Just...stop it

I was going to write a bit about the debate tonight, but I don't suppose there's a lot to write about. There's a debate on...and we'll watch it. 'Nuff said!

However, I do want to write about what I find to be a disturbing development in this campaign. According to the Washington Post, at recent McCain and Palin rallies, there were some rather nasty things being shouted from the crowds. One person yelled, "Terrorist!" and another yelled, "Treason!" One even yelled, when the talk was about Bill Ayers, "Kill him!" Reporters have been subjected to taunts and abuse, and one Palin supporter called an African American sound man a racial epithet and told him to "Sit down, boy."

I find this absolutely abhorrent. I don't care what side of the fence you're on, this sort of ugliness has got to stop. McCain did not say anything against the person who shouted "Terrorist!" and Palin is actively promoting the chants and hatred. If John McCain doesn't have the balls to stop this kind of behavior, the Secret Service needs to step in and say "Tone down the rhetoric before someone gets hurt."

This is the kind of mob mentality that results in physical violence, and we do not want to engage in that type of behavior again. McCain's campaign has already admitted that they are losing, and don't think they can win as long as the focus is on the tanking economy, so they plan to up the personal attacks.

I believe this will backfire. Personal attacks and attack ads are one thing. Standing passively by while your supporters shout out to kill someone is quite another. Do we really want to sit back and watch this kind of bitterness and hatred? Especially when we have such serious economic problems? Don't fall for this bait and switch tactic. We've got problems, folks, and this kind of nastiness only detracts from the real issues.

What's next? A public stoning? Paging Shirley Jackson!