Attacking Private Citizens for Political Gain

This is Frank Ricci. He is a firefighter that serves the city of New Haven, Connecticut. Ricci was one of the the 20 fire fighters who earned promotions promised to the highest scorers on a job aptitude test. Ricci himself has Dyslexia , yet that didn't stop him from pursuing the test. He invested over $1,000 in testing materials to be sure he would score high enough for the promotion. When he did score high enough, the state decided to not issue the promotions because there were not enough minorities in the top 20 test scorers.

Working its way up the ladder of justice, "Ricci v. DeStefano" inevitably reached the Supreme Court. The appellate court, featuring appointed justice Sonia Sotomayor, had just ruled against the 20 firefighters, saying that the test itself must have been unfair to minorities. Now that Sonya Sotomayor has been appointed to the highest court in the land, Frank Ricci, along with 2 Mexican firefighters are serving as witnesses to the Sotomayor hearings. Where does this lead to now that someone threatens the initiative of the Democratic machine? Well, in an all to familiar manner, several democrats and left winged advocacy groups have brought the attack on the innocent individual. Frank Ricci, a regular citizen who won his dispute with the city, is now being personally attacked because he poses a legitimate threat to a member of the extreme liberal agenda.

According to McClatchy Newspapers, strong supporters of Sonya Sotomayor have been urging the newspaper to investigate Frank Ricci. In their own words, Ricci has a, "troubled and litigious work history." However troubling his work history may or may not have been, Ricci's work ethic was not the issue at hand in the case.

The "New Haven 20" after the U.S. Supreme Court over-ruled Sotomayor's decision, ruling in favor of Frank Ricci (pictured front right) and the 19 other firefighters

The investigation into Frank Ricci was urged by People for the American Way, a strong liberal advocacy group. They cite Ricci's involvement in a civil suit against another fire department for discrimination involving his abilities with Dyslexia. In that case, the courts ruled in favor of Mr. Ricci, that he in fact had been discriminated against. According to People for the American Way, this case from 14 years ago proves Ricci unworthy of the promotion he rightfully earned and they have resorted to personal attacks to make a mockery of him. It is disgusting that these people believe they have the right to invade the personal life of an innocent man, just because he is serving as a witness to the past rulings of a potential Supreme Court Justice.

When I heard about the way Frank Ricci was being treated, I immediate thought of how typical this is of the progressive liberal movement. Another case of liberal attacks on innocent private citizens is Joe the Plumber. While Barack Obama was on the campaign trail as a candidate of the presidency, he came across a man named Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, otherwise known as, "Joe the Plumber."

As Obama questioned the average man on the sidewalk out side of his home, Joe also began to question the democratic candidate. Here is part of the discussion between the two.

Obama's use of "Joe the Plumber" gone wrong

In later weeks, Barack Obama began to use Joe's story as an example of how he wanted to change the way the government taxes small businesses. In a sense, Obama was using the life and situation of "Joe the Plumber" for his own political gain. This plan backfired though, when Joe Wurzelbacher was asked about his support for Barack Obama. Mr. Wurzelbacher simply answered that he didn't support Obama's tax plan that would, in Joe's eyes, punish the hard working small businesses for being successful. It hadn't even been a full 24 hours before the Obama campaign and his supporters began the personal attacks on Joe for his treason to the movement.

It was hard for me to pick an example of liberals bashing Joe Wurzelbacher, not because they are rare occurrences, but because I really wanted my readers to see the disgusting attitudes that make these people think they are better than everyone else. In this clip, you see Cenk Uygur, the host of the "Young Turks" radio show, bashing Mr. Wurzelbacher, which Uygur has come to do quite often. There are several videos of this liberal talk show host poking fun of "Joe the Plumber," but this is just one that I chose to make my point.

"Young Turks" radio show still bashing Joe Wurzelbacher on July 3, 2009, just 10 days ago.

These are just two examples of the Liberal regime and their personal attacks in the past year. There are plenty more, and if you are thinking about it now, I'm sure you may have come across the idea of an entire family still under attack today. Never in the history of America has any private citizen been so unashamedly bashed by the Liberals and advocacy groups as the family of Sarah Palin. Whether it's her 18 year old daughter who has already had a child, her husband who was a member of a secession group 15 years ago, or even her youngest son who suffers from Down Syndrome, nothing is off limits when it comes to the Palin's.

Perfect example: Michelle Obama says, "For the first time in my life, I'm proud to be an American." Barack Obama then says, "My family is off limits," and the media keeps quiet. When it comes to the Palins however, things are totally different. David Letterman says A-Rod knocked up Palin's daughter (who is 14 years old) in the seventh inning stretch of a Yankees game and the Huffington Post talks about Sarah Palin's youngest son Trig by calling him, "her retarded kid." Because Palin threatens the liberal agenda, none of her family is off limits.

Not once, but twice, Michelle states this is the first time she is proud of her country

Here is just one of many things I want made equal amongst progressives and conservatives. If the progressives are going to demand the "truth" of Trig Palin's birth history (whether or not Sarah is his true mother), I want the truth about Obama's birth history. If you were truly born in the United States, show your birth certificate. Don't show us a fake, don't show us a copy of a birth certificate all blacked out, and don't tell us it's none of our business. It is our business because you serve us.

I suppose the lesson I have learned from this is that you cannot be associated in any way to conservative politics or else you are a target. Also, if you so much as question the direction of the progressive movement, Hollywood and the progressives will attack you mercilessly whether you are a plumber, trucker, farmer, or child. I find it more important though, that future acquaintances of political voices know this. I don't know what my future holds, but I know that I want to fight and be the best contributor to conservative principles that I can be. That being said, I, and anyone else with an ambition to serve the country in such a way, must know their loved ones will be the target of liberal attacks. It's a disgrace that these people get away with it, but it will go on, until enough people tell them that it's not acceptable.