Tom Cole’s Outrage
The congressional district Tom Cole represents is one of five in Oklahoma. Yet, Congressman Cole was quite comfortable recently in claiming to speak, not just for everyone in Oklahoma, but also everyone in the whole United States.
Reacting to an earlier statement by U.S. Representative Betty McCollum, Cole said, “These outrageous remarks are deeply offensive to all Oklahomans – indeed all Americans.”
The following are the remarks by McCollum that Cole was referring to:
“When Members of Congress compare health care legislation to ‘government tyranny,’ ‘socialism’ or ‘totalitarianism’ in the hopes of scoring political points, it’s like pouring gas on the fire of extremism.
Members of this House, Democrats and Republicans, have a duty and obligation to end the dangerous name-calling that can only inspire extremist militias and phony patriots. In the most free, prosperous and greatest democracy on Earth, it is time to return to civil, decent debate of public policy.
I don’t want another ‘Oklahoma City’ to ever take place again. And just as we would not give aid and comfort to al Qaeda, let us not allow the words of elected leaders to give comfort and comfortable excuses to extremists bent on violence. Words have power for both good and evil, and I implore my colleagues to temper their rhetoric and not allow the words of a Member of Congress to ever be used by a violent militia or phony, hate-filled patriot to cause violence.”
Which part of this statement is deeply offensive to all Oklahomans? Is it the part that declares that another terrorist attack like the one against the Oklahoma City federal building should not take place ever again? Is it in the call for a “return to civil, decent debate of public policy”? Was it the part where McCollum complains about depictions of health care reform as a kind of tyranny?
Should all Americans react in offense to McCollum’s remarks?
[...] Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation (curious, given Tom Cole’s recent outburst against Betty McCollum’s request that members of Congress not contribute through extreme rhetoric to another domestic terrorist [...]