Armed but not ready

Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009 | 2:07 a.m.

Armed protesters have been showing up across the country at town-hall meetings held by President Barack Obama and members of Congress. In Arizona, for example, men legally carrying AR-15 assault rifles demonstrated outside one of the president’s meetings on health care.

This is alarming.

Certainly, the protesters are free to peacefully demonstrate. But what message are they trying to send by carrying weapons to a health care debate?

This country has had four sitting presidents assassinated, and seeing people carrying weapons as they protest a presidential visit is a haunting image — and one that could encourage deranged people to commit acts of violence.

Right-wing broadcasters such as Rush Limbaugh love to defame people politically opposed to them as the “lunatic left.” But what is rational about extremists on the right, particularly with the bizarre way they have responded to the president since his election?

The display of weaponry is nothing more than a frightening attempt to intimidate their political opponents, which they wouldn’t have to resort to if they brought anything of substance to the debate.

For example, no matter how much evidence has been produced that clearly demonstrates that Obama was born in Hawaii, the “birthers” on the far right still complain that the president was really born in Kenya and is in office illegally.

Other people on the extreme right have bitterly complained about the alleged wave of socialism sweeping the United States and, yes, some even still fear the “New World Order” taking over.

As absurd as those arguments may be, some people wholeheartedly believe them. This type of extremism can be dangerous. The Southern Poverty Law Center recently reported a rise in militia activity, which has been stoked by racism.

The Republican Party and its right wing should disavow these armed protests and the hatred spewed by the far right. It is time for a serious debate, without the hatred or the scare tactics tainting the discussion.

The protesters should bring the facts, their ideas and their arguments, and leave their guns and conspiracy theories behind.