Why conservatives are so mad about the Parkland students

[applegrove]

By Paul Waldman at the WP

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2018/03/27/why-conservatives-are-so-mad-about-the-parkland-students/?utm_term=.d090ca4a7307

"SNIP.......

So what exactly is this cruel form of oppression that has been imposed on conservatives by the Parkland students and their media enablers?

Here’s the real difficulty the Parkland students present. It’s not that they’re passionate and surprisingly articulate for their age, though they are. It’s not that they’ve widened the conversation on guns by refusing to accept things the adults have taken as given for years, such as the idea that the NRA is simply too powerful to bother opposing, though they have. It’s that they’re too sympathetic. And when a spokesperson is sympathetic, when you attack them personally, you look like a jerk.

Despite what conservatives say, no one is going to criticize them when they disagree with the Parkland students on any substantive matter. If Rich Lowry argues that the students are wrong and goes on to explain why the minimum age to buy a rifle should remain at 18, no one will respond, “How dare you disagree with those lovely teenagers?”

No, what conservatives are really mad about is that the tactic of demonizing those they disagree with — which is so common in contemporary political rhetoric (on both the right and left) — has, in this case, been taken away from them.

.....SNIP"

[Billy Jingo]

1. That is pretty good

I also think that those that favor unfettered access to firearms, along with no limitations on carrying firearms, have had a free political field since the 90's with very little opposition.

Two decades of nothing but more and more guns with no real pushback has made them rhetorically lazy. When all you have to do is wail "2nd Amendment" at everything proposed to address gun violence in this nation, your arguments are going to get flaccid.

[Blue_true]

6. Bingo.

Progressives should have broken the 2nd down word by word, line by line decades ago. I think the Parkland kids and other kids from other schools clearly see the holes in the 2nd when people try to use it to justify ownership of any gun and any gun capacity.

As someone pointed out here on DU earlier this week, the phrase "the right to bear arms as part of a well regulated militia" does not mean that any yahoo can run around with any gun he or she wants, the guns referenced were available only to men that fought in militia to support national authority against the British. The "well regulated" part is a giveaway, the government controlled access to dangerous guns that could kill people, as the Founders wanted.

We really need to stop shrinking away from assholes who yell 2nd, at our next national convention, a Constitutional scholar should break the 2nd down in plains language, word for word, line by line. The kids that are leading the charge get this, that is why the right is trying to minimize them in very personal ways.

[Danascot]

48. The Second Amendment needs to be revised

to say: People who keep and bear arms shall not be unhinged.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

50. Yeah really! What part of "well-regulated" do these cons not understand!??? Tired of the bs nt

[pangaia]

54. "Parkland kids and other kids from other schools clearly see the holes in the 2nd "

even more, they see holes in republicans.... GREAT BIG.. ASS HOLES !!!!!!!!!

And THAT is what has conservatives pissed off... the 'kids' are laying them bare...

[politicaljunkie41910]

28. Those who favor unfettered access to firearms, didn't have to run for their lives, and watch their

friends and classmates dropping life flies from automatic gunfire. Their talk is cheap. These kids faced down death and lived to talk about it, and talk about it they should. The Capitol where Congress works is like a fortress. They have armed guards at every entrance, and everyone must go through a metal detector. The rest of us are sitting ducks on any given day. These kids have a right to be heard. When Congress and the White House have to stop, drop, play dead, and then run, then they can talk. Until then, F*ck them and the NRA.

[3Hotdogs]

43. Its beyond that. These fucks are too stupid to get it. They did "play dead" at a baseball game.

Even that didn't wake them up.

They are safe when they are in Congress but when they leave, they are targets.

[gratuitous]

2. Engaging on the facts isn't something conservatives do

They go for the emotional pitch; the exaggerated promise that their audience wants to hear (clean coal, and the great jobs your daddy had are coming back); and the hurt feelings of the wounded victim, callously pushed aside by an uncaring world. It's a tricky two-step between grabbing for the victim mantle while wearing a "Fuck your feelings" t-shirt, but with the connivance of Fox News and the cowed reportage of the rest of the popular media, they pull it off nauseatingly often.

But these students? Hard to out-victim the survivors of a shooting massacre where 17 of their friends and classmates were gunned down. These students have also been on-line their entire lives and know every troll trick in the book. They're quick, they're articulate, and they're not intimidated by assholes. That's very bad news for the likes of Rich Lowry or the NRA mouthpieces.

As for that bullshit sentence from the article that "demonizing those they disagree with - which is so common in contemporary political rhetoric (on both the right and the left)," I cordially invite Paul Waldman to go fuck himself. When liberal patience is finally exhausted by cynical conservative dishonesty, calling them out on that is not demonizing, it's defining. There really are bitter clingers and deplorable persons in the conservative camp. And other than those two characterizations - and they're spot on - I'd bet that Waldman can't come up with another example of liberals demonizing their political opponents.

[Blue_true]

3. Look, those kids are sharper than the finest knives.

Conservatives fear them because the kids are letting conservatives know that they won't just sit down and shut up. They are well spoken and do their homework, they know the details of what they are fighting for, sort of like a young Hillary at Wellsley. Many of the Parkland kids and others that joined them from around the country have the essentials for greatness, they just have to go out and work toward greatness.

[Eliot Rosewater]

26. These kids dont have programmed nonsense in their brain about the 2nd, to them

it makes on sense.

To most of the world it make no sense, just like the electoral college. White supremacy is why we still have both.

[beachbum bob]

4. the real reason is, these kids are white and smart and conservatives can't belittle them because of

race or upbringing. I know if I was a parent of one these kids I would be so fucking proud of the him/her for standing up and speaking out and I would be doing as much as I could to help.


Conservatives can't blow this away....and they know it. The time of the NRA is coming to an end. Lets all quicken it

[Kurt V.]

24. this is right

[exboyfil]

52. But they sure try

Emma Gonzalez has been attacked for her sexaul orientation and her Cuban heritage. The Cuban heritage by a sitting U.S. Representative. Let that sink in.

[beachbum bob]

60. try as they might, the asshole conservatives are losing to high school kids and its so awesome

to watch

[Phentex]

5. I think it's giving the students more fuel...

they are now witnessing the attacks not only on the FACTS but on them personally. The usual M O isn't going to work with them.

[peggysue2]

7. Hahaha!

I read this article yesterday, the massive whine from the right-wing because the Parkland kids are (gasp) sympathetic. The normal Republican/NRA blitzkrieg of smears, innuendo and demonization are not working and make then look and sound like heartless ghouls.

Poor babies. What's a heartless ghoul to do?? LOL

[Lonestarblue]

8. The Parkland kids have power.

Some of them are old enough to vote or will be soon. And they have made it clear to their peers that they need to get registered and vote those who do not support gun control out of office. The large majority of these kids are registering as Democrats, and they will use social media, rallies, marches,, and tiwn halls to keep the attention on voting in 2018 and 2020. That is scary to Republicans because the millenials are a very large generation, and if the majority end up voting for Democrats, even Republican shenanigans and cheating will not be enough for them to win elections.

[robbob]

20. Are financial contributions from the NRA public knowledge?

I know the NRA assigns a grade to politicians who support their agenda. I think this information needs to be highlighted during the next election cycle. Let people know just who is buying their politicians vote. Make the NRA financial contributions a badge of shame to hang around the neck of these politicians.

[Lonestarblue]

23. Contributions to political campaigns are public.

The website Open Secrets lists the amount and recipients of NRA donations. This link is for the 2016 election. https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000082&cycle=2016

[Freethinker65]

9. And the more they attack them, the more positive publicity the "kids'" message gets

And the kids stay on message. They have their own sound bites. They know how to play the social media game.

They are young, vibrant, and positive vs. the stale old angry NRA.

[LonePirate]

10. Except Republicans are now attacking the Parklans kids and have done so for days.

[SDJay]

11. Look What Asshole Laura Ingraham

reduced herself to in this context:

Mocking a kid for not getting into a college. She even lied about him whining about it. No shame at all. None. No decency. No soul. No humanity.

I'm beginning to wonder if in some way it isn't sort of liberating to expel any notion of conscience from your being. It must give you a lot less to think about, worry about or feel.

Link to tweet

[ornotna]

17. Wouldn't it be great if a big university

came along and offered him a scholarship. Eat shit Laura Ingraham.

[Kurt V.]

25. No soul. how did it come to this.

[hedda_foil]

38. I have a feeling that every one of those schools are right now reconsidering his applications.

I expect him to receive acceptance letters and scholarship offers from every one of them and several he didn't apply to as well.

[3Hotdogs]

44. I doubt it. He doesn't look like he plays football.

[Sugarcoated]

56. Let's see a photo of your stunning physique

[3Hotdogs]

59. I guess I didn't make my point. Few -- very few college scholarships are based on academic quality.

They are based on potential sports revenue.

[Arazi]

12. I believe the cell videos are crucial as well. There's actual real time video of the horror

Combine that with this group of telegenic, savvy, passionate victims and there's finally sufficient power to challenge the NRA and 2A nuts

[dae]

13. Those kids threw the NRA and GOP off their game by destroying the

two biggest memes:

. It’s too soon to talk about it!

&

. Thoughts and prayers!

Emma savaged all with her “We call BS!” speech and the NRA/GOP/RWNJ’s have yet to recover and hopefully never will.

[Leith]

34. Exactly!!

The rethugs can't use the tired ol' "too soon to talk about it" crap because the students ARE the victims and they DO want to talk about it.

And what they are saying is that "thoughts and prayers" are not good enough. Time for action!

[fierywoman]

14. The kids are speaking truth to power. They are the child

who says, “The emperor has no clothes. “ They are right, which gives them immense power.

[Fog Off]

15. The Students are Playing to Win

Unlike way too many elected Dems.

[calimary]

27. Welcome to DU, Fog Off!

Yes, they are. Because they're so solid on the "we're not going away" part. AND they're appealing as hell. AND yes, most of them are white.

[Fog Off]

61. Thanks

[world wide wally]

16. The kids will not accept defeat.

And they have even pointed out how they will outlive the NRA and GOP politicians while never losing sight of their goals.
They cannot even argue with the kids on this one.

[NEOBuckeye]

18. The Republicans worst nightmare is coming true, and they cannot stop it this time

A whole generation of young people who will not be deterred, who see right through all the cynicism of their elders, and who will march to the polls in coming elections to vote out the fools, cowards and charlatans who fearfully cling to their comforting old, but outmoded perceptions and ideals of how things are and should be.

The NRA is finished, and the GOP and Fox will be buried right along with it.

[Le Gaucher]

19. But .. That hasn't stopped them from demonizing them anyway

These pieces of shit deserve to treated in the worst possible manner

[MaryMagdaline]

21. Conservatives are getting braver about demonizing

Getting their nasty footing back

[Fritz Walter]

22. I just had an epiphany! Yeah, I know: wrong season on the liturgical calendar

Boomers — including yours truly — and Busters, along with others who are a bit long in the tooth, are boiled frogs when it comes to how the NRA has devolved from a non-profit, safety-focused organization to the lobbying arm of gun manufacturers and retailers.

Just as a frog gradually acclimates to rising water temperatures (until it succumbs), we’ve grown numb. After the initial shock of JFK’s assasination, then MLK’s and RFK’s, once the shock wore off, and the appropriate grieving interval passed, we moved on. No marches, no public outcries (apart from those from family members and friends/acquaintances).
Although the attempt on Ronnie Raygun — with the brutal crippling of James Brady — threw a few ice cubes into the warming waters, the impact quickly faded from our consciousness. Sadly.
But the NRA shrewdly maneuvered (pivoted) their role to ensure that their major donors — Remington, Smith & Wesson, et al. would be able to rally responsible gun owners to vote the way they wanted them to.

However, occasionally a par-boiled frog leaps away from the pot. This time, it took a group of froglets to wake us up. And once awakened, we older amphibians are swarming to support the next generation.

NRA has outlived their usefulness. It’s time for its extinction.

(Young people: please excuse the metaphor: you are living proof that evolution works!)

[C_U_L8R]

29. Doesn't stop them from trying.

Republican shitheels.

[Initech]

30. They hate us cause they ain't us!

Just watch Bill Maher this week - he nailed right wing celebrity culture.

[AllaN01Bear]

31. they only listen to what they want to hear and speak out of context

The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
they only reapeat " the right to bear arms but not a well reglated millitia , being necessary to the security of a free state . like the way they make the bible and other things for themselves .

[SleeplessinSoCal]

32. they ended the fallback loop "time for thoughts and prayers".

About time too.

[KelleyKramer]

33. "on both the right and left" ... Fuck you WaPo

The left doesn't attack the messenger every time. ONLY the right does that

What a load of 'both sides" bullshit

[Tarc]

35. When the line about renaming AR-15s "Marco Rubio", cause they're so easy to buy, came out

That was the "oh shit" moment for the NRA and the right-wingnuts. For years they've been honing their method of short, quick sound bytes to get their followers hooked. Minimal thought, minimal comprehension, just short, jingoistic stabs to keep the fake news flowing.

Their Kryptonite has always been that their message is literally a lie, though, and now they're up against articulate, progressive 16-18 yr olds who communicate in tweets and text messages like its second nature. The right's message is being shredded, day after day.

[D_Master81]

36. Really its

the right will never say it, but they dont want any opposition to have a voice. If an athlete speaks up its "shut up and dribble", if an actor speaks up its, "Hollywood is talking down at us" now its students. So essentially the right has taken the position that no one can speak up unless its someone speaking on behalf of their side. We are treading very close to fascism here.

[No-Bozos]

37. The Rubber Band Effect

I think, and truly hope, we are witnessing the beginnings of what I call the Rubber Band Effect: You stretch it to far and it will snap, and hurt.

The GOP went to extreme lengths to gerrymand their states after the last census. They got greedy and it is beginning to cost them, like in PA.

The evangelicals promoted family and good character. They then started demonizing everyone who did not fit their mold. Now they are giving Bozo a pass on all his extramarital affairs. This hypocrisy is not going unnoticed.

The NRA opposes, to the extreme, any law or person who even hints at any anti-gun regulation, even though a vast majority of Americans want reasonable and prudent restrictions put in place. They got greedy and we are beginning to see the whiplash.

One lesson from the past. Germany was severely punished after WW1. Its discontent led them to start WWII. What did we do with Germany after the war, the Marshal Plan. We forgave the people and helped them rebuild. Same with Japan. Today, if Bozo doesn't screw it up, they are among our closest allies.

The GOP, the NRA, the Evangelicals, and the rest of the extreme right, went to far, got to greedy. These kids snapped the rubber band and these people are in for some hurt.

[struggle4progress]

39. The real reason they're mad is just that they're really just stark raving mad

[applegrove]

40. They are emotionally mad.

[struggle4progress]

41. It is my experience that they're eternally mad: mad when they lie down to sleep

and still mad when they arise raving again from their furious slumbers

But being constantly mad devours so much energy that something else somewhere must starve to feed it: logic (say) or a balanced sense of proportion

[applegrove]

42. I mean they are crazy emotionally. They'll never find happiness in the cause

to keep a wedge issue alive by keeping shootings happening. They don't want gun violence solved. They have sold their souls to the devil.

[struggle4progress]

58. I agree

[VOX]

45. This is precisely what right-wingers mean when they gripe about "political correctness"...

Being polite, fair, generous, interested, empathic or sensitive is not in their DNA.

When kids who've been shot at, deeply traumatized, and who lost friends are now speaking up, the RWNJs know enough that their poop-flinging behaviors won't win any converts, and they cannot stand to "put a sock in it."

They constantly champ at the bit to spout their Hannity-by-the-numbers talking points to any passers-by. And now, they have a FAKE president who thinks just as negatively and heartlessly as they do, and they LOVE him. That epic loser is their god on Earth.

[Cha]

46. But, they still try to demonize them..

it's just the blowback is horrific.. keep trying, idiots.. it's helping our cause.. which is sensible gun laws.

One thing, though.. the left doesn't need to "demonize" the POSpankers.. they do that to themselves.. if you're paying attention.

[ProfessorGAC]

47. Can't Read The Article

Hit a paywall, but the snip is pretty spot on.

[thucythucy]

49. These rightwing dinosaurs are clueless. nt

[Civic Justice]

51. Trump told us, he liked "The Uneducated"

.....and his followers are demonstrating being "uneducated" in their attack on these "educated young people" of Parkland.

[meow2u3]

53. Conservatives seem to be infected with an overblown sense of entitlement

They have gotten away with lying about, demonizing, and otherwise bullying people who disagree with them that they think it's their birthright to harass and dominate others without ever being held accountable. The Parkland survivors called BS and are still righteously fighting back against RW extremists with no intent of ever backing down.

You know how the RWNJs react? By persecuting teenagers with lies, death threats, and other forms of childish taunts, thus trying to exercise what they call their divine right to rule like tyrants. And they wonder why we regard conservatives as the villains they are?

[zipplewrath]

55. They went straight to the politicians

They were organized from day 1, what high school doesn't have several dozen clubs that are already organized. They weren't 5 years old, they are practically adults already. Many will be able to vote soon. They had "agency", or as we call it these days "street cred".

But the number 1 thing they did, quite effectively, was they went straight past the NRA, straight to the politicians. They went to them and demanded they do their job. They didn't ask permission. They didn't try to argue with the NRA. And they didn't try to get approval from anyone (well, maybe their parents). They went straight to the legislators and got in their face.

What alot of people haven't quite yet wrapped their head around, especially the politicians, is that these "kids" aren't "joining" the body politic. They are BECOMING the body politic. The Columbine kids are adults now. The Sandy Hook kids are hitting their mid teens. And by next year, many of these Parkland students will be voting. This is a generation that is becoming politically active and they aren't "getting line". They are taking over.

They have their own issues and they aren't waiting around for the rest of us to settle decades old arguments. They are stepping in, stepping up, and taking over. Oh, and by the way, an extraordinary number of them are women. If I were a boomer politician, I might be updating my resume' about now. In a decade or less, you'll be becoming irrelevant.

This ain't gonna be just about guns. It's going to be a long laundry list of issues. Many of them will be the ones Bernie talked about. It will also be Metoo and Times UP. It'll be BLM and immigration and student loans and minimum wage and equal pay. It'll be about the income gap and education. It'll be things I don't even know about yet because they haven't told me. Because they aren't spending the time getting me on board. They figure I'll catch up.

[Gothmog]

57. Great editorial