Tea Party Gun Threats, Spitting, Black Slurs, Gay Slurs

Tea Party activists claim to be unaligned with the Republican Party, even though the movement's racist and homophobic components seem to belie that assertion. We've been amused by their funny hats and disturbed by their hand-made posters likening the President to Hitler and Stalin.  We've heard them making threats and intimidating law-abiding citizens who don't support their ultra-conservative agenda.  We have seen demonstrators at political rallies carrying crude posters that proclaim, "We came unarmed - this time" standing next to activists who didn't get the memo and were actually carrying firearms. These are not a few fringe elements, they are truly representative of the Tea Party mindset.  During yesterday's protest against health care reform, the bullies once again descended on D.C. and showed their anarchic rancor.

Suzy Khimm for Mother Jones: Tea Partiers protesting the health care bill in Washington hurled racist and homophobic epithets at two Democratic Congressmen and then spat on a black Democratic legislator prior to President Obama's speech before House Dems this afternoon.  Rep. John Lewis was called the N-word when he was on the floor of the House earlier today by a heckler from the Tea Party...  Another protester spat upon Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, another black Democrat, as he was walking from the Longsworth House building to attend Obama's speech. In a separate incident, Rep. Barney Frank, who is openly gay, was called "faggot," also as he was leaving the Longsworth building.

From Think Progress:  Tea Party activists have gathered on Capitol Hill today for a "Code Red" rally against health care reform. Speakers at the event included Republican Reps. Steve King (IA), Michele Bachmann (MN), and Mike Pence (IN). The gathering was organized by Tea Party Profiteer organizations like FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity. ThinkProgress attended today’s rally and spotted a sign threatening violence if health care passes. The sign reads: "Warning: If Brown can’t stop it, a Browning can," referring to Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) and a Browning firearm.

Majority Whip James Clyburn remarked to the press:  "A lot of us have been saying for a long time that much of this is not about health care at all. And I think that a lot of people out there today demonstrated this.  As I said to one heckler, I'm the hardest person in the world to intimidate."     

From Cleaver's spokesman Danny Rotert, via Politico:  "This is not the first time the Congressman has been called the "n" word and certainly not the worst assault he has endured in his years fighting for equal rights for all Americans. That being said, he is disappointed that in the 21st century our national discourse has devolved to the point of name calling and spitting.  He believes deeply that tomorrow's vote is, in fact, a vote for equality and to secure health care as a right for all. Our nation has a history of struggling each time we expand rights. Today's protests are no different, but the Congressman believes this is worth fighting for."

As President Obama said in his speech yesterday: After health care reform is signed into law, Americans who have been wringing their hands over this issue will start to realize they've been lied to by Teabaggers and Republicans whose sole mission in life is to obstruct progress and demonize Democrats.  Tens of millions of our citizens will immediately feel the positive benefits of this legislation, and the naysayers will have egg on the pinched, unhappy faces.

The words and actions of these teabaggers are mind-boggling.  Who would ever have imagined that in the 21st century, a white conservative would spit on a black lawmaker in the shadow of our nation's capitol?

Below is a video of the Tea Party protesters, by New Left Media.  Listen to their incoherent ramblings, their obdurate devotion to Fox News.  Observe their collective delirium.  This is what right-wing fearmongering has wrought ...     

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Comments

[Darryl A. Cotton]

Are these the people of a law and order nation we should site as an example of patriots? I think NOT. They need to be exposed for what they are, hate mongers who didn't vote for Obama, and really don't give a damn about the rest of the nations well being. Notice that there are virtually no people of color among these lunatics.

[Nick]

Let's face it, for those opposed to healthcare reform, it has nothing to do with taxes, socialism, or death panels. Simply put, it has everything to do with white persons of privilege who are feeling threatened... a false sense of threat that occurs every time those who are historically disenfranchised are allowed greater access to resources that would greatly benefit them.

[Tomato Cain]

Opposition to this bill is not about backroom deals, government power grabs, loss of liberties, CBO book-cooking and nepharious legislation. It's because these crazy folks are drinking the 'tea'! Instead, they should be reading intellectually inspired books about good stuff like 'dreams' and 'audacity'. Maybe if we could just force them by law to listen and read the books, then all would be well...

[eric]

actually i have been to several tea parties and there is people of color there. this movement is about a lot of things. if the government can force you to buy health care what cant they force you to do. peaceful demonstrations is. just like before the revolutionary war and when it reaches a boiling point then violence will come. just like our founding fathers did. if they did not act you would not be "free" and it is almost time for us to act to keep us free. republicans and democrats have both used reconciliation before but never on landmark legislation. the government does not fear the people. and it needs to in order to maintain liberty.