Politics from the Palouse to Puget Sound

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Tolerance and Hypocrisy of the Left

by Johnny Walker
KingstonJW on twitter

I was perusing one of my social networking sites today and became aware of a link to a site called, I’m Voting Tea Party. For those concerned about age appropriate slogans, use workplace discretion before accessing, but the site does a good job of illustrating the left’s lopsided rhetoric about tolerance. I’ve heard no condemnation about this site and don’t imagine I will. The left’s idea of tolerance is shameful and malicious.

In the past, I have messaged clear disdain for the NAACP’s unfounded racial attacks on the Tea Party movement via Twitter (@KingstonJW). From the very top of the organization, President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous has characterized Tea Partiers as racist and the NAACP website today still alleges the Tea Party’s “widespread use of racist imagery on signs and banners at Tea Party rallies across the country.” No credible evidence exists that this has ever been true but the left tolerates the lie because it serves their political agenda. The mainstream media ignores the messaging for the same reasons. As recent as last week, NAACP Director and Senior VP Hilary Shelton voiced similar allegations as he talked about a new initiative to track Tea Party racist behavior. Shelton is known to have lied on national TV about his attendance at a Tea Party event.

At least three left minded organizations, the NAACP, Think Progress, and Media Matters, are supporting a site called Tea Party Tracker.org, which encourages their supporters to “track” the Tea Party, collect, and publish evidence of their extremist imagery online. After looking at the site, it seems to me that anything the left disagrees with will be censured as extremist. So much for civil liberties and freedom to speak.

Lets look at the evidence. On one side (right), Tea Party Tracker.org cites an image claiming blacks own slaves in countries outside of the US, and another equating Obamacare to slavery. It’s not my intent to argue any merits to those messages, but I’ve heard no denial from the NAACP that blacks don’t own slaves in other countries, and it seems to me any compelled subservience is a kind of slavery. Whatever. On the other side (left), a commercial website offers up t-shirts with a variety of provocative messages including, “OBAMA won’t let my company harvest the organs of immigrants, that’s why I’m voting Tea Party,” and the similar “OBAMA won’t force Muslims to worship Jesus” t-shirt. How are these not equally offensive?

Where is the outrage? Where is the left’s vilification? It is hidden within their hypocrisy and ideology.

Of course, there isn’t any outrage or tracking and this is why the NAACP and likeminded organizations on the left are losing relevance. They are no longer credible because they have become partisan, political, and blatantly hypocritical.

Let me be clear. I was brought up in an age and environment that allows me to appreciate the insulting humor of Don Rickles without going over the edge, remembering him with some irony as Mr. Warmth. But that kind of satire and humor is not really politically appropriate today and the truth is not always convenient. Tea Party conservatives need to be on their best behavior knowing that anything the say and do will be held against them with the full force of power leveraged by now bigoted organizations like the NAACP. At the same time, they should be willing to immediately and loudly call out the left's hypocrisy when they see it.

November is coming. Know your candidates and vote.

6 comments:

Ernie said...

I hope you will be willing to immediately and loudly call out the extremely bigoted post "Islam in a Nutshell" that preceded your post.

That kind of garbage will not help Republicans in November.

KingstonJW said...

I haven't read it but based on your feedback I will. Thanks, KingstonJW

James M. Olsen, Candidate 23rd LD, House said...

On a more ground-war level, here on Bainbridge Island we are seeing the destruction of political signs by person/persons who have it in for Republican candidates. This anti-democratic corrosive behavior reveals a great deal about the Isle of Paradise Bainbridge. Big talk about love of diversity and intellect but bands of thugs rule the night destroying signs.

Oh, and city officials say nothing about the matter such as citizens should respect the democratic ideal. And my opponent's (ROLFES) sign guy says he worked in other campaigns where Dem signs were harmed. Hypocrisy in that we are talking about this race and ROLFES signs are untouched.

From last election cycle, a timely video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYqzUL3awgk

Olsen s

John Reagan said...

I think the videos you posted on your Facebook page making fun of the current administration were about at the same level of humor as the I'm Voting Tea Party site, from the opposite side. You'd better develop a thicker skin, Johnny.

John Reagan

KingstonJW said...

Thanks for reading and leaving the comment, John... but please note I don't have a personal problem with any of the political satire. I thought the t-shirts about why I vote for Tea Party were intended to be funny and obviously for the choir. The point is that if the left is going to selectively "monitor" and label Tea Party folks racist (a significant label) and extremists based on what they're showing as evidence, then it is hypocritical to not make an effort to manage similar behavior in their own cause. The left would serve its cause better if it tracked racist behavior everywhere, not just by those it disagrees with politically.

John Reagan said...

Why shouldn't they be selective? That's the political process - make your own side look good and point out the foibles of the other side. That's the way it works. Did you think the NAACP didn't lean strongly one direction? They are representing their POV and shouldn't be expected to represent the other side. Your organization can take care of that. Go for it!