All candidates should rebuke hate speech
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Jan Richter
Published: October 14, 2008
At recent McCain-Palin campaign rallies some members of the audience have shouted things about Obama like, “Kill him” or “Traitor.”
Sen. McCain even interrupted his stump speech recently to rebuke the crowd and declare that “Sen. Obama is a decent American, Christian and family man.”
These uncertain times call for steady leadership on the part of all our elected leaders and candidates for public office. Anyone who wants to lead our country should be actively discouraging hate-speech, not encouraging it.
Hate speech and crowds whipped into a frenzy are the mark of totalitarian regimes — they have no place in America.
As citizens we all have a role to play in preserving civil public discourse. I’m going to call my senators, congressman, governor and state representatives to ask them to publicly call for civility during and after the election.
I ask that every candidate repudiate, on the spot, calls for violence or anything that could be an incitement to violence.
If you share my concern, I hope you’ll do the same.
Jan Richter
Madison
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( howiseeit ) on October 17, 2008 at 10:05 am
Geri,
We can agree to disagree. I don’t see things your way but at least we are registered voters that are passionate about our views. That’s what this process is all about. I have a hard time watching McCain speak, but I know I have to in order to get the information I need to make a decision that’s right for me. I thought McCain’s lack of eye contact and other gestures during the debates was disrespectful. The way he seemed very tense and uncomfortable at the last debate was not a good sign to me. If I can’t respect the man, I surely can’t support him.
At any rate, I’m going with Obama/Biden. They represent what’s best for me and my family. Their plan is clear and makes sense in my opinion.
There are a few things I don’t agree with him on but overall, he’s the best candidate in my opinion.
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Posted by ( Geriberi ) on October 17, 2008 at 9:28 am
howiseeit - I totally respect and understand you opinion. I don’t agree with you at all - I thought Palin did as good of a job as Biden did to state her case. I could bring up the silly things he’s said - there have been so many - but it really doesn’t matter. The fact is that I’m much more comfortable with the thought of Palin as VP than Obama as Pres.
I believe the bar was set for her by the media. Who else would have set it? And as far as her personality, I knew that what she said to Biden as you quoted would be an issue for her. But, on the flip side, I have a very hard time watching and listening to Obama - he grates on my nerves. I force myself to watch because I probably need to get used to it. To each his or her own. I also was truly offended by the way he laughed, sometimes loudly, while McCain was talking during the debate - more of his arrogance.
Anyway, thanks for the thoughtful debating here. It’s much more enjoyable than the silly insults that seem to be non-stop by some of the other posters.
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Posted by ( Geriberi ) on October 17, 2008 at 9:20 am
Buddy, what are you talking about, with all I’ve been through? Are you talking about “life?“ I don’t find Sarah Palin to be vile, and think that is a ridiculous statement. She is doing what the VP candidate is supposed to do - attack the other side. I’m sure that whatever news source you use doesn’t report what Biden’s doing if it makes him look mean or stupid (like not being able to count past three when reporting how many letters are in the word “jobs”). I just don’t see why you keep saying she’s hate-mongering. Please give it a rest.
Here’s the deal - you are voting for Obama, and you can talk yourself blue, but I will not vote for Obama. You can call Palin vile, but I feel Obama is just wrong for this country. I wonder if you guys are considering things like charities. Where do you think the majority of charitable contributions come from? The wealthy. And who is going to end up with considerably less money for charities? The wealthy. Again, one reason I won’t vote for Obama is that I resent the fact that he feels he knows best how our money should be used, and who to be charitable with. Again, I think that I’d rather have money going to St. Jude’s or Wounded Warriors than crack ho’s. It’s so depressing. A tax break under Obama means a welfare check for millions of Americans. How are we going to pay for this when we don’t have any money? And how does this help anyone get out of poverty? There is only one way our for people living in poverty - it’s called capitalism and good work ethics, not welfare. And how can we want to spend more on education when people choose not to take advantage of the free education that is available now? I say, you want a handout but haven’t finished school? You want unemployment? You get nothing until you get a GED. Force people to take responsibility for themselves and learn the beauty of self-reliance. It’s called tough love, and it’s about saving lives, not encouraging mere existence, which is what welfare does. It’s what McCain and Palin are about, those hate-mongerers.
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Posted by ( howiseeit ) on October 17, 2008 at 8:34 am
Geri,
I said elder more seasoned because McCain boasts about how many years experience he has and how qualified he is and he’s better because of that. If that’s the case, then he should run a more respectable campaign.
You say “Why should anyone have set any bar for anyone? Why do we let the media tell us what to expect from people? That is the very definition of ignorance.“ There absolutely should be a bar set for all the candidates. They are running for the highest offices anyone can hold in this country. The standards should be set very high. I do not want a candidate who winks at the camera or says things like “well now Joe, there ya go again…“. And a candidate that clearly said she was NOT going to answer the question. We don’t have time for those types of games, it’s time to get serious and she should have been very serious throughout her debate.
When asked her responsibilities at VP, she said that McCain was putting her in charge of those two areas. Biden said he would be involved in everything across the board, as well he should be. IF she’s second in command, she needs to be in everything, especially foreign affairs because that seems to be a weakness for her. Also, McCain is getting old, so his health (in my opinion) is in question, which is more reason she should be more of a “right hand man” as opposed to a show piece.
You talk about her having more governing experience but what big issues did she face in Alaska. The population there is lower than a lot of cities in the lower 48. So, what challenges did she face? What big decisions did she have to make?
And my opinion of Palin/McCain comes from the things that they have said. I dont base my opinion on what is printed in the media, or any news channel. I really made up my mind during the debate, that was her chance to show she means business and she did not show that at all.
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Posted by ( Geriberi ) on October 17, 2008 at 8:17 am
WOW! ACORN said that?? Well then, I totally believe them! You guys are so right - Republicans are such bad people, spreading such horrible rumors. I’m so ashamed of myself! These terrible rumors of rampant voter registration fraud are so typical of the Republicans trying to stir up trouble. And darn those lying localities that are reporting it all! Such a huge, national conspiracy to cast doubt on the wonderful, nonpartisan, freedom-loving group known as ACORN. We should just let it go and not even look into it any further! I mean, what are 600,000 votes in OHIO anyway?
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Posted by ( buddy ) on October 17, 2008 at 8:09 am
I heard it several times….myself.
Palin is hate mongering. It is beyond comprehention that you, of all people, who has been throught so much can buy into such vile behavior.
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Posted by ( howiseeit ) on October 17, 2008 at 8:07 am
Geri, here’s the response from the ACORN organization. Funny how McCain used to support them…
ACORN Responds to Senator McCain’s Desperate Attack
October 15, 2008
On Wednesday, Oct. 15, ACORN National President Maude Hurd issued the following statement in response to Senator John McCain’s attack:
“We appreciate Senator McCain’s effort to stir up the Republican base by attacking a community organization working to increase public participation in our democratic process. However, these attacks reflect an increasingly panicked candidate. Unfortunately, the Senator McCain we saw tonight is very different than the Senator McCain who stood shoulder to shoulder with ACORN at a February 20, 2006 immigration reform event.
It is clear for us to see that John McCain was for ACORN before he was against ACORN; he was for reform before he was against reform; and he was a maverick before he became erratic. What is really going on here is that Senator McCain and his allies are part of a coordinated effort to engage in what appears to be an unprecedented effort to suppress voter turnout. Repeating a lie doesn’t make it true, and the McCain campaign has resorted to the worst type of deceptions in regards to ACORN.“
The Facts:
ACORN has helped 1.3 million citizens from all parties and all walks of life apply for voter registration.
In most states, ACORN is required by law to turn in every voter registration card - even in cases where the cards are not valid.
It is ACORN that has reported almost all of the issues regarding voter registration cards to elections officials, and flagged the suspicious cards.
Invalid voter registration cards do NOT constitute voter fraud. Even RNC General Counsel Sean Cairncross has recently acknowledged he is not aware of a single improper vote cast as a result of bad cards submitted in the course of an organized voter registration effort.
ACORN hired 13,000 field workers to register people to vote. In any endeavor of this size, some people will engage in inappropriate conduct. ACORN has a zero tolerance policy and terminated any field workers caught engaging in questionable activity. At the end of the day, as ACORN is paying these people to register voters, it is ACORN that is defrauded.
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Posted by ( Geriberi ) on October 17, 2008 at 7:54 am
Let’s see, who do I want to believe: the head of the Secret Service and all of his agents, or one in-the-tank for Obama reporter and a guy named Buddy who says “lots of people heard it.“ Hmmm, who to believe…
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Posted by ( buddy ) on October 17, 2008 at 7:42 am
I am glad that the Fox News is so accurate when it comes to the support of the Republican Party and that is where Geriberi gets all her news when she is not listening to Rush or Karl.
The credibility of the Republican Party has been dismantled. The half truths and spin continues. Until you and your party stop lying about anything and everything it is over. A lot of people heard “kill him” “terrorist” ...so please listen and open your ears and mind.
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Posted by ( Geriberi ) on October 17, 2008 at 7:09 am
Newflash: according to the head of the Secret Service in Scranton PA where the Sarah Palin rally was held: neither he nor any of his agents in the audience heard anyone say anything like “terrorist” or “kill him” when Obama’s name was mentioned, and no one has been able to find anyone else who can corroborate the story started by one reporter and picked up by all of the national media. Not one agent heard it, and it’s their job to be paying very close attention to this type of activity. Maybe that explains why Palin didn’t do anything about it - because it never happened.
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