End of the Right Wing Challenge

Well, color me unimpressed--with many of my fellow lefties.

(Although the self-categorization makes me uncomfortable. There are so many issues--balancing the budget, the right to self-defense, the Second Amendment, etc.--on which I don't hold doctrinaire left-of-center political positions. A better self-description would be left on economic issues, moderate on social issues, conservative on military matters--on the last point, my beef with recent American adventurism is that it makes us less safe and that our borders are totally unguarded. But long-time readers know all that stuff about me. And it could change, obviously.)

But back to the discussion at hand. I'll reiterate: I am surprised at the amount of vicious, specific threats of violence directed toward conservative personalities by supposed progressives. That kind of schoolyard bullying makes us no better than the Republicans we claim to despise for their "bomb first, ask questions later" approach to diplomacy. As everybody knows, I don't shy away from harsh language; I rather specialize in it. But I draw the line at threats, real or implied, against people with whom I disagree. Once you start to do that, after all, you've admitted defeat because you couldn't argue against your foe based on the merits of your point of view. And it's a gutter tactic running against the very essence of the First Amendment.

So. Does the left give back as much as the right? In my heart of hearts, I'd say the right-wing challenge didn't change my mind entirely. I think the right does it more. But, as a conservative blogger wrote elsewhere, it's much easier to notice when it's your side being attacked. I notice the attacks against progressives more, so they hurt more. Bottom line: it's impossible to quantify the hatred on both sides and determine who does it more.

Those of us who identify with the left must set an example by seizing the moral high ground on this point. While I still stand by my chapter in WAKE UP, YOU'RE LIBERAL about dirty politics, threats of violence are where we should not go. And we should call our friends on it if and when they do it.

Here are, as part of the challenge wrap up, some entries from over the weekend submitted by rigt-wingers. (No need to send more, folks, and thanks for playing! I, for one, feel enlightened if a little soiled.)

Sent in by blogger Jon Henke:

...you didn't get the email I sent yesterday--I think you've been having some server problems with the overload--here 'tis again....
http://www.qando.net/Details.aspx?Entry=1235
The comments are listed below, and the links to the originals are at the post URL listed above.
1. COMMENT: "We need to execute people like Ann Coulter in order to physically intimidate conservatives, by making them realize that they can be killed too. Otherwise they will turn out to be outright traitors."
2. COMMENT: "bush Is a mouth faced little cheat. and you are all Imbeciles for supporting him. I hope you all die, die painfully." [this, by the way, was addressed to us]
3. COMMENT: "I hate that filthy cunt, Maglaganglyskank more than I can say. Goddamned racist bitch - I want her fucking head on a pike. I've had it with that sorry excuse for a human being. Fucking skanky ass Nazi whore - I'm coming for you." [written by Tena, a blogger)
4. COMMENT: "Fuck off and die in horrible pain you fascist prick."
5. COMMENT: "I'd take one for the team and volunteer to anally violate [Michelle Malkin]."
6. COMMENT: "I may watch the festivities, if only not to miss the chance to applaud the appearance of the long-awaited, desperately needed dime-sized hole..."
7. COMMENT: "will somebody PLEASE start killing these people? it's really all they understand."
8. COMMENT: "I want to beat Scarbrough's fucking face in! I want to smash him, beat him into the cement. Be covered in his blood. Leave him suffering on the ground. [...] Fuck you Scarbrough! Your Damn right! I'll show you a fucking Radical! Think I'm a bomb-thrower? I'll show you a fucking bomb! Seriously, he makes me contemplete murder!"
9. COMMENT: "We have to learn to enjoy hurting people, hurting them a lot, hurting them any way we can and every chance we get. Anybody who's not with us, we fuck him and fuck him hard."
10. COMMENT: "Does Karl Rove get Secret Service protection? If so, on what basis? If not, dime-sized hole?"

Don't doubt, my fellow progressives, that there are more--many more--where these came from. I have about 20 more acceptable entries along these lines. And I received a few that were so ugly that I won't even post them because they were so racist and bigoted that I'm afraid people might think *I'd* posted them.

P.S. Some people have asked whether I checked these links to make sure they were authentic. Answer: of course.

The challenge is met, I am depressed and disgusted, and now I'm going to grab my first cup of coffee.