Sniper threat to kids after US health reform vote

[philw]

ok being pissed about it is one thing 

this will win no friends though....

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/25/2855613.htm

Death threats have been made against some Democratic members of the US Congress who voted for president Barack Obama's historic healthcare reforms.

Ten members of Congress have been given extra security following a series of threats and vandalism at their offices.

Several have been on the receiving end of abusive phone calls and some of the threats have even extended to their families.

On Capitol Hill, Democratic members of Congress have been meeting police and the FBI.

Bart Stupak is one of them. His last-minute compromise on abortion helped secure enough votes for the legislation to pass.

His office has released some of the abusive phone calls he has received.

"Congressman Stupak, you baby-killing [expletive]. You turn coat son of a b***h," one caller said.

"You will rue the day you did this Mr Stupak," another caller said.

"You are a disgusting man and I hope you're haunted the rest of your living days."

"You and your family are scum. You ought to fill your pockets with lead and jump in the Potomac," said another.

Democrat Louise Slaughter says a caller to her office has vowed to send snipers to "kill the children of the members who voted yes".

She reported the call to police who are now providing protection for her grandchildren.

There were rowdy protests on Capitol Hill during the long debate about the healthcare legislation.

Racist and anti-homosexual slurs were hurled at members of Congress as they walked the corridors.

Democratic leader Steny Hoyer says democracy is about passionate debate, not threats of violence.

"It is not about violence. It is about making sure that everybody in America feels free to express their opinion and to take such actions as they deem to be necessary without subjecting themselves, their family or others to behaviour and frankly criminal behaviour in some respects," he said.

Democratic whip James Clyburn says valuable lessons were learnt from the 1960s and 1970s.

"There are some lessons that none of us want to repeat, but one thing that we know, silence gives consent," he said.

The Republican leader in the House of Representatives, John Boehner, has issued a statement saying violence and threats are not acceptable.

Meanwhile, the Republican congressman who shouted out "baby killer" during the debate on health care is now running a campaign ad, vowing to continue speaking out against abortion while his website asks for donations.

[Bic]

I guess that politicians consider themselves members of the 'intelligencia' are used to 'playing the game' in order to pass their new regulations on the rest of us have long since learnt to control their more visceral reactions.

If they spent a little more time down from the Mount they might realise that some of us are simpler folk with fewer tools to address our problems.

[fightingquaker13]

No game BIC. At least not like we play it here. Venting, ala Tom's "rope rants" are fine as long as we know its just venting. We have a viable democratic process, no excuse for serious threats.  The Dems were voted out in '94, voted in in '08 and can be voted out in '012. Anything else is BS. M58 had it right. "Ok, we were pissed yesterday, what do we do about it today"? Anything other than protest, oranize, give and vote is pure garbage, unless you really WANT to live in Somalia. Lets get back to guns, our primary focus here, as an example. Supposedly, according to the yahoos, we're to be disarmed Aussie style by lunchtime at the hands of the UN . Yet what have we seen in the last 15 years under three presidents from two parties? A liberalzation of gun laws, particularly CCW that no one would have thought possible 30 years ago and the acknowledgement that the 2A is an individual right. How did his happen, see the above advice. Threats make us look bad, effective organizing gets things done.
FQ13 

[Ichiban]

Yeah, according to the lame-stream media only Democrats ever receive death threats.  I agree 100% that it is wrong and does not help matters.  And the media wonders why people have quit trusting them

[MikeBjerum]

The political elite need to listen to what the masses are saying!

I'm not saying that everyone that "rants" about killing, destroying, bombing, etc., is planning on doing it.  What I do beleive is that these comments that are being viewed as threats are a large part of society voicing their disgust in the only way they know how.  It is the same as a person turning to rough language because they do not have the vocabulary to voice their oppinion in any other way.

Bottom line - Listen up folks!  We are not only unhappy out here, but we are down right MAD!!!

[Sponsor]

[Bic]

I guess that my veneer of respectability and civility must be thinner than that of some others.

[Pathfinder]

Not that I believe the Dems when they crow about this. Part of Alinsky's tradecraft book would motivate them to marginalize us by pretending to call in and record these.

I would also be interested if these are in any way different from the calls they normally get.

And to whatever degree it is true, that some wanker is truly making these calls, then said wanker obviously forgot the best part of Fight Club -

                                        Rule #1 - Do not talk about Fight Club!

[JC5123]

While I agree that making threats is not the way to get things changed. This should at least send the message that people are fed up with the back room deals, and midnight votes. People hounded on their legislators to stop this bill and they were ignored, and told to sit down and shut up.

I'm afraid if congress continues on this path with immigration reform, and cap and trade, passing them against the consent of the people, this will be just the beginning. Is this the fringe...yes. Is it just saber rattling...maybe. But what did they expect? When you openly defy the will of the American people, there will be consequences.

I seem to remember reading something about governing with the CONSENT of the people.....

Consent is something the all 545 people in Washington would do well to think long and hard about before they bring up the next power grab piece of legislation.  

[mudman]

WOLF WOLF WOLF UNION MEMBERS CALLING WOLF LOOK OUT SHEEP

[tombogan03884]

No game BIC. At least not like we play it here. Venting, ala Tom's "rope rants" are fine as long as we know its just venting. We have a viable democratic process, no excuse for serious threats.  The Dems were voted out in '94, voted in in '08 and can be voted out in '012. Anything else is BS. M58 had it right. "Ok, we were pissed yesterday, what do we do about it today"? Anything other than protest, oranize, give and vote is pure garbage, unless you really WANT to live in Somalia. Lets get back to guns, our primary focus here, as an example. Supposedly, according to the yahoos, we're to be disarmed Aussie style by lunchtime at the hands of the UN . Yet what have we seen in the last 15 years under three presidents from two parties? A liberalzation of gun laws, particularly CCW that no one would have thought possible 30 years ago and the acknowledgement that the 2A is an individual right. How did his happen, see the above advice. Threats make us look bad, effective organizing gets things done.
FQ13  

You really are blind with the Kool aid FQ, If we actually had a viable "democratic process" (actually an ELECTION process, Democracy is nothing but mob rule while THIS country has a set of rules in place )
These bottom feeding scumbags would not have been elected.
Rope rants, Who's venting, I'd put up with another hernia to participate in hanging some  (if not all ) of the 345 worst employees in the country.
As for the threats, every damn one of them should spend their entire term in fear for their lives, that is how liberty is preserved.
Should killing the politician become a necessity and a family members gets in the way, oh well, crap happens. But to target the family members is not only wrong, it violates the Constitution,

" but no
Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except
during the Life of the Person attainted."

It also violates the Biblical admonition about the "Sins of the Father being visited upon the Son."