OK, at the risk of suffering the 'slings and arrows' of the reality-based community, I'll pose this conjecture:
The unchecked level of "Hate Speech" in our modern society is fueling unprecedented "Threat Level" being endured by the President, and the First Family.
3 Times the Threat level of ANY prior President. That is a statistical increase that should not be simply 'shrugged off' as: "business as usual."
Secret Service fumbled response after gunman hit White House residence in 2011
by Carol D. Leonnig, washingtonpost.com -- September 27, 2014
[...]
The response infuriated the president and the first lady, according to people with direct knowledge of their reaction. Michelle Obama has spoken publicly about fearing for her family’s safety since her husband became the nation’s first black president.
Her concerns are well founded — President Obama has faced three times as many threats as his predecessors, according to people briefed on the Secret Service’s threat assessment.
“It was obviously very frightening that someone who didn’t really plan it that well was able to shoot and hit the White House and people here did not know it until several days later,” said William Daley, who was White House chief of staff at the time.
[...]
I'd be "furious" too.
We all should be.
As much as I disagreed with George W. Bush on policy and priorities -- I never wished him or his family, this kind of harm. God forbid.
Yet the "hate talkers" of the Rightwing -- seem to have no such similar compunctions ...
From the outright threats of violence by Ted Nugent, to the veiled threat of revolution by Ted Cruz -- the "hate talkers" of the Rightwing are 'fueling a fire' -- a fire of hate and outrage -- that even they will not be put out, once it reaches epic proportions.
No one on the Right, ever says: "Enough! ... Enough with the hating, already."
What are they waiting for? ... (Perhaps for the Left to protest, a bit more LOUDLY ...???)
Here is one of those "Editorial Letters" that captures the ambivalence and disrespect for The Office -- that sadly has become the modern-day norm. The norm of perpetual hate ...
That few dare stand up against. That few dare to correct.
GUEST COLUMN: Obama and hate speech -- What consequence?
by Kenneth Fuller, Guest Columnist, northwestGeorgiaNews.com -- August 26, 2014
[...]
Even though most of the public vitriol in newspapers, online posts and Fox News are from Republicans, it must be noted that he is also unpopular with the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. Polls now suggest his popularity rating is at best 40 percent among Americans.
Even though Barack Obama states that he is a Christian, and regularly attends church with his family, he is constantly attacked even by Evangelical Christians, whose Bible directs that they pray for him.
[...]
I have concluded that this is the answer. The fear of public harassment and ridicule, in the face of such overwhelming enmity, is often enough to cause those of us who will still admit to supporting the president to remain silent for fear of ridicule or worse.
Simply chalking up it all to "free speech" --
'free hate speech' -- is an untenable position.
Remaining silent, only allows 'the fires' to spread -- emboldened, unchecked.
I occasionally find myself among that "liberal wing of the Democratic Party" who disagrees with Obama on policy and priorities -- but I will still speak out to defend him against the "slings and arrows" of reflexive hate -- whenever I have that chance.
But sometimes, I feel like 'a voice in the wilderness' out there -- the 'unchecked hate' is at times palpable, in water-cooler land.
The "hate talkers" of the Rightwing have accomplished their objective to make Obama the ineffectual target of unquenchable scorn.
Sadly some unbalanced souls in their audience, do not stop themselves at internal scorn. Some of the more unstable "consumers of hate" -- are motivated to action ... often times hateful-actions ...
[...]
This made sense to him in the insane world he had come to embrace, which convinced him that our government was bent on destruction of the American way of life, of the Christian faith, and all that we hold dear.
All reasonable people joined in condemning this horrendous act and Americans were united in their grief and disbelief. For a long time to come.
We who consider ourselves good American citizens, who respect the rule of law, must ask ourselves if the hate speech we so often spew at our leaders and our government, or that we hear in silence without response, will reach the ears of another Timothy McVeigh — who will take our words in an unhinged mind and with delirious passion and conviction again seek to wreak destruction on our children, our places of worship, and all we hold dear.
-- Kenneth Fuller, a retired Rome [GA] attorney and former state senator, writes a regular column for the Rome News-Tribune.
All it takes is a spark, that's left to smolder, and catch hold and spread --
unchecked.
The spark-hurlers should consider the weight (and heat) of their words, and choose them more wisely ... because sometimes those 'sparks' land outside the confines of normal 'rhetorical flourish'.
To a domain, we used to ALL hold dear.
Irrespective of our "differences on policy and priorities" ...