Tea Party Violence and How to Counter It

A gas line was recently found to be severed at the home of Bo Perriello, the older brother of U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Ivy). This came just a day after two Virginia Tea Party activists, one being Danville Tea Party leader Nigel Coleman, posted Bo Perriello's address online and encouraged health care reform opponents to “drop by” and “express their thanks.” Coleman added, “I ain’t holding back no more.”

The Tea Party originally thought they were posting Tom Perriello's address, not Bo's. When they discovered they had posted the wrong address online, Coleman said, "Oh well, collateral damage.”

Coleman's actions have been compared to those of neo-Nazis, who like to post the addresses and pictures of Jews, socialists, and general anti-fascists on the internet so that other Nazis can physically attack them.

Last Friday Mike Vanderboegh, a former Alabama militia leader, encouraged opponents of health care reform to vandalize Democratic Party buildings around the country.

“[I]f you wish to send a message that [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi and her party cannot fail to hear, break their windows,” the former militia leader wrote. “Break them NOW. Break them and run to break again. Break them under cover of night. Break them in broad daylight. Break them and await arrest in willful, principled civil disobedience. Break them with rocks. Break them with slingshots. Break them with baseball bats. But BREAK them.”

“If it takes a few bricks and broken windows for people to understand how close we are to widespread violence in this country then the bricks in the windows will have been worth it,” Vanderboegh said.

Windows have been smashed at Democratic Party headquarters in Monroe County, N.Y., and Sedgwick County, Kansas. Another brick was thrown at the New York headquarters with a note attached that said, “Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice."

Tea Party members also spat on an African-American Congressman and yelled racist and homophobic slurs at Democrats.

Health care "reform" can be easily overturned if a Republican president is elected during the next Presidential election. Unfortunately, the opponents of this crappy, middle of the road reform are acting like impatient children and don't want to wait for the next election. They would rather start a genocidal civil war in the US that is on par with the "La Violencia" era in Colombia all over a piecemeal reworking of the health care system. Sending a strong message to the Democrats is one thing, but starting chaos over something petty like Obama's health care "reform" is just crazy.

If these right-wing extremists want to act like fascist bullies, then they should be treated like fascist bullies. The left should prepare to defend itself, especially those on the far left who support a socialist model of health care (as opposed to the Democrat model) and the redistribution of wealth. This is because socialists of all types will end up bearing the brunt of the right-wing attack if their fascist tactics get even more out of hand.

The Partisan has a few ideas for the self-defense of the left against the impending semi-war that the far right wants to carry out.

1. Form united fronts with friendly groups in order to achieve the best possible political representation and ability to monitor right-wing extremist activity.

2. Start collective self-defense training programs. Weapons (including firearms) training should be carried out only when the conditions call for it and not before. Organized self-defense squads should be formed to go along with this.

3. Use the defense squads to protect centers of left-wing political activity and protesters. They should also patrol the streets in order to stop any potential right-wing attacks that might occur after a threat or attack order has been issued by the right.

4. Try to establish a legal defense fund in case an ally is unjustly arrested and/or brutalized by right-wing police.

5. Attempt to shut down major right-wing activities that promote speakers and groups that promote right-wing extremist violence (as opposed to legal actions on their part). Methods can include legal activity, but the arena of struggle shouldn't be limited. Leftists should, for example, also try non-lethal sabotage techniques. Or try to get to the right-wing meeting place first and block people from entering (or leaving). Remember, if these people get too many opportunities to spew their propaganda, then that could lead to the creation of too many enemies to combat.

If The Partisan's idea isn't to your liking, then try to open up a discussion among left-wing groups in your area on how to effectively prevent right-wing extremism. Then put the best of those new ideas into practice.

Please remember that it is right-wingers who are forming most of the militias in the US. It is right-wingers who are going on shooting sprees against those they disagree with. It is right-wingers who try to bomb abortion clinics and shoot doctors. If the left continues to turn the other cheek and doesn't build up a strong resistance movement in the US, then it's demise will only approach faster.