When our elected leaders do nothing to condemn or prevent threats of violence and hate speech, in effect, they implicitly condone the behavior. The hate speech revved up very soon after the election of America's first black president and it hasn't slowed. The lack of respect, the hate speech, and the vitriol is the equivalent of adult bullying.
15 year old Phoebe Prince was tormented for months by 9 other students at her high school in Massachusetts. The victim's mother repeatedly asked school officials to intervene but the school failed to protect the girl. She was harassed verbally and through social networking site, Facebook, and sent hate text messages.
The culture of bullying isn't limited to school children, it has become a national pastime. During the 2008 Presidential campaign, crowds attending Sarah Palin rallies shouted, "Kill him" over and over again referring to President Obama. Neither Palin or any other GOP leaders condemned the vile shouts of their followers.
Tea party activists carry signs depicting the American president as the devil, the anti-Christ, Hitler and worse. They carry guns to rallies and their paranoiac fear of the government has turned into hate and aggression.
The hate speech and vitriol isn't limited to the Tea Party sect. Texas congressman Randy Neugebauer shouted "baby killer" at anti-abortionist, Bart Stupak because he signed the health care reform bill after being assured that no federal funds would be used to pay for abortion.
Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann (MN), along with other GOP colleagues egged on Tea-party protestors outside the White House as they shouted racial slurs and other hate speech at Democratic colleagues entering the White House to vote on health care reform.
It's become part of the collective knowledge of the U.S. that the entire GOP electorate has made the decision to vote no to every single piece of legislation the Democratic led Congress and or President Obama proposes. But the GOP has gone further than simple obstruction, they have resorted to vitriolic fear-mongering. They created a fear in the nation's elderly by saying health care reform would create death camps for old people during town hall meetings last summer.
Hate speech has become the norm in today's political climate. Militias and hate groups have experienced explosive growth since the election of the first black U.S. president. The SPLC has documented an "astonishing 244% increase in the number of antigovernment Patriot groups in 2009." The people associated with the Patriot movement peaked in the 1990s with the Oklahoma City bombing and died down in the early 2000s. But they are back and they are angry. One Christian militia group in Michigan was arrested just yesterday when the FBI discovered the group planned to kill a group of policemen. The group wanted to kill the policemen for Jesus because in their ideology, policemen represent the government.
GOP Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has urged her constituents to stockpile weapons. Minority leader John Boehner declared that the health care reform bill would cause instant Armageddon (it didn't).
At town hall meetings around the country set up to discuss health care reform, anecdotes had a common theme. A majority of the audience would be bused in from out of state to "gin up" (to borrow a favorite Sarah Palin phrase) the GOP's relentless determination to obstruct not just health care reform but any and everything the Democrats in office proposed. The few local people attending town hall meetings were often represented by chronically and seriously sick individuals along with health care professionals. In town after town, the large crowd of bused in supporters shouted at people toting oxygen tanks with tales of losing jobs and health insurance to "sit down and shut up."
This adult bullying by tea party sects, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Michele Bachmann and other GOP officials, is protected by the First Amendment. The First Amendment gives every American the right to use hate speech. But if leaders of the GOP who have seemingly aligned themselves with the Tea party and whose own elected colleagues have participated in the violent rhetoric and oral bullying continue to ignore such antics, by their silence, they condone the behavior of people who attend their rallies as well as the colleagues who urge them on.
The behavior of the GOP since President Obama was elected has been obstructionist and petty at best. But GOP leaders have condoned shouts by their colleagues of, "You lie" as well as tea party sects who portray the president of the United States as the anti-Christ while media mongrels like Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck urge their followers to prepare for war on Democrats and the President of the U.S. By their silence, Republican leaders agree with the sentiments of the vitriolic among their numbers.
Is it any real surprise then, that children are emulating the current culture of bullying without recourse? Nine students bullied Massachusetts student Phoebe Prince, aged 15, for months through verbal insults, text messages and on the internet. Sound familiar? It should. The nine girls who relentlessly bullied Phoebe may simply be emulating the current political culture of hate and bullying. School officials were aware of the bullying and didn't intervene even though the girl's mother repeatedly asked school officials for help for her tormented daughter.
Comments
This article is an excellent representation of Leftist hate speech. It would have been so much more relevant if the author had mentioned the multitude of hate speech infractions of the left. But that would not perpetuate her tenuous victimization ploy.
For but a few examples of Leftist hate speech that goes largely ignored by the liberal media and race-baiting fear mongers like Karen Harper, see "Liberal hate speech gets special allowance -- of course" by the Habersham County Conservative Examiner.
I almost laughed at the idea that President Obama is the only president to be the target of hate speech. Does anyone remember the eight years where Bush bashing was all the rage? I have to tell you, there were so many times when I wished Bush would speak out against liberal nonsense, but he didn't. He didn't see himself as the victim. Liberals LOVE to be the victim. They practically specialize in victimization.
This poor little girl from Massachusetts is truly a victim and you would like to portray this as a problem from the right? Have you been in Massachusetts lately? Try finding a conservative!
I think this article is pathetic and I feel sorry for its author.
This "editorial" (if it can be called that) contains so many falsehoods and outright lies it's pathetic. Please, cite one reference (video/audio) where we can actually watch and/or hear the tea party protesters yelling the so-called racial slurs.
You are the slur, Karen Harper. Your editorial perpetuates the leftist hate. Hypocrite.
Ms. Harper makes important points about human behavior that should make us all uncomfortable as members of what we like to think is a civilized society. Naturally her conservative foes will lash out at her because unfortunately raising a mirror to the ugly behavior of late is not easy to take. I remain mystified why only Elisabeth Hassellbeck of "The View" is the only conservative voice today to speak out against. Here's the reality kids: you don't object to it, you condone it.
You have some gall to take a tragic story like this and tie it to politics. Show some respect the next time you sit down in front of the keyboard.
This article makes a very interesting point. The political right in this country has gone beyond the pale in the last ten years. They value ignorance and hate and use dear to perpetuate their power.
Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. Felt ill reading it. Shame on you Ms. Harper.
Go back to school Ms.Harper........
Shame on you Harper!
This is an absolutely ridiculous supposition masquerading as intellectual illumintation. The community is blaming the parents- the parents and community are blaming the schools, and now this article blames society- no not even society, but the portion of society the author obviously is biased against. How about placing blame where blame lies-- with each of the girls who bullied Phoebe Prince! Each of them is old enough to know right from wrong, regardless of the political or social climate in this world, and they need to be held accountable for their own actions. To even entertain such a farfetched excuse for their behavior, making them out to be victims of something as nebulous as a political climate, is unconscionable.
Oh man I love the bullying going on in these comments..it seems Ms Harper is a "cur..disgusting...shameful!!...needs to go back to school...playing the victim...." this is so great - thank you for providing more cyber-bullying evidence. There are a bunch of conservative trolls on the Seattle Times website that you could have a love-fest with!
By the way Spokane, I loved the Tea Party article in the NYTimes about you - it makes me really miss reading the Spokesman Letters to the Editors and wanting to gouge my eyes out! Stay classy!
Oh, so bullying is a new phenomena now? Kids have only been mean to each other since the emergence of the Tea Party? Or are we to reason that all acts of school bullying throughout history are explained by the political context of the time? This is really a sloppy piece of work.
There's a ton of irony here, both in the article and the comments. I'd like to give Ms. Harper kudos for making an unusual, if tenuous, point.
Funny, this. I've been subject to hate speech by liberals my entire politically active life. Interesting how this article doesn't recall all the "Kill Bush" signs, the burning of him in effigy, etc. I'm a Libertarian, and have been called a Nazi and a Fascist by the (predominant)liberals in my field at least five times a year for the past twenty years.
If you don't agree with liberal/leftist ideology and ideas, you're attacked on all fronts. Ms. Harper really needed to take a look at both sides. Whatever happened to balanced reporting?
My daughter is being bullied at school, so I googled the MA case because I heard about it on the news. Little did I think the Liberals could somehow blame the right for this unspeakable tragedy. I am surprised the author didn't somehow outright blame George Bush. You see, when the kooks on the right speak out, they are considered main stream. But when salon.com reviews a book about the assassination of George Bush and they say the book didn't go far enough...well that is just intellectual thought and academia. Please...in a free society both sides are going to have some bad apples...leave this poor girl out of your partisan politics. Do you not see this is hate speech as much as anything you condem??? Pathetic.
So your daugher is being bullied and all you can think of is blaming politics? What kind of mother are you?
This has nothing to do with right or left, is about parents looking about our children and doing what is right for all of them! How sad the right is making this a political issue.
I feel stupider after reading this column. Almost as stupid as the liberals who agree with the author.
Let's follow Harper's logic: Tea Partiers are like high school bullies and Democrats are like suicide victims. I'm not sure that's going to dissuade any of us! Nice try, though. I can't wait for the "civilized" speech emanating from shell-shocked Demmies after Election Day.
Couldn't we blame the politically correct school administrators for not wanting to appear judgemental? Are you sure you want to open that can of worms with your reckless associations? We're the tormenters, their parents, or any of the school officials members of the Tea Party movement? What kind of shameless opportunist are you, Harper?
I should probably point out that the "kill him" incident was never confirmed, and if it did happen then it's still reckless to assume that they meant to murder Obama instead of "killing him at the polls". I'm glad you don't cover sports rallies.
YouAreALeftistHypocrite says: This "editorial" (if it can be called that) contains so many falsehoods and outright lies
This Examiner needs to change her name to the LYING MY ASS OFF EXAMINER. It is her forte to lie and when she is called out on it she NEVER has posted a correction.
She is nothing but a bot who cannot think on her own. How pathetic.
Max says: They value ignorance and hate and use dear to perpetuate their power.
They DO NOT USE DEAR! You LIE!
Gee, all those years in school getting teased because I was the shortest in the class and to think I could have had them all arrested! Damn, if I had only known then.
I need to take a remedial english class.
One of the BIGGEST hate groups in America is the SPLC.
They say hate groups increased 244%? By ONLY their perspective? Or did they sample other organizations.
Is the SPLC THE sole arbiter on who is and who is not a hate/nativist/racist group?
The SPLC has called the American Legion a "nativist" group.
Really? American veterans are "nativist"?
Are you kidding? What does the politic agenda have anything to do with this? Children are products of their parents & no parents of these children will ever admit of bad parenting of themselves. Children, especially of this age continue to blame others of thier behavior or pass the buck. Never acknowledging what truly devasting affects thier words & actions can impact innocent victims. Which leads to tight lipped parents that over the lives of thier children will blame others & raise them to have no empathy,non-remorseful, illmannered, & disrespectfull adults that will raise ... you guess it... more bullies!!
I do believe Ms Harper has been SERVED!
You're so stupid, it would be laughable if you weren't turning a tragedy into a stab at the Republican party. Pelosi has done as much name calling as anyone else. Why don't you blame her for what those vicious teens did. Put blame where it belongs. They (the teens) were old enough to know better, knew they were tormenting that girl and enjoyed it. Those teens should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Ode To A Young Irish Girl
Came, To Like This New Place
Stripped of dignity
self worth
on the animal farm
and to find a place to hide
from the shame
to escape from tomorrow
naked with no place to run
to see them again
to hear their laughter
see their snears
these cruel Americans
so tough, so fine, so
better than others
these self-appointed
best
this unbearable shame
tomorrow and everyone knows
seen in their faces
their snears, their hidden smiles
one to the other
how could they laugh
while I hurt so much
how could they find
my pain so funny
this new land
this land of the free
the home of the brave
I am leaving
I will not live here any longer
Farewell.
Rolf Krogsæther(c)2010
This is horrible. I have never read such nonsense- dreamed up bologna.
YOU LIE!
Bullying a little girl and speaking your mind against the government/president are two different things. President Obama is a shisty, shisty man who has made it very verbally clear that he is the president and he will do what he wants. This country is based on freedom of speech and he is stripping that away. The majority of Americans of against the health care bill yet he has pushed it through by bribing many of the state officials, which is illegal by the way. He is not listening to his people and is taking us on a downward spiral.
Anyway, stick to the point of that poor girl who was harrassed to the point of thinking she had no other way out but to end her life. And someone please, go assasinate that president before we under a dictatorship. Wake up America! Just because everyone wanted to see someone black in office did not mean he was right to run this country. Get a life!
Reading the comments to this Examiner must really boost her already low self esteem.
Give me a break. What utter nonsense!
No one ever reported or showed any video saying Kill him.
IF you have to lie to prove a point than that takes away from your creditability!
!
so classless. your bias is disgusting. liberals as well as conservatives use vile tactics. please report the whole truth and stop adding in your personal and skewed vision of reality.
God bless America is the usual phrase we hear but I would the phrase of God help america if this is the socially engineered society who strives for secular excellence and materialism we are breeding like trained animals to strive for excellence without any morals or respect for dignity.
I is no surprise that the image of america around the world is one of a society of overbearing arrogant self obsessed individuals who will dominate anyone who contests them verbally with insults rather than dialogue.
What we have in schools today being taught is tripe categorising humans to perfrom funcions in adult life neglecting any need for sound morals or humanity.
Aruge all you like but the truth stays the same no matter what you say against it becaue it just is plain and simply the truth.
Set an example here and punish those responsible for this unacceptable behaviour and retore confidence in american values before the world thinks we are breeding zoo animals to send among the world
I may be off the topic but I find our society has built up a voice of hate. One denies they hate, but in the inside are hypocrites (no lefty or righty) and whose fool are you? When a young Yale student jumped of the Empire State building this year everywhere people posted words of hate in comment sections in the net. Here too people post not words of wisdom, but of verbal savagery. Consider if we loose the US's first amendment would you step forward to support uncontrolled hate speech? Travel the world and open your eyes people!
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