These words are chilling -- not because they have been pondered or just because someone uttered them. It is how the words were delivered.
My grown daughter sent me a text today at work. When I got it, my legs became weak beneath my body and I felt a shiver of terror. Maybe I am over-reacting, but I cannot help but feel fear at the undercurrent of teaparty-inspired violence.
This is her text to me:
"This morning on bus driver stopped and stood said 'we need to take back our country, i am not afraid to take up arms against gvmnt. We need to stop voting this way. i don't believe in socialism.'"
So a bus driver with the Valley Metro in Phoenix, AZ stopped his bus, stood up speaking to his passengers, and said: "I am not afraid to take up arms against the government."
It is stunning that the perception among certain groups is that it is a badge of honor to make such violent statements about the erroneous "socialist" label.
My next question is, "Just how far is he willing to go?"
Would he fire a weapon at a US soldier? Would he assassinate an elected official? Would setting off a bomb in a government building satisfy his "patriotism"?
How safe is my daughter riding on public transportation? Would this man feel it his duty to ram his bus into a perceived "socialist" symbol?
The tea party whackos have gotten out of control and the Republican party has made a game of urging them forward.
I expect the next terrorist event to come from within our own communities and pray that my children are kept safe from such extremists.
UPDATE: My daughter has emailed the metro and feels there were others on the bus who were probably going to do the same. She said there were others who were greatly offended and/or felt threatened.
She also mentioned to me how ironic the situation appeared. If the metro was part of "free enterprise" with competitors, then company policy would clearly state keeping political arguments to oneself and not voicing them to clients. Most corporations have such policies in place so as not to alienate customers.
The very fact that the driver works for a "socialist" entity with no competition means that customers have no alternative, and, he has a captive audience for his anti-socialist views.