It is an election year and it is being reported that the Democrats are at risk of losing the Senate and remaining the minority party in the US House. I am an Independent and my views swing both conservative and liberal usually for reasons not associated with the rhetoric of the day. I also work for the U.S. Government and as such I have freely given up my right to politic for any particular political party. It is just one of many sacrificed rights required by law for Government and in particular Military civilian employees.
Recently a family a family member posted a link to a video on a conservative blog or news site. It reportedly showing a U.S. Navy Seal exercising his free speech right expressing his beliefs which also included the stunt of tossing a Karan to the ground at his feet. I would say what was depicted was a man with ultra-right, anti-Islam, anti-President Obama views.
I used the words “reportedly and depicted” because let’s face it’s the internet and it’s like a child putting an old penny in it’s mouth and being scolded by the Mom: “You don’t know where that’s been!” I am not fooled by the apparent “grass roots” look and feel of the site and video; I know the money and resources involved in developing and maintaining a site like I was taken to. I donate my time and resources to three non-profit, non-political organizations by supporting their web presence and graphic needs. The site that has the video is carefully crafted and requires many paid writers, web and political communication professionals. The “grass roots” look to me is just another subtle tool to make you believe it is authoritative by being “common sense”.
My family member challenged all of his friends and family, that if anyone was offended by it not just disagreed with it to unfriend him. Well I am offended by the video; it was too similar to the Nazi propaganda I studied in school. Put the man in a brown shirt uniform, add some iron boots change out Islam for Jewish, and the Karan for the Torah and you almost have a historical reenactment. But I will not unfriend him because such polarization isn’t good for a family; political polarization in general ends political discussion and can lead to violent unrest as we have seen over and over in history and present day geopolitics.
