This is what happens when Republicans promote violence and encourage Second Amendment solutions.
Yesterday, 45-year-old parolee Byron Williams opened fire on Highway Patrol officers in Oakland, California. After a brief shootout, Williams, who was wearing body armor, was shot and is currently in an emergency room in stable condition at a local hospital.
In an interview with the local news, Williams explained that her son was unemployed, angry at “left-wing politicians,” and upset about Congress “railroading through all these left-wing agenda items.” Williams went on to say that she kept guns in her house which her son stole. She also warned of a coming “revolution”:
She said her son, who had been a carpenter and a cabinetmaker before his imprisonment, was angry about his unemployment and about “what’s happening to our country.” Williams watched the news on television and was upset by “the way Congress was railroading through all these left-wing agenda items,” his mother said. […]
Janice Williams said she kept the guns because “eventually, I think we’re going to be caught up in a revolution.” But she said she had told her son many times that “he didn’t have to be on the front lines.”
…
…Earlier in the year, disgruntled software engineer Joe Stack used his plane to launch a suicide attack against an IRS building in Austin, Texas. Stack left behind a suicide note detailing his grievances against the government. Right-wing hate radio hosts and pundits have denied that their rhetoric is provoking violence against the government. [emphasis original]
Inserted from <Think Progress>
Republicans argue that Williams is seven cans short of a six pack, so they cannot be held accountable for the acts of deranged people. I do not believe that the Republican hate purveyors on Radio and TV and in Congress intended or could have foreseen this specific action. They say it’s only rhetoric go mobilize their base. I agree. However, they have invited vile people into their tent and accepted race and hatred in every form, and they know that among those people are some who are unbalanced enough to take their rhetoric seriously enough to act on it. And yet, they keep parroting the hateful rhetoric anyway. They are to blame for the actions their hate inspires.
10 Responses to “Republican Hate Bears More Fruit”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
When you promote fear to motivate people (Republicans MO for talking to the American people) it should be no surprise you have (way to many) violent reactions to normal everyday situations. They’ll say he had a screw loose, but who used the screwdriver to loosen his screw?
Tom, what an excellent way of putting it!
Funny, I don’t ever remember the goopers trotting out such theories when their opposition dares criticize (not even going to gun town) Weepy the Orange and his ilk.
Randal, I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean.
I’m with Tom on this one – they’ve been promoting violence for so long now, it was bound to happen. And sadly, this won’t be the first incident.
This was not the first and will not be the last. Republicans do not care how many are killed and maimed in their attempt to regain power.
Chalk up another one for Republican strategists. They crank out all these lies and distortions for the purpose of whipping up thousands of inbred dunces into a fury. Then when one of these drones goes off the deep end, the GOP says “hey, that wasn’t our fault; he’s just a wacko.”
Nothing is ever their fault, Tom. The more responsible they are, the more it isn’t their fault.
What bothers me is that whenever someone does something stupid because of the reason conservatives gave them, conservatives just claim that the person is crazy, but lets say some “liberal” person did something stupid, then it is representative of the entire left… hypocrites…
Kevin, that is the GOP anthem, Shit stinks, unless we dump it.