I’m not sure how I feel about Facebook. sometimes it seems a tremendous tool to keep in touch with friends and family and to see what’s going on in their lives. Sometimes it’s flooded with minutia that no one else could possibly be interested in. What would possibly make them think we care?

Yesterday I de-friended (neat word, but how else to express it?) my own brother. Not because I don’t want to stay in touch, and not because he posts boring minutia. Instead, I grew weary of his constant conservative screed.

What pushed me over the edge was a post to the effect of (I’m paraphrasing, since I can no longer read it) “When did walking into a museum and shooting people become a right-wing action? I’ve been a conservative all my life and I guess I didn’t get the memo.”

Right.

When Rush Limbaugh calls for riots at the Democratic convention. “That’s what we want.”, it might be a hint.

When Ann Coulter wishes Timothy McVeigh had blown up The New York Times instead, it might be a hint.

When a whipped-up anti-abortion crusader kills a doctor in church, it might be a hint.

When Wiley Drake, a minister, radio host, and former vice-president of the Southern Baptist Convention states that his prayers have been answered regarding Doctor Tiller, and now he’s praying for the death of President Obama, it might be a hint.

When Michelle Malkin’s site has “Rope. Tree. Journalist, Some Assembly required,” It might be a hint.

When Jim Adkinson shoots up a Unitarian Church in Knoxville killing two people, because he “Hates Liberals and Gays”, and his car is full of writings by Bill O’Reilly and Michael Savage, It might be a hint.

When Laura Ingraham comments on a black leader’s visit to the White House by saying: “I hope they nailed down all the valuables,”
it might be a hint.

When Ann Coulter says: “We need somebody to put rat poison in Justice Stevens’ creme brulee.” She added, “That’s just a joke, for you in the media,” you might begin to get the idea.

When people at McCain/Palin rallies routinely shout “Treason.”, “Kill Him,” “Off with his head” you might get an idea. When the supposed leaders of the Republican party deliberately whip this up by accusing their opponent of being involved with terrorists, it might be more than a hint.

When Glenn Beck says “I say we nuke the bastards. In fact, it doesn’t have to be Iran; it can be everywhere, anyplace that disagrees with me,” you might begin to suspect they approve of violence.

When conservative radio Host (and frequent Sean Hannity guest) Hal Turner says: “It is our intent to foment direct action against these individuals personally. These beastly government officials should be made an example of as a warning to others in government: Obey the Constitution or die,” and “If any state attorney, police department or court thinks they’re going to get uppity with us about this, I suspect we have enough bullets to put them down, too,” you might read that as a call to violence.

When authors such as Michael Savage (whose book was found in the car of Jim Adkinson, above) try to whip up hatred with lines like: “You know, when I see a woman walking around with a burqa, I see a Nazi. That’s what I see — how do you like that? — a hateful Nazi who would like to cut your throat and kill your children. Don’t give me this crap that they’re doing it out of a sacred ritual or rite. It’s not required by the Quran that a woman walk around in a seventh-century drape. She’s doing it to spit in your face. She’s saying, “You white moron, you, I’m going to kill you if I can.” ” you might expect someone to react to it.

When these books are not treated as the insane ramblings of of a deranged individual, but instead make the best seller list for weeks at a time, you might wonder who is reading them. I suspect very few of them are liberals.

when around the country the rednecks starting stocking up on guns and ammunition because a black man has been elected president, you might suspect a trend.

My brother doesn’t need to get a memo.

He needs to get a clue.

A man is known by the company he keeps. That old saw is true not only for physical friends, but for those with whom you align morally and philosophically.