Health Care Protester Apologizes for Bullying Behavior

[G_j]

http://www.care2.com/causes/health-policy/blog/health-care-protester-apologizes-for-bullying-behavior/


"That was my first time at any political rally and I'm never going to another one.”

Catherine Candisky of The Columbus Dispatch reports that Chris Reichert is apologizing for his part in an ugly confrontation at a recent anti-health care reform protest.

As addressed in a previous post, several people verbally abused and tried to intimidate a man with Parkinson’s disease. (You can read the post and watch the video HERE.) Mr. Reichert is the one who threw money at the seated man. Now he regrets “snapping,” says he hasn’t slept since that day, and has made a donation to a Parkinson’s disease group. The incident was just one of many recent displays of intolerance and bullying happening under the guise of protesting health care reform legislation.

According to Ms. Candisky’s article, Mr. Reichert has become fearful for his family after reading comments about his actions online. The finger is now pointed at him and he has been found guilty in the court of public opinion. Although he is a Republican, he says he has not been politically active and was invited by a neighbor to attend.

His apology and attempts to make amends may be a sincere reaction to his own shameful behavior, or it may be that because he is on the receiving end of the anger, he is trying to cover his butt out of fear for himself and his family. Maybe it is a combination of both. Whatever the case may be, it serves to give us all pause.

Carefully crafted language meant to ramp up fear and frenzied response escalated the health care reform conversation to racial and homophobic slurs to death threats. Subtle and not-so-subtle calls to arms. Hints at the violence to come. And it is contagious.

..more..

[RKP5637]

1. Mobs take on mob action and individuals with them, but that does not abdicate

responsibility for ones actions IMO.

[Xipe Totec]

2. I think he is accepting responsibility for his actions

This is an act of compunction and contrition; the first steps to self-redemption.

[Gman2]

4. Right after his address was published, and he was as targetted as the Dem leaders.

[Xipe Totec]

6. What difference does that make?

What would you have him do, grab a gun and yell "bring it on"?

What's acceptable to your high moral standards?

[Gman2]

9. I would judge his level of contrition as, SHIT. He seems to understand self preservation though.

[Xipe Totec]

11. You've never made an error in judgement, I suppose

good for you.

[Gman2]

19. When I screw up, I dont wait to get threatened, to apologize.

[aquart]

13. I hope only opinions were aimed at him.

And wishes that God might visit him and his with similar medical problems.

But not threats of human action. I hope we didn't do that. And if we did, I hope those threats were reported.

But I'm glad he's had time to reflect on his sins.

Matthew 25: 41-46

41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

[Gman2]

20. There are some action in this world, if taken, expect trouble, that is one.

[Occulus]

7. Bull. He's only sorry because he got caught doing it and got identified.

Case closed. He wouldn't be apologizing for jack shit if not for the video of him doing it.

[Xipe Totec]

8. You don't know that, and this is not case closed

You are behaving with exactly the same kind of judgmental mob mentality you are condemning.

Think about it.

[Occulus]

12. No, I *do* know that. He's a republican. They NEVER apologize unless caught.

Period, case closed, end of fucking story. There are too many examples of that for it not to be the default presumption.

[G_j]

17. besides being a Republican, he is a human being

just thought that needed to be said.

There can be hope, no matter how obscure, for most everyone. IMO

[Gman2]

23. How so? He lacks any empathy, sociopath. Thats human?

[G_j]

26. I don't know if the guy is a true sociopath

I'm just saying I know next to nothing about the guy. He said a neighbor invited him and that he is an R.
His behavior was that of a bully, that's all I know. I've seen mob bullying in my life, not everyone is beyond redemption.

[skepticscott]

18. So you're saying

that the same well-crafted and rehearsed apology would have been forthcoming if his name and face hadn't been spread all over the Internet? You can't possibly be that naive. If he was truly sorry, why did he wait so long to come forward and apologize? If he just "snapped", how long would it have taken him to "unsnap", and acknowledge that he had done something completely out of character?

[Individualist]

28. Hear, hear!

"Remorse" that comes only after one has been found guilty in the court of public opinion is pure BS. The coward is only trying to save face.

[HipChick]

10. yep..

[FredStembottom]

25. Struck me as sincere, too, Xipe.

Folks, there are thousands, if not millions of people swept up in the mob psychology of the Tea Party movement.

Many are just one regret or doubt-filled moment away from returning to earth to be with the rest of us.

Gray areas. Spectrum of behavior. Mixed motives. etc.

Let's give them somewhere to land.



:hi:

[Turbineguy]

3. There's certainly been

plenty written about the behavior of otherwise decent people in mobs.

If this man has seen the error of his ways, he should be recognized for that.

[G_j]

14. I am not qualified to judge this person's sincerity

how would I know what is in his heart of hearts?

As someone else pointed out, it's a necessary first step. It seems to have been a life changing event for the person.
Instant karma..

[Gman2]

24. Several of these cretins must suffer, to provide the proper lesson to the rest.

That is the whole purpose of justice. If all they need to do is spew, start a campaign scheme off it, and apologize, WTF is that?

[G_j]

27. what campaign are you referring to?

you lost me.

[Gman2]

30. The modus operandi, that they are following, is spew your insult, lie etc

then do a fake apology, then use it to agrandize yourself, by calligng for contributions etc. That is the pattern they are emulating. Just like their representatives showed them.

[G_j]

31. ok

Some seem to know more of this dude's background than I.
I know he's not a politician, and it seems as if he may, or may not, have been a committed Tealiban.
He is certainly a bully.

Whatever..
I'm a sucker for the theme of 'redemption'.
:shrug:

[Marr]

5. I suspect he's just a coward.

Bullies usually are. They're only aggressive when confronting helpless people.

[Maru Kitteh]

15. +1000!

[sabrina 1]

16. There are very few real heroes in the world.

His behavior was despicable, but he has said he is ashamed of it now. Whether that is because he was caught on camera or not, doesn't really matter. He could have done what Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Palin, Savage et al do when they are caught, ie, Limbaugh mocking Michael J. Fox eg.

I'm glad he didn't emulate them and chose instead to apologize. Sometimes people have to have a mirror held up to them before they realize what they are doing. Some don't. And some learn, and others don't. I'm glad he's learned. I am sure he was a Rush and Hannity fan, taught for years to believe that liberals are evil. He says he didn't know the man had Parkinsons. Limbaugh told his audience that Michael Fox was just 'acting'. So it's not hard to believe that a fan of Limbaugh's would believe that liberals just pretend to be sick.

This guy isn't the problem, except for the fact that far too many people are so easily led. But that's what Propagandists like Limbaugh know and use. THEY are responsible for the behavior of the wingnuts. But they may have created a monster they won't be able to control which is why they need to be condemned, boycotted and marginalized.

Why, eg, is anyone watching Palin today? Do they not know that by tuning in, they are helping her by giving her ratings?

She would disappear if each time she spoke, millions of TVs just switched channels.

[skepticscott]

22. Yes, it does matter

if he was really and sincerely sorry or if he was just faking an apology and still holds the same hateful attitudes that he displayed. Attitudes like that don't simply come and go at the flip of a switch, flowery and well-scripted "apologies" notwithstanding.

[malaise]

21. Fuck him

I'm betting he was a Young RETHUG from college days and that he was always a bully. He's a card carrying RETHUG.

[datasuspect]

29. he's a fucking salesman for a living

the damage to his reputation will cost him $$$$$$$$$$ in lost clients and credibility.

[skepticscott]

32. Exactly

He started to see the tangible effect of having his behavior and attitudes exposed, and figured he'd better scramble to try to patch up his reputation. His "apology" had absolutely nothing to do with remorse or a change of heart. He did not come to the realization that he had done something despicable and probably still hasn't. He came to the realization that this was going to hit him in the wallet.