "glittered" by an LGBT rights activist a few months ago (ie, she had glitter thrown at her).  To be fair, that could have got in her contact lenses.

And Rupert Murdoch almost had a pie thrown in his face.  Almost: his young wife/body guard jumped on the would-be attacker before any fruit filling could stain Murdochs' suit.  That's what you get when you marry Skelator, I guess: never-ending excitement!

Hmmmm.   Guns vs. Glitter and Pastries.

Now Ross Douthat (for a Conservative) seems pretty reasonable, even when I don't agree with a word he writes.  And he makes some good, responsible points elsewhere in his column. 

But please don't even TRY to make a comparison.  Yours is the Party of assault weapons, crazy behavior and violent rhetoric.

Accept it and try to deal with it, before more people are murdered.