Political rallies should be civil and respectful
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Marcia Kilpatrick
Published: October 18, 2008
I think you all know — or could guess — that I’m supporting Obama for president.
I’m not writing to ask you to vote for him. Your vote is your choice, and I am sure you will make it after careful consideration of the candidates and the issues that matter to you.
I am writing about some of the rallies we have read about where the audience has been whipped — or has whipped itself — to a fever pitch and members of the audience have shouted things like, “Kill him,” or “String him up,” or “Traitor,” referring to Obama.
This is the kind of behavior that is encouraged by totalitarian leaders, but it has no place in America or in our elections.
Unfortunately, we have had an unhappy history in this country of violence toward leaders.
In my lifetime, one president has been killed and an attempt was made on at least three others’ lives.
These are troubled and fearful times with a very scary economic situation and our nation engaged in two wars, with no clear outcome in sight.
Fear makes some people vulnerable to emotional appeals that make a person or a group of people into the enemy.
I’m going to write to my senators, congressman, governor and state representatives to ask them to publicly call for civility during and after the election and for candidates to 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.
Marcia Kilpatrick
Reva
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Posted by ( copper ) on October 21, 2008 at 9:24 am
The Obama supporters will make up anything to get attention. Funny there is no video or audio of “kill him” or “string him up” at McCain rallies and the Secret Service backs this up by saying it never happened. Fact is you have nuts on both sides that say or do awful things. Look at what the media has tried to do to Sarah Palin and her family. Sad indeed!
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Posted by ( wonderbread ) on October 20, 2008 at 7:40 pm
sandalwood - first of all I think it is terrible that any student was called a name for a “statement” shirt they would wear to school, no matter what kind of shirt it was. i know parents whose children (middle school and high school age, mostly) wear both “red” and “blue” leaning shirts, pro-life shirts, religious oriented shirts, and other issue driven messages. Luckily I don’t know of any who’ve been made fun of or called a name for it.
Did this teen think to talk to an administrator or teacher - even in private - about the incident? Did the other student(s) qualify their comment about why Palin would equate to being a racist?
I agree with the letter writer - and that all talk about politics - should be civil. Unfortunately a handful of REALLY squeaky wheels have talk shows and radio shows and set a negative example.
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Posted by ( Sandalwood ) on October 20, 2008 at 7:38 pm
I’m sure this doesn’t represent all Obama people either???
Quote: Frank Armstrong was preparing to go for a jog this morning when he noticed his Lexus – adorned with a McCain-Palin sticker - had been vandalized with obscenities and a burned American flag.Armstrong discovered the damage to his 2006 Lexus about 8:30 a.m. at his Sand Key condominium at 1400 Gulf Blvd. Clearwater police and Armstrong said someone etched obscenities and “KKK” into the paint, burned several areas of the car with cigarettes, set the flag on fire on his hood and may have urinated on the vehicle. Officers and Armstrong think the car was singled out because of its political stickers, including one reading “Nobama.“"This is definitely a hate crime,“ said Armstrong, a 41-year-old physician.Police estimated damage at $4,500. Police classified the incident as “criminal mischief/hate crime” and said it appeared “to be politically/racially motivated because the victim affixed a bumper sticker supporting the McCain campaign as well as an anti-Obama bumper sticker.“
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Posted by ( Hippie ) on October 20, 2008 at 1:28 pm
So a teenager was called a name, what’s your point? Its time people accept the responsibility of their statements. So she supports Palin and some one diagrees and calls her a name??? So these are only words, some times people feeling are hurt, get over it. And if you’re inferring that the person that called a her a racist represents all Obama supporters or Democrats that’s as ridiculous as me assuming that the crazy old lady at McCain’s rally that thought Obama was an Arab represents all McCain supporters or Rebulicans.
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Posted by ( Sandalwood ) on October 20, 2008 at 6:50 am
The title says, “Political rallies should be civil and respectful”. I’m assuming it means in all things political.
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Posted by ( rjma ) on October 19, 2008 at 7:29 pm
sandal- I guess you McCain supporters are getting grumpy in these final days. No, Ms. Kilpatrick writes about the dangers of inciting people that might do harm to a presidential candidate. Keep to the subject.
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Posted by ( Sandalwood ) on October 19, 2008 at 7:10 pm
I guess it’s OK for a teenage girl to wear a Palin teeshirt to school and be called a racist? But that Obama’s people so that makes it alright.
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