And not less government control, but increased intrusion in people’s lives. It’s never been about freedom, but it has been about religious beliefs and mores wound up with greed, hate, racism, and xenophobia coupled with the willingness to impose those twisted ideas on strangers. There lies the true domain of the teabaggers.

At the rhetoric is getting more and more violent.

One sign, David? One person?

I took a quick look at the PROFESSIONALLY PRINTED signs at the tea parties since September. This is a small sampling of what’s easy to find all over the net. I’m using words, not photos, because I think we have become accustomed to the violence in the photos, and we just don’t get it anymore:

(printed professionally, in DC): Obama in docs whites, with Joker face, reading: Got Good health Care? Let me cure that for you.
At the bottom, a rifle, with the words: Come and take it.

(printed professionally, in Madison WI): Obama’s plan: White Slavery.

(printed on a large-scale computer printer, Chicago): The American Taxpayers are Jews for Obama’s Ovens

(professionally printed, Chicago): Photoshopped pic of Obama in Hitler uniform, with mustauche, reading : Barrack Hussein Obama – The Face of the New Hitler.

(professionally printed, full color, Tampa): Drawn, color illustration of Obama coming up behind Uncle Sam, with a knife, holding the knife to Uncle Sams throat.

“Comment by Republican David on 8 November 2009 at 11:15 pm:

Now that was a waste of a comdemnation, there were thousands of signs and tens of thousands of people. Liberals don’t understand individual responsibilites or rights…”

WHO DOESN’T UNDERSTAND INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITES (sic)?

You wanna save babies, David? Stop hanging around and encouraging such violent people. Then talk to me about life.

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
— Wendell Berry

David’s (one of the mob leaders) comment is typical. In one mini rant he puts forth the lone wolf argument, and the free speech argument (I might point out, no one here called for the sign carriers imprisonment, silencing, etc. We only called them out, which is our free speech right as well)

And not only does he trivialize the image by calling it silly he actually, in typical mealy-mouthed fashion, justifies it – Why would someone try to avoid the issue addressed and waste energy on one person’s sign which was about trying to save lives from what that person believes is a governement action which would cause death and suffering?

And it’s that sort of typical statement that ties the GOP to that disgusting sign. So yeah, David, you guys own this crap – not because one idiot brought it to the rally, but because of your reactions after the incident.

This is the type of thing that happens with protest movements. They are hard to control. I remember the huffy condemnation of MoveOn when someone put a Bush/Hitler comparison in an open web commercial contest. Now Republicans are commonly comparing Obama to Hitler and health care to concentration camps. Sorry guys, you own this now.

Now we’re being asked to believe that this same party machine has no control over what is said, done, or distributed by its party. No control over the LoudMouth Party Leader Limbaugh’s Nazi rants. No control over Congressmen (R) who use Nazi examples in their speeches. No control over Michelle Bachmann, who has called for an investigation of the “socialists” among elected congresspeople. No control over the (several) county Republican leaders who have electronically distributed racist messages about the president. Etc.

It is, truly, the Party of No.

Gosh. Why wouldn’t people believe you’re going to pitch in via charity etc. for the needy, after you finish gutting the government safety net? @@

I understand that others believe the Pelosi plan would save lives and lower suffering. That is the debate which should happen not some silly discussion over a sign that almost no one saw until some agenda oriented person tried to make something completely unrepresentative, the face of a rally and then you folks even distort the message of that sign.

That is why independents are flocking to the Republicans. People have very real concerns and some even real fears and you do worse than dismiss them. You insult everyone who expresses reservations.

As I often say, freedom of speech is to guard speech that you do not want to hear. I wish that person had caught a cold and stayed home, but everyone has a right to speak. Do you suggest what? That organizers should set up check points and censor signs? Then they would be responsible for every sign. The natural way is to have freedom. The only responsible coverage is to sample the signs if you want to capture a mood. If you want to find sensationalism of a person who wants attention, the only responsible way to cover it is to recognize individual responsible as solely responsible.

“The jews need to clam up and accept the fact that they are in a Chritian (sic) country.”

The big tent GOP.