It's a sad week to be a Georgian...

I was extremely disappointed to read the following remarks by Congressman Paul Broun, which are hate speech. At a time when we should be celebrating the election of our first bi-racial President-elect, this congressman is continuing the most febrile arguments of the divisive, often racist, Republican campaign. His comments serve to fuel the conspiracies against a President who faces unprecedented security threats from a re-energized white supremacist movement, during a time when individuals are stockpiling guns in large numbers- a practice that Broun's comments encourage.

Broun deserves to be censured for his comments, and I am taking this opportunity to censor him now, because sadly, Broun represents my adopted hometown, Athens, Georgia. His views in no way represent the majority of his constituents here in Athens-Clarke County.

He should be ashamed of his words. If Congressman Broun was a decent individual, he would recognize his wrongs and apologize.

Georgia congressman warns of Obama dictatorship
By BEN EVANS – 4 days ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican congressman from Georgia said Monday he fears that President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist or fascist dictatorship. (Oh the gall to say this after the Bush administration made 9/11 the Reichstag and adopted unprecedented powers these past eight years.)

"It may sound a bit crazy and off base, but the thing is, he's the one who proposed this national security force, " Rep. Paul Broun said of Obama in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. "I'm just trying to bring attention to the fact that we may — may not, I hope not — but we may have a problem with that type of philosophy of radical socialism or Marxism."
Broun cited a July speech by Obama that has circulated on the Internet in which the then-Democratic presidential candidate called for a civilian force to take some of the national security burden off the military.

"That's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did," Broun said. "When he's proposing to have a national security force that's answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he's showing me signs of being Marxist."

Obama's comments about a national security force came during a speech in Colorado about building a new civil service corps. Among other things, he called for expanding the nation's foreign service and doubling the size of the Peace Corps "to renew our diplomacy."

"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set," Obama said in July. "We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."

Broun said he also believes Obama likely will move to ban gun ownership if he does build a national police force.

Obama has said he respects the Second Amendment right to bear arms and favors "common sense" gun laws. Gun rights advocates interpret that as meaning he'll at least enact curbs on ownership of assault weapons and concealed weapons. As an Illinois state lawmaker, Obama supported a ban on semiautomatic weapons and tighter restrictions on firearms generally. (I want semi-automatic weapons banned. I don't think most individuals have the sense or self-restraint to carry concealed weapons).

"We can't be lulled into complacency," Broun said. "You have to remember that Adolf Hitler was elected in a democratic Germany. I'm not comparing him to Adolf Hitler. (what are you doing then?) What I'm saying is there is the potential."

Obama's transition office did not respond immediately to Broun's remarks.