A Death in Arkansas

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Ken Aden is running for congress as a Democrat in Arkansas. Aden’s campaign manager, Jake Burris lives in Pope County, a highly conservative area in Central Arkansas. Sunday evening, as Burris and his children returned to their Russellville home, they found something horrific.

Someone had murdered the family cat, and written the word “liberal” on the body with a black marker. One side of the cat’s head was bashed in and an eyeball was hanging out of the socket. The cat’s body was left on the front porch and was discovered by one of Jake Burris’s children.

Ken Aden released a statement, saying “To kill a child’s pet is just unconscionable. As a former combat soldier, I’ve seen the best of humanity and the worst of humanity. Whoever did this is definitely part of the worst of humanity.” Aden is running against Republican incumbent. Steve Womack, whose office also released a statement.

“The thought of brutalizing an animal for the sake of making a political statement is beyond any standard of decency and the person or people responsible for this attack should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Beau Walker, Womack’s chief of staff.

Violent rhetoric has been the tool of choice since April of 2009, when the Tea Party first made an appearance in our political arena. Signs that read “We came unarmed-this time”, faxes sent to African American politicians with drawings of nooses, rocks thrown through windows of Democratic politicians’ offices; all part and parcel in this new age of “dialogue.”

If Steve Womack’s name sounds familiar, it should. A few weeks ago, Mr. Womack, a Tea Party favorite, screamed at a young mother holding down two jobs and trying to go to college. Kelly Eubanks attended one of Womack’s rare town hall meetings, and asked him why he had voted to cut Pell Grants, something she relies on to further her education. Womack retorted that it wasn’t the federal government’s job to provide her an education, then completely screwed himself by suggesting Ms. Eubanks join the military, since that’s how HE received his college education.

Ms. Eubanks, undaunted by the hypocrisy, bravely continued trying to get an answer to her question, at which point, Steve Womack screamed in her face “…are you going to be quiet and listen…”. Womack’s aides tried to take the microphone away from Ms. Eubanks, but she stood her ground, putting up with the usual Republican diatribe of “GET A JOB”, even though she had two.

Mr. Womack uses the dog whistle as well as any Tea Party Republican. He posted a statement on his website after President Obama wisely nixed the Keystone Pipeline, saying in part, that President Obama isn’t interested in job creation until after the election. In February of 2011, Mr. Womack turned down $15 million in federal funds to build a bike trail linking communities in his district. That same month, Mr. Womack intended to introduce legislation that would prohibit federal funds from being used to buy and maintain TELEPROMPTERS for President Obama. Womack’s spokesperson told the Huffington Post that, sad but true, they were unable to get the Congressional Budget Office’s score in time to submit it.

So, you have Jake Burris, who comes home with his kids to find their family pet slaughtered on the front porch, the word “liberal” written on blood soaked fur. You have Steve Womack, yelling at a mother trying to get a college education, turning down money to better his community in favor of trying to introduce legislation to battle the evils of teleprompters, and using the dog whistle “Obama doesn’t want to create jobs” rhetoric.

But liberals are the violent ones, liberals are the bigots and the haters and the party that uses terror tactics. Sure we are. That must be why, when we moved to a very small, conservative town, I removed all the pro-Obama stickers from my car and have warned my son never to tell anyone what I do, just say I’m writing a book. If someone asks what kind of book, he says he doesn‘t really know. We don’t talk about politics outside the walls of our home, ever.

This is a new day, and not a bright one. The Tea Party and the fringe right have created a toxic environment where more and more violence is seething directly under the surface of our national politics. That violence reared its ugly head at Jake Burris’s Arkansas home Sunday night, and a family pet was beaten to death by someone who hates the left so vehemently that they though nothing of murdering a child’s cat. Liberals are not the party of hate. We never have been.

Thanks to Think Progress, ArkDems.org and Blue Arkansas Blog for contributions to this article.

About Post Author

Erin Nanasi

Erin Nanasi is an avid underwater basket weaver, with a penchant for satire and the odd wombat reference.
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Nellie White
12 years ago

After reading this, I sent a donation to Ken Aden. The only way to stop hate is for the hater(s) to realize their horrific actions have the opposite effect. Even if you have to donate small – donate something to Mr. Aden.

Bill Formby
12 years ago

Why does that not surprise me. While I do agree that this doesn’t represent all of the Tea Party’s people it sure encouraged a lot of the extra far right wing nut cases to come out of their holes who are to stupid to express themselves any other way but through violence.

12 years ago

I really doubt my neighbors would do a thing like this although we also live in a very conservative area. Actually I think they would be horrified to think someone would commit such a heinous act. Still and all, these days you can never be quite sure. It is truly tragic.

Admin
12 years ago

This is a most disturbing story. Very disturbing. If anyone touched one of my pets the consequences of their actions cannot be discussed here.

Erin N.
Reply to  Professor Mike
12 years ago

Agreed. I hugged Princess for 5 minutes after I heard about this. She just sat there and purred. I don’t understand this at all, and it scares me to death.

Morgan Sheridan
Reply to  Erin N.
12 years ago

Erin on the one hand there is no understanding this. On the other, what we need to understand is this: deeds like this are what terrorist acts look like. They don’t have to be big acts like burning crosses or bombing homes. Small acts like this are also terrorizing. They have the goals of silencing us, of intimidating us, of showing us how close they can get to our loved ones, of manipulating our emotions and thinking (to where we “don’t understand this”), and more.

Erin N.
Reply to  Morgan Sheridan
12 years ago

Morgan-I will never stop writing, but I also realize that where we live now is very different than anywhere I’ve ever lived. While I refuse to be silenced, I will also not put a target on my back, or endanger my child. I do wear a shirt from Daily Kos that reads “I’m part of the vast left wing conspiracy,” but only when my husband is with me.

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