Lying To Make Friends

One of the more disturbing aspects of the Tea Party movement and conservative response to Obama in general has been the hysteria over the mundane. The president commemorates September 11th by calling for a National Day of Service? Hijacking national tragedy in the name of Karl Marx! The president addresses school children about the importance of education? He’s brainwashing our kids! The federal government conducts a decennial survey to assess the population of the country as required by the Constitution? Laying the groundwork for internment!

Sadly, we have another example showing that such overheated rhetoric from media figures and elected officials can have tragic consequences. A census worker was murdered in rural Kentucky, and was found hanged with “FED” scrawled onto his chest. This follows high-profile killings earlier this year inspired at least in part by right-wing rhetoric on gun control and abortion. A large part of the conservative movement, both elected officials and media personalities, has decided that the key to electoral success and high ratings is fostering hatred and fear. They seem either indifferent to or ignorant of the fact that hatred and fear drive people to do horrible things.

-AR