Tom the Dancing Bug by Ruben Bolling for January 21, 2011

Feigned rage about allegedly violent rhetoric is intended to distract from a more basic point….

The fundamental fact of government is that it is based on the use of force, and the only question is whether that force is constitutionally restrained to the protection of individual rights or if government is allowed to grow unchecked to the detriment of our freedoms.

The Left of all parties has been pushing government expansion for over a century with only hypocritical token resistance from the GOP. The Tea Party movement is dedicated to moving the Right back to rights, and the GOP had better come along or get replaced by another party that will do the job.

These are the issues that the jabber over bull’s-eye imagery is trying to hide.

@pschearer

The outrage isn’t feigned, the rhetoric is violent, and no distraction is intended. What you consider to be an application of force against your personal liberties can also be seen as a reasonable constraint for the welfare of society as a whole.

My side would be more inclined to take your side seriously if you started by owning up to a demon or two.

See, here’s the thing. I think Palin’s poster was in incredibly poor taste, and the reaction of her and her staff was downright idiotic. Having said that, I don’t think she was significantly at fault for the shooting. I do think public figures need to mind what they say, and to avoid targeted violent speech. Now, despite assertions to the contrary, all that was proven is that Loughner isn’t overtly politically partisan in his intent. THAT DOES NOT PROVE he wasn’t (or was) influenced by the nationalistic speech of the right.

I don’t know why you read this comic mdavis, frankly when I found something idiotic I tend to move on and not let it affect me any more.

pschearer, documentabilly the biggest threatening government expansion int he last 40 years was spearheaded by the Republican administrations, so frankly your screed comes over as more of overly protesting than anything else. If the ill-named Tea Party is so concerned about these affairs tell me why was it never formed in the midst of the massive overreaches and fiscal irresponsibility of Bush II and Reagan? Why are the leaders of the Tea Party fundamentally unconcerned about anything except straight white folks? sheesh

I think this comic is more about the extreme defensiveness of the conservatives in question than it is about pushing accusations of its own. I, for one, first read about the shooting on a conservative website which placed most of its emphasis on the fact that “the communist manifesto” was one of Loughner’s favorite books; this was the day of the shooting, long before I actually heard about any liberal accusations of violent rhetoric.

I like how everyone who disagrees with you is a moron. I guess this guy is a moron, too. http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2011/01/21/expert-political-rhetoric-likely-a-factor-in-arizona-shooting/

Oh, and thank god the Tea Party is here to save us all. If only I weren’t such a moron.

I’ve always wanted to be saved by a bunch of right wing thugs who hide behind their definition of the Constitution, pretend they represent some kind of majority, have all the answers so no other views need be heard, play with the idea that the “founders” were all of one mind, if you don’t like it they will pronounce veiled threats against you, comfortably ignore excesses so vile as to be criminal while those who seek to actually solve problems get blamed, and desire to drag everyone back to the late 1800s/early 1900s.

Yawl a bunch of wonderful people, yes you are. What I would like to see would be a world in which all of your wishes come true. For me, it would be no big deal because I have nothing at all to lose. For all of you who I know personally, the howling would be so loud it would even drown out the tinitus I have from defending your tired butts when I thought you actually deserved defending.

It’s really simple. Anti-government people murder people. Pro-government people do not murder people. Gun nuts murder people. Gun control advocates do not murder people.

If people are opposed to a functioning government they should be allowed to move to Somalia or Afghanistan and see how that free market thing plays out.

Hate to burst your little bubble Smoky, but do remember the queen of all liberals : DOCTOR Amy Bishop??!!

Google it.

pschearer: “The Left of all parties has been pushing government expansion for over a century with only hypocritical token resistance from the GOP.”

Meanwhile, the GOP continues to increase the intrusiveness of government, taking away more of our rights:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/22/us/politics/22abortion.html

Pro-government people do not murder people.

The biggest mass-murdering organisations in the world today are governments, including the United States government, which continues to wage war with impunity.

Let’s see. Just commenting on the comic itself without anything from the other comments. It was the LEFT who IMMEDIATELY jumped to the spontaneous conclusion that a posting nearly a year before on Sarah Palin’s website was somehow the main cause of the Arizona shooter’s wrath. What sort of posture should the right have accepted after the immediate blitz of blame/shame from the left before any facts were known about the shooter’s politics? Think the left doesn’t get involved in true violence as well as no so subtle suggestions of such? Take look at the following listing.

http://www.thepatriotsflag.com/2010/03/violence-against-republicans/

The right is not alone in their use of hyperbole in rhetoric, and they certainly aren’t alone in actual instances of violence against political opponents. You’ll also note that Judge Roll, a Republican was one of those killed during the Arizona’ shooter’s rampage, as well as a 9 year old girl. Show me ANY instance of a right-winger advocating violence against children in such a manner.

yes it’s a cartoon, no basis in reality just a failed attempt at humor. or just plain lies

*sigh!