posted by
orichalcum at 10:38pm on 20/10/2008
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Months ago, it was suggested that if Obama didn't win, race riots would break out in urban cities like Chicago and L.A.
I can't say that won't happen. It's an awful thing to see hope die.
But the folks in the inner cities aren't the ones currently slashing tires at Obama rallies in North Carolina, or trashing the cars of Democrats in line for early voting in Texas, or shooting a bear cub and stapling Obama signs on its head and leaving it in the middle of Eastern North Carolina University campus. They aren't the ones issuing death threats to people trying to register voters, or assaulting the media at campaign events.
John McCain and Sarah Palin aren't responsible for everything a few of their supporters do, by any means. And I'd like to also take a moment to virtually thank the Christian and Muslim Republicans at a McCain rally today who drove people who were shouting anti-Muslim slogans out of the rally, asking, quite reasonably, "Do you want us to lose?"
But I do think, like John Lewis, that McCain and Palin have created an atmosphere where supporters are encouraged to view Obama not as a political opponent but as The Enemy and the Other, someone against whose supporters vicious, violent tactics are warranted.
And I'm suddenly scared that if the election doesn't go their way on November 4th, there may be a bunch of people who aren't willingly to accept peacefully a black man as President who they falsely believe to be a socialist Muslim terrorist. And I really hope that, in that case, we can all come together as a country and quash any hints of violence, from either side.
In support of the truth and the power of reason and logic, go play Truth Invaders, a Fajitas fun political game I helped write!
I can't say that won't happen. It's an awful thing to see hope die.
But the folks in the inner cities aren't the ones currently slashing tires at Obama rallies in North Carolina, or trashing the cars of Democrats in line for early voting in Texas, or shooting a bear cub and stapling Obama signs on its head and leaving it in the middle of Eastern North Carolina University campus. They aren't the ones issuing death threats to people trying to register voters, or assaulting the media at campaign events.
John McCain and Sarah Palin aren't responsible for everything a few of their supporters do, by any means. And I'd like to also take a moment to virtually thank the Christian and Muslim Republicans at a McCain rally today who drove people who were shouting anti-Muslim slogans out of the rally, asking, quite reasonably, "Do you want us to lose?"
But I do think, like John Lewis, that McCain and Palin have created an atmosphere where supporters are encouraged to view Obama not as a political opponent but as The Enemy and the Other, someone against whose supporters vicious, violent tactics are warranted.
And I'm suddenly scared that if the election doesn't go their way on November 4th, there may be a bunch of people who aren't willingly to accept peacefully a black man as President who they falsely believe to be a socialist Muslim terrorist. And I really hope that, in that case, we can all come together as a country and quash any hints of violence, from either side.
In support of the truth and the power of reason and logic, go play Truth Invaders, a Fajitas fun political game I helped write!
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Tire slashing: http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/3771147/
Voters being harassed: http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/bellantoni/2008/Oct/20/mccain-supporters-call-early-voters-ch/
Bear cub: http://citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200881020067 (found a link w/o a picture)
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I'm sad for the bear cub, but that was a dumbass stunt and it's going to disgust a lot of people, and not particularly help the McCain campaign at all for having happened-- probably the opposite, given that ethical and lawful hunters will be pissed by it. It's not illegal in NC to take a 75 lb cub, but the point is to hunt large trophy bear and leave the young ones alone, so it was a wasteful and disrespectful kill even before they made a dumb stunt out of it.
I'm not thrilled by the tire slashing, either, but that, sadly, is a classic form of intimidation familiar to union members everywhere, and one that we all live under the threat of at some point or another, so I'm somewhat less afeard of this one, as well.
But really, I shouldn't even bother to rank them, they're all obnoxious and upsetting shenanigans.
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But yeah - harassing voters is just Wrong.
Also, I wrote this last night when I was way tired.
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