Bill Clinton: Americans Do Not Have The Right To Resort To Violence

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by Glynnis MacNicol | 9:46 am, April 19th, 2010

» 3 comments

Former President Bill Clinton marks today’s 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing with an op-ed in the New York Times that continues his cautionary campaign against violent rhetoric. Following up on statements made last week and again this weekend, Clinton again loosely connects the tone of the country circa 1995 to that of today, warning that we are getting close to crossing the same violent line that was crossed fifteen years ago.

Americans have more freedom and broader rights than citizens of almost any other nation in the world, including the capacity to criticize their government and their elected officials. But we do not have the right to resort to violence — or the threat of violence — when we don’t get our way…Fifteen years ago, the line was crossed in Oklahoma City. In the current climate, with so many threats against the president, members of Congress and other public servants, we owe it to the victims of Oklahoma City, and those who survived and responded so bravely, not to cross it again.

It’s interesting to see Clinton take up this mantle so forcefully: one has to wonder whether he was asked to do so, or if he just saw an opening to be useful and insert himself into the current raging debate over political rhetoric and violence. At the risk of being cynical, he’s certainly getting a lot of airtime out of it (something he’s never been averse to). At the same time he’s not only managing to add some gravitas to what initially felt like a heated cable shoutfest, but also a reasonable voice. The question remains whether he’s just put himself on a collision course with Sarah Palin’s Facebook page…and if so, what might that crash look like.

Bill Clinton, Oklahoma City Bombing, Sarah Palin, Timothy McVeigh

http://www.facebook.com/people/Ln-Smithee/100000022977772 L.n. Smithee

Clinton again loosely connects the tone of the country circa 1995 to that of today, warning that we are getting close to crossing the same violent line that was crossed fifteen years ago.

What Clinton is doing is what he does best: Lying like a rug and trying to cover his own inferior posterior.

This “violent line” you imply was crossed by the mainstream right is a fantasy. Clinton is just using a tragic and unspeakably intolerable incident to sully his political opponents, who in reality share no blame. He knows good and well that the allegedly “violent rhetoric” of the likes of Rush Limbaugh has absolutely NOTHING to do with the bombing of the Alfred Murrah building.

How do I know he knows he’s full of it? Two reasons:

1. I am not blinded to historical facts by the partisan politics of the moment, unlike some writers here, and

2. His Admin’s FBI prosecuted and convicted Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols for the killing of 168 people citing as motives…

a) Vengeance for the assault on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco (killing 76) two years previous to the day of the bombing, and

b) a desire to act out on the quasi-prophetic neo-Nazi novel The Turner Diaries, from which he got the idea of using the massive fertilizer bomb.

Don’t believe me? Believe the FBI complaint, which makes NO references to Limbaugh, Savage, or any other talk show host as a factor in any of McVeigh’s or Nichols’ activities. And believe the timeline (via PBS’ Frontline), which shows McVeigh and Nichols were on their own track, having decided in September 1994 to strike out against the Federal government on their own, free of any input or influence from Limbaugh.

From the Frontline timeline (bold mine, and remember, this is PBS, not FNC):

[March 20, 1993-April 19, 1993:]

Terry, James and Tim discussed the Waco seige (sic) and their anger increased daily at the use of psychological warfare with women and children, keeping lights on and blasting sounds all night, and cutting off communication for them. Tim and Terry decided to go to Waco to rally. Tim was changing the oil in his car when they told him that the building was burning and no one was doing anything about it. Tim watched the Davidian flag burn free and watched the ATF raise their flag over the burned ruins. He questioned the ATF’s feeling of victory over burning women and children in their home. It was at this time that Tim decided to do whatever he could to wake up people and help them fight this battle.

Clinton’s speaking out on what he and all of you refer to as “The 15th anniversary of Oklahoma City.” What he doesn’t want you to remember is that if there was no “Waco” two years before, those 168 people in OKC wouldn’t have been murdered that day, and that’s a F-A-C-T. The MSM and you in the neo-MSM will do your part, dutifully dismissing the important questions of how in the world an ATF raid of illegal gun sales by a religious nut turned into a bitter, petty, and ultimately deadly grudge match. It’s obscene to listen to Clinton speak out against “demonization” when nobody was demonized like David Koresh and his followers were. True, Koresh was a criminal and a lunatic, but when you are the commander of federal troops that were jubiliant after 76 were incinerated (and then destroyed evidence to cover up their wrongdoing), you have NO moral platform on which to condemn “demonization.”

While nobody has gotten media adoration like Obama has, Clinton still can play you suckers like a Stradivarius. And you really don’t care, because to you, the truth is not the most important thing: It’s making sure the right doesn’t win.
pyrope

Generally speaking, I believe one should eschew violence, but think: What if a certain group of men had chosen to evade the violence necessary to wrest this colony from the clutches of an oppressive government? Let us all hope we should never have to resort to such acts again.
kieronnpollard

At the same time he is only able to add some serious, what initially seemed a shoutfest heated wire, but also a fair vote. The question arises whether or not it was only put on a collision course Sarah Palin Facebook page and if so, what may seem that in an accident.
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