The Ted Rall Challenge.

[Plane]

Publicly Answering Ted Rall's Challenge
Ted Rall has thrown down a challenge to the entire right-side of the blogosphere...

"Several Bushist blogger types have written to assert that there are as many violent and threatening remarks and insults coming from liberals online as there are from conservatives against liberals. I've spent many sadly-lost hours online, and I say: no way.

So here's my challenge: Please email your worst, most vicious examples of liberal/leftie blogger vitriol (with links, natch), and I'll post 'em right here. If they exist, obviously.

If not, let's take as a given what we already know: that Republicans' first impulse is to punch people whose arguments they can't defeat with logic and to bomb countries whose people know something we don't."

Here are the examples Rall gives of the sort of "violent & threatening remarks" that he's looking for...

Here are some sample posts to one of the "well-known" right-wing blogs, Little Green Footballs (Hawkins' Note: Rall's original post had no LGF link. I added it in.)

"I hope Rall dies now.
"I am glad that Bolshevik dog Rall is being targeted for termination."
"I found out belatedly that he made an appearence at the 2004 San Diego Comic-Con (for what reason I'm not sure) so I missed my opportunity to give him a complimentary tracheotemy or put out a cigarette in his eye or some other fair and accurate constructive criticism of his works."
"I wish somebody would drop Rall - out of a helicopter."
Some people can butt-f*ck anything, if they are desperate/ugly enough. Me, I'd butt-f*ck Rall. With a large caliber repeating weapon. Or a high-velocity flame-thrower. My choice... "

About an hour and forty five minutes ago, Rall claimed there was no response to his challenge. Gosh, if there were only someone on the right side of the blogosphere who loved a challenge....wait a second, I LOVE A CHALLENGE. So Ted, here ya go...

From The 10 Worst Quotes From The Democratic Underground For 2003...
http://www.rightwingnews.com/archives/week_2005_02_20.PHP

So a bit later

http://www.rall.com/2005_02_01_archive.html   

   Monday, February 28, 2005
End of the Right Wing Challenge

Well, color me unimpressed--with many of my fellow lefties.

(Although the self-categorization makes me uncomfortable. There are so many issues--balancing the budget, the right to self-defense, the Second Amendment, etc.--on which I don't hold doctrinaire left-of-center political positions. A better self-description would be left on economic issues, moderate on social issues, conservative on military matters--on the last point, my beef with recent American adventurism is that it makes us less safe and that our borders are totally unguarded. But long-time readers know all that stuff about me. And it could change, obviously.)

But back to the discussion at hand. I'll reiterate: I am surprised at the amount of vicious, specific threats of violence directed toward conservative personalities by supposed progressives. That kind of schoolyard bullying makes us no better than the Republicans we claim to despise for their "bomb first, ask questions later" approach to diplomacy. As everybody knows, I don't shy away from harsh language; I rather specialize in it. But I draw the line at threats, real or implied, against people with whom I disagree. Once you start to do that, after all, you've admitted defeat because you couldn't argue against your foe based on the merits of your point of view. And it's a gutter tactic running against the very essence of the First Amendment.

So. Does the left give back as much as the right? In my heart of hearts, I'd say the right-wing challenge didn't change my mind entirely. I think the right does it more. But, as a conservative blogger wrote elsewhere, it's much easier to notice when it's your side being attacked. I notice the attacks against progressives more, so they hurt more. Bottom line: it's impossible to quantify the hatred on both sides and determine who does it more.

Those of us who identify with the left must set an example by seizing the moral high ground on this point. While I still stand by my chapter in WAKE UP, YOU'RE LIBERAL about dirty politics, threats of violence are where we should not go. And we should call our friends on it if and when they do it.

Here are, as part of the challenge wrap up, some entries from over the weekend submitted by rigt-wingers. (No need to send more, folks, and thanks for playing! I, for one, feel enlightened if a little soiled.)

Sent in by blogger...........

[Michael Tee]

That IS kind of interesting, because I would have guessed, like Rall, that the right was far more violent and abusive than the left.  Guess we ALL better stop looking for mites in the other guy's eye.

[Plane]

Has the challenge been met? Yes. The scale may not not quite be the same, but there is clearly a significant amount of leftie hate speech out there to match the crap the righties put out. I can't shame the righties into doing anything, but to readers who agree with me about anything, please consider what this does to us and how it invalidates our arguments.
-Ted Rall
http://www.rall.com/2005_02_01_archive.html

[Plane]

That IS kind of interesting, because I would have guessed, like Rall, that the right was far more violent and abusive than the left.  Guess we ALL better stop looking for mites in the other guy's eye.

Hahahahaha!

It is all good fun untill someone gets hurt.

This is really old news , but I only recently heard of it .

To tell the truth I am favorably impressed with Ted as a result of his admission and his realisation of illusion.

Lots of people canot realise their illusions are and when they do they cannot face them.

Ted does both here and why didn't I hear of it five years ago?

Because I was not looking , that is why. Not seeing what I am not looking for is why I have illusions .

[Kramer]

That IS kind of interesting, because I would have guessed, like Rall, that the right was far more violent and abusive than the left.  Guess we ALL better stop looking for mites in the other guy's eye.

Mikey don't forget that supposedly people on the right that are saying nasty things are really lefties pretending to be righties.

[Michael Tee]

<<Mikey don't forget that supposedly people on the right that are saying nasty things are really lefties pretending to be righties.>>

Goes both ways, Kramer.  Back to when Hoover's boys infiltrated the anti-war movement and had some of the craziest and most violent characters participate in the marches in the guise of demonstrators.    Like I keep reminding you, this goes back to Don Segretti and the "Dirty Tricks" department of CREEP, the Committee to Re-Elect the President.  The President in question was Tricky Dick and ALL of those guys were Republicans.