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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Friday, July 08, 2016

A Violent and Angry America

Remember when America was the can-do nation? Crippled by a vicious attack at Pearl Harbor, the nation worked together and defeated the largest naval fleet in the world at Midway.

We've lost our way. Over the years since that time, we've morphed into a land of hatred and violence. Dialogue is far from civil and often is barely literate, as evidenced by vulgar comments here, in online news forums and on talk radio in which shock has more value than honesty.

People no longer talk to each other, but at each other.

Instead of reason, violence has increasingly become the norm. A self-loathing homosexual, in what may have been the worst mass-shooting in American history, stepped into an Orlando nightclub and killed 49 people because of their orientation, claiming Allah made him do it. Two more black men were killed by police officers under suspicious circumstances.

Before an investigation could even be started, President Obama and Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton already announced guilty verdicts. Emboldened by careless remarks, a former Army reservist who did at least one tour in Afghanistan and with no known criminal record, assassinated five Dallas police officers, sniper style, and wounded 11 others. Officers being targeted actually threw themselves on top of protesters, in an effort to save their lives.

Now President Obama is condemning that attack, too, while Hillary Clinton claims she is in mourning for a few hours and Donald Trump says we have become too divided.

In the meantime, a St. Louis police officer has been shot during a traffic stop.

In the meantime, we continue to talk at each other instead of to each other. We vilify each other, and then wonder why.

Fear and Loathing in America is the new norm. The American Dream has become a nightmare, and no amount of opioids will change what is happening.

"Those who committed these murders were viciously promoting chaos over order and terror over the rule of law," notes Charlie Dent. That's true, but people don't wake up one morning and decided today is a nice day to go out and kill police officers.This has been a long tie coming, and we need to change the conditions under which this kind of horrific behavior can be countenanced. The first step is to listen to each other.

In a world of Twitter, Facebook, snapchat and blogs, that's just not happening.

84 comments:

Anonymous said...

When was the last time you talked to someone, instead of "at" someone. You are a disgrace. The King of Hate, condeming hatred. Priceless. Hypocrical. But no surprise here.

Anonymous said...

Crippled by a vicious attack at Pearl Harbor, the nation worked together and defeated the largest naval fleet in the world at Midway.

Ah yes, the good ol' days. When the US imprisoned thousands of Japanese-Americans, Jim Crow was still in full force and effect and there were rampant lynchings in the south. Excuse me for not sharing in your return to Mayberry nostalgia.

Anonymous said...

O'Hare hates police. O'Hare craps all over police at every chance he gets. O'Hare works for Orloski who sues police for pulling hair. Yet O'Hare now feels sorry for "all the hate." O'Hare is a pro-hate-race baiter, all the way, every day

Crawl under a rock at shut your pie hole

Anonymous said...

Bernie, you can start by telling your best fr4iend Ron Angle to practice what you preach. he is the godfather of angry speak in Northampton County. Instead you do the usual and blame the President(like Dent instructed you). As though this guy who did the shooting waited for Obama to tell him to do it. If that is the case you should but a gag on your buddy.

Bernie O'Hare said...

The above three comments demonstrate my point precisely. All anonymous. All full of hate. Inaccurate. Thanks

Anonymous said...

Your point is hypocritical and your post is tone-deaf. In an effort to evoke a meaningful discussion, I'd like to point out that you began your article on racially charged violence in our country by lamenting lamenting on and longing for a time during whichthe race relations in the U.S. were abysmal.

Scott Armstrong said...

Bernie,

I posted the following on Facebook. It is relevant to your topic.



Democrats’ cult of divisiveness, division and victimization bear ugly fruit in Dallas

How long can a political party work to divide people along race, gender, ethnic, and religious lines before those within these groups start to view the “other” with fear and suspicion?
How long can a political party tell members of minority groups that the “majority” distrusts and fears them before separation and self segregation occur?
How long can a political party tell people that their problems are the fault of those who wish to suppress and control them before resentment turns into anger and violence?
The answers are playing out before our eyes.

It apparently doesn’t take long at all.

Chris Casey said...

Even in our darkest hours America had leaders with good hearts and ideals. During the civil war we had Lincoln. During WWII we had FDR. Two imperfect people who led a melting pot of cultures, for better or worse. I fear a second civil uprising is brewing. If you think not, you are kidding yourselves. No person is free as long as one lives in chains. Words to remember, because we are either those doing the shacking or those being shackled. But in company cases, some are shacking themselves in their own ignorance.

Chris Casey said...

God I hate that Damon auto correct. I mean "shacking", not shacking, and "too many" not company

Chris Casey said...

I give up. It keeps changing shackling back

Anonymous said...

Bernie,
I redd the part about the American dream being a nightmare and you my freind have struck the nail on the head sinking it deep to a loctite fit¿¡)$ I will use a for instance, a mental health reciepiant inherits the family home not an apt or some other rental, leaving HUD locally because tenaments are allowble under home school law to be reprehencible to say the least¿¡)$ Than the saftey net system that was set in place many years ago for authorities to be looking out for such uses the destruction of the main institution that shapes a childs life in its most important years of early childhood development through a subcourt known as domestic confusion, not only to confuse the adult sufferer, but the children that are the most important at this time to create more dysfunction as a tool implimented to create and incubate more discourse¿¡)$ In turn creating more insurable perils under pa state law that are butt a number to this parsitic subcourt system¿¡) $
Than there are todays issues facing the youth that have been damaged and at some point in time they to are irrepaiirable¿¡)$ This is not even to mention the many criminal acts commited and ommited dirrected at said family by those ACTing under cover under colur of local law only to impliment there hostel takeover tactiks employeed by the real property aquisitional crew by manipulation in happenings real yet negated to terrorize entire human quality of life isseues in the latter part of the fifth amendment¿¡)$
This is no more designed by designers for there numbers games and federal dollars allocated butt never ever making it were there disposition was intended for and realocated to pet projects claiming positives for all when facts are positives for few are not and will not calculate in any eqwasion for reciepiants supposidly set out for only administrationally dispersed¿¡)$
RE:publican redd no party affiliation as my last voting at polls anyonelse butt list above

The toilet brigade should stick with what they know and that would be the gloryhole in the stall wall, or the tent at LVHN formally known as the great allentown hospital circus sideshow freek and geeks¿¡)$ Now also known as the incubators in oxicandyland downtown wre said opiods fall from the sky as manna by design to keep the public ignorant to the faked facts and data that will never even make anything more possibly than revenue at best for monies spent¿¡) $

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Mr. Armstrong, you're delusional. Racism doesn't exist because democrats say it does. Racism is real and prevalent in our society and ignoring it won't make it go away.

Anonymous said...

Endemi8c racism has been inoculated in American society for three hundred years. You think a few laws and black president will just make everything OK. How silly much less dumb.

Anonymous said...

Religious indoctrination + conservative 'values' = pure evil.

The examples are everywhere, if you want peace and prosperity, these people have to go.

Anonymous said...

Racism exists, and while not all conservatives are racist, the evidence is overwhelming that all racists are conservatives.

http://www.livescience.com/18132-intelligence-social-conservatism-racism.html


If you're not one for reading academic studies, just read some of the commentary from conservatives and see for yourself.

Anonymous said...

"Ah yes, the good ol' days. When the US imprisoned thousands of Japanese-Americans, Jim Crow was still in full force and effect and there were rampant lynchings in the south. Excuse me for not sharing in your return to Mayberry nostalgia."

absolutely correct. any argument to the contrary simply shows a lack of historical perspectice.

Anonymous said...

How long can a political party tell people that their problems are the fault of those who wish to suppress and control them before resentment turns into anger and violence?
Forget about laws suppressing gays, women's birth control options trying to avoid abortions, labor, income inequality, etc. Nothing to see here. None of this would exist if it weren't for those damned leftist making this stuff up. Let us all unite under the giant Republican umbrella where all these problems disappear.

Scott Armstrong said...

Hey anonymous Democrat cowards,

Your hatred is apparent, and sadly it is rubbing off on America.

Anonymous said...

Facts can neither be cowardly or hate filled. They are just 'facts'.

Hatred, intolerance and racism are distinctly conservative traits, as the presented evidence shows.

The intelligent and adult way to challenge this would be to present empirical evidence of your own. You've chosen to not do that and to instead make personal attacks.

You validate my claims and don't even realize it. It would be funny if it was not so sad.

Scott Armstrong said...

8:41 Coward,

You know the Klan was anonymous as well. They hid behind white hoods and robes.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

8:48- You know the Klan was anonymous as well. They hid behind white hoods and robes...

And announced their official support for Trump(R)

Scott Armstrong said...

No coward, that is a fact. Your hatred is a fact. You are what you are, an irrelevant anonymous coward who doesn't have the guts to sign his name to his opinion. That makes it worthless. Imagine if no none had the guts to sign the Declaration of independence or the Magna Carta. No one would remember them now would they. So who will remember or respect your anonymous vitriol?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Scott Armstrong said...

Oh, so it is because you are so brave and have to protect your family that you don't sign your name? Well doesn't all that apply to me as well? Yet I sign my name. I sat behind the dais as a public official while while my younger son was still in the district. He could take it. He signs his name to his comments and public writings.
As for retribution I have suffered plenty but that is the cost of speaking truth to power and I accept it.Unlike you I know words and opinions only carry weight when they are owned up to with a signature.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Scott Armstrong said...

Coward,

Your argument is mere excuse making and not very creative at that.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Scott Armstrong said...

keep it up fellow, you are setting a fine example of how the typical liberal/Democratic response to thinking and speech that doesn't match theirs. It is the cheapest of the cheap, the lowest of the low.
At least you are bravely protecting your family.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Let's not forget Sen Robert Byrd, he was very wrapped up in the klan. Also remember the other democrats who voted against the Civil Rights Act. Oh, and then there's that guy who freed the slaves.

Claiming that all racists are republican and all democrats are free from hatred is intellectually dishonest. You rail against Christians but give a pass to the sacred religion that among other treats practices hate against homosexuals.

We're told (by the left) never to rush to judgement when a BLM supporter commits an attrocity but judgment is levied immediately when the police shoot someone. The shooter in Dallas was not a Christian conservative by any stretch of the imagination.

It's sad really. Those who decry hatred and racism are the most hate filled and racist.

Anonymous said...

Nobody made that claim. What are you even talking about?

Bernie O'Hare said...

I am deleting all the personal attacks aimed st Scott Armstrong by anonymous cowards who lack the personal integrity to say who they are. It is those people who are very much part of the problem.

Scott Armstrong said...

Pure anonymous libel; "Scott, instead of trying to mock someone for being concerned for their family, perhaps you should ask yourself why you attack the families and employers of people you don't agree with?"

Typical Union/ liberal/Democratic tactic in Allentown on full display here. Nothing new, same old/ same old.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
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Scott Armstrong said...

10:41,

More of the Left's wit and wisdom? So sadly typical of those who label themselves as tolerant. Take a look in the mirror after writing this vitriol and ask yourself some questions. What exactly are you trying to accomplish and it is worthy of such vileness?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Bernie O'Hare said...

I allow anonymous comments, but not to engage in personal attacks. One cyber-terrorist takes pride in having forced most local bloggers to ban anonymous comments. He is even happier when a blog folds. This cretin has gone after Armstrong for years. His Stepford wife is a former ASD "art" teacher who has deluded herself into thinking she is a former teacher bc of Scott. I think she's a former teacher bc she was lousy.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Jeffrey Anthony said...

I missed the attacks on Scott before they were deleted. Were there any telltale "wink wink"s or "oopsie"s or similar sorts of hack writing present?

Bernie O'Hare said...

We all know who it was.

Anonymous said...

This argument insisting people post their identities is a faux argument since this person remains adamantly convinced both the names of Obama and Clinton lack creditability. Just because George W. lent his name saying there were chemical weapons of mass destruction in Iraq didn't make it so. Insisting on names is a defensive strategy attempting to divert and demean. Something to fall back on when they have no legitimate response.

Bernie O'Hare said...

You've just made a false argument. If someone wants to say Clinton or Trump has no credibility (not creditability), his or her identity is irrelevant. But when a coward crawls out from under s rock to spew venom at other readers, that person is contributing to the anger and hate that has led to our current culture of violence. Dishonest people make dishonest arguments.

Anonymous said...

someone help me out. were those conservative Christians chanting
"What do we want?"
"dead cops!"
"when do we want them?"
"now!"

Ray Nemeth Sr said...

The responses of many of these commentators make Bernie's argument very well, it is no secret that the Obama people have made race relations hit the lowest point since the 1960"s . I believe it has set race relations back 50 years. The inner cities are devastated now, with the burning and looting that may vey well commence this summer I don't see how it will be ever be corrected. What have they wrought? All for political advantage. I feel genuinely sorry for the good minority people who are caught in the middle of this disaster. Zimmerman/ Martin was a lie, Brown was a lie, Freddie Grey was a sad event, but was it really what they claimed. The recent incident in Louisiana those officers will be acquitted. The incident in Minnesota may actually require criminal charges, but the political advantage is what is pushed, and if this is not stopped now, many people not in Washington or political office will die because of it. There is no effort to bring private sector jobs back to the inner cities, just more government handouts, no self dignity , no self pride, just encourage the blaming of the responsible for their poor condition. All to gain more political power to transform America to the image they think it should be. Even if it is destroyed in the process.

Anonymous said...

"Democrats’ cult of divisiveness, division and victimization bear ugly fruit in Dallas

How long can a political party work to divide people along race, gender, ethnic, and religious lines before those within these groups start to view the “other” with fear and suspicion?
How long can a political party tell members of minority groups that the “majority” distrusts and fears them before separation and self segregation occur?
How long can a political party tell people that their problems are the fault of those who wish to suppress and control them before resentment turns into anger and violence?
The answers are playing out before our eyes."

Signed or not, how is this not hate speech? Stalin signed his name as well. This is ugly talk with no factual references other than personal hatred to back it up. Was the point of this blog entry to educate or encourage hatred amongst people?

Anonymous said...

Dallas killed Kennedy. It is the center of the birth of the new John Birch society and right wing confederacy. No one is surprised when crap happens in Dallas.

Anonymous said...

How is pointing out how the Democrats divide us against each other hate speech?

Anonymous said...

4:02 disagrees with it, hence ipso facto.

Anonymous said...

The Dallas killer represented the foul undercurrent of the BLM movement. The more radical members of that hysterical movement regard the killer as a hero. He expressed outrage over police abuse, and his whole family was probably egging him on. His sister probably drove him to Dallas. Mark my words. Those scum will be idolized by the BLM sheep.

Anonymous said...

Oswald was a communist,he just happened to kill Kennedy in Dallas.It was of no significance to him.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"Signed or not, how is this not hate speech? Stalin signed his name as well. "

No. Condemnation of an ideology or political party is NOT hate speech. Nor is rank partisanship. Anonymous personal attacks are hate speech and do prove my point. Ray Nemeth and i can disagree and do. Scott Armstrong and i can disagree and do. But I am not going to demean either one of them and actually admire them. I also admire Donald Flad, who signs his name. I can actually have conversations with those people while anonymous cowards vilify and demean anyone not like them.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Actually, i do demean them now and then, but sign my name.

The Huntress said...

Blaming Democrats and Obama for the deterioration of race relations is a spurious argument. As someone like Mr. Armstrong should know, southern Dems flipped to Republicans when their fellow Texan "betrayed" them with the Civil Rights Act and have been Republicans ever since. All this "party of Lincoln" nonsense is just that...Lincoln wouldn't recognize the Republican party now let alone be asked to lead it. Heck not even Reagan would pass muster. There are several sources for our outsized division in this country but one of the biggest I believe is talk radio and 24/7 news channels. Talk radio is dominated by gut burning hate speech through the likes of Limbaugh, et al. News channels who need to generate ratings in their all day cycle need to keep the hyperbolic "breaking news" going to keep a population with an increasing taste for entertainment and decreasing attention spans watching. The trajectory of civilized public conversation has been on the decline ever since.

Anonymous said...

Race relations in this country have remained problematic and unacceptable since the 1960's when we tried to staunch a hemorrhage with a bandaid.

In the meantime, apartheid South Africa has turned itself around racially in a most impressive manner. Maybe we need to look for some help and advice instead of continuing to run in circles.

Incidentally, crime is influenced more by income and poverty level than by race.

Anonymous said...

Talk radio hasn't been the same since WAEB sold out and stopped allowing their most inspired contributor to appear all because of the malicious muzzling being applied on behalf of one very bloated Crimson ogre.

Verifiable facts aren't libel, time for America to grow thicker skin and face the reality that the R's pursuit of power is leading us astray the abysmal gluttony of the almighty dollar comes at our collective expense.

Shalom.

Scott Armstrong said...

7:48 repeats the Democrats' false narrative that southern Dem's(only the racist ones) all magically switched to the Republican Party. This canard was spun and continues to be repeated in an effort to deflect the ugly truth about the Democratic Party's direct, hands on, connection to slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, and the Klan.That is there original sin not the Republicans. The Republican Party was always about civil rights so the idea that southern racists would somehow flock to the Republican party is specious at best and a blatant slander. Republicans are united on the ideals of limited government, individual liberty and responsibility, a belief in natural law, and a respect for the founding documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the constitution, and the Federalist Papers.
The Democrats use Barry Goldwater's opposition to the the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as proof in supportof their big lie. The truth is Goldwater only opposed to it on constitution grounds and the rest of the Republican Party at the time was firmly behind the legislation. It would not have passed without their full support. See this link and/or research it on your own.
http://freedomsjournalinstitute.org/uncategorized/urban-legend-goldwater-against-civil-rights/
So the next time a Democrat talking head floats this whopper remember the ugly and violent truth about the Democratic Party. The attempt to transfer their ugly past onto the Republicans should be seen for what it is. They should be ashamed but of course as we continue to see, nothing shames them.

Anonymous said...

Scott,

You're confusing party name with ideology. The KKK was, and still is, a white, christian conservative organization.

The unhappy (for you) truth is that racism is a conservative ideology and the vast majority of racists are, in fact, conservatives.

http://www.livescience.com/18132-intelligence-social-conservatism-racism.html

Bernie O'Hare said...

10:23, redardless of the outcome of the libel litigation, and I predict you lose, the fact remains that you will never again be welcome on WAEB. If not the lawsuit, your own taunting emails made sure of that. You no longer have an outlet for your hate, except for anonymous comments that are promptly deleted. Sucks to be you.

Scott Armstrong said...

11:32,

Nice try. Keep repeating the lie often enough and some people will believe it. Then use a discredited study to double down on it. Anything to distract from the real truth about your own party's history. A very ugly history indeed.

Anonymous said...

Scott,

You must have forgotten the link to the peer reviewed study that 'discredits' the widely accepted one I posted.

I'll wait....

Incidentally, have you noticed that every single terrorist is a member of the religious right? Amazing coincidence!

Anonymous said...

Really? Not sure that squares

Bernie O'Hare said...

I am sure. It is an utter lie.

Jeffrey Anthony said...

@11:40 Have you ever talked to Craig Stevens at WAEB about our little friend? It's pretty amusing the way the station management is throwing him under the bus. It'll be even more amusing at the trial...

Anonymous said...

11:58, Why not put up some eugenics studies white you are at it? Progressives always love those.

The Huntress said...

I think Mr. Armstrong proves your case in point Bernie. Doesn't take much historical perspective or factual argument to bring out the ideological knee jerking diatribes. Intellectually honest debate is lost on their ilk.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Huntress, Scott is just a partisan like you. Except he signs his name.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Jeff, I have never spoken to anyone at WAEB ever since Bobby Gunther Walsh said that he only wanted callers who agreed with his take on Iraq. I believe I did send an email concerning the Blog (tor)mentor, warning them that he would defame people. And he did.

Jeffrey Anthony said...

Yeah, I am really disappointed with BGW.

He never told listeners that his "guest" was himself a convicted drunk driver with a long history of substance abuse as well. Don't you think listeners deserved to know that so they could properly evaluate Mr. Mentor's claims during the 11 segment smear-a-thon?

And you'd think that BGW -- as an act of contrition for having misled his listener with a scam artist like Mr. Mentor -- would have the decency to at least give a bit of airtime to the 50+ other members of Mr. Mentor's "Foes List" -- many of whom have, along with DA Martin, been smeared for years by Mentor's lies, half-truths, and innuendo.

After this is all sorted-out, the retractions should be interesting...

Bernie O'Hare said...

In fairness and to be precise with the facts, the torMentor was never convicted of DUI, and was instead placed on ARD.

Jeffrey Anthony said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jeffrey Anthony said...

@1:35 He's a drunk driver all the same. And he had his record expunged. Interesting that he's not providing the same sort of radical transparency he demands of everyone else. It'd be interesting to know his BAC at the time of processing, and it'd be especially interesting to know if there were any controlled substances in his system. He doesn't seem to want to provide any of that information though...

Anonymous said...

11:32

From your link:

"There are multiple examples of very bright conservatives and not-so-bright liberals, and many examples of very principled conservatives and very intolerant liberals," Hodson said.

Yup.

Jeffrey Anthony said...

@1:53 You're lying, as you do about almost everything and everyone mentioned on your hate blog. Present one shred of evidence to support your (false) claims...

Can't, of course? OK, then go back to your fact-free hate blogging.

And file that libel suit against me that you keep promising. There is nothing I'd like more than to respond to you in open court.

Shall we invite the Allebachs to the proceedings?

Jeffrey Anthony said...

Oh, almost forgot, how about putting up the documents pertaining to your DUI on your little blog? You (falsely) accuse a lot of people of being drunks, but when they accuse you, they've actually got Verifiable Facts -- like, you know, your DUI.

OK, when can I expect you to file your suit?

Peter J.Cochran said...

Anon 5'23-- Oswald never made that shot with that mail order Carcano .Oswald was NOT a Marine Corps Rifle Expert-He was the 'Fall Guy 'that was set up to look like the guilty . Physics don't lie. 'He' only came to be over the SR-71 project first known as RS-71 until Johnson mis spoke about the project publicly.

Anonymous said...

Peter...

ALL Marines are experts with their rifles when they leave the Island.

Peter J.Cochran said...

NOT TRUE WHAT so ever, you have n t been there obviously. The Marines are and have been in a new phase of rifle training since I was therE in 1971 . WE would shoot out to 600 yrds .I have put a round in a 2 inch spotter at that distance on occasion with no scope. So anybody that says everybody is an EXPERT out of bootcamp is either a liar or a non`combatant . Yes, I will call you out, douchebag.