English is an expressive language. It is not, however, expressive enough to convey, even in small part, the disgust I feel when I see Tea Party trash like those shown in the video at right. Watch the video. Take a good, hard look. This is America in 2010.
It makes me want to fight. It makes me want to deliver a blow so devastating and final to the two most prominent loudmouth bullies in the clip that they will never again have the capacity to intimidate and abuse. It would be so easy. They are cowards.
I want you to understand something. It’s important that every person of goodwill understands it. The scene shown in the video is not exceptional. It is not out of the ordinary for Tea Party events. What you see in the video is the unmasked face of the Tea Party movement. It is mean, and it is vicious. It is arrogant, brutal, bigoted and cowardly. It is all the things that deserve our scorn and none of the things that deserve respect.
Tea Party people are 21st century brownshirts who pollute our political and moral conversations. They pose a clear and present danger to our liberty, our safety and our national conscience. Today, however, they have failed.
The U.S. House of Representatives is this evening poised to pass sweeping health care reforms which, though they fall disappointingly short of what is needed, will make health care accessible to millions of Americans who currently suffer without it. The Senate is expected to finalize the reforms within the next few days. Common sense and conscience will today prevail over ignorance and greed, but the teabaggers will be back tomorrow.
Watch the video. Take a good hard look.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
The actions of the Tea Party Klan Members are nothing short of repulsive. I’m thankful that their actions have become so outlandish that more and more Americans are seeing them for the bigots they are. That being said, I wonder if many people realize that those of us who live openly as gays and lesbians encounter this venomous hate-filled language EVERY day.
I don’t wish to minimize the Washington demonstrations. However, I am somewhat amused that so many people are just now coming to realize the darkness of hate. We GLBT have lots of stories to tell. We share first hand experiences of multiple times we have endured the wrath of judgemental people. The members of the US House of Representatives are adults who, hopefully, are mature enough to withstand the screams of an angry mob. Sadly that is not the case for the young man or woman who committed suicide last year, yesterday or tonight because he or she has been made to feel ashamed of their sexual orientation. Rather than bring shame to their family, or to face the wrath of schoolmates, death becomes the answer. Until everyone understands and finds unacceptable the hate extended to GLBT peoples I guess I’ll just have to smile a little, and pray that hate will be defeated by love.
Somehow, I stumbled upon another edition of the angry street demonstration. The one accessed thru this Perkerson Park posting, was about 50 seconds long and apparently somebodys’ recording on their cellphone then transferred to YouTube.
The one I surfed into came via a Website of a legitimate print newspaper (I think), was almost three minutes long, and really gave context to the 50 seconds of the other version. This of course does NOT lessen what happened to the Parkinson sufferer who was assaulted so despicably, nor does it exonerate those who behaved so barbarously, on either side of the street fight.
There was some terse commentary on the activity, by a person who may have been a news journalist. He called attention to the fact that in that angry, screaming mob there were at least a couple of voices for reason. At which point an older, nicely-dressed man did comment that the two sides needed to get calm and really TALK to each other (rather than scream past each other). His observation is the best addition on this other Internet version about the demonstration.
If only we all would get calm, restore civility courtesy & civilization, and reasonably discuss issues!
People don’t usually “discuss” issues at rallies. They rally. I have seen the long version of the video clip, and there is some yelling going on in support of health care reform by several counter-protesters. The counter-protesters display none of the hate or venom seen among the Tea Party protesters. There really wasn’t a “street fight.” There was just some typical Tea Party hateful behavior.