Good for Professor Althouse Tom Smith

We have had fun teasing Professor Althouse in the past for being a bit sensitive, but lately she has been standing up for free speech.  Good for her. 

This latest Dem hysteria over the scariness of tea partiers is just beneath contempt.  Obviously nobody should do anything illegal, but, heck, you trample on people's basic rights in an area of intimate concern to them and put the financial survival of the nation at risk, and everybody is supposed to just lie down and be all polite about it?  What a bunch of cry-babies.  But dangerous crybabies.  They're making omelettes like crazy, breaking eggs by the gross, and when one of them squeaks, "I'm a little chick, please don't hurt me!" it's all, the right wing terrorists are on the loose!  Transparent, contemptible political theater and utter cluelessness about, you know, freedom.  People, as in the People, have every right to be angry, furious, shocked, appalled and disgusted by what Congress and our ambitious young prince have done.  And bringing the FBI into it?  Oh, the FBI is watching!  Everybody be careful that they not get too angry!  Or else who knows who might come knocking at 3 in the morning! It sure looks like a disgraceful attempt to intimidate those of us who don't like what the Dems have wrought, who hate it in fact, into silence.  Ironic, of course.  Somebody yelled at me!  Me!  Call the FBI!  And these are the people to whom we are handing over our own and our parents' and childrens' health care, and medical records, and our access to drugs and care.  What a f*ing nightmare.  The reaction of our masters to a little popular anger is a lot more chilling IMHO than a few rednecks gone wild, if even that has actually occurred, about which it seems there is considerable doubt.  (Lots today on instapundit about this.)  Well, the best advice as it often is is John Paul's:  Be not afraid.  Speak, protest, talk, yell, argue and don't be afraid.  Don't be afraid of being tarred with the slurs the social democrats and the press will sling (racist!  fascist! under-insurer!), don't be afraid of the FBI or the IRS, don't be afraid professors telling you the Constitution does allow the federal government to make you buy the insurance policy it wants you to have -- many of these professors don't even like the Constitution!  If they can't scare you, it's hard to beat you.  And if deep down, you are kind of afraid, as indeed you have some reason to be?  Just pretend that you're not.  That usually works well too.

Comments

[John A]

"And these are the people to whom we are handing over our own and our parents' and childrens' health care, and medical records, and our access to drugs and care."

Not exactly handing over, being mugged for.

[Lou Gots]

That's John Paul the Great, as history will know him.

On topic, I have heard those crybabies moaning, and doing that other thing they do when they moan, about Sarah Palin and others using firearms imagery in communicating about the health care travesty. Tough. American English is replete with references and allusions to guns and shooting--too many to list here. That's the way Amercans talk: get used to it.

[Adam Mossoff]

The current criticisms of the Tea Party are also extremely hypocritical after we witnessed for eight years the Democrats supporting the Angry Left with all its Deranged Bush Syndrome rhetoric and violence. Check out my Facebook page, where I have collected some wonderful examples of pictures from these many protests, such as young children with signs that say "Kill Bush" and people exhorting soldiers to shoot their own officers. The picture album is called "Ending Protest Amnesia."

Of course, the NY Times and Washington Post were there to report on all of these angry, hate-filled, murder-promoting, "Bush is a Nazi" yelling protesters -- NOT! Alas...

[Greg Saybolt]

I just wanted to comment on acting unafraid when you are. It works, and it's one of the few ways to train yourself to truly be unafraid when it really matters.

[tehag]

"The reaction of our masters"

At least she recognizes them for what they are. Pity they aren't our representatives. It was a nice republic, for a while.

[Charlie]

We are being treated to theater. This is a multi-act play with polls, phone campaigns, "crime" reports, black congressmen bravely strolling through protest partly aimed at them (where WERE the limos?), congressmen harrumphing for the cameras and the legions of lefty bloggers, pundits and meat puppets all on their scripted talking points and all in unison as we have seen time and time again.

To what end? It gives them cause to cancel or curtail their townhall meetings scheduled for spring break. They don't have to face the anger they caused, and, important for November, no video of them being berated for their ____________ [insert favorite descriptor here]

[Orion]

Also remember that they would LIKE IT if you attacked one of their drones. The ones in charge - Pelosi, Reid, Obama, etc. - are safely ensconced behind multiple layers of security and aren't worried about it. If one of their supporters gets his widdle feewings hurt by big, bad, pottymouthed teabaggers that's no skin off their noses. If they can arrange for the yelling and spitting to appear on the 11PM news it works to their advantage. Heck, they'd arrange for goons to curse and spit a flunky on camera if they thought they could get away with it.

So by warning opponents against violence and condemning them (falsely) for violent acts, they're trying to give them ideas. Doesn't matter if they're encouraging violence; they think they can use that to their advantage.

[Andrew Berman]

Didn't the ruling class in Soviet Union always complain about 'hooligans'?

[K]

Brings back memories of my favorite Andrew Klavan clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWHgUE9AD4s

Whatever you do.... don't shut up!

[graham]

How long before Congress begins to discuss the 2010 Sedition Act