Conservatives can't stop themselves from bashing Parkland students: But why?

[DonViejo]

Parkland survivors have been so effective that the pro-gun right must resort to an ugly smear campaign

AMANDA MARCOTTE
03.29.2018•5:00 AM

Whether or not one agrees with their support for gun control, it should seem obvious that the survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, last month would be sympathetic figures. These young people have clearly been traumatized and are speaking out from sincere conviction, which suggests it would be unwise for those who disagree with their views to attack them personally. But that's exactly what conservative politicians and pundits are doing, and with increasing boldness.

The bottom-feeders of the right-wing ecosystem, of course, haven't held back at all. Alex Jones has equated the Parkland survivors to Nazis, suggesting they intend to murder gun owners. Alt-right sites are spreading fake images of the kids and spreading conspiracy theories, including the claiming that the students are actors or that no massacre happened at all. Breitbart has joined in, trying to convince readers that Parkland student David Hogg threw a Nazi salute during last weekend's March for Our Lives. (He didn't.)

But more mainstream outlets and pundits have also become focused on discrediting and smearing teenagers who, just a month ago, were hiding in fear while their classmates were massacred. Todd Starnes of Fox News called the kids "cultural jihadists." And while most commentators on Fox News wouldn't openly call the Parkland students "crisis actors," several have they hinted that might be the case, by suggesting the kids were unable to think for themselves and were being controlled by outside forces.

Then there was the condescension and name-calling, as with Tucker Carlson sneering that these traumatized survivors are "self-righteous," Pete Hegseth whining about the "sanctimoniousness of a 17-year-old" and Jesse Watters calling Hogg "a real bomb-thrower." (Better, apparently, for him to be a real assault-rifle shooter?)

more
https://www.salon.com/2018/03/29/conservatives-cant-stop-themselves-from-bashing-parkland-students-but-why/

[Cartoonist]

1. I don't get it

Who are they trying to reach? This will revolt everyone but the most rabid elements of their base. I can see even staunch republicans being turned off.

[TheMastersNemesis]

4. I Believe It Is More About Inciting Their Base To Intimidate & Threaten These Kids.

It is about scaring and silencing these kids by making them or their parents fear for their safety. I am sure they are getting death threats daily from many sources. And you cannot tell how seriously to take these threats.

The the fear palpable enough and it will force them to become silent or go into hiding. If you remember what happened to the Newton families it should be obvious. We have a lot of hysterical gun nuts out there.

[LSFL]

10. That may not work.

These kids know real fear. They probably would read any written threats to each other in high, mocking tones. More power to them.

[njhoneybadger]

16. All the Evangelicals are fine with it.

They want to turn everything into some big spiritual battle they're fighting for Gawd.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Smell the fear, and watch the scrambling when the clear, cold light of truth is...

focused on them.

Their usual copouts and excuses just can't stand up to what these kids are saying.

[ooky]

23. This. Their fear is being amplified in their petty remarks.

Unfortunately for them, because their enemy are children, petty remarks are all they have -because attacking children is in of itself petty. And, they know they are suddenly playing a losing hand with their gun rhetoric, and they are frustrated, because they don't know how to fight this enemy.

[Trust Buster]

3. Because it reminds them of their future in a very public and unavoidable way.

[blake2012]

5. Wonder how many quasi-conservative watchers will wake from their trance over this

And decide this is a bridge too far. Conservative women in wealthier suburbs are already breaking away from Rumo and his ilk over his behavior with women. This could add to a peeling away of a few more who realize trashing these courageous and sincere teens so the very definition of evil.

[CatMor]

6. Fox would lose their audience if they didn't.....

go after gun control advocates. The sad part is they are attacking the young people who went through such a traumatic incident. I hope the students keep it up and take it to the voting booth. I am in awe of what they have accomplished so far.

[MyOwnPeace]

8. Well stated...............

the important part is that they follow through with their new involvement by going to vote - show that they mean what they say and intend to keep the pressure on!

Let's hope that this is the start of something really big!

[CatMor]

14. I do hope it's the start of something big, as you stated.

[Guilded Lilly]

7. Why? Because this particular brand of Conservative Republicans...

I.E. The Base, is rancid with the lowest level of the worst America has to offer that have been enabled by crass, graceless, soulless leadership to be disgustingly anti-humanity, greed-driven misogynistic, bigoted, racist, ageist, gender and white entitlement scum.

They thrive on ugliness and mean-spirited behavior, many times hiding behind a reeking, disingenuous Christian-faith wall of self-serving, self-righteous, judgmental, lie-soaked bull crap.

~But then this is just one woman’s opinion.

[poboy2]

22. Excellent post. Spot on. -nt

[Initech]

9. It's easy - they're bullies.

Nothing but common high school bullies. They can't stand it that the Florida kids are better than they are, after having witnessed first hand a tragedy like that. So they bully them. I've often stated that the GOP is the party of the people who beat you up in high school. Look at Alex Jones - he looks like the kind of guy who got his jollies in high school by shoving "weaker" kids into lockers. Same with Rush Limbaugh. Laura Ingraham probably got her jollies bullying other kids as well, most likely through verbal abuse like she does now. Bullies then, bullies now. Only difference is now they have air time, money, and corporate sponsorship. Look at Trump - he gets his jollies by bullying everyone and everything he can think of through Twitter. Which makes it obscenely ironic that Melania's first lady crusade is to end cyber bullying. Maybe she should start by taking away her husband's phone.

[ProfessorGAC]

11. Don't Completely Agree

I don't see them as those who beat people up in HS. I see them as the people who walked around in fear of getting beat up in HS. Whether they actually got beaten up or not, isn't the point.

Now, they're older but they've been living in irrational, or irresponsible, fear for so long that they know nothing else. And since they're settled and "they've got theirs" they are the group doing the bullying knowing full well they can't actually beat anybody up.

[Initech]

13. There's two kinds of bullying.

Physical and verbal. I was subjected to some of the worst verbal abuse you can imagine so I know what that's like. What the GOP is doing to the Parkland kids right now absolutely qualifies as verbal abuse. And both kinds of bullying can do long term damage to a person. Alex Jones looks like the kind of guy who would dish out the physical abuse. Laura Ingraham looks like the kind of person who has dished out more insults than she can take. Most of the time when you hear the shit that the GOP dishes out on the radio, it's verbal abuse. That can be as damaging as physical abuse to one's psyche.

[ProfessorGAC]

18. Sure, I Know That, And Agree

We're agreeing in principle, but i think the kind of people doing this weren't the bullies in HS.

They weren't necessarily the victims of bullying, either.

But, they've spent their whole lives in some irrational sense of fear that that's who they are now. And, now that they can actually bully someone, without any real threat of reprisal (really, what are those kids going to do, come to their house and kick their ass?) they're venting those decades of fear, but they're still the fearful ones.

[Initech]

19. Yeah that is true bullying is a byproduct of fear.

It kind of reminds me of that episode of the Simpsons where Bart goes to Jimbo's house and discovers that he and his mom not only watch, but actually cry during soap operas. So I'm sure they have things about us that they don't want us to discover. Which is why they hide under flashy facades and preach hate 24/7.

[ProfessorGAC]

21. I Remember That Episode

Good analogy

[dembotoz]

12. its the roy moore in them

[gibraltar72]

15. Flop sweat.

[Dale Neiburg]

17. If the facts aren't on your side, attacks are all you've got. n/t

[brooklynite]

20. Here's an answer...

They can't argue against the merits of the policy changes being called for, because they're too popular

They can't pressure Republicans to ignore public support for the policies, because they're smart enough to know that too many of them will lose in November

Demonizing the messenger is the only alternative they have left.