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July 10, 2010
Rick Barber on Slavery in Our Time
Posted by The MaryHunter at July 10, 2010 7:35 AM
This Rick Barber (Alabama-2nd) campaign video entitled "Slavery" ignited a column war in The Washington Post. First, there was left-leaning columnist Ruth Marcus with a tirade against Barber's video. She referred to it as "sacrilegious" and was concerned over its right wing "white-hot vehemence." (By way of contrast, perhaps Ruthie missed Samir Shabazz's most recent peaceful, rainbow-filled unicorn fart.)
Today it was Rick Barber's turn to rebut Ruthie.
The ad was intentionally provocative. And it did provoke a columnist from this newspaper, Ruth Marcus. Her June 30 op-ed, "Unhinged on the right," directly and through insinuation, accused me of being delusional, insensitive, bellicose, treacherous and, worst of all, unapologetic. She broadly suggested that the rhetoric I and several other Republicans are using could lead to violence.
Though I'm not a veteran of politics, I've come to understand that arguments, and thus governments, move most often through fear.
[...]
Over the past 18 months, the federal government has sought to seize or has seized control of the health-care industry, the financial industry, the mortgage industry, the automobile industry, student loans, broadband Internet and the energy sector through cap-and-trade legislation. With never a crisis going to waste, each new seizure is rationalized by some new emergency.
The Obama administration has inflated our money supply by more than 120 percent, refused to connect the dots between self-proclaimed jihadists and Islam and done nothing to secure our borders, all the while insisting that more government is the answer to our nation's problems.
I take Barack Obama at his word that he wants to fundamentally transform America. His actions, words and policy suggest that he doesn't much care for the free market or our American heritage. I am one who doesn't believe that America needs fundamental transformation.
The "Slavery" ad is a metaphor for our shrinking individual liberty.
Responding to Marcus' accusations of "fear mongering" from the right:
The frenzied "bellicose talk" from the Tea Parties has been going on for more than a year, yet I can't think of a single incident that has led to violence. As for the connection between talk radio and violence, with a little research Marcus would have learned that Glenn Beck didn't like my ads. I suspect that liberals will continue to make that argument because they despise freedom of speech when the speech is conservative.
Mr. Barber reveals Marcus as a hypocritical fool. She accuses him of fear-mongering while using her own brand of outlandish, fear-mongering hyperbole throughout her column. She even employs a "slippery slope" argument after accusing Barber of doing the same. Barber's is an exemplary rebuttal, tearing down his opponent's position while simultaneously reinforcing his own.
Alabama's Rick Barber is a Tea Party candidate in pure form. He resigned his commission in the Marines about 11 years ago, started a family and some moderately successful businesses in the Montgomery area, and then became sickened at what he saw not only Democrats but RINOs doing to our nation. His campaign is fueled on love of family, country, and the Constitution. If he happens to be saying things in his ads that threaten people (and even Glenn Beck), then so be it. We need more Rick Barbers as congressional candidates. He's not merely hoping for change in 2010, he is fighting for it.
