Oh wow, this is exactly the conversation I had at work last week. I compared our own "ultra right wingers" to Telaban and al Qaeda types. I said they use the same tactics and feel justified in almost any action that begets their ends.
These people have always scared me. I recall the time in my teens when Jehovah's Witnesses came to my door. I was staying alone at my grand parent's house on Long Island. These two young men came to the house. Now, I was from a small town in Vermont - population 710 at the time - so I had never seen this type of thing before. They said their thing, and I think I said, "Are you serious?" I spoke with them for a while trying to convince them of all the other good they could be doing rather than worrying about what religion people followed. Sheeze, what a waste of time.
Flash forward 18 years and I see more and more people who just live hate. Not the Jehovah's witnesses mind you, they may be wasting my time and theirs, but they aren't out to kill to get their way. The point is, both the religious right wingers the old school racists all scare the daylights out of me.
Look, McCain's campaign is getting so full of hate he had to calm the crowd down - lest someone go out and kill Obama.
I've never heard of Rachel Maddow before, but this video editorial really hits the nail on the head.
What am I doing about it? I've supported Obama with cash and time. I've even adorned my MotorCycle with an Obama sticker - that was the toughest thing I did for the guy. Now this week I'm taking it local - on Thursday I'll be manning a phone for Kay Hagan because I don't like Dole's supporters. In other words, I'm not going to attack the crazies directly - instead I'm going to work for candidates that don't support them and are not supported by them.
What do you think? What are you doing this election season?
Here is what bothers me:
ReplyDeleteRight wingers, racists, left wingers and the author of this blog are all doing the same thing:
Create a label for people you don’t agree with, or are frustrated with.
Keep the definition general in order to lump as many people as possible into this label. “Right winger” and “Obama supporter” are two uselessly general labels that come to mind.
Find a specific examples of a well known bad person who fits this label, or cite a specific bad experience from the past with a single individual from this group.
Now generalize to assume that anyone else who fits that general label has all the specific negative characteristics/ideas/beliefs of the worst members of that group.
Tell as many people as possible.
This is very convincing to someone who has had very little day to day experience with members of the targeted group.
You're right of course. Like the relationship counselors suggest, I should use "I statements" rather than "those people" statements.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the videos and the tone of the campaigns (both sides) do irk me. I guess McCain's supporters irk me more....