Dear Editor:
The Dec. 13 Op-Ed pages had two submittals, the redoubtable Messrs. Sampson and Horstmann applied their usual logic to current events and provided us with their typical entertaining analysis and silly assertions.
Sampson doesn't understand why someone would blame the "right wing" for the Christian terrorists shooting up Planned Parenthood clinics. No Mr. Sampson, if the "right" were as morally upright and adherent to the "Christian" moral code as they proudly trumpet, they would immediately accept full responsibility for the shooting at the Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic.
It is the "right's" implacable war on abortion and the associated publicity that motivated the shooter. The first statement that the shooter made following his surrender to the police was "no more baby parts," a direct and unarguable reference to the videos released by "The Center for Medical Progress," which have since been shown to be edited to display Planned Parenthood in the most negative light possible. The main premise of the videos has been proven false (Planned Parenthood is selling baby parts for profit), however that has not lessened the din on the right.
Certainly the shooter is mentally deranged, I argue any mass-shooter must be mentally deranged; that point matters not. What is important is the motivation; the vast majority of anti-abortion bombings and killings are fueled by a particular interpretation of Christianity.
Let us call abortion violence in the United States what it is; right-wing Christian terrorism.
Horstmann lays the problem of our citizenry distrust in government at the feet of "the liberals" and in specific "the liberal media." He complains there should be an analysis of the liberal media, but that cannot happen because "they are protected by the First Amendment." Wow.
Consider that sentiment for a bit. Allow it to sink in. In reality, Horstmann saying that the First Amendment is "a bad thing" because he believes the media is a corrupt left wing de-facto branch of the government.
A much more persuasive argument may be made for the distrust of government in the right wing misinformation being spewed by the bloviating gasbags of right. Incessant yammering about the government, Obama, Hillary, Syrians, and ...
This misinformation fosters and foments distrust. And stirs violence; (examples; above, and increasing attacks we are seeing on Muslims).
Blind mistrust is not healthy for our country. Messrs. Horstmann's and Sampson's sentiments are not healthy for our country.
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