Jack & Jill Politics

I don’t know how else to put it when someone incites others and recommends, no, urges the violent overthrow of our nation. From Merriam-Webster, the definition of treason is “the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or the sovereign’s family.”  The U.S. Constitution has a more limited view but I think Bachmann is cutting it mighty close:

Article III Section 3 delineates treason as follows:

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.

From TPM:

This past Wednesday, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) appeared on Sean Hannity’s radio show, and sharply reiterated her calls for revolution in America, warning against the imminent dangers of tyranny under Barack Obama:

“We are headed down the lane of economic Marxism,” said Bachmann. “More quickly, Sean, than anyone could have possibly imagined. It’s difficult for us to even keep up with it day to day.”

And then came this:

At this point the American people – it’s like Thomas Jefferson said, a revolution every now and then is a good thing. We are at the point, Sean, of revolution. And by that, what I mean, an orderly revolution — where the people of this country wake up get up and make a decision that this is not going to happen on their watch. It won’t be our children and grandchildren that are in debt. It is we who are in debt, we who will be bankrupting this country, inside of ten years, if we don’t get a grip. And we can’t let the Democrats achieve their ends any longer.

“If Tim Geithner is successful under President Obama, and they move us to an international currency,” Bachmann warned, “Then we have no hope of standing on our own as a sovereign nation with our own economic system. It’s over. We can’t do that.”

Bachmann also declared: “Economics works equally in any country. Where freedom is tried, the people rejoice. But where tyranny is enforced upon the people, as Barack Obama is doing, the people suffer and mourn.”

Hannity, coward that he is, backed up Bachmann:

Hannity: It’s not — you are not overstating this case, Congresswoman, and you don’t need to apologize for it. And as a matter of fact, it’s refreshing. And I can tell you, all around this country, on 535 of the best radio stations in this country, people are saying “Amen,” “Hallelujah”, “where have you been?”

There’s a difference between free speech and hate speech and finally, treason. This is not patriotism. People who urged that the nation consider impeachment against one of America’s worst presidents where considered extremists. How then to consider those who publicly advocate for what — armed militias roving the country?Assassination? A bloody coup from the GOP minority leaders in Congress? What is it, exactly, that Bachmann, Hannity and oh yeah, let’s not forget guys like Glenn Beck, envision as next steps?

I can tell you one thing, whatever it is they want to happen, it won’t be good for black people. This kind of talk, if it continues, will lead inevitably to hate crimes and violent attacks against blacks from those frustrated and unable to reach their real target, the scary big black nigger in the White House. It’s really important to push back against this kind of rhetoric, which should not be tolerated by the Secret Service — not only for the sake of the Obamas, but for the sake of any African-American who might die because someone goes postal after losing their job and their home and after listening to Hannity, decides to take it out on innocent people. It’s not OK. Words have power. And these words must be taken on face value and taken seriously indeed by the authorities.

This is the same person who more or less called Barack Obama anti-American and suggested a witch hunt during the election to figure out how many Members of Congress are pro-American and which are anti-America. Who’s sounding anti-America now? 

 

Bachmann’s in a lather in part due to the currency negotiations ahead of the G-20 meetings. Expect ultra-conservative rhetoric and fearmongering to jack up a notch this week and next week.