My thoughts on Oak Creek (Pt. 2)- the role of hate media and enabling politicians

But what leads someone to go after a Sikh? This is my last point, and where the real conversation has to take place. 9/11 happened over a decade ago, and Sikhs aren't even Muslim, but apparently this doesn't matter to the type of trailer trash that would attack these innocent people. Why do they decide to go after them? Probably because they're fed a steady diet of hate radio and hate TV that continues to portray brown-skinned people as a dangerous enemy. And politicians feed off of that hate to get support and their faces on TV.

Remember last month when Michelle (Batshit) Bachmann and 3 other GOP reps asked to investigate the Muslim Brotherhood and smeared State Department official Huma Abedin? And Mitt Romney refused to condemn Bachmann's statements last Friday, saying "I'm not going to tell other people what things to talk about." Why not Mittens? Do ya need the bigot vote that badly? Yes he does, and so do a lot of politicians, so they let the dog whistles continues, and I got a bad feeling they came in loud and clear to the guy who did the shooting in Oak Creek today.

A lot of Wisconsin radio stations make a lot of cash off of race-baiting and other types of hate. May I remind you of Mark Belling complaining about "wetbacks" voting or that a Congressional debate couldn't be held in (mostly black) north side Milwaukee because they'd be "intimidated" thinking they might be "shot in the head." How about Charles Sykes' false claims of inner-city voter fraud, or Vicki McKenna calling Madison fire fighters "filthy, rotten scoundrels." AM stations across Wisconsin feature 9 hours of this type of hate every day, where several different groups of "others" are denigrated with the intent of agitating the listeners and making them take action against these groups.

A frequent guest on all of these shows is Scott Walker, who used that radio-amplified resentment of public employees and "welfare-sucking minorities" to his advantgae in the recall election, along with playing on the fear of the NRA gun nuts. Today, he gave the following statement on the Oak Creek temple shooting.

"While the situation in Oak Creek continues to develop rapidly, we are working with the FBI and local law enforcement. I became aware of the situation late this morning and continue to receive updated briefings.

"Our hearts go out to the victims and their families, as we all struggle to comprehend the evil that begets this terrible violence.

"At the same time, we are filled with gratitude for our first responders, who show bravery and selflessness as they put aside their own safety to protect our neighbors and friends.

"Tonette and I ask everyone to join us in praying for the victims and their families, praying for the safety of our law enforcement and first responder professionals and praying for strength and healing for this entire community and our state."

It's a nice statement overall, fitting of a chief executive. However, I can't ignore the irony of Walker giving "gratitude" to first responders when he has made it tougher to fund these positions due to cuts in shared revenue and collective bargaining. I also note that Scotty "struggles to comprehend the evil that begets this terrible violence." REALLY? Walker and his WisGOP colleagues clearly gave a wink and a nod to Char-LIE and Icki and Belling and the rest of the hate brigade to denigrate anyone that dared to confront this administration lies and failed policies. He also says nothing to go against these programs' party lines of race-baiting and scapegoating, and instead is more than glad to give them interviews whenever he feels he needs to get his message out. You want me to believe that you'll do something to confront the evil that begets this violence, Governor? How about telling Icki and Char-LIE and Wagner and Belling and Bader to tone down the hate and the dog whistles, and don't go on their shows until they show that they have done so. Does anyone think Walker has the true strength to actually stand up to the people who give him the time to spread the propaganda he needs in order to have his failing administration stay afloat? Of course not.

This inability to stand up to the hate extends to the owners of the radio stations these cynical d-bag hosts are on. I called out the corporate acceptance of this degrading programming last March, and we need hammer these guys even more today.

Instead of working for more responsible programming and improving the discourse on the publically-owned airwaves, these corporates are laughing all the way to the bank at the rubes who drive up ratings because of their need for a scapegoat. And they never make their hosts pay a price for the destructive environment they cause with their seditious broadcasts.

THAT HAS TO END RIGHT NOW. We need to demand that Clear Channel, JournalComm, Midwest Communications, and other acceptors of hate to face the consequences if they do not shape up their product, and confront and expose any politician who chooses to scapegoat and race-bait their way into a November election.

As they said in Roadhouse, "Be nice, till it's time not to be nice." Well being nice hasn't stopped the destructive road this state and this country is on, so I think it's time not to be nice, and not to be tolerant of those who are hateful and intolerant. There aren't "both sides of the story" when it comes to this type of fear and negativity - and the media is every bit as complicit as the people performing the hateful acts. Make these degraders pay in the pocketbook, in the voting booth, and in the court of public opinion.