Not true. The Tea Partiers are as non-violent as it comes, but the left is trying to drum up fear against them.
"OMG! They're out of control! We MUST do something to stop these people. We need another law that would prevent these people from speaking out with such rage. This is a crises! They're putting the American people in danger."
Imagine if one, just one, tea partier did something really stupid. The left would use that one person to beat every freedom loving American into submission. Heck, just look at what they did to Joe the plummer. No one dared ask Oboma a hard question after that.
They are doing it anyway. Again, why worry about it? We KNOW what we are doing is Right. Why let the Enemies opinion of us deter us from action?
You mistake “political theater” for actual concern. The left never complains about moslems precisely because the threat is real.
At this point, they lash out at tea partiers precisely because they entertain no real fear of retribution for their barbs.