Posted on 01/09/2011 11:42:35 AM PST by Second Amendment First
Language has an effect. Violent political encounters have an effect. The link of the use of guns with patriotism and morality has an effect. Expressions like "targeting" and "in the crosshairs" evokes images of shooting to kill. The murder of a liberal leader in Pakistan seemed far away. Now it's here days later. Given all the death threats, it was almost inevitable. Gabby Giffords was in the crosshairs.
Republicans will say it was just the work of some crazy. Hardly. Even crazies get their ideas from somewhere. Violent political encounters and the language of violence activate the idea of violence. Ideas are physically there in the brain. People act on what is in their brains.
Keith Olbermann is right. And it's not just Palin and Beck. The Republicans who benefited from violent political confrontations and cross-hair language, who did not speak out and use their influence forcefully against it, bear full responsibility. Whatever John Boehner now says, he bears responsibility.
The tea party leaders gave explicit instructions on how to angrily disrupt public political meetings. Tea party rallies not only displayed violent signs, but rally leaders did not discourage them, and hence tacitly approved them.
As conservatives like to say, you bear the responsibility for the consequences of your actions.
This was tea party murder.
We should not shrink from calling it that.
I'm sure leftists NEVER angrily disrupted meetings or carried violent signs. (Speaking of which, what "tea party" was this dude observing when he saw those "violent" signs?)
Lakoff is clearly proud of his coinage and wants it established as the common term. But even with all the advantages the lefties have in getting their memes out, it just stretches the facts too far, is too obviously opportunistic, and would be actively resisted and derided by too much of the population. It is just too crazy. The best Lakoff can hope for is that it would take hold in the lefty fever swamps the way "Teabagger" has, but he's dreaming if he thinks it will be able to show its face in public.
Oh, and you forgot the “Barf Alert.”
In all fairness, the response to this should be to call this event “The mentally ill liberal murders”. This works in several ways.
The first is, that the shooter is apparently mentally ill. But liberals are often hypersensitive about mental illness, because many of them suffer from profound neurosis, anxiety, depression, and paranoia, and they are very aware of the fact.
And liberals truly do not want this pointed out, either for them personally, or for liberals as a group. And likewise, though liberals are *more* prone to political and rage violence, they pretend otherwise, that theirs is a path to peace. But the facts show otherwise.
So the label, “The Mentally Ill Liberal Murders” works in several ways.
As such, conservatives should do much to promulgate this label.
So is that lying putata senator who “knew”, without any facts or information that the shooter was a “right winger”.
She is a Berkley Factory Dipoma mill traitor...Not to mention a “community organizer” a NOW baby butcher, and a “reconquista” organization member.
She needs to be sent back to her street corner...Though who would pay for *that*?
Why Yes - and they will not shrink from saying so.
He likes being sick. He enjoys his sickness.
That guy sounds like he’s all kinds of crazy.
There are all kinds of threats on liberal sites like Kos. But you can be sure they don’t report them because the threats are against conservatives. God, I hope there’s a post by this nut somewhere threatening Giffords. But, if there is I doubt it will be reported.
You are 100% right. I grew up with a paraniod schizophrenic. This guy was definately one. To make him out to be anything else is irresponsible.
Funny you should say that. It reminded me of this recent event at UC Berkeley....
YouTube video: UC Berkeley students protest tuition hikes
And, for comparison's sake, here's a typical Tea Party outburst...
If I remember correctly republican politicians had to leave the Wellstone “memorial” because of all the threats being yelled at them. Why can’t we have one talking head politician who will get on T.V. and point these things out.
Knock yourself out, George...
George P. Lakoff is an American cognitive linguist and professor of linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1972.
Leftist ideology and mental illness seem to seek each other out.
Yes indeed. I guess we should add a new term to the discourse of the left. To join the term "useful idiot." That term would be "useful whackjob" or "useful headcase" or "useful psychopath."
This is hilarious! I can’t tell if this guy is drunk or just having a bad hangover.
Loughren’s high school friend claims he was a leftie back in high school in 2006. Seems to me that preceded Sarah Palin’s rise to the national stage.
It is very interesting to see just how far the Left can push and push and push before the Right pushes back. I think it is time for every talking head on the Right to 'ambush' the pundits and anchors on the MSM and tell them exactly how many beans make five. I am truly sick of the wimpy Right letting lie after lie, misrepresentations and Lefty Talking Points pass by them with nary a comment. /rant off
The AZ Tea Party should hold a rally in front of Giffords’ office with signs that say “We’re sorry a leftist shot you but we’re still against obamacare.”
Great post! BTTT
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