Hating America
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
When you do violent things, you hate your country. It doesn't matter why you do them. Violence in itself is destructive to society. And there's all kinds of violence: physical, mental and emotional.
The FBI has smashed a whacked-out militia group in Michigan, arresting nine people. Apparently these loons were plotting to kill a police officer and then bomb the funeral in the hope of touching off an uprising against the government.
Crazy? Off the chart. We congratulate the FBI for arresting these people, assuming of course the charges are proved.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
In another insane situation, the Westboro Baptist Church, which hates gay people and believes God is punishing America, won a victory in court. These disturbed souls from Westboro disrupt military funerals, so Albert Snyder of York, Pennsylvania, the father of a Marine killed in Iraq, sued the church for intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy. Mr. Snyder won in the beginning and then lost on appeal, and incredibly, the court has ordered him to pay more than $16,000 in court costs to the Westboro people.
That is an outrage, and I will pay Mr. Snyder's obligation. I am not going to let this injustice stand.
It's obvious those cranks at Westboro were intentionally trying to hurt Mr. Snyder and his family. It's obvious they were disturbing the peace. They should have been arrested, but our system is so screwed up that loons are allowed to run wild.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Mr. Snyder is fighting a good fight, and he is taking his case to the Supreme Court. We are behind him 100 percent.
There is far too much hatred in America. That's obvious. It comes from both sides. The Michigan militia and the Westboro Baptist Church are far-right nuts, but there are just as many far-left idiots doing vile things.
Thirty-eight-year-old Norman Leboon has been charged with threatening to kill Republican Congressman Eric Cantor. Apparently Leboon wants to kill Cantor and his family and is now being held without bail. It looks like this guy is simply nuts. Ideology might not be in play.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
However, a brick was thrown through the window of the Michigan Republican Party headquarters on Monday. Obviously that's political.
The point is that the situation in America is reaching critical mass. There is far too much hatred in the air.
The press is obviously pumping up inappropriate things that happen on the right and pretty much ignoring hateful things on the left. Bernie Goldberg and I established that on Monday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
But every member of the media should condemn all hate speech and violent activity. It is simply un-American.
And that's "The Memo."
Pinheads & Patriots
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Our auction for Operation Shoebox and USA Cares, two very worthy charities, is over.
The last autographed cover of my upcoming book "Pinheads and Patriots: Your Place in the Age of Obama" was won by Gerard Hall from Durham, North Carolina, who bid $5,500. I will match that.
So all told, Shoebox and USA Cares will get $57,000, and everyone who bid is a patriot.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
On the pinhead front, things are not good for the Octomom. You'll remember, Nadya Suleman gave birth to eight babies last year, on top of the six kids that she already had.
Well now the mother of 14 is reportedly in danger of losing her home, apparently having trouble with mortgage payments. So the animal rights people at PETA are giving her $5,000 and a month's supply of veggie burgers and veggie hot dogs in exchange for some free publicity. The PETA people have put a sign up on Ms. Suleman's lawn that says: "Don't let your dog or cat become an Octomom. Always spay or neuter."
Is she a pinhead for teaming up with PETA, or PETA for teaming up with her? You make the call.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Correction: Monday night the winning bid on the book cover was made by Cecilia Hilton, who lives in Gainesville, Virginia. I badly mispronounced Cecilia's name. So badly I called her Evelyn. Obviously, that's not good. Cecilia is a patriot and should never be confused with Evelyn, who we don't even know.