Progressive Democrat Issue 82: THE REPUBLICAN CULTURE OF INTOLERANCE

This covers some of the same ground as last issue. But again our values our society and, increasingly, our lives are on the line. The Delaware Pogrom in some ways makes everything that much more critical.

We often talk about the Republican Culture of Corruption, the excessive cronyism that exists between current Halliburton Republicans and the military-industrial complex. In today’s Republican party, there is the ultimate fulfillment of what President Eisenhower warned the nation against. But bad though the widespread Republican Culture of Corruption is, there is an even worse side to the modern right wing: the Culture of Intolerance and Violence.

One of the worst examples of this was the Delaware Pogrom.

Hate Crimes have been on the rise in America since 9/11, and, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, hate groups in America have increased by 33% in the past five years. A peak in attacks on Muslims after 9/11 was rapidly followed by an increase in anti-Semitism in the US and worldwide. There was a slight decline in anti-Semetic incidents in 2005, but incidents are still at disturbingly high levels.

Back in February I reported an incident that, while not a hate crime, was certainly a frightening trend. In Indiana, a prominent politician told a group of Jews that their opinion on the recitation of Christian prayers at legislative sessions didn't matter because they only made up 2% of the population. This is a further sign of the rise of Republican, Christian Taliban in the US.

But now it is pogroms. I use that word carefully. In Delaware, two families, one Jewish the other as yet anonymous, were forced to flee the town due to threatened violence by right wing Christian fanatics who were pushing Christian prayer in school.

We should not be surprised at the Delaware Pogrom, because it is nothing more or less than what right wing “pundits” advocate frequently on mainstream media outlets. These right wing hate mongers are the darlings of the Republican propaganda machine and have the ear and admiration of most elected Republicans. Yet it is their rhetoric that stirs up incidents like the Delaware Pogrom.

There are many right wing extremist windbags who haunt the airwaves of the mainstream media. But two in particular actually advocate violence and intolerance to a degree that is unacceptable. And I think we have to face the fact that in America today, their irresponsible advocacy of terrorism against Americans is inspiring actual violence and threats of violence.

It is now time to hold these two windbags accountable for their advocacy of terrorism against Americans.

Ann Coulter is possibly the nastiest the Conservative propagandists. As I plugged last week, Media Matters has a good round up of Ann Coulter’s stupid and un-American statements.

Included are suggesting Timothy McVeigh should bomb the NY Times building, suggesting people attack liberals with baseball bats, and suggesting that someone poison a Supreme Court Justice. She has expressed outright hatred for the 9/11 widows and has advocated the murder of Congressman Murtha. In one case, it is quite possible that someone took her advocacy of violence seriously. Soon after Coulter advocated "talking to liberals with a baseball bat" someone in Kansas physically attacked a professor who had spoken out against Christian fundamentalists. There is no clear link between her advocacy of violence and this incident, but the latter followed closely after the former and it is an action in line with what she advocates to her audience.

The threats of violence in Delaware are also right in line with what Ann Coulter routinely advocates. Ann Coulter is telling her listeners to use violence and to be intolerant and increasingly right wing extremists in America are using violence and intolerance as a weapon against Americans and American values.

Bill O'Reilly also advocates intolerance and terrorism. He advocated bombing Coit Tower in San Francisco. He also told a Jewish caller to "go to Israel" if he felt uncomfortable with government displays of Christianity. His advocacy of America as a Christian nation and his telling Jews to get out if they don't like it are exactly the kind of inspiration that drives the right wing extremists behind the Delaware pogrom.

Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly are in part responsible for this increase in violence and intolerance in America and we need to hold them accountable. The Delaware Pogrom was the natural consequence of their rhetoric.

To many current Republican politicians, corruption, hatred, intolerance and threats of violence are acceptable parts of American Culture. Right wing extremists advocate terrorism on talk shows in the mainstream media even as those same extremists schmooze with Republican politicians and advocate for the Republican far righta agenda.

I am not saying traditional conservative ideology is detestable. I am a liberal, but I have respect for old style conservative ideology where fiscal responsibility and law and order are paramount. But the modern Republican party, led by Bush, Cheney, Rove, DeLay and their corrupt compatriots, have abandoned traditional conservative ideology in favor of corruption, greed and intolerance. The Republican party has become something Eisenhower would have detested and, quite honestly, all Americans should detest. In fact, I have a couple of Republican friends who have come to hate the current Republican Party.

It is time to hold the right wing hate mongers and the Republican Party responsible for the consequences of their actions. The Delaware Pogrom was a direct result of the modern Republican Culture of Intolerance. Right wing talk show hosts advocate exactly this kind of pogrom against anyone who is different in America, anyone who doesn’t conform to the extremist ideology of the modern Halliburton Republicans.

Republican politicians are close with Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly, despite their advocacy of violence and terrorism. So the question is, does the Republican party support the kind of terrorist actions that Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly advocate and which people in Kansas and Delaware have carried out. Essentially, does the Republican party support terrorist attacks on Americans, from regular citizens like you and me all the way up to Supreme Court Justices and Congressmen.

Write them and ask them. Hold the Republican Party accountable for terrorist advocacy by right wing windbags who they schmooze with. It is time to ask the question of Republican politicians if they agree with Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly’s advocating bombing American buildings, poisoning Supreme Court Justices and attacking Americans with baseball bats. Call on the Republican Party to REJECT Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly’s advocacy of violence and to demand that the mainstream media stops paying terrorist advocates. Tell them that Coulter and O'Reilly's rhetoric is the exact kind of rhetoric that will inspire more pogroms like the one in Delaware.

New Democratic Majority has initiated this campaign to hold the Republican Party accountable. You can see what they have to say here (scroll down)

If you are represented by a Republican on ANY level of government, go here, and look on the left column to contact your state, local and Federal politicians and contact them to demand they call for a stop to Ann Coulter’s advocacy of terrorism.

And in particular, hold Delaware’s Republican Congressman responsible. Contact this man regarding the Delaware Pogrom: Representative Michael Castle (R-DE At-Large).

And by all means write to the media calling for Republicans to renounce Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly’s terrorist advocacy campaign and directly link it to the Delaware pogrom.

I should note, since Republicans have started to be confronted with Coulter's advocacy of violence, they have started quietly distancing themselves from her. A fundraiser for a Colorado politician that featured Ann Coulter raised a grand total of...nothing! I think we really need to continue this campaign because I think Republicans are finall statring to realize that Coulter and O'Reilly are not people they are comfortable with. Let us make them even more uncomfortable with intolerance and violence advocacy.