Yesterday I lost a Good Friend,

[vicarofrevelwood]

Not to cancer, Not to disease, not even to death. No I lost a friend to Right Wing Politics, and Fox news. The Likes of Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Hanity, and the rest of the liars at faux news. They lied to him, converted him and convinced him that People that think like liberals (the same way I do) are dangerous, and In his words "they should be shot on sight."
He lives in Pennsylvania, and thinks the gas well fracking ruining well water all over the country is the greatest thing since sliced bread. He accepts no facts backing up My Progressive arguments. He tells me that My arguments are based on Liberal and progressive lies. The more the truth gets in his face, the more he digs in his heels and shakes his head in denial, telling me that I'm talking "crazy talk", and "Your not thinking right.".
The Thing that made me end it though, and I mean cut off all ties. Turn my back and kick the dirt of his land off my shoes, was the violent talk. Talk about how the libs and Progressives (Progs) were gonna get theirs, after the Republicans win.
At this point I Heard something in his tone that frightened me, I thought of one thing. How long before he thought of me that way? How long before he wanted to pick up his weapon to shoot me, after all I'm just another Lib, an enemy of the people, worthless in the eyes of people who taught him to think this way.
The Old German woman up the street from me said a short while ago "it's time that you were silent about politics, just to keep your family safe, I see dark times comming." Her father was picked up by S.S. before the war and was never seen again.
So I morn the loss of a once great friend, a guy who would give you the shirt off his back, A man with whom I broke bread with time and time again. That's over now, all that is left of that man is a selfish, self centered, and hard hearted hateful man. I still love my friend but I'm frightened of him.
So now I'm left to brood as to what I want to do to the people who did this to us and our friendship.

I'm Reminded of a very black poem of Irish origin
Written during the Irish occupation by the British under King William:

Up the Long ladder

Up the long ladder,
and down the short rope,
To hell with King Billy,
and Up with the pope,
If that won't Do,
we'll tear them in two,
and send them to hell with their red white and blue,

The red white and blue they this refers to is of course is the British flag the "union jack".
It a cold comfort.

[Rhiannon12866]

1. K&R. What a sad story... I am so very sorry.

I lost a friend this week, too, but she died, complications from diabetes. In a way, your loss is more painful, since it was his choice to walk into the darkness. :(

I have a brother who watches right-wing shows, as well, and it scares me, too. He lives with my mother and cranks up the TV with the likes of O'Reilly and BecKKK, since he knows that I'll cut short any visit that I have with my mother rather than listen to that. *sigh*

And the intense look on his face when he watches this stuff makes my blood run cold. I just can't be around him. I feel your pain. :hug:

[boobooday]

2. I call it the lizard eye

Not all RWers have it, but if you see it, you should put some distance between you and the lizard eye.

I saw it in the carpet layer who came to my house and snarled at me that we should nuke the middle east.

It's a glint, a shine of meanness that seems intractable. Some people are just mean. Lizard eye.

And that's probably really not fair to lizards.

[Cirque du So-What]

3. Yes, it's unfair to lizards

Lizards don't spend their time plotting violent retribution against their perceived enemies or try to recruit other lizards over to their hateful mindset.

I agree with your assessment to some degree, however, that these emotions originate in a more primitive, 'reptilian' part of the brain. True to fashion, right-wingers are regressive even in their thinking processes.

[boobooday]

4. I know, I just can't find any animal that deserves the comparison

It's something about the way hate deforms the pupils of the human eye. There is this hardening, and a glint that speaks to the potential of man for inhumanity. George Bush used to do it a lot, every time he spoke of "evildoers."

But you're right. I'm in Florida. Some of my best friends are lizards. :-)

[King_David]

7. I love Florida Lizards

[Enthusiast]

5. The old German lady is way wrong.

This is EXACTLY how it happened in Nazi Germany.

And this is exactly the time when we must not remain silent.

The Nazis silenced their critics first by demonizing them. Over time this angry rhetoric morphed into violence. This is precisely what today's bullying American far right wing is doing.

Glenn Beck has even attacked "social justice" as some sort of perverted and dangerous idea. Imagine, THE central notion of our nation's founding was attacked by a Fox News right wing hero.

This so-called grave danger to the country by liberals and progressives is an entirely manufactured fairy tale. We allow them to suppress and demonize certain "thought" at our peril.

We on the left are exactly the same groups attacked by Hitler and his brown shirts. These were 'leftists', trade unionists, homosexuals and racial and religious minorities. It is no coincidence that America's right is now attacking these very same groups. America's right is as Nazi in ideology as Germany's right was back in the 1930s.

You were right to say good by to your friend. But maybe you should write him a letter reminding him just how grievously wrong he is.

[CrispyQ]

6. I saw my mother go down this path.

It was sad & frightening at the same time. She died in '07, & in some ways I'm glad she wasn't around for the '08 election. Her behavior was the worst during an election & I wonder how much worse it would have been in '08. I often wonder, if she were still alive, would I even have anything to do with her anymore? I'm also certain, that if there had been a point where they rounded up liberals while she was alive, she would have happily turned me in "for your own good!"

BTW, she started down this path in the very early 90s listening to Limbaugh. Then she moved onto O'Reily & the last few years of her life she thought Glen Beck made some good points.

Hate radio is a blight on our nation. Sorry about your friend, but he's no longer the guy you liked.

[ladym55]

8. My mom went the same way

It really affected our relationship. She believed everything that Rush and Bill-o told her and got in my face regularly about it.

I am deeply bothered by us as people that we are so swayed to HATE others.