Allen West's Tirade Against Debbie Wasserman Schultz Is Highly Disturbing

Rep. Allen West clearly is a lot of things, but it would appear that "gentleman" is one title he has not fully earned.

One has to wonder if the state of Florida is big enough for Allen West, his ego and the rest of the residents.

Mr. West would appear to be a man who struggles to find comfort in working across party lines with strong women, like Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who do not simply give in to him. While most politicians are capable of civilized discourse, it appears Mr. West is incapable of that and revealed himself as weak and thin skinned when rather mildly challenged.

This was how Crooks and Liars quoted Politico:

Florida GOP Congressman Allen West this afternoon dispatched a scathing personal email to Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, calling her "vile, unprofessional ,and despicable," "a coward," "characterless," and "not a Lady," and demanding that she "shut the heck up."

Wasserman Schultz, in whose neighboring South Florida district West lives, provoked his tirade with remarks after he left the House floor today, in which she responded -- without naming him -- to the Tea Party freshman's support for "Cut, Cap, and Balance" legislation to raise the debt ceiling.

"The gentleman from Florida. who represents thousands of Medicare beneficiaries, as do I, is supportive of this plan that would increase costs for Medicare beneficiaries, unbelievable from a Member from South Florida," Wasserman Schultz said, saying the legislation "slashes Medicaid and critical investments essential to winning the future in favor of protecting tax breaks for Big Oil, millionaires, and companies who ship American jobs overseas."

Her criticism of the legislation -- more or less what most Democrats are saying today -- provoked a furious response. West copied members of House Republican and Democratic leadership on the email, as well as his chief-of-staff, Jonathan Blyth.

Come on, tough guy West ... you're supposed to be a grown man. What's next? Are you going to leave a nasty message on her Facebook wall and then block her so she can't reply?

This is weak brother West ... weak. It's almost as if he wanted to tell her to know her place in society, but was too angry and went straight to one-dimensional insults. That is just way too much anger at one time to be excused.

But, here is another pathetic sidebar to this story ... the conservative women rushing to assist West in attacking Wasserman Schultz.

Monica Crowley: "She of the Angry Perm"

Michelle Malkin: "Alan Grayson in Heels ... Anthony Weiner, Only An Octave Higher."

Then, you have the good-ole boys almost irrationally attacking Wasserman Schultz:

Rush Limbaugh: "Debbie Wasserman Blabbermouth Schultz Uses 'Mayonnaise' in Her Hair."

Eric Bolling: "Drives a Machete Into Colonel Allen West's Back As He Walks Off The House Floor."

Yes, these are the same folks (conservatives) who whine any time a person even thinks about saying something even remotely negative about poor Sarah Palin and poor Michele Bachmann.

If West does not want to apologize then that's fine, but he must live with the fact that he looks like a misogynistic bully with anger and issues regarding women.

Rep. West, remember the old Temptations song, "Treat Her Like a Lady."

While Repeatedly Showing Shooting Video Clip, O'Reilly Asks Is It Appropriate To Show

Right-wing Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly does and says stuff that makes you shake your head in utter disbelief.

OK, while warning his viewers about the real violence in a video clip of a shooting scene in Florida during a school board meeting, O'Reilly repeatedly plays (teases) the footage.

Also, while repeatedly showing the footage of gunman Clay Duke's shooting rampage to his viewers, O'Reilly asks if the footage should be shown.

WTF?

Follow Up To Florida Girl Wearing The Anti-Islam Shirt

Think Progress added this update to the story about the Florida teenager who was sent home from her high school for wearing a hateful shirt that read: “ISLAM IS OF THE DEVIL.”

15-year old Emily Sapp, one of the high school students sent home for wearing the shirt, was asked whether she knows any Muslim children. “I’ve met Muslim children, but I don’t actually have any contact with them at the moment,” she said. “I don’t know why that is – I guess we’ve just never become friends.” Watch the video here.

Maybe the shirt and the attitude behind it are among reasons why.

Florida Student Sent Home For Hateful And Racist Message

Just in case you didn’t think anti-Muslim racism and anti-Islam hatred continues in the United States of American then you have been asleep at the wheel. A Florida high school student came in with a hateful T-shirt and was sent home by the school. This is a highly disturbing story I initially spotted on the Web site Think Progress where it initially caught my attention. The hateful, bigoted message on the shirt (as you can see in the photo) reads “ISLAM IS OF THE DEVIL.”

“Students have a right of free speech, and we have allowed students to come to school wearing clothes with messages,” Wittmer said. “But this message is a divisive message that is likely to offend students.” [...]

He said there also has to be equal treatment of different faiths.

“The next kid might show up with a shirt saying ‘Christianity is of the Devil,’” Wittmer said.

This kind of speech is hateful, bigoted and the school district was proper in its decision to send these individuals home to hopefully think about the ridiculous nature of their actions and their clothing choices. This is a dangerous time in our society where hate, bigotry and racism can spark unspeakable acts of violence. In the years since 9/11, the anti-Islam and anti-Muslim hate has only grown stronger in this nation. The good people of this country have to decide that they are going to stand up against this kind of hatred that creates a hostile environment for people.

Here is a passage with a quote from the young lady in question:

Wayne Sapp’s daughter, Emily Sapp, 15, was the student sent home from Gainesville High on Tuesday. Both Faith and Emily Sapp said it was their decision, not that of their parents, to wear the shirts to school in order to promote their Christian beliefs. Emily Sapp said the “Islam is of the Devil” statement was aimed at the religion’s beliefs, not its members.

“The people are fine,” she said. “The people are people. They can be saved like anyone else.”

Sadly, Emily simply doesn’t get it.

While trying to excuse herself from the disguised racism that is virtually unmistakable, she is trying to say it’s just about religion. However, condemning an entire religion (which is up for interpretation since some would say the same things about Christianity. That too is wrong) is no less hateful, stupid or wrong than condemning an entire race.

Think Progress:
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/08/26/islam-devil-shirt/

The Gainesville Sun:
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090825/ARTICLES/908259940/1002/NEWS01?Title=More-students-wear-Islam-of-the-Devil-shirts-to-school

Kobe Bryant Solidifies His Place Among All-Time Greats

Love him or hate him, Kobe Bryant has truly solidified his spot among the best players ever to lace them up and play basketball. The Los Angeles Lakers’ star guard led the franchise to the 2008-09 NBA championship on Sunday night with a decisive Game 5 victory, 99-86, over the Orlando Magic in central Florida.

Don’t think that Kobe didn’t take it personal that people were trying to throw salt on his three prior NBA championships (won with Shaquille O’Neal). He turned the hate into desire that propelled him toward this championship and turned him into the kind of leader who helped mold a talented group of players into a championship team.

Congratulations to Bryant (MVP of the Finals), who I contend is the best player in basketball today and to Coach Phil Jackson, who set an NBA record winning his 10th championship as a head coach.

Fox News, Washington Times Highlight Black Panther Voter Intimidation, But What About The Reverse?

I was reading an editorial from the Washington Times (reported on the Fox News Web site) about alleged voter intimidation on the part of the New Black Panther Party for Self Defense. Now, it’s blind-as-a-bat obvious why Fox News would highlight such an editorial (it attempts to paint President Obama and his administration in a negative light, it highlights black extremists and it attempts to frighten white conservatives). It’s very likely this is the same reason the Washington Times, a very conservative-leaning newspaper, also would run such an editorial. Trust me. You do not have to read too deep into the editorial to see the strong right-wing lean of the paper (or, at the very least, its editorial board).

Now, that being said … I do not in any way, shape or form condone acts of voter intimidation or acts to purposely and unfairly disenfranchise voters. I didn’t like it when it happened in Florida and elsewhere in 2000, either. However, it’s difficult to respect the Washington Times editorial since it flat out poo-poos voter intimidation and voter disenfranchisement in Florida in 2000 (as one example) and throws a fit about the Black Panthers.

The editorial would have far more credibility if it did not go out of its way to blow off all the people who were blown off in Florida in 2000 (including thousands who were inaccurately labeled as criminals and were not allowed to vote). Voting intimidation is wrong … whether it favors Democrats or Republicans.

Lets balance it out.

Consider this (as just one small example from the Web site Project Vote):

The most flagrant example of voter intimidation is the commission of violence, or the threat of violence, against a particular group of voters. Polling places in low-income, minority, and heavily Democratic areas may be targeted for vandalism or destruction, causing both psychological and physical impediments to voting. Voters are also intimidated when they are informed falsely that, for example, they will be arrested at the polling place if they owe child support or have outstanding parking tickets.

Economic voter intimidation also exists, where an employer or supervisor threatens a person’s job if he votes for a particular candidate or party against the wishes of the company or union. Former felons suffer intimidation when they are told that they are ineligible to vote when they are eligible or banning non-felons due to record-keeping errors. Conversely, in Florida during the 2000 presidential election, almost 20,000 people with names similar to felons were disenfranchised when an error-ridden list of “felons” was used to bar them from voting. In the 2004 presidential election, voters received phone calls with false information about changes in voting locations or misinforming them that they should vote on Wednesday instead of Tuesday.

Here is another example from Project Vote:

The 2008 presidential election was one of the most competitive elections in our history, which led to many instances of voter intimidation. For example:

• In October 2008, the ACLU of New Mexico and Project Vote filed a lawsuit charging a Republican New Mexico State Representative and a private investigator with voter intimidation and invasion of privacy. Newly-registered minority voters were declared in a press conference by the NM State Representative to have fraudulently voted in the state primary elections. A private investigator was later hired by a party official to go to the homes of these voters and interrogate them about their citizenship status.
• After a rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, supporters of Barack Obama went to a nearby early voting center, where they were heckled and harassed by a group of protesters as they went in to vote. Nearly all of the early voters were black, and nearly all of the protesters were white.
• In Virginia, students at Virginia Tech were told that if they registered to vote in Virginia, it could affect their scholarship or tax dependency status and would obligate them to change their car registration and driver’s license to their permanent address.
• Finally, a poll worker in Dearborn, Michigan was perceived to be intimidating Muslim Americans, of which Dearborn has a large concentration. Two Michigan precincts also reported the presence of police scanning the long lines for voters with outstanding warrants, with one person being arrested.

It happens all the time, but Fox News and the Washington Times should be more consistent and balanced in coverage and opinion

Fox News:
http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/05/29/obama_new_black_panthers_voter_intimidation/

Washington Times:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/29/protecting-black-panthers/

Project Vote:
http://www.projectvote.org/voter-intimidation.html