Sheep Unite!

All my heroes are prescription pain killer addicts and sexual harassers.

I'm starting to see a disturbing trend here. React first. Get the facts later. Health care reform? Don't read anything about it. React. President Obama's speech (which I mocked in the previous post). React first. Then read. Conservative talk radio and Fox have helped fan the flames of this, though I believe people are perfectly capable of being ignorant on their own.

By having large groups of parrots react first it forces the news media to cover them and not pay attention to the issues. It also forces politicians to react. I keep hearing the Tea Party Parrots call themselves a "sleeping giant" that has been awakened. Very true. All the sleeping giants in the children's stories are these dopey, clumsy things who rush around blindly in reaction to what is going on under their noses. I couldn't think of a better bit of symbolism. If the shoe fits the giant ...

I know the conservatives have taken their cue from progressive student movements, but they left out one thing. The progressive student movements (and it's honestly not just students) who engaged in civil disobedience and protest had facts to back them up. They did their research. The conservatives have been too lazy. They keep talking about single payer plans and death panels. (As an aside, I would love if some supporters of health care reform at these town hall meetings challenged the older Tea Party Parrots to cut up their Medicare cards and to stop using it because they don't want their tax dollars going toward their care. Please, someone do this.) They are out of touch with reality. They start spouting nonsense about communism and socialism (at least they left out anarchism this time around). It's embarrassing at best; dangerous at worst.

I have no problem with people having different opinions than me. I actually like it, in fact. What I do mind, however, is thoughtless protesting. It takes away the protester's credibility and draws focus away from the issues at hand, which may be the total point of these protests.

So, Obama, give your speech. I don't think kids really need to hear it, and I think you more important things to do, but give it anyway. If is pisses off the parrots I'm all for it.