The face of evil
Posted by Charles II on March 19, 2010
ProgressOhio — March 17, 2010 — SEE THE VIDEO RESPONSES: Interview with Bob The Parkinson’s Hero!
COLUMBUS – In a scene reminiscent of non-violent civil rights confrontations from the 1960s, Ohio Tea Partiers quickly turned ugly when facing off with health care advocates in front of Ohio Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy’s office Tuesday.
In shocking video taken by a Columbus Dispatch reporter Doral Chenowith yesterday, Tea Party protestors mock a seated counter-protestor with a sign indicating he has Parkinson’s disease. They then proceed to hurl wadded up bills at him shouting, “I’ll decide when to give you money!”
On March 17th outside of Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy’s (D-OH15) district office teabaggers mocked and scorned a man who had a sign stating that he had Parkinson’s. They told him “he’s in the wrong end of town to ask for handouts”, called him a communist and threw dollar bills at him to “pay for his health care”.
My comment: As a Christian, it’s fascinating to watch both the video and the responses to it.
Bob is brave just for hanging in against his illness and not succumbing to self-pity. For him to face angry, shouting political opponents is angelic. In gospel terms, he is one of the least of these.
Those who attack him are the face of evil: not horned monsters, but ordinary people who [are] blind to what they are doing. Like Cain, they are filled with anger.
Saddest of all are those who see, yet defend evil.
____________________________________________________________________
Added: Digby links to a Forbes article by Bruce Bartlett in which David Frum, of all people, interviews teabaggers and finds their knowledge of what’s going on to be sadly lacking.
Digby titles it, “Willingly Brainwashed.” I would title it, “Nothing in the Laundry Basket.”
3 Responses to “The face of evil”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
joel hanes said
Master Yoda : “The fear of loss is a path to the Dark Side”
These people are convinced that life is a zero-sum game,
and they fear to lose what they have.
They have been told that the government wants to take what they have
and give it to the [poor/unlucky/pigmented/feckless].
Lost to the Dark Side they have become.
Stormcrow said
I think it’s much darker than that, Joel.
This country’s rulers imported some old and filthy habits they learned from their European teachers.
One of the simplest and most effective ways to valve off pressure is to hand over to your victims, victims of their own.
People who are relatively powerless, and socially distanced from the people whose lifeblood you’re sucking out.
It used to be Jews back in Europe. And it was “witches” prior to about 1650. Here it was Irish, then Eastern Europeans, and everywhere Blacks, up until quite recently. An gays, of course. I think “Matthew Shepard” rings a bell, not so?
In many places it’s still open season on Blacks when the shit hits the fan. But under the table. If it gets out, you could get crucified yourself. Witness the cops who murdered those black people in NOLA during the Katrina mess. It eventually came out, and they are through.
But obviously, Parkinsons’ victims are not yet off of the official shit list.
Gotta have somebody to torture, you know. And having Cheney’s little torture monkeys doing it by proxy in Iraq just doesn’t afford the same visceral pleasure that a real live victim right under your own bootheel does.
MEC said
Or as my psychology professor so succinctly described the authoritarian mindset: “Kiss up, kick down.”