Hate-Speech: The Real Pandemic

Reading Frank Rich's recent, gripping essay in The New York Times on the growing frenzy of hate-speech aimed at President Obama, I was struck by one paragraph in particular.

Following Obama's recent address in Cairo, Rich writes, "It was a prominent former Reagan defense official, Frank Gaffney, not some fringe crackpot, who...claimed that the President---a lifelong Christian--- 'may still be' a Muslim and is aligned with 'the dangerous global movement known as the Muslim Brotherhood.' Gaffney linked Obama by innuendo with Islamic 'charities' that 'have been convicted of providing material support for terrorism.'"

What's so disturbing about Gaffney's remarks is that, as Rich points out, he's not "some fringe crackpot." But, like some other GOP leaders---and practically every commentator on Fox News, particularly Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly and those silly twits on the network's morning show, "Fox and Friends"---he might as well be. Not only are these prominent people and their ilk giving "aid and comfort" to America's lunatic fringe, they're fanning the flames of hatred.

None of this is news to anyone with access to a radio, TV or the Internet. What is news, however, is the unchecked level of rancor, and the seeming lack of interest in how this wave of hate-speech may well contribute to more tragedies like the recent shooting at the Holocaust Memorial Museum.

After all, a case could be made that Bill O'Reilly's relentless attacks on Dr. George Tiller contributed to the atmosphere that spawned his unrepentent assassin. As Rich reminds us, O'Reilly called the doctor "Tiller the baby-killer...likening him to Nazis, on 29 of his shows before the doctor was murdered at his church in Kansas."

No wonder there's a growing concern among responsible citizens that the similar, increasingly acrid commentary and criticism leveled at the Obama administration might very well put the president in mortal danger.

As a therapist, I see daily the fear and frustration caused by uncertainty about the future and the changes it may bring---socially, culturally and financially. However, my patients---indeed, the vast majority of people---work hard to address their concerns with a healthy perspective, and to develop the kind of flexibility necessary to be a viable part of that future. They adapt, change and grow. That's what being an American has always been about. It's one of our nation's greatest strengths.

But a strident handful of Americans don't see it that way. As Rich goes on to write, these people "are irrationally fearful of the fast-moving generational, cultural and racial turnover Obama embodies---indeed, of the 21st century itself."

As research has demonstrated time and again, when people feel threatened by change they don't comprehend, they retreat to the dubious comfort of simple, demonizing slogans and reactive beliefs. They nurse imaginary grievances, give rein to paranoia, and blame all their unhappiness on "the other," on those who are different than themselves.

One likes to imagine these people living in relative isolation, without exposure or access to the larger society. The unsettling reality is that now they have their own shows on right-wing talk radio, or on cable news programs, or in myriad blogs. They're noted people who guest on Meet the Press, give interviews to national newspapers, and hold leadership positions in major political parties.

In other words, like other pandemics, the rhetoric of hate is spreading from the fringes to the mainstream. And, to give Frank Rich the last word, "it is getting louder each day of the Obama presidency. No one, not even Fox News viewers, can say they weren't warned."

Comments

[rjw918]

BTW, the Frank Rich column he was referring to is at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/opinion/14rich.html

[rjw918]

The hard right is reeling from the fact the American electorate recently divorced them.

Denial and anger are the first two stages of such grief.

There's no arguing with feelings.... We should show our empathy for their pain and help them through this difficult period of adjustment ....

http://rjw-progressive.blogspot.com/2009/06/politically-ugly-uglier-ugliest.html

[tbonehead]

Will the shame be large enough for the US to hide behind if something happens to President Obama? Where will the Becks, O'reilly, Hannity and Limbaughs go to hide? Which rock will fall down on them?

[lgillooly]

I have believed for the last 10 yrs that talk radio and Fox are the Anti-American enemy within. Their loyalty to Party and Corporations far exceeds love of Country.
The reason Goebells and Hitler convinced an entire Country to kill Millions was through propaganda. The Right has built a multi tiered infrastructure through talk radio that follows Goebells recipe.
He said, you can control a people anywhere at any time by doing 3 things
1. Always have an enemy. Real or percieved (Obama,gay­s,immigran­ts,Muslims etc)
2. Always be the Patriot,so that anyone who disagrees with you can be attacked or marginalized
3. Own the media
Hitler added: You must be able to repeat and repeat the message until it becomes the truth (see talk radio)
What will it take for us to realize what is happening?

[freethinking moderate]

Although what you post is the truth, sadly it is not more obvious to more Americans. What is wrong today is easy to trace to rise of Hate Radio & Republican religious extremism.

[stribs]

Great article. If you're going to mention Frank Rich's article, tho, shouldn't you link to it? This being the interwebs and all?

[MGhamma]

The NYT website isn't hard to find, this being the interwebs and all.

[everalone]

As a foreigner from the eu, what is the most scary is the fact the broad unchecked access to firearms.

The USA are an individualist society with few social nets (for western societies standards) , where many people take comfort into identity discourse. In tough economic and fast changing times, it "mathematically" leads to an increase in hate speech and hate crimes of all kinds. You could compare it to post WW1 Europe or more recently post communist Russia from the 90s to nowadays.

The US society wants to allow free speech to anyone, even when those speeches preach hate and incite violence; it also tolerates extremist groups, that are sometimes resembling a paramilitary force, like white supremacists, semi-legal border patrols etc...
In my opinion members of those groups should at least:
-be better monitored
-be forbidden access to firearms.
Now for the generic hate speech on the media, I don't understand why the republican party is endorsing it so fiercely. Are they just stupidly trying to take a petty political advantage from the disarray of many people, at the peril of democracy? or do most of current vocal GOP leaders/talk radio hosts truly belong to the american right wing extremism lineage, that was so powerful before WW2?

[mercedes1947]

When we spend time talking about Fox News and Hannity and Bill O. we are playing into their hands validating the nonsense they spew. I find Bill O's show entertaini­ng...becau­se when I watch I feel highly evolved.

My favorite thing is to watch Bill 'demolish' a guest with his arguments. They are so illogical Mr. Spock would go into cardiac arrest.

Recently, he quoted an expert Dr. from St. Johns Hospital regarding third term abortions. His guest responded the expert does not have first hand personal experience of the pain a pregnancy is causing. A simple answer...his experience is different from a pregnant womans.

Bill responded, "So you're saying the President of St. John's Hospital is lying?

He arguments take quantum leaps like this, it reminds me of when I was a teenager trying to win an argument with my father, who always had to be right not matter how ridiculous his position was...God Bless him.

I think what we need to worry about is Sarah Palin as a legitimate Presidential Candidate.

[smileatfear]

I don't think you have to worry about palin as a legit candidate. She has made herself a laughingstock to most of the nation. Only 12% of repubs see her as a viable candidate and you'd be hard pressed to find 1% among indies and dems who would see her as a potential presidential contender.

[scottflora]

Dennis,

Fantastic column. I agree with you 110%.

Too bad I believe in free speech or I would advocate to flip the “off” switch on those guys’ shows.

Thanks,

Scott

Scott Flora, Vice President
About Books, Inc.
1618 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80904
719-632-8226 www.about-books.com

[smileatfear]

If they can prevent them from saying the word F*&^ then they can certainly prevent them from advocating violence against America or fellow Americans.

[Rogan]

Well said! VERY well said!

[iamarivergirl]

My father loved Hitler and the Nazi's. He honestly believed that Hitler was going to come back and clean out nation of all that my father hated about this country, which was everything but white old men I think. He loved Reagan. He loved Lester Maddox and anyone who thought like him. He would've loved faux news. He was a democrat in the deep south, but turned into a rebuplican mid century because the parties flip flopped, and he went with the party of hate. He said that he could read between the lines of rhetoric and knew the repubs felt just like he did. To hear the hate spewers say that liberals are Nazi's makes my skin crawl. Its exactly like everything they say isgong back in time and parroting Hitler. They prey on the ignorant masses of this country, and they have plenty, because they don't believe in education for the masses. I see this happening right before my eyes. If my father were alive he would be so pleased.

[smileatfear]

Racism, misogyny, hatred of the other all seems to be part of the human condition. Who knows why or where it comes from but it probably has to do with times when there was little to go around and each small family group had to violently protect it's own territory to survive. When I hear these people it always reminds me of dung beetles - pathetic creatures fighting over a dried up piece of sh*t. If only they didn't do so much damage.

Sorry your father was like that. I grew up in a place that was full of angry racists and it still makes me feel that same sickness today I felt as a kid when I heard the hatred and ugliness and hope for violence that they espoused. Gave me years of nightmares.

[CynAnne]

Bravo, Dennis, bravo! I'm sure the duped, doped devotees of Faux's favorite fear-mongers will be here soon, to defend their 'Dear Leaders', but their arguments are nothing more than the same tired excuses they've trotted out before. After all, there's a rather famous quote (in Scriptures) about ".. by their works shall ye know them..", and yes, we know EXACTLY what their 'works' are..dark doomsaying and rhetoric-laden rants, and all of it against everything America should stand for - truth, equality, and FREEDOM OF CHOICE..

[zanzig]

As a therapist, can you get yourself invited on to Oprah's show and discuss this? From a distance it appears that her show cuts across a number of boundaries and may well be the hope for reaching a large number of these fringe crackpots. I don't mean to say that her audience is made up of these people, just that she seems to appeal to a very wide cross section of the population. This is really disturbing and First Amendment rights CAN be taken too far. The Supreme Court HAS held that words which "by their very nature, involve danger to the public peace and to the security of the state." can be proscribed as an exception to the First Amendment. That great jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes spoke of the "clear and present danger" created by words, that must therefore constitute an offence (in that case, under the Espionage Act, but earlier cases under the Sedition Act also resulted in similar findings). Maybe it is the therapists and lawmakers between them who really need to address this in public debate, if America really is a nation of laws.