Claiming Hate Stops Debate

One of my favorite bloggers, the great Lee Kiester whose blog "Lee's Tid Bits" I recommend you read daily, started me off on a journey that ultimately led to an insightful article written by Rachel Alexander in the Tea Party Tribune.  Before you dismiss the source for being associated with the "Tea Party" you need to take time to consider what Rachel has written.

Her title neatly summarizes the entire article - The Power of Being “Offended” in Order to Shut Down Political Debate  Let me reprint just a small portion of what Rachel has written.

Has society really become quite thin-skinned, or is acting “offended” a new tactic that is being used to shut down legitimate political debate? Progressives are increasingly claiming to be offended whenever those on the right disagree with their left-wing positions. It doesn’t matter what the issue is; the left will divert a legitimate political debate into an accusation that the right disagrees with them because they are full of hate towards them. This puts the right on the defensive, and removes the real debate from discussion. It then becomes difficult for the right to ever prevail with their position, because to do so would mean “hate” had won.

Economics? Disagree with welfare, and you’re full of hate and intolerance towards the poor. Social issues? Disagree with the left on abortion or gay marriage, and you don’t like women or gays. Foreign policy? Disagree on foreign policy, and you hate Muslims, Palestinians, and the poor in less fortunate countries. Second Amendment? If you support gun rights, then you have a cold and callous view towards the victims of gun violence. Affirmative action? If you disagree with affirmative action, then you’re a racist. Unions? Disagree with them, and you despise working-class Americans.

This really resonates with me because, like many of you, I watch Morning Joe on MSNBC many mornings each week.  I like Jos Scarborough and I am especially fond of Joe's co-host Mika Brzezinski. However, since the defeat of the Gun Control Bill in the US Senate Mika has been passionately lobbying every day for Gun Control and background check expansion.  Passionate may well be an understatement.

No one has ever accused MSNBC or even Morning Joe of being fair and balanced, but Mika's name calling, vilification and condemnation of all gun control opponents has gone out of control.  They are EVIL They are all EVIL. They are all puppets of the NRA. They are all being paid off. They hate children. They don't care who dies. They are all EVIL. And, moreover, they are very, very, very EVIL. 

Ahhh.. the Evil Doers. Mika Tweets their names. She posts their phone numbers. She implores her viewers to call and tweet  They are pathetic. They are cowards. They are all EVIL.

What's been absent is any real discussion of the issues.  Never are any of the EVIL DOERS given an opportunity to explain, tell their side or debate.  The position of gun rights advocates never sees the light of day.  Except when Joe ridicules them himself.

As Tea Party Advocate Rachel Alexander might explain, on MSNBC HATE has won.  Debate has lost. Discussion has lost. Reason has lost. Civility has lost,  Sadly everyone has lost.