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The Tea Party Murders
Politico ^ | January 9, 2011 | George Lakoff

Posted on 01/09/2011 11:42:35 AM PST by Second Amendment First

Language has an effect. Violent political encounters have an effect. The link of the use of guns with patriotism and morality has an effect. Expressions like "targeting" and "in the crosshairs" evokes images of shooting to kill. The murder of a liberal leader in Pakistan seemed far away. Now it's here days later. Given all the death threats, it was almost inevitable. Gabby Giffords was in the crosshairs.

Republicans will say it was just the work of some crazy. Hardly. Even crazies get their ideas from somewhere. Violent political encounters and the language of violence activate the idea of violence. Ideas are physically there in the brain. People act on what is in their brains.

Keith Olbermann is right. And it's not just Palin and Beck. The Republicans who benefited from violent political confrontations and cross-hair language, who did not speak out and use their influence forcefully against it, bear full responsibility. Whatever John Boehner now says, he bears responsibility.

The tea party leaders gave explicit instructions on how to angrily disrupt public political meetings. Tea party rallies not only displayed violent signs, but rally leaders did not discourage them, and hence tacitly approved them.

As conservatives like to say, you bear the responsibility for the consequences of your actions.

This was tea party murder.

We should not shrink from calling it that.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: berkeley; completebs; giffords; lakoff; linguistics; rhodagoldman; rockridgeinstitute; teaparty; ucalifornia; wackos4obama
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To: Second Amendment First
The tea party leaders gave explicit instructions on how to angrily disrupt public political meetings. Tea party rallies not only displayed violent signs, but rally leaders did not discourage them, and hence tacitly approved them.

I'm sure leftists NEVER angrily disrupted meetings or carried violent signs. (Speaking of which, what "tea party" was this dude observing when he saw those "violent" signs?)

61 posted on 01/09/2011 12:16:29 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (up)
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To: Second Amendment First
We should not shrink from calling it that.

Lakoff is clearly proud of his coinage and wants it established as the common term. But even with all the advantages the lefties have in getting their memes out, it just stretches the facts too far, is too obviously opportunistic, and would be actively resisted and derided by too much of the population. It is just too crazy. The best Lakoff can hope for is that it would take hold in the lefty fever swamps the way "Teabagger" has, but he's dreaming if he thinks it will be able to show its face in public.

62 posted on 01/09/2011 12:16:40 PM PST by Yardstick
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To: Second Amendment First

Oh, and you forgot the “Barf Alert.”


63 posted on 01/09/2011 12:16:54 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (up)
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To: Second Amendment First

In all fairness, the response to this should be to call this event “The mentally ill liberal murders”. This works in several ways.

The first is, that the shooter is apparently mentally ill. But liberals are often hypersensitive about mental illness, because many of them suffer from profound neurosis, anxiety, depression, and paranoia, and they are very aware of the fact.

And liberals truly do not want this pointed out, either for them personally, or for liberals as a group. And likewise, though liberals are *more* prone to political and rage violence, they pretend otherwise, that theirs is a path to peace. But the facts show otherwise.

So the label, “The Mentally Ill Liberal Murders” works in several ways.

As such, conservatives should do much to promulgate this label.


64 posted on 01/09/2011 12:17:29 PM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: Cisco Nix

So is that lying putata senator who “knew”, without any facts or information that the shooter was a “right winger”.

She is a Berkley Factory Dipoma mill traitor...Not to mention a “community organizer” a NOW baby butcher, and a “reconquista” organization member.

She needs to be sent back to her street corner...Though who would pay for *that*?


65 posted on 01/09/2011 12:17:41 PM PST by DGHoodini (Iran Azadi)
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To: oldbrowser
Let see now, A liberal nutcase kills a bunch of innocent people at a liberal/democrat function and the conservatives are somehow responsible?

Why Yes - and they will not shrink from saying so.

66 posted on 01/09/2011 12:17:47 PM PST by Republican Wildcat
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To: Republican Wildcat
Someone who could come up with this idiocy is stupid beyond words, or a liar. He’s also sick.

He likes being sick. He enjoys his sickness.

67 posted on 01/09/2011 12:19:31 PM PST by Steely Tom (Obama goes on long after the thrill of Obama is gone)
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To: Grampa Dave

That guy sounds like he’s all kinds of crazy.


68 posted on 01/09/2011 12:19:55 PM PST by winstonwolf33
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To: scbison

There are all kinds of threats on liberal sites like Kos. But you can be sure they don’t report them because the threats are against conservatives. God, I hope there’s a post by this nut somewhere threatening Giffords. But, if there is I doubt it will be reported.


69 posted on 01/09/2011 12:20:51 PM PST by Terry Mross
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To: exDemMom

You are 100% right. I grew up with a paraniod schizophrenic. This guy was definately one. To make him out to be anything else is irresponsible.


70 posted on 01/09/2011 12:21:11 PM PST by marstegreg
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To: Cisco Nix
Lakoff, a Berkeley liberal.

Funny you should say that. It reminded me of this recent event at UC Berkeley....

YouTube video: UC Berkeley students protest tuition hikes

And, for comparison's sake, here's a typical Tea Party outburst...

YouTube video: Tea Partier stuns crowd

71 posted on 01/09/2011 12:22:05 PM PST by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
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To: All

If I remember correctly republican politicians had to leave the Wellstone “memorial” because of all the threats being yelled at them. Why can’t we have one talking head politician who will get on T.V. and point these things out.


72 posted on 01/09/2011 12:23:10 PM PST by Terry Mross
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To: Cisco Nix

Knock yourself out, George...

George P. Lakoff is an American cognitive linguist and professor of linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1972.


73 posted on 01/09/2011 12:23:39 PM PST by kcvl
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To: exDemMom
He sounds like a paranoid schizophrenic who latched onto leftist ideology.

Leftist ideology and mental illness seem to seek each other out.

Yes indeed. I guess we should add a new term to the discourse of the left. To join the term "useful idiot." That term would be "useful whackjob" or "useful headcase" or "useful psychopath."

74 posted on 01/09/2011 12:24:28 PM PST by Steely Tom (Obama goes on long after the thrill of Obama is gone)
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To: Second Amendment First

This is hilarious! I can’t tell if this guy is drunk or just having a bad hangover.


75 posted on 01/09/2011 12:25:07 PM PST by Liberty Valance (Keep a simple manner for a happy life :o)
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To: Second Amendment First

76 posted on 01/09/2011 12:25:25 PM PST by kcvl
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To: Second Amendment First

Loughren’s high school friend claims he was a leftie back in high school in 2006. Seems to me that preceded Sarah Palin’s rise to the national stage.


77 posted on 01/09/2011 12:27:12 PM PST by EDINVA
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To: Second Amendment First
"It's gonna get ugly out there."

It is very interesting to see just how far the Left can push and push and push before the Right pushes back. I think it is time for every talking head on the Right to 'ambush' the pundits and anchors on the MSM and tell them exactly how many beans make five. I am truly sick of the wimpy Right letting lie after lie, misrepresentations and Lefty Talking Points pass by them with nary a comment. /rant off

78 posted on 01/09/2011 12:28:51 PM PST by I am Richard Brandon
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To: TCH

The AZ Tea Party should hold a rally in front of Giffords’ office with signs that say “We’re sorry a leftist shot you but we’re still against obamacare.”


79 posted on 01/09/2011 12:30:08 PM PST by Terry Mross
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To: pallis
So all the violent speech and hate from the left, the protests against the war, Bush, all those angry professors stirring up all those angry college students, death threats, insults, people being beaten up, spit on, intimidated, busing protesters to people’s homes, the name calling, “racists, Nazis, and so on don’t count, only the Tea Party can contribute to violence? Forget it. This had nothing to do with the Tea Party and everything to do with the hate the left has been pouring the fuel on for years. Does the left think it is possible to preach hate without sending some leftnuts over the edge?

Great post! BTTT

80 posted on 01/09/2011 12:30:25 PM PST by CedarDave (What is DADT? Obama's response when inquiries are made about his birth certificate.)
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