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The death threats keep coming this fine morning. I guess the Tea Party crew is determined to have “death panels” one way or another. The dustup started because of this cartoon:
“Learn to Speak Tea Bag” ran on my usual client sites, including NPR, which really set off the guys over here, here (note Condi giving child flowers down by "donate" button), here, here and here. Before you could say, “due to a pre-existing condition, your health coverage has been denied,” there was a full-fledged viral campaign by right-wing media outlets and blogs to jump, scream and shout about this animation. Which, to me, is just great!
I say that not because I get some thrill out of receiving emails that are in all capital letters or have more exclamation points than letters in the alphabet, I say that because one of the most important functions of a political cartoon, or political animation, is to foster a discussion. With thousands of comments posted, loads of emails and tweets, discussion was definitely fostered, and then some. It’s the “then some” that worries me.
Of course discussion on the web is not known for its civility, but it finally dawned on me the strangeness of receiving death threats at the same time a crazed Somali extremist tried to kill cartoonist Kurt Westergaard.
Muslim extremist, meet Tea Party extremist. Tea Party extremist, meet Muslim extremist.
That is not to say all people who associate with the Tea Party movement are killers, just as not all Muslims from Somalia are killers. I have very good friends from Somalia, and I have wonderful relatives in Idaho who are pro-gun, anti-government conservatives.
People in this world, my dear Tea Baggers, are not always categorized into easy boxes of Left vs. Right, Socialist vs. Patriot.
As a matter of fact, I myself am a left-leaning, pro-gay-marriage San Franciscan, Catholic, anti-Bush, anti-Nader guy who guts his own fish, has cut down trees with a chain saw and took political science classes with Mary Cheney. Is your head imploding yet?
Surprisingly, one of the aspects of the animation that seems to really enrage the Tea Party set is the term “Tea Bag.” Their claim is that the cartoon uses “bag” instead of “party” in order to take a cheap sexual shot at the Tea Party patriots. You can do your own research on the alternative meaning of “tea bag,” I won’t link to anything here. Oh, except maybe I should link to some Tea Whatever sites that use the very term that appalls them so. Here a bag, there a bag, everywhere a bag bag! (Too bad the sexual angle eliminates any discussion of why the Tea Party crew thinks attempting to reform a disastrous health care system amounts to Socialism, Fascism, Nazism, etc.)
Another aspect of the rabid criticism is that NPR, an organization living high on the hog thanks to the mother’s milk of government (animal metaphors, all around!), should not be funding my anti-Tea Bagger cartoons with taxpayer money. But alas, NPR does most of its villainous work using sponsorship, pledge drives and good ol’ fashioned Capitalism! According to the NPR site, a tiny one to two percent of their yearly funding comes via grants from crazed Socialist organizations like the National Science Foundation, CPB and (gasp!) the NEA. After all is said and done, the amount of taxpayer money that changed hands because NPR posted “Learn to Speak Tea Bag” was about, um . . . two-dollars and twenty-five cents. If you want to dig deeper into NPR’s financial statements, they are publicly available here.
If that sort of taxpayer funding bothers you, you definitely should avoid any taxpayer-funded city streets, return your government-sponsored digital converter box and avoid doing business with any bank that owes its existence to a taxpayer bailout.
To all of you who have written emails and comments, I really wish I could respond to every one of you. I truly appreciate your taking the time to write, even if we may be on different sides of the political fence. If there is one thing that my politically mixed San Francisco/Idaho background has taught me, it is benefit of continuing a discussion even if you don’t agree. Too often these days, the Left and the Right immediately shut down if you are deemed to be from the opposing camp. Here’s to good discussion even if we don’t agree.
Now please don’t kill me :-)
Do Something!
Comments
I think your observations
I think your observations are poignant and pretty spot-on. I don't know if Obama and his advisors are, as you put it, "on the Titanic and don't even realize it". If that is the case, then we're all in that boat together, teabaggers included. I won't belabor that analogy further, suffice it to say, "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past", to quote Thomas Jefferson. Interesting, isn't it, how people on both sides of a controversy or issue can borrow just as freely from any of the "Founding Fathers" in defense of their own viewpoints? Here's one from Ben Franklin: "Force shites upon Reason." (from Poor Richard's Almanac"
Rock on. Second paragraph, I
Rock on.
Second paragraph, I agree, mostly. I have seen some conservative people squirm when confronted with the logical outcomes of some of their arguments. The trick is to keep the dialogue going long enough.
The decent ones may not abandon their principles, and I don't ask them to do so. The frothing fringe provide entertainment when it becomes apparent that it can't improve its argument by raising its voice. That works on radio, but not at the dinner table.
Fool is a pretty strong word for Obama, but it's a dumb advisor who doesn't risk folly to ensure that he or she really has covered all possible options, not merely the probable or most convenient ones.
Mark -- Bravo for meeting
Mark --
Bravo for meeting the "death threats" with insight and good humor. Sadly that stuff is all too common. I got death threats as a high profile gay activist back in the 80's. Hell, as a gay man I used to get death threats just walking down the street back in the 70's.
And people who bring guns to political rallies are already kinda death-threatening.....
I'm a reformed liberal, and
I'm a reformed liberal, and now fully support the Tea Party movement. The main jist of the gatherings is to protest insane government spending and deficits, and telling the government to hold to the principals of limited government held by founders like Jefferson, Washington and Madison. That's really about it.
I've found the folks there to be friendly, hard-working family people. I'd say 97% +. Do they have a strongly held point of view? As your favorite ex-Alaskan Governor would say, "You Betcha!"
Are there a few wackos? Unfortunately, yes. I saw a couple at the Seattle rally on Tax day... They happened to be anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli. I don't know if they cared about the Tea Party protests, but they were there. They were jeered (including by me) a bit, but tolerated.
In any event, I'll take the liberty to say I and 97%+ of the Tea Party condemn threats and acts of violence against political opponents.
GregInSeattle
I am not a liberal but a
I am not a liberal but a small c conservative, but this spending statement makes me laugh after all the money said "conservatives" like Bush his supporters / advisors spent on Iraq and Wall Street bail outs...
way to walk the walk LOL
I thought the idea behind health care reform was to save money make sure more people have access to health care.
Was Jim Adkisson friendly
Was Jim Adkisson friendly when he opened up at a liberal church and killed two, wounded half a dozen.
Was Ralph Nicoletti friendly on election night when he learned Obama won, went on a rampage against blacks. The idiot mistook an anglo wearing a hoodie for a black man and rammed him with his car. The victim was in a coma for 45 days and has severe brain damage.
Well, this is a "sin of the
Well, this is a "sin of the majority" issue. What exactly is the sin of the majority of Muslims when 9/11 occurred? Well, there were lots of muslims who condemned, in no uncertain terms, the killings, and that was good. But there were plenty of mosques in the Middle East with people cheering "death to America!"
Frankly, if your mosque was full of people cheering "death to America!" on 9/11, you are asking to be flattened. This has nothing to do with Islam or Muslims or any other category of people or ethnic or religious background. This has to do with pushing it just a little too far and pissing off the biggest kid on the block. In short, you are stupid to have that image broadcasted around the world.
On the political front here, I do not see the mainstream liberals circling the wagon when PETA or some environmental liberation front pulls off some stunt. Most of us are just rolling our eyes, and would never say anything positive about these *@#!! idiots on national TV. You will never see anyone blaming the fur wearer when some PETA operative sprays red paint on that person.
On the other hand, when Sarah Palin opens her mouth, the main stream conservatives DO circle the wagons and blast the liberals for "hating her"? Really? "Hate"? I have no clue what she is like in person. I don't need to "like" her or "hate" her. She is a dope, pure and simple. That does not need "hate". It only requires that you watch her waffle when she, as a journalism major, cannot name a single newpaper or magazine she has read.
If you conservatives would just roll your eyes and wish Sarah Palin would go away, when we would have more respect for your opinions, and would spend more effort listening. However, that is generally not the case. There appears to be plenty of Sarah Palin fans that can't shut up about how much they like her, but then cannot name anything specific when asked about the issues that Sarah represents for them.
How many Tea Partiers have you seen protesting government health care only to also say dumb stuff like "don't touch my Medicare!"?
If these people want respect for the Tea Party movement, keep the dumbasses off the TV!
get real. you state "If you
get real. you state "If you conservatives would just roll your eyes and wish Sarah Palin would go away, when we would have more respect for your opinions, and would spend more effort listening." I don't like Ms. Palin, but do agree with some of what she says. You did not listen to the right side of the isle before Palin, what will cause you to listen when she is history? Yes, some of what is said and believed by the right is worthy of eye rolling, however, have you listened to what some of your party leaders say? How about Harry Reid? Nancy Palosi? Barbra Boxer? Shela Jackson Lee? James Carville?
It is also childish and immature to call someone a “dope” because you don’t like their position on issues and their accent is not as refined as yours. Your “leaders” as well as many others in national politics from BOTH parties, are not well spoken and don’t sound as sophisticated as Mr. Obama. However, I do not like where he and his party are taking the country. I did not like where the previous administration was taking the country. If you talk to me, I don’t sound as “sophisticated” as Mr. Obama, yet my educational credentials far exceed his. If you want an open and real debate, you will need to drop all of your prejudices (yes, judging someone for their accent or regional dialects and phrases is just as prejudicial as judging by appearance). Listen to their point. Don’t complain because they use a teleprompter or write a few words on their hand as a memory tool. AFTER they have completed their point, provide your counter point. While this often (too frequently) does not work when in a face to face discussion, it is easily available in a forum such as this. Drop the name calling and make your points. Be honest with yourself and don’t claim that if that side does this, you will do that, if you really don’t mean it.
Just as an aside, I do not completely agree with either liberals or conservatives. I like some of both and there are some positions that I don’t agree with either side. But, if we would have a dialogue instead of trying to call names and have an insult contest, we may be able to work something out that we could all live with and would move the country and our civilized society forward.
I doubt if what you are
I doubt if what you are saying here is true (concerning the threats.) Seems to me that the Nazi cry was heard most from liberals during the Bush administration.
Funny, I don't recall that.
Funny, I don't recall that.
The Nazi references I recall compared the Bush tactics which left dangerously exposed flanks of our tank corps during Desert Storm resembling same type of tactical mistake the Nazis made at Kursk which resulted in military disaster.
In the context of GWB and
In the context of GWB and friends ignoring the Constitution, getting us into Iraq, which had nothing to do with 9/11, and that GWB was calling himself "The Decider", I think the shoe fit better on GWB.
The Right calling President Obama a Nazi is based on nothing but false innuendos and lies. There is nothing the President has done that reflects the verbal garbage spewed by Tea Baggers.
You are so right, the way
You are so right, the way Obama is inserting the government into the auto, housing and financial industries, not to mention heatlh care, he should actually be referred to as Chavez.
Only a complete idiot would raise taxes while we are at a 10+% unemployment.
Maybe it would help if you
Maybe it would help if you knew the meaning of "NAZI"- "National Socialist". Look it up, and then decide for yourself who best fits that description.
Calling themselves National
Calling themselves National Socialists was simply another Nazi lie to gain the support of the working class and assist them on their rise to power. They were Nationalists, to be sure, but hardly Socialists. But the lie (as many are) was effective.
Maybe what he should do is
Maybe what he should do is focus his attention on something far more serious....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hhJ_49leBw&feature=player_embedded
Keep it up Mark, you are a
Keep it up Mark, you are a hilariously brilliant cartoonist! don't let these looney bin right wing nut psychopathic idiots scare you. Sure, they all own guns and believe in their right to carry them to presidential rallys, but hell, who doesn't? *smirk*
All I'm saying is that people who aren't smart enough to understand why Obama isn't hitler (you know, outside of the millions of jews slaughtered) don't even deserve an explanation from you. Most of them are dimwitted racist hill billys to whom ridicule is the only way to get through that thick cromagnon skull of theirs. Party on tea baggers! Sure, its nothing at all like the original tea party, but hey, reality and facts haven't stopped you in the past!
Mark, you really think
Mark, you really think you're fostering good political discussions with insulting and misrepresentative stereotypes? That would be why you've garnered the support of people like this, who characterize the opposite extreme of your cartoon.
Or maybe your ridicule just wasn't enough to get through my thick cromagnon skull! Keep trying. I'm sure a few more insults will cure my stupidity.
I doubt anything could cure
I doubt anything could cure your stupidity Anon.
Darn you have in just a
Darn you have in just a minute and a half done what I've been trying to do for nearly seven years now i.e. getting under the skin of the right wingers.
Only a fool would believe
Only a fool would believe this hate filled leftist. This is nothing but a publicity stunt for a publicity lacking true tea bagger.
An organization is merely
An organization is merely the sum of its parts. The Tea Party movement includes sociopaths, racists, gun nuts, and some who are clinically insane. This is what they do. It's to be expected.
Most excellent - I saw this
Most excellent - I saw this earlier but didn't here dumb ass O'Reilly mention it....not that I would but sometimes Keith Olberman has a short video on what has got the loopha man worked up for the day - if it's not the war on Christmas now this???
Hilarious - build a panic room like Jodie Foster!
This is great satire! Thanks
This is great satire! Thanks for the laughs, and reposted:
http://arizonarainman.blogspot.com/2010/01/learn-to-speak-tea-bag.html
Thanks for finally putting
Thanks for finally putting liberal opinions of conservative brainwashing in terms they can understand.
Top conservatives are afraid they will lose their control of people who don't realize they keep voting against their own interest.
Now if we could just get
Now if we could just get this guy to do a cartoon on Obama crying that it is all Bush's fault and he inherited all of this....of course he always forgets to mention that he actually asked for it..
As an independant I am tired of all of the right and left wing crap. I say vote them all out and start over.
I would like to teabag Sarah
I would like to teabag Sarah Palin.
Careful, I bet she bites
Careful, I bet she bites
That's the only way that
That's the only way that poor, stupid woman could ever be "on the ball."
Does Sarah have the proper
Does Sarah have the proper anatomical parts that can be teabagged? I mean, she has run away from any responsibility her whole life.
ummm... I don't care. I just
ummm... I don't care. I just want to do the act. If she makes betray my liberal leanings and scream out praising the Tea Party movement I would gladly do it.
Bravo! Bravo! Brilliant!
Bravo! Bravo! Brilliant!
with Druggie Limbaugh, Beck, Hal Turner, mAnn Coulter and others Inciting Killing Liberals, Coulter saying "We need to execute people like John Walker in order to physically intimidate liberals, by making them realize that they can be killed, too."
Preaching Hate, Intolarerance, bigotry, knowing we have MILLIONS of Americans going thrugh the toughest days of their lives, Loosing their homes and everything they own, families falling apart, Record Alcoholism, Suicide, Homelessness, Layoffs, and these Shameless Pigs are poking the bee hive with a stick, constantly Yelling "FIRE" in the theater of American Media, and calling it Truth, Wisdome, Fairness,
Hate Politics Leads to Violence: Tennessee Shooter Attacked Liberals... "If life aint worth living anymore don't just Kill yourself. Do something for your Country before you go. Go Kill Liberals!"
James David Adkisson attacked a church, killing two people and wounding seven more, all because of it's liberal views.
This was a violent attack on liberals. It was inspired by years of wingnuts talking about how much they hate liberals and wish they could do something about them. This was NO MISTAKE, it was NO ACCIDENT! It was Premeditated!
Thank you. It's difficult
Thank you. It's difficult to ask someone to stand up to death threats, but please don't let them silence you.
Keep up the good work and
Keep up the good work and don't back down - humor is one of the most important tools for revealing the truth.
I have come to find a lot of the Tea party/Teabagger types are extremely insecure. This is the group of shouting down people during supposed debates, carrying guns to public events, and invoking images of Nazism repeatedly. It's as if they're throwing themselves into a frenzy in order to not have to really think about things.
However, I think they DO realize deep down there's a problem. They last few years of Republican rule were a dismal failure. They, the supposed bastion against invasive and overlarge government cheered wars, torture, and a balooning deficit. They know they were very, very wrong over the years - they just can't take admitting it. Most people are quite smart - they choose stupidity.
You revealed the stupidity. They can't take it.
So keep it up. Just be careful as some may be truly crazy - but the power of shame can work wonders.
Well said. They realize
Well said. They realize there is a problem, but instead of taking the time to get informed, think things through rationally, and offer up constructive suggestions of their own, they seem to prefer to remain ignorant, find someone to blame, and shout irrational and offensive statements at those trying to address the issues. Their behavior is contrary to their own best interests, but a good number of them have been too busy prostrating themselves on the alters of profiteering right-wing entertainers like Rush, Coulter, Beck, and Palin, who have nothing more altruistic than filling their own pockets in mind, to notice.
Back when I was younger, Tea
Back when I was younger, Tea Party meant smoking a joint. That's much preferable to teabagging.
Can you please capture the
Can you please capture the alleged "death threats" on print screen or give some valid proof you're receiving them? An IP address? Anything? Because I could say you're threatening me and without proof, well, just sayin...I believe you may be lying as I've never met a violent "TEAbagger". Could be your overactive imagination - are you seeing black helicopters also?
How about the teabagger with
How about the teabagger with the gun and the poster asking for the death of Obama? He didn't strike me as a care bear.
"I could say you're
"I could say you're threatening me and without proof, well, just sayin..."
"Could be your overactive imagination - are you seeing black helicopters also?"
Shut the hell up, Teabagger. You are no different than the Muslim extremists protesting Mohammed drawings, Freeper.
He's right,I have never met
He's right,I have never met a tea party person who advocated violence.(Just the opposite.) Thanks for comparing us to violent extremists and telling us to shut the hell up. You're proof that the progressives "allow" discourse- as long as it amounts to " Oh, your so right , enlightened one! Teach me the way! " I hope you continue, because you show cannot debate on the facts. We don't want you to shut up OR die. Maybe someday when you grow up you'll understand.
What, exactly, do you think
What, exactly, do you think it means when tea party members show up in the city parks armed and shouting about "taking back OUR country" and "starting a new revolution"? Very few of the tea party members here bother to be well informed about local issues and show up at the appropriate government meetings or otherwise take part in crafting or amending legislation through the public process. However, I've seen many of them engage in intimidation, threatening speech, and shouting irrational and offensive remarks.
We all need to sit down, stop the name calling and other childish and boorish behavior, and rationally work together to deal with the issues of the day. Democrats and Republicans alike need to stop putting party power first, and get busy working on some real solutions.
a tea bagger is no different
a tea bagger is no different than a Muslim extremist??? wow that is reaching. I guess if he called you a Nazi that would be ok??
As an independent, I am tired of all the crap that right and left wing nuts are accusing each other of.
When will you folks realize that both parties have put us in the situation that we are in??
I think you're all missing
I think you're all missing the point. I am about as against Fiore's worldview as you can possibly be, but I don't wish him any harm, and it makes me sick that there are some people who could do that.
Mr. Fiore, if you truly have been getting death threats, I want to apologize to you on behalf of the millions of RATIONAL conservatives out there who just happen to disagree with your politics.
now personally I thought your cartoon was lame, and I don't understand why it's so important for one side to demonize the other side. when did we stop being able to have policy disagreements in this country? it was patriotic to diss Bush; it's treasonous to diss Obama. why is that?
but the important thing is, may you live long in good health and not worried for your safety. most of us on the righty side of the scale, I assure you, do not have anything personal against you, and are embarrassed that some of our ranks are so monstrous as to do this.
"it was patriotic to diss
"it was patriotic to diss Bush; it's treasonous to diss Obama."
First: This is the sort of "you do it, too, so why can't we" argument.
Except that it means that you didn't bother to listen to the complaints in the first place. The complaint were "WDM threat exaggerated" or "CIA agent outed" or "you hired an Arabian Horse Association guy to run FEMA". Those are not just trivial insults. They are not "disses". They are real complaint with real substance that require real action to address.
If you started by pretending these were all just petty insults and nothing more, then you didn't have to do the hard work of actually listening to the issues and thinking about them. It was a cute political trick and it allowed your base to not have to think because you could just ignore it all as non-substantive.
It also means that now you can throw "disses" at Obama because, well, you thought they did it to Bush.
Nice trick but we're not falling for it.
If you want discussion, it has to go both ways.
Second: It was the Republicans who called any Bush critic an unpatriotic, treasonous person. Just take a look at the blogs, the newpapers, the magazines and the books published by the right, and "treason" and "unpatriotic" is peppered throughout that media.
You really think you can get away with pretending that it was the other way around?
GREAT video!!! America
GREAT video!!!
America Rising: An Open Letter to Democrat Politicians
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=662R2awSwPQ&feature=related
Wow. What a complete waste
Wow. What a complete waste of time that was.
Can I invoice you for the 3 minutes of my life I wasted on your recommendation?
I was very critical of Bush
I was very critical of Bush (and still am) for specific things he said and did (tax cuts, invading Iraq, Guantanamo, etc.). It's fine to diss Obama based on things he has actually said and done (or has said he wants to do). I am very critical of his appointmentof Geithner and Summers, and his wimp out on health care reform. It is not okay to diss him for things he has not said or done(ex. complains that he never uses the word terrorism). It is really not okay to use explicitly racist language and imagery.
75% of the country is with
75% of the country is with you, Mark, which is about 100% of the sane, full of sense of humor populace.
3% don't know enough
22% need to learn USA Civility 101
-Hand salute
Using their own terminology
Using their own terminology of "Tea Party" instead of "Tea Bagger" would make an interesting cartoon.
I'm sure Charles Dodgson would approve.
Your cartoons are brilliant!
Your cartoons are brilliant!
Please Please Please Keep them coming !!!!
I love how the baggers can
I love how the baggers can dish it out (see photos of the President painted to look like the Joker,) but they can't take it.
Dear Baggers: It's called freedom of the press.
You might have heard of it.
It's in the Constitution.
Mr. Fiore, keep doing that voodoo yoo doo so well. Thank you.
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