Circus Behavior, Klan Intentions?

Tea Party "Protests"

"A staffer for Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told reporters that Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) had been spat on by a protestor. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a hero of the civil rights movement, was called a 'ni--er.' And Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was called a "faggot," as protestors shouted at him with deliberately lisp-y screams."

WHAT?!

"But Clyburn was downright incredulous, saying he had not witnessed such treatment since he was leading civil rights protests in South Carolina in the 1960s. "

40 years ago, these kinds of epithets were spewed at people, in hatred, distrust, and fear. But that's not how we do things today, is it? Is this how we try to talk to our representatives? Is this how we talk to each other? Will this be how we teach our children to talk?

This is deeply troubling to me. Check this out:

Tea Party = Ku Klux Klan

Yes, it's propaganda. Until today, and the news that these wretched words were hurled at our representatives, I thought the analogy went a bit far. Now, I'm not sure. Does the phrase "mob mentality" mean anything? First signs, then words; actions aren't far behind.

If you visit any right-wing website, you'll find more racist, sexist diatribes than you ever thought existed. You won't find this kind of conversation on left-wing sites. Where is civil discourse?

Does anyone remember civil discourse? It is a back-and-forth conversation "that stays within the realm of rational decency. For a discourse to stay within the realm of rational decency, the people involved must follow the requirements of sound rational thinking enough to fit the occasion - even when conforming is inconvenient. Civil discourse is a non-totalitarian approach to mutual problem solving. It is a looser term than 'sound rational thinking' but presupposes enough commitment to sound reasoning to resolve the problem at hand in a cordial manner. Civil discourse can accommodate minor infractions and still be civil. Civil discourse is a moral interaction because it presupposes ethical standards that those involved should follow."
The Roots of Sound Rational Thinking

These people really scare me.