Written by David Starr   

It is self-evident that U.S. conservatives are fond of pointing accusing fingers in a fit of holier-than-thou morality, and with the pretentious use of labels only for their negative connotations, not content.

Of course, they did it again. U.S. President Barrack Obama's condemnation of the voting down of commonsense gun reform in the Senate is understandable, with most of the U.S. population favoring reform. But the GOP blows the issue out of proportion: Self-defense is one thing, gun or not. The bunker mentality of a gunofile is quite another.

I am very skeptical that the right has a clue, and/or doesn't want to, regarding the wording of the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Gunofiles are afraid that Obama is going to take their guns away. The claim sounds like that of a child's with his/her toys.

Meanwhile, the GOP continues to pretend to have a monopoly on morality.

The following are headlines from right-wing news sources, which of course highlight GOP chatter:

"NRA's Keene: Obama's 'Public tantrum' on Guns Was Beneath the Office" by Courtney Coren and published in NewsMax (04/20/2013):

● This is NRA president David Keene belittling Obama's justifiable response to the 45 senators, including four Democrats, voting down reform. For Keene not to connect past and present shootings like the one at Sandy Hook, Connecticut with gun reform is beneath contempt. If Keene is so fond of a gunofile culture, he should have been at Sandy Hook. He could have been one of the victims, being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Would his supporters then have a "public tantrum?"

"Gabrielle Giffords Childish Display in the New York Times is an embarrassment," published in National Review (04/19/2013).

● Giffords was a representative (D-AZ) who was shot at point blank range in the head by Jared Lee Loughner, who, after his arrest and a medical evaluation, was described as a paranoid schizophrenic. Six others were killed. This kind of belittling is simply inexcusable, even uncivilized, considering the issue. Giffords has been through it, at one point being listed in critical condition.

The Right further showed its "respect" for the U.S. Constitution regarding the Boston bombings:

The following published in Right-wing News (which seems more right than NewsMax, or even National Review).


"Ashcroft: Miranda Rights in Tsarneav Case Irrelevant" by David Yonkman.

● The former attorney general doesn't have a problem with U.S. bombings, with a bigger impact, in other countries in wars based on lies. If Miranda rights for Tsarneav can be disregarded, because of igniting a bomb, then sure as hell U.S. pilots that conducted mass bombings in other countries, costing way more lives, are more guilty, and should get the same treatment. It is an ideal scenario but unlikely in reality. But if people like Ashcroft maintain a superiority complex, the ideal could become real.

"McCain, GOP Senators: Declare Boston Bomber 'Enemy Combatant' by Greg Richter (04/20/2013).

● McCain was a U.S. Navy pilot dropping bombs on Vietnam, then became a POW. Since this was a full-scale war, although unofficial, McCain WAS an enemy combatant. Compared with this, the Boston bombings were a tragic event, not a full-scale war with massive military invasion. The two are different.

● "Peter King: 'We're at War With Islamic Terrorism.'"

The Republican representative from New York doesn't know cause and effect, and echoes Ashcroft and McCain. The disaster in Iraq was a war. No doubt, religious fanatics in the U.S. military participated to "fight Satan." A medieval-like crusade. Plus, they're closer to the biggest weapons arsenal of WMDs, which sounds like the biggest threat of all. The Boston bombings were a tragic incident, not a war. Again, another right-wing-nut who hasn't a clue, given his assertion. As I said, self-defense one is thing, gun or not. The bunker mentality of a gunofile culture is another.

● "Tom Brokaw Blames America for Boston Terror" by Dave Blount. This is another "hate America" article: U.S. citizens, like Brokaw, using commonsense and intelligence about U.S.-involved, or provoked, conflicts, are virtual traitors. Yeah, "better" not to think. Exceptional ignorance is bliss.

● "Why Does Evil Make Liberals Stupid?" by John Hinderaker. (One could reply: "Why is Stupidity Inherent in the Conservative mindset?") Hinderaker talks about "normal" people reviling the [Boston] bombers while "liberals' thinking goes in a different direction." Is simple revenge and sadism after the Boston bombings abnormal? Without thinking, yes. But thinking isn't allowed. Only "liberal wusses" think.

Having experienced bullying as a kid, there's something I recognize within their behavior: A bully will provoke something against a "target." If the "target" protests or fights back, the bully will play innocent, being, e.g., in front of authority figures, trying to portray the "target" as the bully; and will also do the latter with no one around, still trying to make the "target" the guilty party.

With their fondness for war, violence, hypocrisy and exceptionalism, the right does fit within this category. But "the bigger they are, the harder they fall."

© 2013 David Starr