Honestly I don't know where I'm going with this but I just have to say something. I mean, typically I take wingnut hyperbole, like all hyperbole, with a grain of salt.
But this is different. These people are sick, perverse, vile, evil... oh, fuggit. Words just fail.
It's one thing to celebrate the death of a hated rival. But quite another to celebrate the death of some anonymous person who just happened to be toiling for the opposition. In war, there is a reason we, as nations and as humans, agree that it is wrong to torture or murder captured soldiers. On the battlefield, there is a certain respect that is due a rival, and a certain acknowledgement that it is not the soldier who started the war itself, they are just an unfortunate cog in the system that was handed a rifle, and therefore ill treatment and humiliation of such a rival only debases the torturer himself. I think the United Nations has an agreement or somesuch to this affect.
One would think the same respect would apply to those who do the dirty work in political campaigns -- we may not like what Romney's staffers do, we may view them as misguided, in need of shock treatment, etc, but ultimately we recognize that, in their own way, they care enough about the system to participate and do what they believe is right for their country.
And I think that we hope that the opposition would have the same respect for our staffers, understanding that the staffers themselves are not the "enemy" and therefore, unless they commit some kind of Sandusky-esque atrocity, not a reasonable target for scorn. But anyone thinking this way of our teabagger counterparts would be SADLY MISTAKEN.
From Yahoo, the story
Tragedy struck President Barack Obama's campaign on Friday as a young staffer, 29-year-old Alex Okrent, collapsed in the Chicago headquarters and died, according to campaign officials.
Obama, campaigning in Virginia, telephoned Okrent's family to express his condolences and later spoke with other campaign aides by conference call. The aide had been with Obama since 2004 and was working in the "paid media" department of the reelection effort, which handles advertising, a campaign aide said.
Mitt Romney quickly expressed sorrow over Okrent's passing. "Ann & I were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Alex Okrent," he said on Twitter.
Good on Mitt Romney for offering his timely condolences.
As for Romney's fanatics, here are some examples of their sentiments from the story's comment thread:
If a Democrap falls in an office and no one is around to care, does it make a sound?
Last thought..... I died while working for that loser..... bummer.
Quit making those sympathy comments, no one cares, not even Hussein Obama, oops Osama.
Obama isnt even doing anything for the country that he needs to be re-elected for... This guy died for NOTHING
You know, this may just be a cover up. I bet a nigr in chicago killed him
I have no sympathies for anyone who hates America enough to work to get Obama re-elected.
Yep one less Obummerbot!!!
God works in mysterious way his miracle do perform now get bama lord
another commie bites the dust!
Obummer supporters would rather die than face a life without the messiah.. so let it be..
Breaking News: Liberal dies, liberals mourn, other 98% of population goes to bed
Drugs are bad mmmkay? so don't do drugs or you'll end up like this douchebag mmkay?
he must have gotten into obamas stash. only 29. that's sad but CRACK KILLS
Seriously,
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE??? I could fathom these comments if they were referring to, say, Al Franken or Nancy Pelosi -- you know, PUBLIC FIGURES. But an
anonymous staffer?
WTF???
I culled all these quotes after scrolling through only 60 or 70 comments. To me it is very disheartening that these people actually walk among us. Fortunately I did find one comment that lifted my spirits a little, a little diamond in the rough, from a commenter named Cathleen:
Gone way too soon. Stress is killing the citizens of our beloved country. Live ppl, travel, read, dance, music, relax. Watch, to kill a mockingbird. Mr president, pls stop smoking, watching someone sick w/copd, or lung cancer is painful. rest in peace young staffer.
Stunning, someone who ACTUALLY CARED. Note lack of snark.
In light of Cathleen's sentiments perhaps it is a good time to acknowledge all of those, like Alex, who work tirelessly for Obama, often with little reward except for spiritual fulfillment of fighting for something you believe in. There are a lot of pathetic little people who post anonymous hateful snark in comment threads, like those above. But there are undoubtedly some damn fine people toiling earnestly for Romney, too, and I truly doubt that opposition staffers would be the type of people to leave chickenshit comments like this about an Obama staffer. They are people too, activists who are like us in more ways than not, and in their own way, they care. We can acknowledge them as well.
Rest in Peace Alex Okrent, and may your family be forever proud of your endeavors.