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A vandalized sign outside the office of Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., is shown Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009 in Smyrna, Ga. Scott had a contentious community meeting on health care last week. Scott, who is black, said the swastika is the latest example of what he believes is an increasingly hateful and racist debate over reforming health care. The Atlanta lawmaker said he also has received mail in recent days that used N-word references to him, and that characterized President Barack Obama as a Marxist. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) |
Representative David Scott arrived to work this morning, only to find that he was the victim of a hate crime. The Democratic Georgia Representative is an African American, and found the sign that sits outside his office was spray painted with a black swastika. This is not the first controversy involving Rep. David Scott since promoting the health care reform bill, nor is it the first time those opposed to health care reform have likened its supporters to Nazi Germany.
On August 6, 2009 while engaging in a meeting that wasn’t related to health care, Dr. Brian Hill asked Rep. David Scott a question. He asked why Scott would vote for a health care plan similar to the plan implemented in Massachusetts "that is shown not to work" and if he supported a government-provided health care insurance option. Rep. David Scott went on what many called a ‘rant,’ and accused Dr. Brian Hill of not being one of his constituents.
Responding to the interruption, Rep. David Scott said, “Well, I'm not voting on any plan. First of all, I haven't voted on any bill.” To this Dr. Brian Hill asked, “Are you planning on voting on that bill?” Rep. David Scott answered, “I don’t know.” Dr. Hill continued, “Do you support a government-run option? How about that?”
To which Rep. Scott replied, “Yes, I do. And I'm listening to my constituents. OK? These are people who live in the 13th congressional district, who vote in this district. That's who I've got to respond to. OK?
Right. (sic) All right. That's everybody with different opinions.
So, what you've got to understand is, those of you who are here who have taken and came and hijacked this event that we're dealing with here, this is not a health care event. You made the choice to come here.”
Later, it was identified that Dr. Hill was a member of Rep. David Scott’s congressional district. To gloss over the incident, Rep. David Scott had invited Dr. Hill over for a beer. However, though Dr. Hill and Rep. David Scott have seemed to move on and put their past behind them, others haven’t been as forgiving.
Rep. David Scott states that he’s received death threats since publicly supporting President Obama’s health care reform bill, in addition to the swastika that was spray-painted on the official congressional sign outside his office. There was another swastika spray painted on the front door, it measured approximately four feet in width. Since Rep. David Scott is a congressman, the U.S. Capitol Police as well as the FBI are handling the case, it is being processed as a hate crime.
In addition to the FBI and Capital Police working on the case, the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) also denounced that act as a ‘frightening display of bigotry and ignorance that should not be tolerated by a democratic society.” On August 7, 2009, the ADL also condemned the use of referring to those in the Democratic Party who support President Obama’s health care plan to Nazis. Rush Limbaugh had stated on his radio show, “They accuse us of being Nazis, and Obama's got a healthcare logo that's right out of Adolf Hitler's playbook."
This comment was denounced by the ADL. A statement by Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director reads:
“Comparisons to the Nazis are deeply offensive and only serve to diminish and trivialize the extent of the Nazi regime's crimes against humanity and the murder of six million Jews and millions of others in the Holocaust. I don't see any comparison here. It's off-center, off-issue and completely inappropriate.”
Comments
What are the odds we find that this was fake?
See Scott bought into the notion that these "protesters" were an organized plot, bussed in from other districts. It never occurred to him that his constituents might actually disagree with this plan. This is the arrogance that Americans for generations have escaped from and come here to avoid! I wouldn't put it past a leftist to paint the swastika and claim it was one of the protesters. We're already seeing calls to disrupt those who oppose the health care plan.
Why is it that if any people, other than the Jewish people, refer to what the perceive as an act of communist control, and compare it to what the Nazi's did, they are labeled and charged with a hate crime? I fail to see the hate crime here,maybe vandalism, but,not hate. Then again those laws weren't made our protection, they were made to control us including our thoughts. That to me is the REAL CRIME!!1
We the people have spoken, we said NO to this healthcare bill, now it's time for our politicians, including our President to do what they always do, IGNORE the people who voted for them, IGNORE the people they represent, and sign a little more of our freedoms away!!!
Hey Mr. President, is this what you meant by CHANGE IS COMING? This wasn't exactly what we had in mind!
You guys don't get it. Hate is hate and things like these hatefull. My son asked me the other day why the people at this health care meetings are so angry. I told him some people are afraid of change and some just hate others because of the color of a presons skin. I would ask which are you.
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