Incitement!

Long time listeners and readers know that I believe that there is is a significant portion of the "conservative movement" prone to violence and domestic terror. The record makes this clear. Through the years we've seen assassination attempts, coordinated clinic bombings, creation of armed militias designed to overthrow the government, the Oklahoma City Bombing, lone wolf church shootings and an endless stream of hate and threats coming from the right wing. When frustrated, they don't just try harder to persuade us in the marketplace of ideas, they become angry and resort to violence.

This always becomes more prevalent when these type of "conservatives" have their back to the wall. They feel completely justified in ignoring the law to further their goals or prevent policies they disagree with from advancing. We all remember the dark and dangerous people of violence who reared their heads during the Clinton Administration. Well, their backs are against the wall now and they are really ramping up the hatred!

Talk radio, Fox News and now Sarah Palin and John McCain, are inciting real hatred and anger among their followers that run directly counter to what this country is all about. Make no mistake about it, the very people who ignored our laws over the past eight years and those who continue to support those politicians, will instinctively resort to intimidation, hatred, and even violence. These "movement conservatives" don't negotiate because they believe they have the absolute truth. Even more frightening, many honestly believe that God backs them up on this. That is why violence is an acceptable choice for them. They are told that they are doing God's work and the laws of man - especially if they feel they are "unGodly" laws - are absolutely irrelevant.

So while the majority of Americans recoil at the current behavior of Republicans and the language used by Palin/McCain and their surrogates in inciting this hatred and violence during the last stages of the Presidential campaign, have no illusions that they are creating a dangerous place of us to live - now and in the years to come. All we can do is point it out, condemn it and be very careful.

UPDATE 8PM: John McCain has finally spoken out against the hatred. He was boo'd heartily by his supporters but I do give him credit for trying.