The first death threats against congressmen (specifically Brad Miller of North Carolina per the Rachel Maddow Show 8/6/09), who are working for health care reform have begun. Now this. Basically, a New Mexico resident named Scott Oskay has called for the anti-health care reform people to go armed to townhall meetings about the issue, and to hurt members of the SEIU and ACORN.
The SEIU offices have also received phoned in threats, including one from"Diana in Oregon," which ended with this stunning example of your typical Republican understanding of the constitution and it's amendments: "I suggest you tell your people to calm down, act like American citizens, and stop trying to repress people's First Amendment rights," said Diana. "That, or y'all are gonna come up against the Second Amendment. Stop the violence."
Ok, wait... You're telling people who haven't engaged in any violence or "repressed" anyone's first amendment rights to quit doing those things they haven't been doing, or you're going to repress their first amendment rights with violence...
Allow me to channel my beloved LOLCATS: LOGIC, UR DOIN IT RONG!!!!!!!
What the hell?
I honestly do not get these people. I mean, I understand the rich bastards who work for and/or own urgent care companies, pharmaceutical companies, private hospitals, etc... I GET them. They're greedy bastards who fear losing their millions and having to live like normal folks.
I do not understand the poor people who are coming out against health care reform, and they are out there. I do not understand the concept of repeatedly shooting yourself in the foot and once you've obliterated it, starting in on the other foot with a fresh clip of ammo. I don't get poor people who repeatedly vote Republican either, again with the foot-shooting analogy. I do not understand constantly voting against your best interests.
Now that my bafflement towards people who act against their own self-interest is out of the way, what I am not is surprised that these anti-health care reform activists are turning violent.
The single largest right-wing activist movement in this country is the Anti-Choice crowd. They are the loudest, the most organized and most violent. And they've been successful in chipping away at women's rights both by enacting legislation on state or local levels, and by scaring doctors away from providing abortion, scaring medical schools away from training students in the procedures which could very well save the lives of many women. So, I'm not at all surprised that other right wing groups would adopt their tactics. Not in the least.
Just very, very disappointed.
Mickey Schulz is a guest author for the California NOW blog; her opinions are not necessarily those of California NOW. Copyright Mickey Schulz, with permission granted to California NOW for use on this site.
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