rob

I stand corrected, tree-spikes are not a problem.

I've never said they were "equal." Clearly a tree-spike in not the same as shooting 20 people. YOU guys keep putting those words in my mouth. I'm just responding to rediculous claims of "Show me just ONE example of left-wing violence." ANd when I show you the example, you say it doesn't count. Those are republican tactics. I'm just saying that the republicans don't have a monopoly on polarizing and violently extremist political discourse. Is the tea-party worse? Maybe. Probably. That's not my point. The fact taht so many liberals in this thread are ferociously adamant about absolutely refusing to acknowledge this, just proves my point.

tree spiking is actually quite dangerous to loggers' life-and-limb, which is why it has become quite unpopular among "Eco-terrorists." But it's a moot point, since people on the left are Just Better People. If anybody on the left hurts someone, of course the example is somehow not relevant. Everybody knows that convservatives across the country are secretely hailing this attempted assasination attempt. Duh.

Yes, you're right, I'm wrong. The left has never produced an extremist, violent individual in living memory. What was I thinking?

and yet another: Rod Coronado, arson attack on Michigan State U, 1995.

Yes, I do. Please provide instances, dates, and links of such activity on the left within what amounts to many of our lifetimes. Tree-spiking. Commonplace. Arson (usually committed by ELF). Commonplace. Also, see Eric McDavid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_McDavid) Should I come up with more? Dude, the right-wing does NOT have a monopoly on insane anger.

More recently: the guy who crashed his plane into the IRS building in Austin. As much as the media called him a "right-wing whacko," he wasn't really.

And then there was charles manson. He was pretty left-leaning.

Dude, where is the historical record of leftist vitriol congruent with violent action in the last 30 years much less the last three? Your "dude abides", "same as it ever was", and "it's all the same, left or right" doesn't correspond with historical reality. Pull your head out. There were plenty of left-leaning anti-war activist groups that undertook violent opposition against bomb-factories, offices, etc during the 1960's. Is that why you said "30 years" instead of 40? That won't work, because many of these anti-government, left-leaning activist groups and anarchists carried on through most of the 70's. There are also plenty of examples of left-wing minority activist groups taking violent action. There have been plenty of violent responses from left-leaning groups. Do you really need a re-education on that?

yes, you're not polarizing at all. None of us here on cc.com are.

you two remind me of a couple of 11 year old boys giggling at your own jokes.

It doesn't matter why he did it.

This guy has been crazy for years. At least as early as 2005. It might be fun to blame Sarah Palin, and all, but anybody with any experience dealing with severe mental illness could tell you this guy was probably a ticking time bomb, and for some time, too. The current poltical climate may or may not have set him off, but we're all to blame. It certainly wasn't as simple as a poster with crosshairs on it. IMO.

Huh? Crazy people not representative of politics? This incident is one of many that arise out of one despicable method of discourse, not in spite of it! Tea bagging being fruit of the same tree...... You think this whacko is representative of the right wingers? I don't. I think he's probably extremely mentally unstable. I doubt many tea-baggers approve of this guy. Or are you saying they do? You think most tea-baggers are just like this guy? FW, do you think most left-wingers are just like this guy? Of course not. This guy is in a world of his own. Most people would not do something like this. That's why it's such a big headline. And so, I stand by my statement -- this guy is NOT representative of either party. He's in a class of his own. I think it's a shame that within hours of this, posters from both sides are quick to use this as ammunition to continue the same sort of angry, polarizing us-vs-them bullshit that got us into this sort of mess in the first place. Liberals are hardly exempt from this criticism. How many times have we called FW and his pals fascists?

Hey Kitten, what vaccines did you give your kids?

wait, in order to be "pro-vaccine" you have to get chickenpox vaccines? For someone who claims not to be polarized, you sure sound like a fucking retard.

you could always just buy one. Probably cheaper than buying a bartack machine. Multiple companies make them.

Why is everyone arguing over whether he's a left-wing loon or a right-wing loon? He's fuckin' crazy either way, which (by definition) means he's not representative of either. Trying to use this tragedy as political ammunition for your own petty partisan vendettas? Despicable. Everyone should be disowning this guy, instead of opportunistically claiming he belongs to whoever your political opponent is. You should be fucking ashamed. You guys will find any excuse to engage in partisan fight, and yet you pretend to hate partisan politics. You're all a perfect explanation for what is wrong with our country.

weird. In WA, if you turn the vaccination form over, there is just a place to sign to opt-out for personal reasons. Vaccination forms are so specific (dates, etc) and goddamned complicated that sometimes it's easier just to opt-out, even when your kids HAVE been vaccinated. I know a lot of parents that did that, because it's such a drag to get forms faxed from the DR., etc. What happens if you don't vaccinate your kid in a state where it is required? No school?

actually, public schools do NOT require it. You jsut ahve to sign a waiver saying you disagree with vaccinations for moral or religious reasons. At least in WA state, no kid will be kept out of public school for not being vaccinated, as long as you sign one of these.

well, at least my kids are being taught to pass tests.

that's how they remember you, you know

perfect parenting = flawless children

Yeah, TV isn't soley responsible for messing kids up. Give our public schools a little credit!

Agreed. I was just remarking this morning to a friend that it seems like a mild winter thus far.