Two's a Trend: Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman Gunned Down at Party Headquarters

Word just came down the wire that Bill Gwatney, former state senator and current chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party, was shot multiple times in the upper torso by a lone gunman in the Democratic Party's headquarters. The assassin, one Tim Johnson, age 50, then hopped into a pickup truck and led police on a chase before being shot himself -- he later died. Gwatney is in critical condition. (UPDATE: Several hours after the shooting, Gwatney died.)

Like I said, this just happened a little while ago. Motives are still up in the air. Maybe it was a personal matter that led Johnson to stroll into Little Rock's Democratic Party headquarters and blast away. The truth will soon out. But I'm far from the only one whose immediate suspicions equated this shooting with the recent crazed spree of Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly and Michael Savage fan Jim Adkisson, who ambled into a left-leaning Unitarian Universalist church in July with a shotgun in his hands and a loathing in his heart. Books by the aforementioned blowhards were found in his home, and he told police that, along with chronic unemployment, his reason for killing two innocent churchgoers was the church's liberal leanings.

If that is what we have here -- and that is a very big "if" at this point -- we need to go back and revisit that reading list into which the press studiously refused to delve deeply in the aftermath of the Adkisson massacre. After Columbine, spotlight-hungry congressmen -- Joe Lieberman chief among them -- were quick to point that shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were big fans of Marilyn Manson. After Oklahoma City, much was made of the fact that Tim McVeigh had a copy of The Turner Diaries. Hell, people even dissected the fact that Mark David Chapman was carrying a copy of The Catcher in the Rye when he took out John Lennon.

And yet, when we learned of Adkisson's reading list, it simply sat there, all too fittingly like an elephant in the room. If this latest attack turns out to carry similar motives to that of Adkisson, perhaps we should start wondering whether when someone says...

"I tell people don't kill all the liberals. Leave enough so we can have two on every campus -- living fossils -- so we will never forget what these people stood for." (Rush Limbaugh)

Or

"My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times building." (Ann Coulter)

Or

"I'll tell you who should be tortured and killed at Guantanamo -- every filthy Democrat in the U.S. Congress." (Sean Hannity)

Or

"To fight only the al-Qaeda scum is to miss the terrorist network operating within our own borders ... Who are these traitors? Every rotten radical left-winger in this country, that's who." (Michael Savage)

... that maybe these statements have some, small effect on some small percentage of listeners. That maybe, just maybe, when Sean Hannity says that Democrats should be tortured and killed, someone might actually take him seriously. We have already decided in this country that free speech, while enjoying a broad reach, ends at yelling fire in a theater. So the only question we have to ask is whether Savage, Hannity and their ilk are yelling fire.

Is it getting hot in here?

Comments

[Michale32086]

CONT

Now, out of those 7840 criminal homicides, we have 2... TWO... that could be, maybe, possibly be related to political ideology. In other words .0255 PERCENT of the criminal homicides in the give period could be, might be, possibly be political ideology related..

So, BASED on that, you want to call a TREND... Based on .0255 percent...

Oookaaay... Fine... You can paint it pink and call it an elephant if you want..

BUT...

You propose to CENSOR people that you disagree SOLELY BASED on a COMPLETELY UNPROVEN .0255 PERCENT chance that there is a TREND of Republican on Liberal violence.. You want to completely NEGATE a group of people's First Amendment rights SOLELY based on a completely unfounded idea that there is a .0255% "trend" in violence perpetrated against liberals allegedly because of political ideology???

Are you people SERIOUS!????

So, when it comes right down to it, ya'all really don't believe in freedom and liberty, do you??

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

Let's analyze this "trend"...

First off, let's define "trend"

1. the general course or prevailing tendency; drift: trends in the teaching of foreign languages; the trend of events.
2. style; vogue: the new trend in women's apparel.
3. the general direction followed by a road, river, coastline, or the like.

Obviously, #1 best fits the usage in this commentary..

So, what we have postulated here is that two crimes that involved shootings and Democrats and/or Liberals over a span of ... what?? 2 weeks???

OK.. So, in 14 days time, we have had 2 shootings that involved white men as the shooters and Democrats and liberals as the alleged targets..

In the Adkisson shootings, there is no definitive proof that liberals were the targets. There IS evidence to support the idea that it was CHRISTIANS who were the targets.. But, for the sake of this analysis, we are going to assume that liberals were the targets..

Now, let's take a look at statistics...

A thousand people a day die as a result of guns. Of these 1000 deaths, on average 560 are criminal
homicides
http://www.iansa.org/campaigns_events/documents/2006/Statistics-2.pdf

OK, so we have 560 criminal homicides every day.. Multiply that by 14 days and we get 7840 criminal homicides...

CONT

[wendynyc]

No NO NO - take 'em out - just like they recommend doing to their opponents!!

[certainot]

what better place in America to wave signs and boycott than at the local right wing talk radio station. limbaugh is on 500 or so, that's an avg of 10 per state so there's one near every American.

progressives must recognize that the talk radio monopoly provides coordinated uncontested repetition to 50-70MIL Americans. if rove was the architect, limbaugh and sons do the heavy lifting. talk radio stations are the power centers of the GOP.

the groundwork for most hate and swiftboating is done on talk radio where no one checks the truth and they can say it all day long. as kerry found out, by the time it shows up in the tv and print it's too late- it's been pounded into the earholes of 50MIL and that makes it true.

Dem party/ obama should invoke limbaugh as the main guy left to represent the principles and morals of the modern republican party. give him the recognition he deserves for spearheading the effort to get the GOP where is today and where the USA is today.

it is time for the Dem party to fund a site with searchable database of transcripts of major national and local talkers. it will give dems a heads up on what the GOP is doing next since talk radio is often used to do the prep work for their media and legislative strategies.

[DixieChic]

Amen. I live in a very red state and work with the public. I also read local online message boards and I can assure you, that the overly heated and hate-filled rhetoric coming from these right-wing idiots is having its *intended*(!?!?!?) effect. I hear thinnly-veiled threats often and it comes DIRECTLY from Rush and his ilk. The only difference between the far-right rush's, hannity's, and coulters and old-school klansmen are (imho) 1: the sophistication of their media; 2: the target of their hate-filled scapegoating; and 3) the lack of stupid-looking robes. Unfortunately, instead of being marginalized by most of society like the klan, the far-right hate-mongers like rush and hannity, etc., become media celebrities and make lots of $$$ for their corporate masters whose bidding they dutifully perform and in whose interest they are clearly vested. That's why the MSM will not press this issue - it goes against their own corporate interest.

As grotesque as the far-right propaganda machine was in 2000 and 2004, it has clearly been taken to new and dangerous depths this election cycle. (I often hear and read references to Obama being the *anti-christ* ... what a new and dangerous low in American political discourse.)

Unfortunately, I don't really see how to effectively counter this mess. But I will certainly join others in protests whenever possible.

[suzannemaria]

I once heard one of these right-wing talk show hosts say on his radio show that liberals should be rounded up and put in World War II style internment camps. Recommending people with opinions different than ours be put in a internment camp is about as un-american as it gets. When Rev. Wright said things many Americans believed to be un-american he was villified. Yet, when Michael Savage, Rush, and company do it they become multi-millionaires.

[goldnchyl]

So, considering all that we know, why aren't Limbaugh et al being tried as enemies of the state? Their rhetoric certainly jeopardizes the sanctity of American life and they are held virtually unaccountable.

[Phidippides]

Umm, I dunno, Mr. President. Maybe because you haven't gutted Freedom of Speech yet. But you go right ahead: the American people no longer recognize their rights when they are being used by others.

[Michale32086]

@wendynyc

}}}}}}}}}}}}}
Someone needs to give Sean and Rush and Ann a taste of their own medicine.
They need to be called names and exposed for what they are - hypocrites - that are getting filthy rich spreading hate - off the public air-waves.
}}}}}}}}}}}}}

Fine...

Get the hysterical Left to start their own radio programs and say all the nasty and mean things that the hysterical Right says..

Oh wait.. The hysterical Left tried that. It always failed.

Now, why do you think that is???

Michale.....

[certainot]

its actually doing better than a business could expect to do against a well entrenched monopoly and without the huge subsidies that monopoly enjoyed when it started. and progressive radio doesn't have to lie- there is so much material to work with, exposing republican corruption and incompetence.

[Michale32086]

It is??

Can you cite any evidence??

Last I heard, the biggest experiment, Air America went bankrupt several times..

Michale.....

[Candisbeenbad]

I think left wing talk radio hasn't been a success because Left wingers don't need someone to predigest the news for them and tell them what to think the way right wingers do

[Michale32086]

@jsk1

}}}}}}}}}}
Again, the First Amendment is not absolute.
{{{{{{{{

Ohmygod!! Did a LIBERAL just say that!!!????

Michale.....

[dbeden]

prove to me the First Amendment is absolute.

You can't threaten the President's life.

You can't cry "fire" in a crowded theater unless there really is a fire.

Defamation is not protected speech.

Neither is hate speech.

Are you twelve?

[Michale32086]

}}}}}}}}}}
prove to me the First Amendment is absolute.
}}}}}}}}}}}

Don't get me wrong.. I completely agree that the 1st Amendment is not absolute...

I am just VERY surprised to hear it coming from the hysterical Left..

But, then again, the Hysterical Left is notorious for using the Hysterical Right's talking points if it suits their agenda... So I guess it really isn't all that surprising...

Michale...

[Michale32086]

@Gidster

}}}}}}}}}
Because Jodie Foster never once mentioned that Reagan needed killing!
}}}}}}}}}

No, but Reagan's would be assassin did it because of his obsession for Foster. And, according to ya'all, these criminals did it because of their obsession for Rush, Hannity, etc etc...

Ergo, if you want to censor and jail Rush, Hannity et al, then you HAVE to be for censoring and jailing Foster..

Do you see the inherent illogic of your position??

Michale.....

[dbeden]

Idiot...Jodie Foster didn't advocate the death of Reagan. Rush, Hannity et al continuously advocate the death of liberals. Read the article before you post next time.

[Michale32086]

Thank you for your concession that you have no logical or rational argument to counter my position and therefore must resort to immature and childish personal attacks..

How utterly "liberal" of you... NOT...

Your concession is appreciated, albeit irrelevant..

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

@Gidster

}}}}}}}}}}
Ok. That would be the Limbaugh solution. Oh wait...He's an angry white man......
{{{{{{{{{{

Apparently, that is the solution being put forth buy supposedly freedom loving liberals...

Michale.....

[saltpeter]

While McCarthy-like neo-con tactics are entirely antithetical to American plurality and the spirit of our Union but still they are effective in a culutre where winning even by a little means everything. It's a bi-product of the "winner take all" nature our form of democracy, where a party can often get the false impression of an absolute mandate with only slightly over 51% of the vote. AND the neo-cons have learned to play this distinctive attribute of our democracy for all it's worth. And all their sic dogs (from Rush to O'Reilly to Savage, etc) are using their targeted rhetoric to frighten enough Americans into thinking that even of Liberal influence in our government is enough to erode the fabric of all that is good and righteous about being America. Forget the fact that it has been pro-union, pro-civil rights, and other progressive social and economic policies that have been the ideas that have most strongly influenced the full enactment of our Constitution for every American but that kind of thinking assumes some level of nuanced thinking on the part of the American electorate, an attribute we have yet to fully achieve.

Liberals and moderates need to fight back against the rhetoric. Assuming neo-cons are just a bunch of blowhards who aren't serious about their deep-seated fear and hatred of people not like them won't do anymore. Many of these people are, infortunately, deadly serious.

[certainot]

it has always been there but when reagan killed the Fairness Doctrine the guys it gave them the biggest soapbox in the country. and the cowards don't even take calls, with a few exceptions, aside from the usual butt kissing fawners. but there are reasons to listen once in a while:

1) to find out what the GOP wants to do next- talk radio does the groundwork for them
2) to find out who the local sponsors are to boycott and call them- be nice, often they would rather not sponsor the blowhards but they have all the biggest stations- and to collect good reasons for picketing the station.
3) to call once in a while- and unless you really think you can get on just pretend the screener is who you want to vent to. he might mention to management that hundreds of people are yelling at him every day.

[saltpeter]

At some point Democrats are going need to take seriously the nature of the neo-con beast. Neo-cons (unlike traditional conservatives) don't want to defeat liberals they want to destroy them. And they use the kind of the rhetoric that is typically utilized by those engaged in ethnic cleansing crusades to make their point.

Most don't realise it but much of this kind of demogoguery has it's roots with Joe McCarthy. While those who opposed to McCarthy were either too busy defending their reputation or being aghast that such tactics were being imposed upon Americans, McCarthy knew that he could throw off his enemies and achieve the ultimate goals of his party with this kind of fear-mongering (although, like Newt Gingrich, McCarthy was used an extremist scapegoat and did not reach his own personal political goals). The goal of McCarthyism as is the goal of neo-conservatism is not to prove their own ideology as being correct but by painting their opposition as being horribly wrong if not down right unAmerican. From using fear and intimidation to demonize "socialism" in the 50's and "liberalism" in the 90's onward, the goal is to use emotionally charged rhetoric to gain support from wayward working Americans. They use divide and conquer tactics between whites and minorities and create the sense of a BOGUS cultural war that makes virtually powerless people believe that sharing power with others leads to even less power for oneself.

[wendynyc]

Someone needs to give Sean and Rush and Ann a taste of their own medicine.
They need to be called names and exposed for what they are - hypocrites - that are getting filthy rich spreading hate - off the public air-waves.

[Sixtwo]

Only in America! Divide and conquer. Hatred will destroy this country, and the just and the unjuist will suffer at the hands of a few crazy people--those who spread venom in the name of "freedom of speech".

[jsk1]

They (the haters) are using the public's airwaves, and can be held accountable (altho Reagan weakened/abolished FCC regulations, that tide can return). Also, the First Amendment is not absolute, as other posters have noted. Call your congress members.

Much as I oppose censorship and know that media messages don't directly cause violent behavior (Ozzy does not force kids to commit suicide, nor does the movie Money Train lead to violence, for example), with freedom comes responsibility and at least their corporate fathers should hold these folks to some standards. Money doesn't justify everything after all. And their audiences must also be held accountable for what they condone through passive acquiesence.

Finally, I'd argue that Hannity, Limbaugh, etc. are not journalists at all and therefore, like advertisers or obscenity purveyors...or as broadcasters for that matter, can have regulations imposed on them that limit expression. Again, the First Amendment is not absolute.

[Crake]

There are strong similarities with these killings and the Rwandan Genocide which was orchestrated and encouraged through hate-radio... just look at the titles of some of these books.. 'Liberalism is a Mental Disorder' If thats not trying to instigate prejudice I don't know...