Cry me a river, honey

I'm dumbfounded by some of the recent GOP bonehead remarks and the subsequent scramble to rephrase and say, "That's not what I meant." Everyone does that once in a while, and we are often misconstrued in our remarks; this certainly seems to be becoming quite a pattern with the GOP, though. Some of it is, I believe, thinly-veiled racism.

First we had Sarah Palin telling lies on her Facebook page, writing about President Obama's "death panels," and how her parents or her child with Down syndrome would somehow be targeted for elimination because they aren't productive members of society. (Hey Sarah...if you're worried about that, you would probably do well to start getting a little nervous on your own behalf.) These so-called "death panels" are utter nonsense, nothing more than another scare tactic. After writing about the "death panels" and about how Obama's plan is "evil," riling up the base to the point of frothing at the mouth, Palin then backpedaled and told everyone that they should be respectful in their disagreement and maintain civility.

RNC Chairman Michael Steele issued an op-ed piece stating his opinions on health care, and when interviewed by NPR and asked to clarify his answers, he only became more inconsistent and nonsensical, seeming to back down from his original opinions and then going back to them...and finally accusing the interviewer of "doing a wonderful little dance here and trying to be cute." That's the way, Mike, when backed into a corner, attack the interviewer!

Then there's the weepy Glenn Beck, who said that President Obama has shown himself to be "a guy who has a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture. I don't know what it is...." When his Faux News cohorts called him on it and said that he couldn't really say that, because a lot of people in Obama's administration are white, Beck said, "I'm not saying he doesn't like white people."

Say what?

After first saying that Obama hates white people, then saying that he's not saying that Obama doesn't like white people, he then says, "I'm saying he has a problem. This guy is, I believe, a racist."

Umm...just a question...how can you hate a race, but not dislike them, but still be a racist when it comes to dealing with them? Is that kind of like saying, "I don't like black people, but I'm not a racist?"

Michelle Bachmann...I guess I have to give her a little credit here, because she's actually sticking to her convictions, mistaken though they may be. When questioned about Sarah Palin's "death panels" by a caller on a radio show, Bachmann crowed that she was so glad Palin talked about death panels because these "are true." No. No, they are not. Apparently Bachmann has swallowed the lies hook, line, and sinker, and actually believes them to be true. Of course, Sarah Palin had to weigh in and praise Bachmann for her remarks. Small minds think alike.

Finally we have Kansas Representative Lynn Jenkins, who when talking about who will oppose President Obama in the future, said that the GOP needs a "great white hope." As I wrote on Facebook, her Freudian slip was showing. And yes, she backpedaled, too, said that wasn't what she meant, and "I apologize if my words have offended anyone." The standard non-apology apology that seems to be de rigueur for the GOP these days.

I guess this just goes to show you that no matter where you go, no matter what you do, and no matter how old you get, there will always be bullies. There will always be those people who believe that they can say whatever they want, and when someone actually dares to poke back, they then offer up some lame-ass apology as if that negates everything they have said before. Or else they get all pissy, like "Okay, just stop it." Give me a break. As Wyatt Earp said in "Tombstone," "You called down the thunder, well now you've got it!"

Let me tell you a little story. I used to know this girl...I won't say when, but it was some time ago. She was the type who loved to throw little digs at everyone. Usually they were nothing major, but sometimes they could really cut a person to the quick and really hurt their feelings. After every such dig, she'd say, "Just kidding." For real..."Wow, that was stupid. Just kidding." "Those shoes are ugly. Just kidding." It was like she felt that her little addendum of "just kidding" gave her a free pass to say whatever the hell she wanted, no matter how much it might hurt the person she said it to. I was one of many recipients of those insults followed by a "just kidding." Several of us had finally had it one day, and we proceeded to fire back. I don't recall us saying anything really nasty, just little insults, always followed by "Just kidding." At first, she sat there with her arms folded in front of her, a smirk on her face, her leg crossed and swinging wildly. Eventually, she began to put a hurt look upon her face, followed by a few little tears. Yeah...just kidding.

Did any of us feel bad about it? No. Not a bit. Sometimes you have to make a bully--and that was bullying behavior--understand that words can hurt every bit as much as fists. Such retaliation is usually not my style; I'm a person who is normally very easygoing. But if you push me hard enough and long enough, I will turn on you, and you will not like the results. I especially love it when the bully has to face someone who actually is willing to fight back, and then ends up all teary-eyed and put-upon, crying, "Stop it, guys, just stop it!" I have no sympathy, no compassion, and no quarter for bullies. I still remember someone on the school bus picking on someone I liked very much, and telling the bully, "Hey, why don't you just SHUT UP?" And they did. Yeah, I may not be big in size, but I make up for it in fierceness.

Why on earth would anyone think that they can say whatever they want and get a free pass on it? Do they think people are just going to sit back and take it? Do people like Beck, Palin, et al, think it's okay to spew whatever hatred, idiocy, and lies that happen to bubble to the surface of their swamps of a mind and then expect to not get called on it? Do you get a pardon just because you say "That's not what I meant" or "Just kidding"? Do you expect people to back off because you cry "Foul!" after your constant litany of nastiness? It just doesn't work that way, folks. You keep poking that snake, the snake is eventually going to strike back. There are always consequences; best to think about them before beginning a campaign of hate.