Mike Rosen’s Hatred Is Overwhelming – Case Example

Occasionally, I will read Mike Rosen’s editorials in the Denver Post. Mostly, it’s just to keep the latest right-wing hate messages fresh in my mind. His column always includes lies and innuendo. He usually resorts to name-calling. Like most Teabaggers, he can’t seem to help himself. It is rare, however, that he achieves what he achieved today: multiple groups got lumped into the same hate speech.

The supposed topic is the repeal of the odious, unconstitutional “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy keeping certain Americans from serving their country as proudly as Americans who more neatly fit the idyllic vision of an imaginary America that Rosen and other scared, angry white males hold dear.

First, hatred of women,

When she [former Rep. Pat Schroeder] advocated the removal of restrictions on women in combat, it was to advance the cause of radical feminism.

then the real purpose of this diatribe, Rosen’s hatred of homosexuals:

The same can be said for those gay activists whose main objective was to score a symbolic equal rights victory regardless of its toll on the military.

followed by those durned lib’ruls

Public opinion polls showing support for gays in the military include the views of a majority of people with no military experience and no desire to join — liberal sociology professors, for example, who might make lousy leathernecks.

But don’t worry, Rosen’s warrior-worship tendencies come out shining:

Far more significant will be the damage to careers of soldiers and their officers accused of insensitivity, and retention and recruitment losses of those with a warrior disposition — people we can least afford to lose — who will spurn military careers because of religious, moral or cultural objections to open homosexuality.

Heaven forbid a few bigots don’t join or stay in the military. It would be far better, according to Rosen, if the bigots are allowed to openly display their hatred than allowing Americans who want to volunteer to actually do so. There will be no law preventing bigots from being openly bigoted, although that might do more to improve overall morale.

I have a better idea. Let’s pass a law that keeps white, warrior worshipping, others-hating males from displaying those characteristics in public if they want the privilege of serving their country. Then maybe Rosen will want to seriously address civil rights issues.

This is no longer the 1750s, Mr. Rosen. Most of us are thankful that this country has moved beyond the ownership of certain human beings and the open denigration of one of the sexes. Advocating for the outright discrimination of a demographic is morally repugnant.

Cross-posted at SquareState.

Birther Billboard In Denver, CO

One thing that irritates me about the birthers (people who, despite objective proof to the contrary, insist that President Obama is somehow not a U.S. citizen) is they don’t understand the responsibilities that accompany their 1st amendment right of free speech.  It’s not terribly surprising that the same people who scream at liberals for not accepting responsibility for their actions are in fact guilty of what they’re accusing others of – it’s a hallmark of hypocrisy.

What’s disturbing is the level of racism and underlying hatred and fear of everything with which the right-wing doesn’t identify.  Today’s unfortunate example: Wolf Automotive, a Colorado car dealership, has donated space on a billboard they regularly pay for in Wheatridge, CO (a small suburb of Denver) for a poster questioning whether Barack Obama was a legitimate President or part of a jihad.

While people have the freedom of speech, this purposeful display of hatred clearly steps over bounds of civility.  Remember, these are the same people that demanded every American pay constant tribute to George Bush, who wasn’t elected in 2000, but instead selected by 5 Supreme Court members to his position.  Anybody who didn’t agree with Bush was instantly and then constantly derided as traitors by the faux patriots that cropped up around the country.  Now they’re trying to delegitimize Barack Obama’s position as President – a position that he cleanly and clearly won by a huge margin (a bigger margin than Bush ever enjoyed).

This billboard is a local result of the racist radio shock-jock Peter Boyles.  Peter could be the poster-child of the birther movement.  He’s an older, white, angry male who makes his living pushing hatred and fear.  It wouldn’t matter if President Obama went to Peter’s studio or house with his birth certificate, Peter would still stoke ignorant peoples’ fears.  Someday, somewhere, a birther will lash out and hurt or kill someone.  When that happens, Peter and everybody else like him will hide behind the 1st Amendment rights they so callously abuse today.