The Washington Post is reporting that, at a rally yesterday organized by Dick Armey, former GOP Majority Leader, he said the following: "Patrick Henry said, 'Give me liberty or give me death.' Well, Barack Obama is trying to make good on that." This was not just fringe nuts. John Boehner, current GOP Minority Leader, and other GOP lawmakers, were also on the stage. Link below.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/10/AR2009091003630_2.html?hpid=topnews&sid
=ST2009091003648
Now, I know the GOP will coyly say the reference was to Democratic "death panels" threatening to euthanize our senior citizens (an inciteful lie itself). But someone please tell me why I shouldn't be worried, yet again, that GOP leaders, subconsciously or less so, are calling for the death of President Obama, not co-incidentally our first African American President. Vigorous political debate is one thing. Crazies at the fringe are unavoidable. But statements like this, by GOP leaders, are beyond scary. It also is not a one-time slip. Obama tags. Now this. Again, tell me why this is not a call to violence. I sometimes wondered how this country went crazy before the Civil War. While I don't think we will get that far, I fear the worst demons of this nation are not nearly just in the past.
And, we need to call them out on this and shame them. Again, and again. Otherwise, we have not done our best to protect our country, and our President.