Stepped-on activist says she was no threat

For those not familiar with the events an activist protesting at a Rand Paul/Tea Party event was assaulted, forced to the ground, held down, and stepped on. The picture says it all.

Lauren Valle, who grew up in Massachusetts, was held down by supporters of Rand Paul Monday in Lexington, Ky. The man who struck her said he was concerned about Paul’s safety. (Wdrb-Louisville via Associated Press)

According to the Boston.com Ms Valle commented “This is an extreme example of the kinds of sentiments that people are feeling in many races across the country,’’ Valle told the Associated Press." Common sense very much agrees with Ms Valle.  Indeed, it causes one to wonder just how dangerously angry and violent politics has become.   If this kind of violence is tolerable then are we far away from the processes that leads to totalitarian regimes such as the Nazis and others? 

Understand that I'm not suggesting that the Tea Party should be equated with Nazism.  What I am suggesting is that violence masquerading as politics is at the heart of  fascism.  Common sense suggests that as a nation we should unequivocally reject it and candidates and parties that tolerate it.