If it had been a Muslim person who had shot an officer and two other people dead at a Planned Parenthood clinic, and injured nine others, it would be wall-to-wall coverage not only on the cable news networks today but on the broadcast TV networks. We would be calling it what it is: terrorism.
Instead, it is only being covered on cable and even then, just as one of many news stories today. THIS WAS AN ACT OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM! Against a health care provider! AND, making it even more awful and news-coverage-worthy, is the fact that this was directly incited by Republican presidential candidates and by Republican congressional leaders--they have been engaged in systematically attacking, spreading misinformation about, and inciting violence against, Planned Parenthood for months and months and months. THIS IS THE RESULT!
Why is the whole country not outraged today?
#IstandwithPlannedParenthood
Showing posts with label witch hunt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label witch hunt. Show all posts
Saturday, November 28, 2015
The Planned Parenthood Shooting, Post 4: Words Have Consequences
AND *no one* in the media is making the connection between the violence-inciting, misinformation-spreading rhetoric of the Republican presidential candidates and congressional leaders against Planned Parenthood and this Planned Parenthood shooting, which is a DIRECT result of that!
#IstandwithPlannedParenthood
#IstandwithPlannedParenthood
The Planned Parenthood Shooting, Post 3: This was a Terrorist Act
This (the Planned Parenthood shooting) was a TERRORIST act that should be getting wall-to-wall coverage. WHY is the news media acting like everything is business as usual today?
I guess terrorism on women's health care providers doesn't count. Nevermind that an officer and two civilians are dead and nine injured. The media is covering this as just another news story. This is infuriating!
This is NOT just another news story. This is domestic terrorism. More than that, this is domestic terrorism that was directly incited by Republican candidates for president of the United States and by Republican congressional leaders.
#IstandwithPlannedParenthood
I guess terrorism on women's health care providers doesn't count. Nevermind that an officer and two civilians are dead and nine injured. The media is covering this as just another news story. This is infuriating!
This is NOT just another news story. This is domestic terrorism. More than that, this is domestic terrorism that was directly incited by Republican candidates for president of the United States and by Republican congressional leaders.
#IstandwithPlannedParenthood
The Planned Parenthood Shooting, Post 2: The Media
CNN is just giving this (the Planned Parenthood mass shooting) cursory coverage. Nothing like the wall-to-wall coverage for MONTHS they gave to Ferguson. I guess they don't care when a GOOD officer is shot to death in the line of duty by a gunman incited by people serving in Congress and by candidates running for president of the United States, or that two other people are dead, and four officers and five people injured. Nope. If it's just the War on Women, why cover it? It won't generate RATINGS.
Also, if it shows police in a good light, why cover it, either, as that would take away from the violence that they (CNN) themselves seem to me to always be trying to incite in the streets of America against police, so that they then can go out and cover the violence and protesters that THEY themselves whipped up, and get RATINGS. To that end, they are back to their wall-to-wall coverage of the cop who was charged with first-degree murder in Chicago, and that constant coverage is contributing to protesters in the street, even though that bad cop has already been rightly charged with 1st degree murder, so what is there to be covering right now or be out in the streets about--WHY NOT COVER THE PLANNED PARENTHOOD SHOOTING?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why not be out in the streets about congressional leaders and presidential candidates inciting violence against a health care provider?
I'm not happy today.
#IstandwithPlannedParenthood
Also, if it shows police in a good light, why cover it, either, as that would take away from the violence that they (CNN) themselves seem to me to always be trying to incite in the streets of America against police, so that they then can go out and cover the violence and protesters that THEY themselves whipped up, and get RATINGS. To that end, they are back to their wall-to-wall coverage of the cop who was charged with first-degree murder in Chicago, and that constant coverage is contributing to protesters in the street, even though that bad cop has already been rightly charged with 1st degree murder, so what is there to be covering right now or be out in the streets about--WHY NOT COVER THE PLANNED PARENTHOOD SHOOTING?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why not be out in the streets about congressional leaders and presidential candidates inciting violence against a health care provider?
I'm not happy today.
#IstandwithPlannedParenthood
The Planned Parenthood Shooting, Post 1: Witch Hunt Mentality--The Results
Two days ago, I wrote about what I term "The Witch Hunt Mentality". Now, just two days later, we have a tragic example of the results that I was warning, predicting, looking back at the history of witch hunts and seeing, could, would and always do result from that witch hunt mentality.
I hope all the Republican "leaders" who have been "leading" the witch hunt on Planned Parenthood are happy with the results: they have successfully and directly incited violence against Planned Parenthood clinics, and now a police officer is dead, children are left without their father, and a spouse is left without her husband. Two other people are also dead and their loved ones are grieving. Four other police officers and five civilians were injured, too.
Are you happy now, those who have led this witch hunt? Or are you going to go on spreading misinformation and inciting violence?
#IstandwithPlannedParenthood
I hope all the Republican "leaders" who have been "leading" the witch hunt on Planned Parenthood are happy with the results: they have successfully and directly incited violence against Planned Parenthood clinics, and now a police officer is dead, children are left without their father, and a spouse is left without her husband. Two other people are also dead and their loved ones are grieving. Four other police officers and five civilians were injured, too.
Are you happy now, those who have led this witch hunt? Or are you going to go on spreading misinformation and inciting violence?
#IstandwithPlannedParenthood
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Resist the Witch Hunt Mentality
Hi, friends:
I know it is Thanksgiving and we are all expected to post things about gratitude and turkey and stuff. And don't get me wrong, this is my favorite holiday--I'm all about such posts. But I suddenly feel the need to post about something serious and disturbing today. There is a mood of fear, hate and other ingredients in our society and the world today that leads to something I call the witch hunt mentality. That is when we place all our fear and hate onto certain groups and target them. It doesn't matter if the group is Planned Parenthood (women--make no mistake, that's the target there), Syrian refugees or Muslims in general: once the witch hunt mentality kicks in to a culture, a lot of bad, violent, not to mention illegal things are carried out and the people doing the carrying think it is all justified because they see the targeted group as dangerous, evil, bad, other/alien/foreign, and/or subhuman.
We turned our backs on Jewish refugees in WWII, fleeing for their lives. Now we are doing the same thing to Syrian refugees. There are so-called leaders trying to ban even the ones who do get vetted and allowed into our country from going to their states. There are so-called leaders who want to start databases of all Muslims in this country, including American citizens.
I want to link a powerful video here in which George Takei, an American citizen, born here, whose parents were also born here, talks about how he and his family were shipped to an internment camp when he was a small child (five years old--and he was there for three years, until the age of eight). This was a prison camp. There were several of these across the United States. Why was he sent there? Why were American citizens who had done nothing wrong sent there? Because they were of Japanese ancestry and we were scared to death of "Japs" after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
America had never been attacked on her own soil before. Of course American citizens were traumatized and scared, and of course the government wanted and needed to spring into action and protect us. But the fear led to an irrational witch hunt mentality, targeting anyone and everyone who LOOKED "Japanese". We didn't send any Americans of European ancestry to camps, even though we were also at war with Germany. So there was definitely racism and targeting those who look "alien" to the majority involved.
Anyway, I see many frightening similarities between the mood in the country (and world) today, and the tenor and substance of the fear-mongering going on, on the Republican campaign trail, for one, and coming out of many governors' (also Republican, I must say) offices re they won't allow refugees into their states. I see Planned Parenthood being irrationally targeted and violence against it repeatedly being incited by presidential candidates, no less, and people in congress.
Folks, we truly must learn from history or else I very much fear we are condemned to repeat it. So in this time of fear and terrorism in the world, of xenophobia and instability, let us resist falling into a "witch hunt mentality" in which we dehumanize any group and put our fears and hate onto them. It leads to us, in America, ignoring our rule of law, our democracy, which is what makes us great. It also leads to violence and cruelty, which are the real enemies.
Watch this video:
http://io9.com/george-takei-describes-his-experience-in-a-japanese-int-1533358984
I know it is Thanksgiving and we are all expected to post things about gratitude and turkey and stuff. And don't get me wrong, this is my favorite holiday--I'm all about such posts. But I suddenly feel the need to post about something serious and disturbing today. There is a mood of fear, hate and other ingredients in our society and the world today that leads to something I call the witch hunt mentality. That is when we place all our fear and hate onto certain groups and target them. It doesn't matter if the group is Planned Parenthood (women--make no mistake, that's the target there), Syrian refugees or Muslims in general: once the witch hunt mentality kicks in to a culture, a lot of bad, violent, not to mention illegal things are carried out and the people doing the carrying think it is all justified because they see the targeted group as dangerous, evil, bad, other/alien/foreign, and/or subhuman.
We turned our backs on Jewish refugees in WWII, fleeing for their lives. Now we are doing the same thing to Syrian refugees. There are so-called leaders trying to ban even the ones who do get vetted and allowed into our country from going to their states. There are so-called leaders who want to start databases of all Muslims in this country, including American citizens.
I want to link a powerful video here in which George Takei, an American citizen, born here, whose parents were also born here, talks about how he and his family were shipped to an internment camp when he was a small child (five years old--and he was there for three years, until the age of eight). This was a prison camp. There were several of these across the United States. Why was he sent there? Why were American citizens who had done nothing wrong sent there? Because they were of Japanese ancestry and we were scared to death of "Japs" after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
America had never been attacked on her own soil before. Of course American citizens were traumatized and scared, and of course the government wanted and needed to spring into action and protect us. But the fear led to an irrational witch hunt mentality, targeting anyone and everyone who LOOKED "Japanese". We didn't send any Americans of European ancestry to camps, even though we were also at war with Germany. So there was definitely racism and targeting those who look "alien" to the majority involved.
Anyway, I see many frightening similarities between the mood in the country (and world) today, and the tenor and substance of the fear-mongering going on, on the Republican campaign trail, for one, and coming out of many governors' (also Republican, I must say) offices re they won't allow refugees into their states. I see Planned Parenthood being irrationally targeted and violence against it repeatedly being incited by presidential candidates, no less, and people in congress.
Folks, we truly must learn from history or else I very much fear we are condemned to repeat it. So in this time of fear and terrorism in the world, of xenophobia and instability, let us resist falling into a "witch hunt mentality" in which we dehumanize any group and put our fears and hate onto them. It leads to us, in America, ignoring our rule of law, our democracy, which is what makes us great. It also leads to violence and cruelty, which are the real enemies.
Watch this video:
http://io9.com/george-takei-describes-his-experience-in-a-japanese-int-1533358984
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Girl Scouts, Planned Parenthood and Women: Oh My!
An article I read today ("Bob Morris, Indiana Lawmaker, Calls Girl Scouts A 'Radicalized Organization'") in The Huffington Post really has me scared, especially taken in context of the anti-women rhetoric coming from the Republican presidential candidates, the recent attempt by the Susan G. Komen Foundation to bully Planned Parenthood, and recent attacks and boycotts against the Girl Scouts of America for their inclusive policy of welcoming all girls. I’m palpably frightened by the intense degree and omnipresence of hate, misogyny, and an "us and them" mentality that is in our societal ether. When I read some of the statements by Bob Morris in the above-linked article, they seem like a parody or satire of what the radical right believes, yet they are his real statements, and THAT is precisely what has me so scared: these people are serious and I believe we are entering into a modern day witch hunt, with similar elements to the Salem witch trials, McCarthyism and even Nazi propaganda. For example, it is very reminiscent of McCarthyesque accusations without substantiation when Morris states in his letter to his fellow lawmakers:
"The Girl Scouts of America and their worldwide partner, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), have entered into a close strategic affiliation with Planned Parenthood. You will not find evidence of this on the GSA/WAGGGS website—in fact, the websites of these two organizations explicitly deny funding Planned Parenthood.
Nonetheless, abundant evidence proves that the agenda of Planned Parenthood includes sexualizing young girls through the Girl Scouts, which is quickly becoming a tactical arm of Planned Parenthood."
Morris does not go on to cite even one example of the supposedly "abundant evidence" showing that the Girl Scouts has become a "tactical arm of Planned Parenthood". It is exactly like Senator Joe McCarthy standing up and saying "I have here in my hand..." evidence that so-and-so is a COMMUNIST! Yet no evidence was forthcoming. It was enough to hurl the accusation, as it is in any witch hunt.
The radical conservative, Christian fundamentalist contingent of the Republican Party has really gone off their anti-misogyny meds and they are now royally riled up to make all women barefoot and pregnant. Since the Girl Scouts empowers girls and Planned Parenthood empowers women, the radical right feels extremely threatened by both of these organizations, but what they are really doing is making them scapegoats, "witches", evil "others" who are threatening "our" way of life. What is really happening is that we are in a period of social and economic tumult and change, and times of change are scary for those in power, so they lash out, they accuse, they deflect and try to unite people via a false "us and them" dichotomy, so that people will turn against the witches and go at "them" with pitchforks, instead of turning against those in power like the richest 1% of individuals and corporations that these radical, right-wing Republicans represent. The patriarchy must be preserved--hunt down the witches! Today's witches are apparently the Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood, to name but two. Why them? As I said: these organizations represent empowering women. We can't have that. That is threatening to the power elite.
Apparently, the patriarchal power elite is about to crumble and lose all power unless they deny birth control to women, the right to marry to gay people, and ANY sort of TINY token social safety net to any of us. They also apparently intend to preserve their power by completely replacing “Big Government” with kindly corporations who will create jobs, trickle down their wealth to everyone, and basically take awesome care of all society’s citizens, sort of like how they did in every Dickens novel ever written and during the 8 years of George W. Bush's rule, in which he slashed their taxes and regulations and they created such a healthy, thriving, sustainable economy that it led to The Great Recession, including the collapse of Wall Street and the foreclosure crisis, among other wonderful trickle down effects.
The Great Recession is the logical conclusion of Reaganomics, of Reagan’s “Trickle Down” theory. And Reagan's protégés, like Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, want to BRING IT ALL BACK. That’s right, kiddies, they think that those were “the good old days”. We don’t want Big Government, they say. No, we want corporations to run WILD and free, as God intended, because they will take care of us. I don’t know how Republicans reach that conclusion when corporations are motivated by PROFIT and nothing else, but reach it they do. Do not even attempt to figure out their logic. You will go mad (trust me on that).
People, we need to wake up and smell the witch hunt. Do not let those who are attempting to whip up fear, hate and scapegoating fool you. This is class warfare, this is a war against women, war against children, war against gay people, and war against “hippies” who want to push a radical green “theology” onto God-fearing fossil fuel companies like BP and Halliburton. This is war against anyone and anything that would threaten the power of patriarchal corporate America. It is easier to rile people up against the designated "witches" du jour than it is to face the fact that society is in a profound period of upheaval and change and cannot go on, cannot sustain itself, on the unsustainable course we are on. Instead of facing what we need to change (for example, we need to move from a fossil fuel-based economy to a green one, and we need to go to single payer health care, and if we don't do both, we will not be economically sustainable, let alone environmentally stable or ethical), uniting against scapegoats via a witch hunt is a tried and true way to deflect attention from real problems. Therefore, I am scared.
When so-called leaders start making scapegoats out of, and organizing modern day witch hunts against, organizations like the Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood, it is time for a little healthy alarm to kick in. We need to speak out, organize, VOTE, and stop them from drowning out all dissent, diversity, empowerment of women, and tolerance in this country before it is too late. The fix is in with the Citizens United decision (fight it here: Petition Against Citizens United) allowing the 1% to control who is elected to office in this country. But we, the people, still do have some power, some voice, to fight that, and meanwhile to at least vote for the lesser of the various evils in any given election. We have to keep voting, even if we feel it is only to pick the least bad choice. We have to protest—in the streets and in the new social media (bless it—look how it made the Susan G. Komen Foundation do an about face on Planned Parenthood within 72 hours!). It seems daunting for little bitty human beings to go up against corporations with vast wealth and those who represent their interests, but we can do it! We have to try! As Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
The most important things we can do are to speak the truth to power, don't let those who would try to foment fear and hate by deflecting our attention from what's really happening towards scapegoats do so, and don't ever feel that we have no power so why bother trying, speaking, protesting, dissenting and voting? We need to keep doing all of those. It is especially important now to speak up when you notice a witch hunt, a mob mentality, against any individual, group or organization, such as the Girl Scouts or Planned Parenthood. Never turn away from a witch hunt in progress.
"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me
And there was no one left to speak for me."
- quote by Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemöller -
"The Girl Scouts of America and their worldwide partner, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), have entered into a close strategic affiliation with Planned Parenthood. You will not find evidence of this on the GSA/WAGGGS website—in fact, the websites of these two organizations explicitly deny funding Planned Parenthood.
Nonetheless, abundant evidence proves that the agenda of Planned Parenthood includes sexualizing young girls through the Girl Scouts, which is quickly becoming a tactical arm of Planned Parenthood."
Morris does not go on to cite even one example of the supposedly "abundant evidence" showing that the Girl Scouts has become a "tactical arm of Planned Parenthood". It is exactly like Senator Joe McCarthy standing up and saying "I have here in my hand..." evidence that so-and-so is a COMMUNIST! Yet no evidence was forthcoming. It was enough to hurl the accusation, as it is in any witch hunt.
The radical conservative, Christian fundamentalist contingent of the Republican Party has really gone off their anti-misogyny meds and they are now royally riled up to make all women barefoot and pregnant. Since the Girl Scouts empowers girls and Planned Parenthood empowers women, the radical right feels extremely threatened by both of these organizations, but what they are really doing is making them scapegoats, "witches", evil "others" who are threatening "our" way of life. What is really happening is that we are in a period of social and economic tumult and change, and times of change are scary for those in power, so they lash out, they accuse, they deflect and try to unite people via a false "us and them" dichotomy, so that people will turn against the witches and go at "them" with pitchforks, instead of turning against those in power like the richest 1% of individuals and corporations that these radical, right-wing Republicans represent. The patriarchy must be preserved--hunt down the witches! Today's witches are apparently the Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood, to name but two. Why them? As I said: these organizations represent empowering women. We can't have that. That is threatening to the power elite.
Apparently, the patriarchal power elite is about to crumble and lose all power unless they deny birth control to women, the right to marry to gay people, and ANY sort of TINY token social safety net to any of us. They also apparently intend to preserve their power by completely replacing “Big Government” with kindly corporations who will create jobs, trickle down their wealth to everyone, and basically take awesome care of all society’s citizens, sort of like how they did in every Dickens novel ever written and during the 8 years of George W. Bush's rule, in which he slashed their taxes and regulations and they created such a healthy, thriving, sustainable economy that it led to The Great Recession, including the collapse of Wall Street and the foreclosure crisis, among other wonderful trickle down effects.
The Great Recession is the logical conclusion of Reaganomics, of Reagan’s “Trickle Down” theory. And Reagan's protégés, like Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, want to BRING IT ALL BACK. That’s right, kiddies, they think that those were “the good old days”. We don’t want Big Government, they say. No, we want corporations to run WILD and free, as God intended, because they will take care of us. I don’t know how Republicans reach that conclusion when corporations are motivated by PROFIT and nothing else, but reach it they do. Do not even attempt to figure out their logic. You will go mad (trust me on that).
People, we need to wake up and smell the witch hunt. Do not let those who are attempting to whip up fear, hate and scapegoating fool you. This is class warfare, this is a war against women, war against children, war against gay people, and war against “hippies” who want to push a radical green “theology” onto God-fearing fossil fuel companies like BP and Halliburton. This is war against anyone and anything that would threaten the power of patriarchal corporate America. It is easier to rile people up against the designated "witches" du jour than it is to face the fact that society is in a profound period of upheaval and change and cannot go on, cannot sustain itself, on the unsustainable course we are on. Instead of facing what we need to change (for example, we need to move from a fossil fuel-based economy to a green one, and we need to go to single payer health care, and if we don't do both, we will not be economically sustainable, let alone environmentally stable or ethical), uniting against scapegoats via a witch hunt is a tried and true way to deflect attention from real problems. Therefore, I am scared.
When so-called leaders start making scapegoats out of, and organizing modern day witch hunts against, organizations like the Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood, it is time for a little healthy alarm to kick in. We need to speak out, organize, VOTE, and stop them from drowning out all dissent, diversity, empowerment of women, and tolerance in this country before it is too late. The fix is in with the Citizens United decision (fight it here: Petition Against Citizens United) allowing the 1% to control who is elected to office in this country. But we, the people, still do have some power, some voice, to fight that, and meanwhile to at least vote for the lesser of the various evils in any given election. We have to keep voting, even if we feel it is only to pick the least bad choice. We have to protest—in the streets and in the new social media (bless it—look how it made the Susan G. Komen Foundation do an about face on Planned Parenthood within 72 hours!). It seems daunting for little bitty human beings to go up against corporations with vast wealth and those who represent their interests, but we can do it! We have to try! As Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
The most important things we can do are to speak the truth to power, don't let those who would try to foment fear and hate by deflecting our attention from what's really happening towards scapegoats do so, and don't ever feel that we have no power so why bother trying, speaking, protesting, dissenting and voting? We need to keep doing all of those. It is especially important now to speak up when you notice a witch hunt, a mob mentality, against any individual, group or organization, such as the Girl Scouts or Planned Parenthood. Never turn away from a witch hunt in progress.
"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me
And there was no one left to speak for me."
- quote by Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemöller -
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