A group called "Patients First," a project of the lobbyist-funded Americans for Prosperity, has been going around the country and hosting tea parties in opposition to "government-run health care."
ThinkProgress.org
Yesterday, AFP decided to hold a protest in front of the offices of Democratic Rep. Frank Kratovil’s (D-MD1) office. Despite the fact that Rep. Kratovil has yet to take a stance for or against health care reform, the protesters felt it would be appropriate to voice their concerns by hanging him in effigy.
And I thought calling the Congressman or writing him was the best way to influence his opinion! I didn't know this was an option.
It's not an option, of course, unless you have lost your mind or you are a hate mongering sociopath.
Using violence or the threat of violence as a means to gain a political goal IS TERRORISM.
WTF?
Update:
hat tip to ThirtyFiveUp
Patrick Samuels says he did it.
thought I'd add some truth to this commentary as the individual personally involved and pictured. First, as previously stated, this was not an AFP or GOP sponsored event. Some of the local AFP people did show up but it was more of a Tea Party crowd. I am not a republican and do not support the GOP. They had their chance in 1994 and with George Bush and showed they are going to lead us to big government as well, just not as fast. For those of you think hanging the congressman in effigy was over the top, allow me to comment. First, the sign says "Congress: Traitors to the American Ideal". - -
Sometimes statements need to be made. In the years leading up to the revolution, the Sons of Liberty harrassed Bitish officials and engaged in behavior most of you would cring at if such a display as this offends you. ... I leave you with the words of Thomas Jefferson. "When the people fear the government, that is tyranny. When the government fears the people, that is liberty" For any more info I would refer you to www.patricksamuels.com Last note:when i sent out the e-mails calling for this protest I mentioned that I was going to hang the congressman in effigy. It was not my intent to shock any of the people gathered to protest.
Posted By: Patrick Samuels | July 29, 2009 at 12:17 PM
REPORT ABUSE
Apology if this has already been posted. It is one of the very last comments in the thread.
The End and the Beginning by Wislawa Szymborska
My response
Thank you for the heads up
but, I will leave this diary as it is, since the resposibility of the other citizens who attended this 'tea party' was entirely shirked, and the t-parties are certainly 95-99% GOP endorsed.
FWIW, several commenters in this diary who called Rep Kravitol's office have explained how frightened his staff was by this incident. Regardless of Mr. Samuels intentions, his actions MUST have consequences, particularly considering the history of the area in which he carried out his act.
by MinistryOfTruth
Contact information for this POS can be found here.
http://patricksamuels.blogspot.com/
psamuels76@yahoo.com
Tell this clown what you think about threatening other Americans with lynchings.
Note: To those who object to the KKKonservative reference. Until the GOP and their Corporartist allies reject utterly the Jim Crow tactics and southern strategy of racial division and politics through threats of violence, my comparison stands. I apologize if you find it offensive, but please remember, I did not hang a man in effigy, they did. I just reported on it, and yes, it is the same whether the person they hang is of one ethnicity or another. Threats of violence to influence politics should be abhorred, and can never be justified.
If the shoe fits . . .
Now, if I were Rep. Kratovil, I would vote for health care reform just to spite this proto-lynch mob.
Unfortunately, I am not he, and I don't know how Congressman Kratovil will respond to this.
This is not the first time a Democratic Politician has been threatened with hanging by voices empathetic to the GOP. Recently Sam Joe The Plumber the Propaganda machine suggested that someone should String up Senator Chris Dodd.
And then of course there are the tea baggers, the Obama is a socialists, the Obama is a fascists, the Obama is a Kenyan, and on, and on, and on.
This is not Democracy of We The People. This is not the rule of law decided by fair elections. This is how to intimidate citizens through threats of violence. This is the rule of mob.
I do not know if the goal is to threaten Kravotil into opposing Health Care reform or if these tea baggers are just so mindlessly hateful and violent that this is the only way they can express themselves. I honestly do not know what the fuck these clowns are thinking when they do this kind of shit.
But I do know what the goal is. The goal is to use threats of violence to achieve their political means.
And that is the definition of terrorism.
So when is the line in the sand drawn? When do We The People who voted for NotTheGOP put our foot down and say ENOUGH to these Corporatist psychotic brownshirts?
Apparently elections only count if their guy wins. If not, it must be ACORN, or some vast liberal conspiracy, or it is taxation w/o representation, or tyranny, or oppression of the white man, or some other rotten nonsense.
The only thing missing from these would be lynch mobs are the white sheets and hoods, though I am sure they have them stored away somewhere for just the right occassion.
Faced with a political opposition that is openly racist, homophobic, xenophobic and willing to embrace the tactics of the Jim Crow south and Goerhing's Germany, why is bi-partisanship even an option? How many ways can the GOP and their rabid, brain damaged supporters say "I hope you fail/die" before the Dems figure it out?
There is no negotiating with crazy. There is no negotiating with hatred. This is NOT civil discourse, this is brownshirt bullying for Corporate/Political purposes, a small violent minority that wishes to intimidate the majority to it's will.
In order to express our support for Representative Kratovil in the face of this intimidation through threats of violence I have posted the contact information for Congressman Kratovil below. Please, call or e-mail Congresssmen Kratovil and offer him your support against the violent rhetoric and Jim Crow tactics of the AFP and the GOP they represent.
Congressman Kratovil can be reached by phone at (202) 225-5311
Mail Congressman Kratovil here to offer your support
314 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Contact Representative Kratovil via E-Mail here
Make no mistake. These are the same fanatics who did not shed a tear when Dr. Tiller was murdered in cold blood. These are the same psychos who support torture in the name of defending freedom, and these are the same racist thugs who used these same tactics for the last 140+ years in order to intimidate African American voters, or worse.
At some point, these people WILL hurt someone. I hope that day never comes, but I am not foolish enough to believe that Hope alone will make it so.
No more. No excuses.
Crossposted at Docudharma.com
Now is when Representative Kratovil needs to be supported by progressives. He will remember it. Please, call Rep Kratovil's office today and let him know progressive Democrats support him against these loons.
