Why Can’t Republicans Be Civil, Like Democrats?

The following is a video of Democrat Ike Skelton courteously addressing his Republican colleague Todd Akin on the House floor:

[Youtube link]

From the AP via the Huffington Post:

Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, D-Mo., had just finished addressing his Republican colleague Todd Akin Thursday.

Skelton then turned to the side and muttered “stick it up your ass.”

[Snip]

The dispute arose over opposition from Akin and other Republicans to inclusion in a major defense policy bill of a provision extending federal hate crimes law to include violence against gays.

Akin, a member of the Armed Services Committee, had spoken before Skelton, saying the hate crimes measure was “poisonous enough in fact that we refuse to be blackmailed into voting for a piece of social agenda that has no place in this bill.”

The site Traditional Values explains why the hate crimes bill is itself so hateful:

The so-called hate crimes bill will be used to lay the legal foundation and framework to investigate, prosecute and persecute pastors, business owners, Bible teachers, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, Christian counselors, religious broadcasters and anyone else whose actions are based upon and reflect the truths found in the Bible.

H.R. 1913 broadly defines “intimidation. A pastor’s sermon could be considered “hate speech” under this legislation if heard by an individual who then acts aggressively against persons based on any “sexual orientation.” The pastor could be prosecuted for “conspiracy to commit a hate crime.”

Supporters of H.R. 1913 claim the legislation only covers bodily injury.  In actuality, it opens the door to the possibility that religious leaders or members of religious groups could be prosecuted criminally, based on their speech or protected activities under conspiracy law or the criminal code– and could include conduct or speech that aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces, procures or causes the act to be done by another. Ultimately, a pastor’s sermon concerning religious beliefs and teachings on homosexuality and gender confused behaviors could be considered to cause violence and will be punished or at least investigated.

Also, by requiring criminal investigations to focus on a suspect’s thoughts and specific intent, federal law enforcement agencies will now be able to focus on a suspect’s religious beliefs, membership in religious organizations, speech and activities conducted by a church, and any past statements made to, or by, a suspect, all in the name of determining whether a suspect acted with a prohibited “bias.”

Democrats call it “hatecrime”; George Orwell called it “thoughtcrime.” Same difference.

Stop and think about it: what is the fundamental right that the Bill of Rights guarantees us?  The freedom of speech.  Because without the freedom of speech, we don’t have any other freedom at all.

And now Democrats are trying to attack not only our freedom of speech, via new iterations of the Fairness Doctrine that are clearly intended to strip free speech rights away from conservatives via the radio and the internet, but they are even attacking our very thoughts and possible motives.

But Democrats welcome dialogue and debate.  So, obviously, when a Republican respectfully offers his disagreement regarding inserting a bill that has absolutely NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH DEFENSE IN A DEFENSE BILL, the Democrat response is nothing if not civil and polite.

So the next time a liberal whines that Republicans and conservatives are hatefully degenerating the debate, just say, “Stick it up your ass” – and then point out that you’re merely quoting a Democrat.