Commentary: Joe Wilson’s Incivility

September 10, 2009

Reprinted from Essence.com:

joewilson-sophia-art

As a lifelong Republican who joined the GOP after meeting the late Jack Kemp and George H.W. Bush in 1988, I’ve been more than dismayed and disappointed at the rhetoric directed at President Obama in the past few months.

For a member of Congress like Rep. Joe Wilson to shout out “you lie” on national TV while the President was actually in the well of the Congress speaking is simply stunning to me as an American citizen. This is not Great Britain where members of parliament openly shout and rant at one another. This is a democratic Republic where we have an elected President as the head of our government.

No, he is not a King (as some on the far right have suggested) and can therefore be criticized, but we have crossed a dangerous line in the last few months with the lack of civility in our political discourse. Consider the photos of the President as “Hitler” or dressed in “native African garb” that read “Obamacare scare” being brandished at rallies, or of people taking guns to rallies; then there are the “birthers” who say he is not a legitimate President at all because he was not born in the U.S., or those who suggest he’s “a socialist” and therefore unfit to address our nation’s school kids via live video feed lest he brainwash them as Hitler did.

The Republican Party better take a long hard look at itself. It’s perfectly legitimate to disagree with the President on his policies and legislative agenda. It is not, however, legitimate to try and defeat the President’s agenda by playing to American’s worst fears on race (e.g., Obama is a radical Black nationalist and cavorts with such people like Van Jones), or on health care (e.g., “death panels”) or any other policy. The GOP must let their ideas stand in the marketplace or find a way to work with this President in the areas in which they can agree (and there are a few as the President pointed out in his remarks last evening).

Rep. Joe Wilson should be censured because as he said “he could not contain his emotion” and as such he has shown himself unworthy to hold the esteemed title of “The Gentleman from South Carolina.”

Sophia Nelson is editor-in-chief of the Politicalintersectionblog.com and is a contributor to many national media and news outlets.

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    Sophia, good comments but I wonder when you say, "The Republican Party better take a long hard look at itself." I think they have taken a long hard look and their world view revolves around Barack Obama hatred. As a matter of fact, I haven't heard or read one single word or proposed piece of legislation by Republicans that doesn't include some form of obstructionism and animosity toward Barack Obama.

    It is the elixir they are drinking which is the same potion that they rightly or wrongly believe lofted them to power in 1994. Just say No! The GOP see this as déjà vu. The Republicans know that only 43% of white voters cast their votes for Barack Obama in 2008. Most of them were the older, angry white males who refused to vote for him.

    That number, if we are to believe recent polls, has shrunk even further. We also know that fewer than 15% of the mostly red state South supported Obama-Bidden. By saying "No" to everything, no matter if Barack Obama wants to help the average working Americans, is the GOP ticket to victory in 2010. Are we hearin' the howlin' of Nanooka from the North in 2012?

    While it's noble and virtuous to hope for bipartisanship, camaraderie and civility, those are not words that fit in with a party which sees more political capital to be gained from racism, confrontation, xenophobia and raw hatred for Obama. The tea baggers, birthers, Tenthers and AR-15 gunslingers are spillovers of all that hatred that we experienced during the 2008 presidential campaign. The difference today? It's gotten worse.

    The squeaky wheel gets the grease and the loudest, basest, nastiest voices get the TV coverage from the mainstream media. Dog bites man is not news but man bites dog is. It is great for ratings no matter how much division and rancor it stirs up. Just listen to some of the Republican Party's loudest and most bilious spokespersons; Tom Coburn, James Inhofe, Michele Bachmann, Jim DeMint. They have received the pheromones transmitted by their queen ant, Rush Limbaugh, to attack, diminish, tear down and make sure Barack Obama is broken and meets his Waterloo. As we know, the arch-Obama hater, Rush Limbaugh's word is Gospel.

    When Joe Wilson sort of apologized, Rush Limbaugh went into a fit of apoplexy. He was so livid I thought he was about to have an aneurism. No way, spouted Limbaugh, should Wilson have apologized. Well, there you have it and therein lies the GOP's pursuit of nirvana which they believe will put them back in control of congress in 2010.

    The GOP anger, venom and hatred will succeed unless our president, Barack Obama, trumps their hatreds in his quest for a decent health care reform bill and succeeds in restoring our country's honor and integrity, especially with our once-friendly allies in the civilized world. As we all know, the political landscape can change overnight.
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    That was a very shock issue telling a words that offense to the other on TV. I think this is not a good way of showing your grudge on the other.
 

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