"Second Amendment Remedies" [re: Arizona Shooting]

[John_Mace]

@Euphonious_Polemic

California man arrested for threats against U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott.

The threats happened in early December, but it looks like they want to get more serious about these. Bad timing for the threatener.

From the link:

He began each [call] with his name and phone number, and went on to threaten to kill the congressman - as well as his friends and family - over his opposition to extending tax cuts for the wealthy, according to transcripts recited in the complaint.

Note to self: Do not leave name and phone number when leaving message to kill someone.

[Euphonious_Polemic]

2 more unrelated but worrying threats to politicians:
Threat to Democrat Congressman Danny Davis:

Davis said the threat came in an email to a staffer, calling it an indirect suggestion of a threat. It said “Could Danny Davis be next?” His office notified authorities.

Davis said he ordinarily would ignore a threat of this kind, but he thought it appropriate to take action.

Davis says the emailer is a group from Chicago who operates in and around the community and has been known to be controversial before. Davis said the group would characterize itself as politically involved.

Members have had a tendency to be disruptive and challenging at public meetings and he has had to call police in the past to have them removed, Davis said.

A man was charged with threatening gun violence and arson against staff of Democrat U.S. Senator Michael Bennet several days ago (before the Arizona shootings)

According to an FBI affidavit filed with the criminal complaint, Davis was known to Bennet’s staff for frequent calls to his office seeking help with problems he said he was having with his Social Security benefits.

[Euphonious_Polemic]

Old news, but

Since Mr Obama took office, the rate of threats against the president has increased 400 per cent

This is 400% above the number that the previous White House occupant faced.

30 death threats a day. The vast majority are without substance, of course, but I certainly do not envy the secret service.

[elucidator]

@Bricker

… I’m consistent in my view.

I stand to underscore the truth of this. His view never wavers, it is the North Star, a set point in the firmament, unmoving, unyielding, eternally fixed. “Consistent” is too pale a word for such a virtue as Bricker’s, its like calling the Hammer of Thor a mallet. But if “consistent” is his modest choice, by Og, I’ll stand by it, and whup anyone who says different!

(Got your back, here, Bricker.)

[Maeglin]

@BrainGlutton

I repeat: What the FUCK are you trying to say here?!

I’m saying that I think you need to let it go, son.

[Boyo_Jim]

You know who else was consistent?

[glilly]

@Boyo_Jim

You know who else was consistent?

Wildest Bill?

[Euphonious_Polemic]

Another interesting sign of the times:

The founder of a project to promote civility in politics is calling it quits because only three elected members of Congress agreed to sign a rudimentary “Civility Pledge.”

Mr. DeMoss, a former aide to Moral Majority founder Rev. Jerry Falwell and an unpaid adviser to Republican Gov. Mitt Romney in the 2008 presidential campaign, said that he was particularly surprised by the hostility to the civility pledge from conservatives.

“The worst e-mails I received about the civility project were from conservatives with just unbelievable language about communists, and some words I wouldn’t use in this phone call,” he said. “This political divide has become so sharp that everything is black and white, and too many conservatives can see no redeeming value in any liberal or Democrat. That would probably be true about some liberals going the other direction, but I didn’t hear from them.”

Bolding mine.

[Boyo_Jim]

@glilly

Wildest Bill?

Wildest Adolf.

[Snowboarder_Bo]

@Bricker

No.

“In danger,” in Angle’s comment does not mean “in danger of harm from violence.” It means, “… [those freedoms are] in danger [of being lost].”

Notice that I do not endorse the view that those freedoms are actually placed in danger… just that Olbermann’s rebuke does not apply here.

Absolutely not.

Look at Sharron Angle’s sentence again.

@Sharron Angle

The irresponsible assignment of blame to me, Sarah Palin or the TEA Party movement by commentators and elected officials puts all who gather to redress grievances in danger.

“Puts all who gather… in danger” is the subject of the phrase in question. Trying to substitute anything else is re-writing her words, Bricker and is dishonest. There is no other way to read the sentence. This is why you are getting called “rabidly partisan”. You are ignoring reality in favor of fantasy.

[tagos]

@Snowboarder_Bo

You are ignoring reality in favor of fantasy.

That’s in the job description for his self-appointed role of shill for the extreme right, which in these days means ‘mainstream republican’ as its shifted so far into swivel-eyed crazy land.

He just throws whatever shit it takes at the wall in the hope that either some will stick or we’ll start debating the stench rather than the issue at hand. It’s what he does all the time.

[VinylTurnip]

@John_Mace

Note to self: Do not leave name and phone number when leaving message to kill someone.

The guy was understandably upset about Obama’s plan to take money away from hard-working Americans—like his father, who left him with a $3 million trust fund.

(And what the hell are “bunched black jeans”?)

[SteveG1]

@Ravenman

Agree completely.

Here is what Mrs. Angle said today about her critics: “The irresponsible assignment of blame to me, Sarah Palin or the TEA Party movement by commentators and elected officials puts all who gather to redress grievances in danger.”

I see this as more whipping up of the whacko militia types that the “Barry O’Bama” gummit is going to round them up in secret FEMA concentration camps before the UN armies march into our national parks. Just pure bullshit.

ETA: Here’s more: “I have consistently called for reasonable political dialogue on policy issues to encourage civil political education and debate.”

What a fucking liar.

She needs to just shut the fuck up. Also, anyone who actually voted for her when she was running, should be fucking embarrassed.

[SteveG1]

@Bricker

No.

“In danger,” in Angle’s comment does not mean “in danger of harm from violence.” It means, “… [those freedoms are] in danger [of being lost].”

Notice that I do not endorse the view that those freedoms are actually placed in danger… just that Olbermann’s rebuke does not apply here.

Law or no law, some people like Angle should sometimes know when to shut the fuck up. I have my own “issue” with the idea someone like her can talk any shit she wants, but apparently no one can call her on it. That is pure bullshit. She has a freedom to talk shit. In turrn, under the SAME freedom, people have the right to talk shit right back. Anything else is just more bullshit.

[Baal_Houtham]

@jsgoddess

I think you nailed it. Such a good post.

Yeah, I open the thread to the last page, read Kimstu’s postand thought, “My what a reasonable and perceptive thread this is.”

*I think what she wanted was to generate excitement and support among some of her right-wing listeners by stroking their fantasy image of themselves as heroic maverick freedom fighters courageously defending themselves under attack by some vaguely defined Forces of Evil.

She was deliberately trying to appeal to the feelings of people who enjoy (instead of being repulsed by) the imagined scenario of literally murdering a law-abiding politician whose positions they happen to disagree with.*

Honestly though, I sometimes fantasized about harming the Torture Boys, Cheney and George W. – But I didn’t suggest Second Amendment Solutions to a large group of gun owners.

[Steve_MB]

@Bricker

“All who gather to redress grievances in danger” of being no longer able to gather to redress grievances.

That is, the danger is that the ability to gather to redress grievances will be curtailed. That’s precisely what she’s saying: if you criticize our method of gathering to redress grievances, and are successful, we won’t be able to do it anymore.

That’s not what she said. Spin FAIL.

Even if we overlook the fact that your assertion is a cut-and-paste replacement for what she actually said, it makes no sense. Successful criticism does not prevent anyone from repeating the criticized behavior; ask any parent of a teenager. Spin EPIC FAIL.

[Bridget_Burke]

@Baal_Houtham

…Honestly though, I sometimes fantasized about harming the Torture Boys, Cheney and George W. – But I didn’t suggest Second Amendment Solutions to a large group of gun owners.

I was known to wish that Cheney would take more of his co-workers on hunting trips. Hey, the guy he shot only got minor wounds!

But my chosen weapons against those creeps have been (1) voting, (2) contributing to liberal causes, & (3) sarcasm. Lots & lots of sarcasm…

[wonky]

@Bridget_Burke

I was known to wish that Cheney would take more of his co-workers on hunting trips. Hey, the guy he shot only got minor wounds!

But my chosen weapons against those creeps have been (1) voting, (2) contributing to liberal causes, & (3) sarcasm. Lots & lots of sarcasm…

You are accusing them of blood libel. Right there! You just did it again!

[Steve_MB]

@Malthus

It seems to me to be fearmongering. What she appears to be saying is that if she is not elected, people will resort to armed insurrection.

She isn’t herself calling for armed insurrection, but she is threatening it as a consequence of not electing her.

@magellan01

I think “threatening” goes way to far. It also implies that she has some control of whether or not it will happen. I think “warning” is a better word, but in a way that she is merely an observer.

In the context of trying to convince people to vote for her in order to avoid this outcome, “threatening” is an appropriate term.

[Ravenman]

I think I have some alternative theories on what words Mrs. Angle left out that would help clarify her intent. I’ve included them below:

“The irresponsible assignment of blame to me, Sarah Palin or the TEA Party movement by [anti-American] commentators and [Democrat] elected officials puts all [cranks, crackpots, conspiracy theorists, birthers and militia members] who gather to redress grievances [about the gold standard, the Federal Reserve, the Zionist conspiracy, and the whole Certificate of Live Birth cover-up] in danger [of being embarrassed by having the stupid things we say actually reported on the television news so we have to start the revolution today].”