On the same day this post went up, Jim Adkisson walked into a Unitarian church with a shotgun and seventy-six shells: he opened fire. At this writing two are dead and seven injured.

This morning Dave Neiwart points out:

Now, MSNBC is reporting this morning that Adkisson targeted the church because of its liberal politics. A four-page letter police recovered, according to Knoxville police officials, referred constantly to his “stated hatred for the liberal movement.”

Right-wingers love to “joke” about mowing down, rounding up, and otherwise “wiping out” all things liberal. It’s become a standard feature of conservative-movement rhetoric. And whenever anyone calls them on it, they have a standard response: “Aw, c’mon — it’s just a joke!”

In reality, of course, rhetoric like this has historically played a critical role in some of the ugliest episodes in American history, as well as thousands of little acts of xenophobic brutality: functionally speaking, it gives violent — and frequently unstable — actors permission to act on these impulses. People like this always believe they’re standing up for what “real Americans” think — and the jokes tell them that this is so.

This was a violent attack on liberals. It was inspired by years of wingnuts talking about how much they hate liberals and wish they could do something about them. This man did. But watch the people who have been telling these “jokes” run away from any culpability for it.

(bolding mine)

The Kampala Monitor reports:

Dr [Rick] Warren said that homosexuality is not a natural way of life and thus not a human right. “We shall not tolerate this aspect at all,” Dr Warren said.

Warren was speaking in support of Ugandan Anglicans who intend to boycott the forthcoming Lambeth Conference, and this harsh rejection of tolerance for gays and lesbians may have serious consequences in a country where homosexuals face harrassment and and the threat of imprisonment.

Sure – it’s just words, right? Obama’s chosen questioner Rev. Warren just misundersttod, right?

Sure — the same way Rick Warren did here:

Akinola personifies the epochal change in the Christian church, namely that the leadership, influence, growth and center of gravity in Christianity is shifting from the northern hemisphere to the southern. New African, Asian and Latin American church leaders like Akinola, 61, are bright, biblical, courageous and willing to point out the inconsistencies, weaknesses and theological drift in Western churches.

With nearly 18 million active Anglicans in Nigeria, Akinola’s flock dwarfs the mother Church of England’s membership. And since he is chairman of the 37 million—member Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa, when he speaks, far more than just Anglicans pay attention. Akinola has the strength of a lion, useful in confronting Third World fundamentalism and First World relativism. He has been criticized for recent remarks of frustration that some felt exacerbated Muslim-Christian clashes in his country. But Christians are routinely attacked in parts of Nigeria, and his anger was no more characteristic than Nelson Mandela’s apartheid-era statement that “sooner or later this violence is going to spread to whites.” I believe he, like Mandela, is a man of peace and his leadership is a model for Christians around the world.

So who’s this Akinola, “lion” of Rev. Warren’s pantheon?

As Attaturk pointed out:

In May, The Atlantic magazine raised new and more troubling concerns about Akinola. In “God’s Country,” the writer Eliza Griswold, daughter of the Rt. Rev. Frank Griswold, former Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, describes a retributive massacre in the Nigerian town of Yelwa carried out in 2004 by a well-organized band of men, wearing clothing and tags that identified them as members of the Christian Association of Nigeria. Akinola was president of CAN during the massacre, which Human Rights Watch reports claimed the lives of approximately 700 Muslims. Dozens of others were kidnapped, raped or maimed…

When asked if those wearing name tags that read “Christian Association of Nigeria” had been sent to the Muslim part of Yelwa, the archbishop grinned. “No comment,” he said. “No Christian would pray for violence, but it would be utterly naive to sweep this issue of Islam under the carpet.” He went on, “I’m not out to combat anybody. I’m only doing what the Holy Spirit tells me to do. I’m living my faith, practicing and preaching that Jesus Christ is the one and only way to God, and they respect me for it. They know where we stand. I’ve said before: let no Muslim think they have the monopoly on violence.”

Wonder if any amount of eliminationist rhetoric — or eliminiationists’ fluffers — is too much for Obama to stomach in pursuit of Power.

Obama chose homophobic anti-choice evangelical Rick Warren to host his first campaign appearance with McCain.

If the link in the quoted sentence from the post isn’t working “outside” FDL, please let me know and I’ll try to fix it.

Thanks for your interest.

I tried an experiment this morn. I read this thread backwards. Makee no difference, either way.

Just for the heck of it, to be repetitive and all that silly stuff:

6 ways to get people to pay attention to you:

l
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THIMK!

I am also a doctor, but I do not need to assert this in venues where, otherwise, I resort to informal language, as do you here. So which are you: the pompous doctor, or the informal vernacular ‘jest folks’? I have had a building suspicion that you are stuck on yourself, and you do have here many adoring fans. You appear to bask in that. OK, but do not denigrate others from your exalted self-image.

I may be *too serious* for FDL fora (your implied accusation, not my assertion), but you are the first to accuse me of being beneath seriousness or intellectual competency.

You are pretty good at the *ad hominem* attacks, too. A sure sign of the weak position.

My comments deserved serious consideration, but that is not forthcoming, apparently, in this clique. How did RedHedd and Jane end up with such commenters as many here appear to be? Whence this increasing intolerance? Is it because many are not up to the challenges of strong opposing opinions?

***As to your comments/post on the danger of EMF and RF energy, this has long been a concern of mine as a retired physicist/educator. I was pleased to see you raising these serious issues in these fora here.

As to demonstations that I am competent to engage you in debate and worth your time, how about ‘Distinguished Professor Emeritus’? How about a Post-Doctoral fellowship? Abroad, where intellectuals are known and appreciated.

I am saddened that you do not seem to wish to consider any discussions but your own. And perhaps you might consider how your façade of ‘genial host’ appears in such a context? You do not represent FDL at large, Kirk. You are but one of the main page presenters, a good one until you get to the comments and self-defensive posturing whenever anyone is not of your clique. I’ve seen your sort during my very long academic career. Familiarity has not made this bolus more amenable to swallowing. I regret having to say these things to you, but you have been very condescending to me, and without cause or warrant.

A major problem, IMO, here is that ***many assume that which is to be proven***’, an egregious loogical fallacy, and hence the discussion starts at a much later point than it ought to do.
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I am also besotted with cats, and in my experience, no cat fancier can be wholly bad or smug. So, props for your love of cats. You could learn a lot from your cats if you would get off of your egocentric high horse.

Don’t You people keep up?

OBAMA IS A TROJAN HORSE!!!!

And yet, you’ll be voting for him, eh?

Umm…I live in a state of 30 million people with nine separate media markets in which the Dem candidate is over 20 points up on McSame…and McSame’s three staffer campaign office has effectively punted.

That’s not what I’d consider a competitive state.

For more, google “Glenda The Good Witch” and firedoglake.

I’d write more, but I reserve the time required for comments comprised of serious debate and in-depth responses for those who evince the capacity to engage in them it’s time to play with the cats.

They’ve let me know I neglected them while indulging in friviolous exchanges and shallow discussions regarding brain cancer and cell phones.

I just don’t know how I’ve become such a social and intellectual slacker.

Must have been all that time I squandered providing psych care for terminally ill brain cancer patients.

Translated, our Constitution is set up to the advantage of the People, but we must exert that responsibility. FDL and it’s fellow blogs are most excellent at educating us students (which I am). But to really make an effective beginning of change, you have to think outside the usual box. FDL knows how the system should work. But right now, we need to make our wants a “requirement” for any politician and MSM. So let our fingers do the walking, away from buying, and let the rich know, we can be more effective than they can, because we are willing to do the work; they only want to tell someone else to work.

Food for thought.