Calling The Kettle Black

Eager for a “gotcha” moment, ABC News “reporter” Brian Ross tried to link the Aurora, Colorado massacre suspect James Holmes with the Tea Party.

“There is a Jim Holmes of Aurora, Colorado, page on the Colorado Tea Party site...talking about him joining the Tea Party last year," Ross reported.

"Now we don't know if this is the same Jim Holmes, but it's Jim Holmes of Aurora, Colo."

The implication, of course, was that if the shooter was a Tea Party member, it confirms the contention of leftists that the group is by nature violent. (Racist too, but the opportunity to prove that hasn’t yet presented itself).

It turned out that the shooter and the Tea Party member were two different people. (Here’s hoping that the Tea Party Holmes, who was besieged with hate e-mail, sues the stuffing out of Ross and ABC). The main criticism of Ross and ABC News, voiced even by conservatives, was that Ross went ahead with his Holmes-Tea Party connection before fact-checking his information. While a valid point, this misses the larger one - that the shooter’s political affiliation is irrelevant, especially since he (apparently) didn’t commit the crime for political reasons. What does it matter if the shooter was a Tea Partier? If he was a Democrat, (as he might well be) would that vilify all Democrats?

Now we have Floyd Lee Corkins, a gay activist, who allegedly shot a security guard at the conservative Family Research Council, (FRC) an organization which is supportive of traditional marriage. Corkins chose his target explicitly for political reasons.

I’m going to go way out on a limb and speculate that Corkins is a left wing partisan Democrat who voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and planned to do so in 2012. Does this mean that all gay activists/Democrats/Obama voters are homicidal maniacs?

Violence has long been a characteristic of the left. Within living memory we’ve had large scale acts of destruction - the Vietnam protests in the 60s, the 1999 WTO protests in Seattle, the “Occupy movement” today. Some revel in this tradition. President Obama's buddy and associate Bill Ayres reflected on his past Weather Underground activity in a 2001 interview with the NY Times. The Times quoted him saying, "I don't regret setting bombs" and "I feel we didn't do enough". In contrast, conservative political movements are rarely violent. Tea Party demonstrations are reliably peaceful. Violence and destruction are inconsistent with its belief in individual liberty, equal treatment under the law and respect for public and private property. (With regard to the latter - need trash pickup? Just hold a Tea Party demonstration. Want to provide taxpayer supported work for sanitation crews? Celebrate the Obama inauguration on the D.C. Mall). The Occupy “movement” is synonymous with rioting, rape and vandalism. Riots in Oakland cost the cash strapped city millions of dollars. Pardon my Schadenfreude, but I hope Oakland residents are pleased with their choice for Mayor, OWS supporter Jean Quan.

Contrary to the media narrative, hate filled invective is far, far more prevalent on the left than the right. Sarah Palin is a c--- according to Bill Maher (and numerous other self-proclaimed feminists). “I don’t want to satirize George W. Bush but to ‘vaporize' him". (Comedian Tom Lehrer). Demon-du-jour Paul Ryan is a “zombie-eyed granny-starver,” and a “murderer of opportunity.” (Esquire’s Charles Pierce). Republicans? “They’re gonna put y’all back in chains.” says our illustrious Vice-President speaking to a predominately black audience. The FRC? It rates a "hate group" listing from the Southern Poverty Law Center.

That is the language of incitement.