Posted on 10/23/2004 8:26:21 AM PDT by ride the whirlwind
Political thuggery is on the rise in America. Because most of it is directed at the right, the legacy media does not find the trend towards organized political violence of much interest, beyond briefly noting individual incidents, particularly if videotape happens to be available. That is why the wave of attacks on Bush-Cheney campaign offices and supporters, including bullets fired, has not inspired front page articles all across America.
A thought experiment: imagine that all across America offices of the NAACP or Planned Parenthood were attacked. Do you really think that the New York Times would not feature the campaign with numerous front page articles, while the editorial page thundered against the violence?
The latest wrinkle comes in the guise of pie attacks. Thursday night, high-profile writer Ann Coulter was assaulted by two men while speaking at the University of Arizona. The rushed at her and each threw a pie in her direction. The incident was captured on home video. It has received a certain amount of play, therefore. The miscreants were arrested and now face charges. Ironically, the most serious among their criminal liabilities relates to damaging the black muslin scrim backdrop, which, because of the $3000 in damage, qualifies them for felony charges. For attacking Ann herself, and attempting to silence her political speech, they only face misdemeanor charges of assault and disorderly conduct.
Make no mistake, throwing a pie at a speaker in front of a crowd is no prank. It is an attempt to intimidate and humiliate the speaker. It thus has a chilling effect on future political speech. If there is an established danger of getting a pie in the face, how many people will be willing to go in front of audiences? Who wants to have clothes and hair ruined, and become an object of laughter? Who wants to have pictures forever living on the internet, of wiping goo off face and hair, looking ridiculous, like a wet puppy, only funnier?
The damage to our political culture of this chill on free speech far exceeds the cost of a piece of muslin cloth, or even the entire auditorium where the speech took place.
This morning on Fox & Friends Saturday, guest host Mike Gallagher, a radio talk show host himself, revealed that he had spoken Friday in State College Pennsylvania, as a counter-speaker to Michael Moore, who had been paid $30,000 to speak to students. He revealed that a campus group had offered a bounty of $1500 to anyone who could hit him in the face with a pie. This seems like a clear-cut incitement to violence. No details were offered, but I cannot understand how law enforcement would not immediately move to arrest someone publicly offering money for the commission of an act of violence.
Astonishingly, regular program host Julian Phillips remarked that he always finds pies “funny.” He quickly backed away from any implication that he was advocating attacks, but he repeated the word “funny.”
I was appalled.
As I grew up and studied history, I struggled to understand how it was that a modern and cultured nation like Germany could descend into Nazi barbarism. How could ordinary Germans just stand by and let the Nazi madmen take power? I came to the conclusion that organized political violence had a lot to do with it. The opponents of the Nazis did not dare speak up because they feared for their safety.
We are on a slippery slope if America tolerates political violence. It is a crime against democracy and liberty. The specifics of the weapons involved are less important than the intent to use violence as a political weapon.
If the worst charge that can be brought against the wielder of political pie-in-the-face is a misdemeanor – unless he is unlucky enough to damage the scenery – then we need new laws. Stealing or damaging property is a less serious crime than creating an atmosphere of fear in the political discourse.
If we do not defend our free speech rights, we will surely lose them.
Yup. Probably why it will never happen - for the same reason that PETA freaks throw paint on old women in fur coats and not Hell's Angels in leather jackets.
But it ain't the vehicle's fault that it belongs to a slob democrat, and I'm no slob democrat, so I restrained myself from damaging the vehicle.
No.....we don't want to sink to their level!
"Hence the statement that all the big deal is about laundering and coiffure fees rather than the Libertarian-approved "right" to destroy our institutions of self-governance."
You know CJ, it's right there in the Declaration of Independence: the People have the power and authority to 'alter or abolish' governmental institutions and replace them with institutions more suited to their needs. Do you reject the American Revolution and Independence? I'm guessing this is part of what you're talking about. But who knows, it's coming from left field.
Even if covered in pie, she would still be gorgeous. In fact... (never mind)
My thoughts exactly. As Ann noted on Hannity - they want a street war, they've got it. We have the guns, the real men, and we don't miss.
Libertarian Philosophy is based on the idea of opposing aggression, whether open violence or under-handed fraud. A libertarian society would be much tougher on violence than our society, where some violence is ignored because it serves the purpose of some people in power or why has Jesse Jackson never been indicted for extortion?
Secondly, one Libertarian does not equal Libertarian Philosophy. Again, I ask why you are obsessed by libertarians? They're the big threat today?
There are already laws against assault. The article posits the idea that violence motivated by politics causes far worse damage to our liberties, and it is that very idea where the libertarian ideology falls far short in being able to address.
For the sake of argument, let's say I accept your last statement as true. Seems to be small beer, the difference between both views prosecuting assault, while one side believes that political violence is especially damaging to our liberties. Where does the obsession and venom that you have for libertarians come from? Has to be more than this.
A pie in the face is a time honored tradition for expressing opposition. So is throwing rotten vegetables or fruit (which people really don't do anymore, but it was done many years ago.) So, sorry, I don't consider this act "thuggery". I just think everybody, on both sides are wonnd way too tight. You stick your head up above the crowd and something like this can happen. If someone ran on stage and took a shot at Coulter with a .357, then I'd agree that's thuggery, if not attempted murder.
Everyone is so on edge and the wagons are circled on all sides so tightly. Thank God neither of these two sides have nuclear weapons.
The owner of the site that you are squatting on has stated that he has no problems with libertarians and sees eye to eye with them on most issues.
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