When a small group of determined individuals use physical and verbal intimidation and threats to silence open discussion with elected officials they are terrorists.
Terrorists.
They're not "concerned citizens" and they're not "crazy." They're terrorists. Don't believe me? Just ask the dictionary:
ter⋅ror⋅ism (n): The use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes.
They are the bitter fruit born of paranoia, religious fundamentalism, and decades of right wing political propaganda.
There is no place for these people in civil debate. We don't need conversations about what they're mad about or where they came from. We know where they came from. They are the descendants of the objectors to woman's suffrage. And de-segregation. And lynch mobs. And the Red Scare. And Abu Ghraib prison guards.
Their most recent Alumni include the killed Dr. Tiller and the holocaust museum murderer. But before that of course:
This is the ugly side of America, and they are gaining recruits. This is the part we forget about when we talk about the great country we live in. This is the part we prefer to footnote in the history books.
And I for one think its time to call it for what it is. Terrorism. And I'm sick and tired of it. These are our neighbors and cousins, and they're despicable, and I have no intention of letting them win the Health Care debate, or any other debate. The details of the health bill or whatever else ends up on the table down the road are nowhere as important as how we got to this specific point right here -- Right wing fundamentalist radicals are, again, wrapping themselves in the flag and spewing filth, lies, fear, and hatred to strive towards their radical reactionary goals.
The truth though, is that we surround them, and it scares them shitless. Fear is exactly where things like this come from:
Don't forget.
We have taken the levers of power back, and now it's time to lean on them. Politicians represent US, and if we expect them to stand up to this madness it's up to us to be their spines and fight this filth with
our voices
our minds
our money
and our boots on the ground.
</rant>