Avalanche Of Violence
By Mitch Berg
The “avalanche of violence” – Steny Hoyer’s “estimated” ten Democrat house representatives who’ve gotten off-color/picqued messages from constituents – has come home to roost. Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL-MN4) reports getting a shredded flag and a condom in the mail, as well as…
…well, I’m sure there was some violence amid that avalanche.
But I thought – what’s the larger context, here? Having worked in talk radio, including a stretch as a call screener, I know that threats and ugliness are just part of being in the public eye; some people, regardless of their politics or target, just don’t handle diversity well.
So I asked Rep. Michele Bachmann’s office “what kind of things to you get from people during an ordinary stretch of sessions?” It may have been an unfair question; Rep. Bachmann is like a red cape in front of insane bulls.
But the office duly obliged.
From email:
Date: Wed, Nov 5, 2008 at 3:20 AM
Subject: I want to share my opinion with you.You are, in my opinion. one ugly fucking human being. I’m so glad I don’t live in Minnesota. In Fargo, the Coen brothers did a great job of depicting your state as populated by dimwits, and now it’s even easier to believe that that is reality. I’m glad we’re finally closing the door on the amazing stupidity of the Bush assministration, and I will be nearly as happy when you are no longer holding any significant political office, you asshole.
Wow. If it’d been aimed at a Democrat, I’m sure brows would be getting plenty furrowed!
Comments from Michele Bachmann’s YouTube channel:
phish1085 has made a comment on The Bill Must Be Repealed!:
you dont know what the fuck your talkin about bitch
jim2hal has made a comment on Bachmann Reacts to the Health Care Vote.wmv:
If Micheal pulled her hair back I’m sure that you would see her horns and turn heraround and bet there is a tail there…. so hateful
plzwakeup has made a comment on The President’s Health Care Advisers:
Hope you fucking die. SOON!!
HateRepublicans has posted a comment on your profile:
you are an evil person, you are the devil, you are a person without a moral conscience
I really hope you die, you took part in destroying this once great country
you are one of the most corrupt politicians out there
Would these have made the news – and caused furrowed brows – if they were aimed at Democrats?
Oh, well. It’s not like anyone’s shooting at Congresspeoples’ offices or anything.
March 30th, 2010 at 8:57 am
They remind me of my aunt’s husband. After attempting to engage his DFL orthodoxy he called me an asshole and told never to talk to him again.
The tolerant left.
March 30th, 2010 at 9:46 am
I got punched a pro-palestine protester last week. He said I was the real hater, granted I was being kinda a dick but still.
March 30th, 2010 at 10:30 am
He punched you? You’re kinda like Mitch size but not old and decrepit, right Ben?
Did you strike back physically or legally or verbally?
March 30th, 2010 at 10:38 am
Based on actual, historical fact, antigovernmnet/antipolitican viloence in this country is largely the province of the left. Let’s hope Bachman and Palin have competent security people.
March 30th, 2010 at 11:43 am
physically K-Rod, he was a long-haired hippy and I actually managed to yank out some of his hair.
March 30th, 2010 at 11:44 am
I landed a punch too but I had my backpack on and it weighed me down a lot so I figured grabbing his hair would prevent him from assaulting me again.
March 30th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
At least the bullet was randomly fired, and no one was targeting Rep. Cantor. People should not be attacking our elected officials.
March 30th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Effing “pacifists”.
March 30th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Stooj, I can’t think of any public officials who have been attacked lately.
March 30th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
Ben Says: “physically K-Rod, he was a long-haired hippy and I actually managed to yank out some of his hair.”
Ben, It’s probably good that you didn’t go for his balls, likely he didn’t have any. HIPPIES SMELL!
March 30th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Terry, why do you support the targeting of elected officials with violence??? Why do you hate the country???
😉
March 30th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
Terry, stool has access to police video that may not have been made public….look for legislators with taser burns on their necks.
March 31st, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Wow, you guys miss points easily when you want to.
March 31st, 2010 at 3:09 pm
“no one was targeting Rep. Cantor.”
Wrong again, stooj, a person was arrested this week.
March 31st, 2010 at 3:26 pm
There is some confusion here.
While “the authorities” determined the shooting was random, an arrest was made re a putatively-unrelated series of threats.
http://thegossmagazine.com/man-arrested-for-threatening-cantor/
March 31st, 2010 at 3:39 pm
A Tale of Two Protests.
http://pajamasmedia.com/zombie/2010/03/29/searchlight-vs-l-a-rival-rallies-reveal-stark-rightleft-divide/
Why on the MSM does the focus always fall upon the one or two nuts on the Tea Party side?
Why does the MSM always miss the unavoidable nuts on the left?
Stooj, the Police believe that the bullet that hit Cantor’s office was random. I don’t know why they believe that. I would like to see how they came to that conclusion. However, Cantor received at least one real and actionable threat which referenced that bullet.
March 31st, 2010 at 5:37 pm
jpmn – it was obviously random; it didn’t have Cantor’s name on it.
April 1st, 2010 at 2:20 pm
They determined the bullet was random because it entered at low velocity on a downward trajectory, which means it was most likely a bullet fired in the air that came down coincidentally in the window.
I’d like to know if the threat came before or after the bullet. Either way, I’m glad they got the guy. Threats like these are cowardly.
April 1st, 2010 at 2:38 pm
which means it was most likely a bullet fired in the air that came down coincidentally in the window.
Or that it was fired by a former/current mortarman who can’t get his arms around direct fire, and nonetheless scored a perfect direct hit.
Although in the interest of fairness, I don’t blame the police for ruling that scenario out.
Just saying.