Irrationality is cognition, thinking, or acting without adequate use of reason, and includes taking offense or becoming angry about a situation that has not occurred, expressing emotions exaggeratedly, maintaining unrealistic expectations, engaging in irresponsible conduct and falling victim to confidence tricks. People with a mental illness like schizophrenia exhibit irrational paranoia, and America is plagued with an epidemic of paranoia fostered by manipulating a segment of the population who have come to believe they are living in pre-revolutionary war America. Mental illness is often the result of a life-altering traumatic event, and in America, the mass trauma was the election of an African American man as President that instantly transported victims to 1776 when English colonists rebelled against the tyranny of a king.
It was reported two days ago that a group of lunatics plans to march from the Arlington Cemetery, across the Potomac, and in front of the White House, with loaded rifles slung across their backs on Independence Day to put the government on notice that they “will not be intimidated and cower in submission to tyranny.” The event’s organizer, Adam Kokesh, wrote “We are truly saying in the SUBTLEST way possible that we would rather die on our feet than live on our knees,” and whether or not Kokesh watched too many movies portraying life in revolutionary war America, one wonders why he and his cohort believe they are living on their knees cowering in submission to tyranny. Because the cries of tyranny began within days of President Obama’s Inauguration, it is painfully obvious that to millions of Americans, tyranny is a Black man in the Oval office. In fact, last week Kansas Secretary of State, Kris Kobach, wrote a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder charging that President Obama began violating the Constitution months before he was sworn in office as further proof that the right’s lunatic fringe are disaffected racists and cries of tyranny are cover for rage an African American leads the Executive Branch of government.
The rest of America gets it; neo-patriots are angry. So angry in fact, that at the same time President Obama gave them a substantial tax cut in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (stimulus), they draped themselves in teabags, donned revolutionary war attire, and marched on Washington claiming they were “taxed enough already.” That’s not tyranny; it is irrational outrage that an African American just gave them a tax cut to help the economy the former white president and his party just decimated. Pseudo-patriots also claim their religious liberties are being abridged because the Constitution forbids them from forcing the government to impose their beliefs on the rest of the population, and when this President upholds their “sacred document” according to his oath of office, they cry tyranny and threaten revolution because the Founding Fathers prevented America from becoming a theocracy. That is not tyranny, and the rest of the nation gets it; religious fanatics are angry an African American man is in the White House leading them to wrap themselves in the flag, clutch a bible to their bosom, and grab assault rifles to show “they will not be intimidated and cower in submission to tyranny.”
What these lunatics really imply is that adhering to the Constitution this President swore to uphold is tyranny and the basis for their rage-induced irrational actions. They claim their 2nd amendment rights have been violated, but there has been no talk or action on gun safety under the Obama Administration until the Sandy Hook massacre, and before that it was expiration of the ban on assault weapons in 2004. If gun zealots really think they live in 1777 and are part of militias, then they know the Founders insisted they were “well regulated” like in most cities where all firearms were inspected, registered, and kept in an armory apart from their homes. The so-called “patriots” are also incensed the legally elected Congress passed healthcare reform legislation giving 30-40 million Americans access to affordable health insurance, and despite the legally elected President’s signature and legally appointed Supreme Court deeming it Constitutional, states with Republican legislatures nullified the law as “unconstitutional.” That is tyranny, and also a breach of the Constitution, but because Republicans are angry disavowing the Constitution they swore to uphold has become part and parcel of their irrational method of governance.
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The irrationality infecting the Republican party was on display in Missouri this week when Republicans passed a law nullifying all federal gun laws, banned imposition of Islamic Sharia law, and banned the non-binding, voluntary action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable development known as Agenda 21. The Missouri Republicans define irrationality in acting on situations that have not occurred, and it is a consistent pattern among Republicans and their supporters who see tyranny in every aspect of government with an African American President, and it is getting old. The rest of America gets it; racists, faux patriots, Republicans, and all manner of conservatives are angry, and psychologists agree that actions and emotions borne of anger never produce beneficial results. However, those crying tyranny loudest are not remotely interested in beneficial results and rabid to transform America into a nation ruled by a loose coalition of theocrats, plutocrats, and irrational gun fanatics.
It is noteworthy that regardless the cries of tyranny, conservative and libertarian devotees never cite one example that could be construed as President Obama is a tyrant based in reality, and it fits the definition of irrational people easily “falling victim to confidence tricks.” The Koch brothers, ALEC, corporate media, and conservative belief tanks have spent no small amount of time and resources convincing angry Americans that President Obama’s tyranny is robbing them of their freedoms that explains the bizarre statement, “we would rather die on our feet than live on our knees.” However, bizarre or not, the idea of 2,500 angry patriots who whipped themselves into frenzy marching on the White House with loaded weapons over their irrational perception they are living on their knees cannot possibly end well. The organizer said if they are met with “physical resistance” it means they are not welcomed in Washington and they will turn back, but he also said he cannot speak for any individual’s mindset that the march is a peaceful protest. Washington law enforcement and federal park rangers said the protestors are welcomed to peacefully protest in the city, but “If you’re coming here to break the law, we’ll take action.”
Americans have suffered the irrational ravings of conservatives and Republicans for over four years, and they get it; some Americans are enraged an African American man is President. However, no American is cowering in submission of tyranny or being forced to live on their knees, and marching on the White House with loaded firearms will not signal the President is a tyrant. This is the 21st century, and for a highly-developed society to have armed irrational mobs roaming the streets frightens decent Americans who have seen pictures from Yemen, Somalia, and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to know that no good can come from angry armed extremists. Everyone gets it; conservatives are angry, and they understand a Black man in the Oval Office means tyranny to irrational pseudo-patriots, but it’s time to put down the guns and act like civilized human beings in a democracy because being so angry about situations that have not occurred is beyond irrational, it is dangerous.
Audio engineer and instructor for SAE. Writes op/ed commentary supporting Secular Humanist causes, and exposing suppression of women, the poor, and minorities. An advocate for freedom of religion and particularly, freedom of NO religion.
Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn’t look good.
Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.
