What Andrew Breitbart's Death Has Revealed

Some thoughts from Jim Geraghty concerning the reaction from the Left on Andrew Breitbart's death.

... But a large chunk of the rank and file of the Left — way more than a small percentage — really don’t believe that their opponents deserve anything resembling basic human dignity or respect.

We’re not really people to them. It’s not an accident that New York Times columnist referred to his critics on Twitter as “right-wing lice.” They’re not good, decent Americans who just have some different ideas about how to make the world a better place. They run on hate. It appears their entire sense of self-worth is driven by demonizing those who disagree with them and celebrating their political viewpoints as the cardinal measurements of virtue and good character. They are positively energized by the thought of lashing out at those of us who have the audacity to think differently than they. They really do project and accuse the opposition of all their worst traits: rage, closed-mindedness, cruelty, intolerance, bigotry, and an inability to empathize with others. And they completely lack self-awareness. They are blind to the irony of their actions. As someone said on Twitter today (I can’t find the comment now), “How many of the people celebrating Andrew’s death have a ‘NO H8′ icon on their avatar?” If, in their minds, we’re not deserving of that respect they clamor for endlessly — if their instinct, upon seeing us mourn is to “get in our faces” (a phrase that our president once strangely used) — they really cannot be entrusted with any power. They really would do away with us if given the chance.

Dehumanization is a method for making violence and proscription acceptable. The readiest example of this is the Nazi propaganda against the Jews in the 1930's (although, antisemitism has been an issue in Europe since at least the time of the high Middle-Ages) which first paved the way for general discrimination and persecution, and later government confiscation of property, liberty, and life, with the general cooperation of the German people.

This has been a growing trend among the Left for years, but it seems to be growing and becoming more public. For that reason, it should be of concern.