Two weeks ago I wrote a commentary addressing hate speech and the attempted murder of U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise. The content gave several examples of the undeniably and perilously provocative words and fear-mongering from celebrities and politicians who are in overdrive since Trump’s inauguration. The words and actions can, perhaps arguably, be threaded directly to Scalise’s attempted murder.
In response to the Scalise shooting, there was a lot of hand-wringing, terror, disgust and chatter about “let’s be sure this doesn’t happen again … the parties have to have more discussion, more respect for each other,” etc.
This happening echoed the shooting of former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords in 2011.
The shootings were alike in that the goal was to kill, but they differed as to incitement and motive.
Giffords’ shooter, Jared Loughner, was a drug and alcohol abuser who had been kicked out of school and later diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. Reportedly, he personally disliked Giffords and had special contempt against women holding power.
Scalise’s would-be murderer, James Hodgkinson, had his own history of punching a woman in the face, but he was running free. He professed hating “the rich,” and his motive was unambiguously to kill Republicans. A Virginia baseball field complete with Republicans practicing for an annual game on June 14 was easy pickings.
Democrats tried to push Giffords’ shooting specifically onto former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, but the falsity was debunked. Today Sarah Palin is suing The New York Times, which had the impudence and bad judgment recently to publish an editorial linking Palin to the Giffords’ shooting.
Considering the two events, decent people would think there’d be a halt with a reflective moment. Nope — didn’t happen for some, and that “some” is too many.
Dangerously aggressive words came mostly in May with the disclosure of the House of Representatives’ first healthcare bill draft.
It was hysterical verbal chaos about millions of people dying if Obamacare was not maintained. The idioms continue now with the Senate version of the bill, and we’re back to the main point: hate speech and its consequences.
Attempted murders be damned, the left’s hatred and hysteria remain.
Johnny Depp, at best a totally disheveled physical and mental being who masters slurred-nonsensical words into microphones, recently uttered: “I’m not insinuating anything – by the way, this will be in the press, and it will be horrible – but when was the last time an actor assassinated a president?” And: “I want to clarify, I am not an actor. I lie for a living. However, it has been a while, and maybe it is time.”
Depp is past bizarre. He’s a well-paid film actor but says he’s not and actor while admitting he lies for a living.
Depp’s idiocy aside, there are people who listen to him, and in this climate, shooting the president of the United States is never a joke.
Next up is a (now former) Nebraska Democratic Party official named Phil Montag.
Montag attended a meeting with Nebraska’s Democratic Black Caucus to support Chairwoman Chelsey Gentry-Tipton, who was getting heat for her online post: “Watching the congressman crying on live TV abt the trauma they experienced. Y is this so funny tho?” Then: “The very people that push pro-NRA legislation in efforts to pad their pockets with complete disregard for human life. Yeah, having a hard time feeling bad for them.”
At the meeting, Montag expressed his hate for Scalise because it was Scalise’s job to “convince Republicans to (expletive) kick people off (expletive) health care.”
He continued: “I’m glad he got shot. I’m not going to (expletive) say that in public. … I wish he was (expletive) dead.”
The conversation was taped by Gentry-Tipton’s friend, Destin Madison. Montag retreated when told the tape would go public.
To the Omaha World-Herald he claimed to be “horrified” by the shooting and all gun violence. He “absolutely” didn’t wish for Scalise’s death: “I did not call for the congressman’s death,” claiming his words were taken out of context.
Conservative Ted Nugent is not to be excused for his vile, Secret Service investigation-worthy comments about Barack Obama and guns in 2007. He said (2012): “We need to ride into that battlefield and chop their heads off in November,” referencing the upcoming election.
After Scalise’s event, Nugent accepted responsibility for his inflammatory language, said he has stopped it and urged friends, enemies and the left to do the same.
He needs to be held to his words, as do others. We can hope the left will quell their dangerous language, as well.
Betty Arenson is a Valencia resident who believes in the Constitution in its entirety and that laws should be upheld and apply to everyone equally.
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Your views support the same hate you condemn. The sad truth is that everyone in the country thinks exactly alike, some call themselves Republicans and some Democrats. Both sides are full of apathetic, narcissistic people that can’t see beyond their own experience. We are in trouble indeed….
Betty always fails to mention the biggest culprit derTrump himself. He bragged he could shoot someone in broad daylight and nothing would happen to him. He incited his supporters to beat up protesters who legally showed up at his pre-election rallies. He voiced support and offered financial assistance to those arrested for assaulting those protesting himv (of course never followed up on). His distorted sense of power and oversized ego prompted him to claim he would side step diplomacy and simply “bomb the hell out of people, including non-combatants (I.e., men, women and children) caught in the cross hairs of civil warfare/insurgency. He is on record stating he would like to “punch him in the face” when referring to yet another person legally protesting at his rally. The point is, he continues to provoke, promote and incite violence by playing to his base. THIS IS NOT NORMAL. Why don’t YOU write about that, why don’t you call his unacceptable and unstable behavior out? The man is an embarrassment and unfit for office. Your SILENCE is tacit approval, you must be so proud.
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Santa Clarita regularly tops lists as one of the safest cities in the country. This reputation is well-earned thanks to the hardworking men and women of our Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station and the vigilance of our residents.
As I look back on 2022 and reflect on the progress we have made in our community, I could not be prouder. Last year we cut the ribbon on the city’s 36th park, Vista Canyon, which offers residents pickleball courts, a new playground and the historic Mitchell River House.
Anyone who has lived in another city will tell you that the events we put on in Santa Clarita are second to none. As we look ahead to the warm weather and sunshine afforded by the arrival of spring, now is a wonderful time to add some of the marquee city of Santa Clarita events to your 2023 calendar.
After a three-year hiatus, the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society will commemorate the 95th anniversary of the second-worst disaster in California history by bringing back its renowned St. Francis Dam lecture and bus tour/hike at the dam site in San Francisquito Canyon on Saturday, March 11, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Ethan Igbanugo's basket with 34 seconds remaining would prove to be the game winner as CSUN Men's Basketball knocked off first-place UC Santa Barbara 72-67 on Saturday at Premier America Credit Union Arena.
The College of the Canyons football program is hosting its first Super Bowl Saturday Football Camp for youth players on Saturday, Feb. 11, at Cougar Stadium.
College of the Canyons student-athletes Allyson Melgar (softball) and Ryan Camacho (baseball) have been named the COC Athletic Department's Women's & Men's Student-Athletes of the Week for the period running Jan. 30 to Feb. 4.
Blue Star Ranch, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting post-combat veterans with post traumatic stress disorder, is looking for another therapy team to join its ranks.
California Credit Union invites all Santa Clarita Valley teachers who have a dream class project idea to apply for a credit union grant through its bi-annual Teacher Grant program.
The city of Santa Clarita’s Film Office released the 12 productions currently filming in the Santa Clarita Valley for the week of Monday, Feb. 6 – Sunday, Feb. 12.
The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees will hold a business meeting Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 5 p.m., in the University Center, Room 301 on the Valencia campus of College of the Canyons.
The Los Angeles County health officer issued a Cold Weather Alert in the Santa Clarita Valley Monday through Tuesday due to the National Weather Service’s forecast for low temperatures.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Monday no additional deaths and 62 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley over the weekend, with 30 additional deaths and 2,201 new cases countywide.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 19 new deaths throughout L.A. County, 1,417 new cases countywide and 25 new cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Carousel Ranch, a place where children with special needs discover and experience some of their greatest achievements through equestrian therapy and vocational training programs will celebrate its 26th anniversary this year.
The city of Santa Clarita has announced that as part of the median modification work taking place at Orchard Village Road and Wiley Canyon Road, additional lane closures are required on Saturday, Feb. 4 for street grinding and paving.
The California Public Utilities Commission has voted to accelerate the timeframe in which residential energy customers will receive a Climate Credit on their bills in order to provide much needed support to customers experiencing unusually high natural gas bills this winter.
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3 Comments
Your views support the same hate you condemn. The sad truth is that everyone in the country thinks exactly alike, some call themselves Republicans and some Democrats. Both sides are full of apathetic, narcissistic people that can’t see beyond their own experience. We are in trouble indeed….
Betty always fails to mention the biggest culprit derTrump himself. He bragged he could shoot someone in broad daylight and nothing would happen to him. He incited his supporters to beat up protesters who legally showed up at his pre-election rallies. He voiced support and offered financial assistance to those arrested for assaulting those protesting himv (of course never followed up on). His distorted sense of power and oversized ego prompted him to claim he would side step diplomacy and simply “bomb the hell out of people, including non-combatants (I.e., men, women and children) caught in the cross hairs of civil warfare/insurgency. He is on record stating he would like to “punch him in the face” when referring to yet another person legally protesting at his rally. The point is, he continues to provoke, promote and incite violence by playing to his base. THIS IS NOT NORMAL. Why don’t YOU write about that, why don’t you call his unacceptable and unstable behavior out? The man is an embarrassment and unfit for office. Your SILENCE is tacit approval, you must be so proud.
Damn those pesky amendments!
The first will get you in trouble.
The second will get you dead-
left, right and in between.