July 2008 CCPM Newsletter:
This man's actions [ed. note: Jim Adkisson] - and the deaths of two innocent victims - are the result of a culture of hatred, of division, of hyper-partisanship, of polarization - that is eating away at our society. Those of us who go to our peace vigils on Saturdays have seen this kind of hatred expressed against us for months now in curses, names, rants, lies, and everything hateful you can imagine. It only gets nastier, angrier, and more hateful as time goes on. A huge problem and result of this kind of behavior is that right-wing hate groups spread their venom, enabling and encouraging troubled souls like this man to engage in extreme actions that they might not otherwise have considered.
I am not willing to absolve Jim Adkisson of personal responsibility for what he did. There was more going on with his pysche than a 'hatred for liberals'. Individuals that harbor pathological anger lash out and kill Amish school children, Virginia Tech students, and Columbine students. The killing is indiscriminate - Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Aethiests, UU's, conservatives, liberals, democrat and republican - we are all in the cross-hairs of this pathological hate.
How could a peace group advocate hatred? I'll let the Chester County Peace Movement speak for itself regarding hate and violence:
The "Christian right" is on a campaign that is every bit as dangerous as the "jihad" that some characterize extremist Muslims as engaging in. Remember, people who have "God is on their side" will stop at nothing and truly believe that the ends justify the means - they can rationalize everything they do.
The word, "jack-booted" has been in my mind ever since these people first appeared. It means this: Cruelly and violently oppressive: "a revival of the aggressive, jack-booted militarism of the Thirties and Forties".
These people were trained by someone in vicious taunting, in vile language, in cruel tactics. They are dogs on chains. My guess is that at least a couple of them - if, in fact they were ever in the military, and we cannot even believe that - have been trained in the military or elsewhere (Blackwater-type organizations?) in the most vile interrogation tactics.
March 22, 2008 John Meicht, CCPM assaults a woman and police officer.
March 22, 2008 CCPM Newsletter - Director defends assailant:
The vigiler who was at the center of all this apologized to us as he was released at the station. I told him, and I say this to you all - HE OWES US NO APOLOGY. Everyone has a breaking point. We are human......Angry. Bent out of shape. Shaking with rage. WE ALL LOSE IT - and an apology's fine, but this vigiler has nothing to apologize for to any of us.....The "counterprotestor" group (for lack of another polite term) owes every one of us an apology.
Every one of these three is firmly anti-war, and all say that the Victory folks do not speak for them at all...... each one of these wonderful vets does not join us on Saturdays at peace vigils because they feel they would not be very peaceful towards the "we support the troops" people. Blood would flow...they stay away.
Letter to Editor - Daily Local News - April, 2008
He must also agree with comedian Rush Limbaugh, who is dreaming of violence at the Democratic convention this summer! What a great country these two envision for our children! Just shoot it out! Kill, kill, kill! Blood, blood, blood!
That “young girl” has shoved her camera in my face many times — I was fortunately able to suppress all my own urges to push it out of my face. That “young girl” has taunted me relentlessly for six months, and I suggest Mr. Kurth read some of that “young girl’s” hateful blogs.
A peace movement that is unwilling to see ther own culpability in our 'culture of hatred, of division, of hyperpartisanship' that lead individuals to acts of violence has the blood of the UU victims on their hands.
|