Innocent Until Proven Guilty—The American Way Gone Astray

There is no doubt that the recent violent events against political officials are despicable. I have always stood on the right side of the law, opposing those who maliciously do harm to others; vandalize; terrorize; commit fraud; or any other criminal act.

The problem, however, is that the most current detestable violent acts are being blamed on the Right without any shred of evidence. I believe that is totally unfair and completely prejudiced. There have been instances in the not too distant past where this same prejudice was displayed and proven false.

Let’s begin with James Von Brunn, the Holocaust Museum shooter. He was the 88 year old man who killed a security guard and injured another on June 10, 2009. The air and blog waves were filled with how this man was a White Supremacist and a Right-wing terrorist. However, after an investigation, we found out he hated Bush, Cheney, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Jews, Blacks, Christians—especially Catholics, and Fox News; he didn’t think Hitler went far enough; he was a Holocaust denier and a 9/11 Truther. Hmm…none of those sound like Right-wing beliefs to me. But that didn’t stop people from blaming the Right FIRST and THEN getting the FACTS which proved the Right was NOT responsible.


A few months later on September 12, 2009, Census Bureau employee, Bill Sparkman, was found hanged to death. CBS reported that he was found naked, gagged, and his arms and legs were bound with duct tape—all of which had NOT been confirmed by the authorities. Those types of allegations went through the MSM like a brushfire which led others to claim that Michelle Bachman and Glenn Beck were responsible for Sparkman’s death. Or take the Daily Kos’ author, the Liberal Kentuckian, who wrote, “This one act seems too likely to be the worst of mine, and all Liberal Kentuckians fears: Our state is consumed by Radical Right-Wing fear and propaganda, and we are moving to[sic] far to the right.” The Liberal Kentuckian also wrote, “I know that there is no factual evidence supporting the idea that this murder was something more than just another murder, but it has all the calling marks of being something much more.” He was right, of course, there was MORE. It was called “suicide to defraud an insurance company”, as a thorough FBI investigation later determined.

But the defamation to the Right, Michelle Bachman and Glenn Beck had already been done and NOT retracted—and no apologizes were EVER issued.



Then on February 18, 2010, Joseph Stack flew a private plane into an IRS building in Austin, Texas. Mr. Stack left a suicide note which railed against the IRS, GW Bush and the Catholic Church. However, it was again the Right, namely the Tea Party, who was blamed for this ghastly act of violence which killed him, one innocent IRS employee and injured thirteen others. The Daily Kos’ author mc joan was a little more, shall we say “conservative”, with his/her accusation, writing, “Reading larger political motives into this action would be preliminary, until more information emerges about whether he actually has been involved in any political movement like the teabaggers. But it should inject a bit of caution into the anti-government flame-throwers on the right.” Ya think “reading larger political motives” is preliminary before you have any, let's say FACTS!? How about EXTREMELY PREJUDICED? Stack was against ALL government, even Bush. To say he was on the Right would be an out and out lie. The man was a friggin’ Anarchist.

ALL violence should be shunned. BOTH parties as well as all Americans need to call each perpetrator by his/her name— REPUGNANT. We need to stand by our values and convictions regardless of our political party—THAT is what good character is all about. Values, morals, integrity, grit—those must precede any political affiliation and we MUST pursue and honor them. Just as we must revere and pursue FACTS.

There is STILL such a thing in our country as “innocent until proven guilty” but so many have chosen expediency over truth. Power over justice. The foundation of our country is crumbling and it’s because far too many have chosen to forget the fundamentals.

The violence, hate-filled vitriol and incivility needs to stop if we are ever going to succeed. We need to practice patience and we also need to remember some decorum when faced with these issues. I do believe it’s called the American Way.