Domestic Terrorism And The Extremist “Right”
Posted by Michelle Moquin on January 12th, 2011
Good morning.
As you know, I have not been feeling like saying much these past few days. I have been thinking about the time that I spend here blogging…the articles that I post…the rants that I write…the comments from the commentators that I read and respond.
And as much as I have praised Obama, fought for things that I believed in, addressed the atrocities, and so much more, I can’t help but think: What has all of my time here accomplished? What changes have I/we been a part of over the past three and half years, since I have been blogging, that has had a grand affect in the broad scheme of it all?
I ask this not for recognition or raves. I am one who has always been hard on myself. Ask anyone who knows me. On the up side, it drives me to do better…to strive for more. And on the down side, if I don’t catch myself, I can use that excuse to fall into self-pity, wallowing in a “woe is me” attitude.
Self-pity is usually born out of my sarcasm, in the form of contemptuous complaints, when I feel like I am doing so much, and basically feeling like I am getting no where. I lose sight of the big picture, my vision narrows, and I am swallowed by the self-pity.
Thankfully it never lasts long as I am usually administered a swift kick to get over myself, which I do, and then I shake myself off and I’m back on track again…on the path of acceptance, “This is how it is…for now“, with a view that is beyond my backyard.
So why am I going on and on about this? Although I may not feel like I am doing much good writing my blog, or that I am inspiring change, or making a huge difference, I realize change takes time and I am a voice. Hopefully a logical voice…and a loud one sometimes. :)
And I, being a voice, realize that I must persevere and continue to voice with conviction. And so must you. Else we’ll drown in the never ending noise and relentless lies and rhetoric, and be victim to the atrocities from the extremist evildoers, the rabid racists, and the cold-hearted killers of this world, who will NEVER stop committing crimes…who will NEVER stop lying and shouting their spurious superiority…and who will NEVER stop killing.
So..speaking of the above…
Terror in Arizona: Just another ‘isolated incident’? Funny how that list keeps mounting
It’s fundamental to their psychology, as Digby often observes, for right-wingers to constantly portray themselves as victims — indeed, the American Right long ago mastered the art of flipping reality on its head and turning attempts to hold them accountable for their predilection for violence into a vicious and unfair attack on their honor — of turning the perpetrators into victims and the victims into perpetrators. In 1870, it was the “bloody shirt”. Today, in the wake of the Gabrielle Giffords shooting, it’s the “blood libel,” as Glenn Reynolds puts it.
Indeed, the only thing more predictable than the eventuality of actual violence erupting in a climate of broadly sanctioned violent eliminationist rhetoric is the certainty that the Right will attempt to claim that any discussion of accountability and the need to examine the role our national discourse has in fomenting violence is an attempt to victimize them.
See, for instance, Tea Party Express spokesman Sal Russo this morning on Fox, attempting to claim that Jared Loughner was actually a “far left loon” (sorry, Sal, but that just won’t fly). Meanwhile, Michelle Malkin is trying to counter by claiming that it’s actually folks on the Left who’ve been purveying the ugliest rhetoric.
Predictably, there are the usual suspects among the “concerned liberal” segment likewise wringing their hands that we shouldn’t jump to conclusions (see especially Jon Chait at “even the liberal” New Republic, and Jack Shafer at Slate).
The bottom line for all of them is that this is just another “isolated incident” because Jared Loughner is just “a lone nut”.
Once again, we call that a complete cop-out.
Sure, there are lots of complicating factors, especially Loughner’s pretty clearly deranged mental state. But there are also some factors that are simply undeniable, in particular that Giffords was shot in a climate of extraordinarily heated and hateful rhetoric, including the casual associations of guns and targets with Giffords personally.
Moreover, what’s equally undeniable is that it comes amid a gradually mounting litany of violence directed against “liberal” and government targets, effectively suggesting a fresh onset of domestic terrorism from the extremist American Right.
Just in the past two and a half years, here’s the record of “isolated incidents” amassed so far:
– July 2008: A gunman named Jim David Adkisson, agitated at how “liberals” are “destroying America,” walks into a Unitarian Church and opens fire, killing two churchgoers and wounding four others.
– October 2008: Two neo-Nazis are arrested in Tennessee in a plot to murder dozens of African-Americans, culminating in the assassination of President Obama.
– December 2008: A pair of “Patriot” movement radicals — the father-son team of Bruce and Joshua Turnidge, who wanted “to attack the political infrastructure” — threaten a bank in Woodburn, Oregon, with a bomb in the hopes of extorting money that would end their financial difficulties, for which they blamed the government. Instead, the bomb goes off and kills two police officers. The men eventually are convicted and sentenced to death for the crime.
– December 2008: In Belfast, Maine, police discover the makings of a nuclear “dirty bomb” in the basement of a white supremacist shot dead by his wife. The man, who was independently wealthy, reportedly was agitated about the election of President Obama and was crafting a plan to set off the bomb.
– January 2009: A white supremacist named Keith Luke embarks on a killing rampage in Brockton, Mass., raping and wounding a black woman and killing her sister, then killing a homeless man before being captured by police as he is en route to a Jewish community center.
– February 2009: A Marine named Kody Brittingham is arrested and charged with plotting to assassinate President Obama. Brittingham also collected white-supremacist material.
– April 2009: A white supremacist named Richard Poplawski opens fire on three Pittsburgh police officers who come to his house on a domestic-violence call and kills all three, because he believed President Obama intended to take away the guns of white citizens like himself. Poplawski is currently awaiting trial.
– April 2009: Another gunman in Okaloosa County, Florida, similarly fearful of Obama’s purported gun-grabbing plans, kills two deputies when they come to arrest him in a domestic-violence matter, then is killed himself in a shootout with police.
– May 2009: A “sovereign citizen” named Scott Roeder walks into a church in Wichita, Kansas, and assassinates abortion provider Dr. George Tiller.
– June 2009: A Holocaust denier and right-wing tax protester named James Von Brunn opens fire at the Holocaust Museum, killing a security guard.
– February 2010: An angry tax protester named Joseph Ray Stack flies an airplane into the building housing IRS offices in Austin, Texas. (Media are reluctant to label this one “domestic terrorism” too.)
– March 2010: Seven militiamen from the Hutaree Militia in Michigan and Ohio are arrested and charged with plotting to assassinate local police officers with the intent of sparking a new civil war.
– March 2010: An anti-government extremist named John Patrick Bedell walks into the Pentagon and opens fire, wounding two officers before he is himself shot dead.
– May 2010: A “sovereign citizen” from Georgia is arrested in Tennessee and charged with plotting the violent takeover of a local county courthouse.
– May 2010: A still-unidentified white man walks into a Jacksonville, Fla., mosque and sets it afire, simultaneously setting off a pipe bomb.
– May 2010: Two “sovereign citizens” named Jerry and Joe Kane gun down two police officers who pull them over for a traffic violation, and then wound two more officers in a shootout in which both of them are eventually killed.
– July 2010: An agitated right-winger and convict named Byron Williams loads up on weapons and drives to the Bay Area intent on attacking the offices of the Tides Foundation and the ACLU, but is intercepted by state patrolmen and engages them in a shootout and armed standoff in which two officers and Williams are wounded.
– September 2010: A Concord, N.C., man is arrested and charged with plotting to blow up a North Carolina abortion clinic. The man, 26-year–old Justin Carl Moose, referred to himself as the “Christian counterpart to (Osama) bin Laden” in a taped undercover meeting with a federal informant.
The Giffords shooting brings the tally to 19 total cases of domestic-terrorism inspired by right-wing extremism in the past couple of years. Oh, excuse me: I meant to say “isolated incidents”. Because that is how each of these cases was treated — and how they continue to be reported by the mainstream media, particularly at Fox, which generally does not report on them at all.
We’d like to ask Glenn Reynolds and Michelle Malkin: Exactly how many left-wingers can you find out there who walk into churches, museums and political rallies and shoot people in the head?
When you can name any, then maybe we can talk about how ugly the Left is getting. Until then, all the focus is going to be on the angry people creating a climate in which extremist, unhinging right-wing rhetoric is widely broadcast and officially condoned by supposedly “mainstream” conservatives — at the very top of the food chain, and through the Right’s prominent mass-media organs. That, frankly, is as it should be. Because the toll is mounting.
**************
Readers: So the “right” claims that it is the “left” that are the “extremists”.
Okay..so just who is propagating this hunting permit?
It’s obvious it certainly isn’t liberals.
And remember Joe Wilson’s shout out to the President, “You lie!”. Just who do you think is etching that slogan onto a line of assault rifle components? Yes, you read it “right” and yes, you guessed it “right” – The gun loving, gun carrying “right”.
“Palmetto State Armory would like to honor our esteemed congressman Joe Wilson with the release of our new ‘You Lie’ AR-15 lower receiver,” reads a portion of the company’s website.
The product “is neither endorsed nor affiliated with Joe Wilson or his campaign,” according to a line of text at the bottom of the page. A picture of Wilson holding a rifle and standing in the company’s gun shop appears on the same page. The company offers the components, marked “MULTI to accommodate most builds,” for $99.95 apiece.
“Only 999 of these will be produced, get yours before they are gone!” the website reads.
If you go to the home page of Palmetto State Armory, you can listen to an endorsement by Glenn Beck!
Screenshot from front page of Palmetto State Armory website where you can push button to listen to Glenn Beck’s radio ad for them.
Yeehaw!! Get yer gun before it’s gone!
This is just so sick. I don’t know about you, but there has to be something illegal happening here. How can a slogan like this, under the contect that it was said to the President of the United States, be etched on the parts of a weapon that is used to kill? Isn’t this inspiring a political assassination of the president? Is this taking freedom of speech just a bit too far?
I know that saying this slogan on a weapon puts the president in “imminent” danger may be an exaggeration and taking it too far, but in these times and in light of the Arizona shooting, maybe not.
This may not be a direct threat to assassinate the president, but in my opinion, to the small minds of the crazies out there, this slogan etched on a gun can certainly be read as a summons…a message, to assassinate Obama with this gun.
So what next? Are they going to post a reward, that will be given to one of the 999 gun holders that owns the weapon, that kills Obama? And just what is anyone doing about it? Once again, I can’t help but say that if we had a white president, one could never get away with such heinous actions without consequences.
I am just sickened by the thought. Is this crossing anyone else’s mind?
Anna of Guam: I love the idea. I HOPE that someone here is reading and will give it a try too. Hafa Adai.
Hank: Yes it can be. But what would life be without it. :)
ZL: Thank you. I am available almost anytime today in my office after 11:00 am or later afternoon Thursday or Friday. Hopefully you can catch me, otherwise leave a message and I’ll call you back.
I’m done. Thoughts? I know you have some. Blog me.
Peace out.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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January 12th, 2011 at 6:54 pm
Nice! Good post. Make no mistake, despite your own internal struggles, my sweet, you and your blog have made changes on this pale blue ball located somewhere in the corner of the Universe. The real change that life is about is not only what is done with yourself but what is left behind because of the changes you have done with yourself…The virgin paths you tread have many footsteps behind them, and for that you should be proud! It is all about the journey.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:56 pm
We can only do what we can Michelle. You can do more than others because you can.
Lena
January 12th, 2011 at 9:58 pm
Great Idea Anna. We Jews for Jesus in Israel are going to do that. I am proposing it for next year.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:59 pm
I like how you write Zen Lill. I couldn’t have said it better. So ditto from me too Michelle.
Inca
January 12th, 2011 at 10:00 pm
Next we meet at one of our reunions, I’ll plant a big thank you kiss for your blog on those sweet lips.
January 12th, 2011 at 10:02 pm
This is a place I come to be consoled from the beating the world’s ignorance gives to me on a daily basis.
I thank you for your efforts in making it a place I call sanity.
Tomei
January 12th, 2011 at 10:07 pm
Michelle, there is a little bit of everything one way or another on your blog. It starts from your idea and ends with the commitment you give to it.
Sometimes I think she should have cut that fool out. Later sometimes a lot later I can see the logic of your conviction to provide a venue for purging the devils.
How would those fools act out if not on your blog. Let them shoot me with words, Stick and Stones…….
January 12th, 2011 at 10:09 pm
Fine as you are. You can cry on my shoulders any day. I’m even open to hugs of sympathy or just an empathic back rub.
Have hands and arms, will travel.
Jimmy
January 12th, 2011 at 10:11 pm
The simple fact is the dems need some balls. As long as they allow the repubs to do all the mud slinging and threatening nothing will change.
Kent
January 13th, 2011 at 6:01 am
Holiday Travel When You Have a Health Problem
Neil Shulman, MD
Emory University School of Medicine
Travel can be stressful for everyone, but it poses particular challenges for those with health problems. To travel safely…
Carry a “health profile.” Suppose that you have sudden chest pains or difficulty breathing. You might be too sick to discuss your health history with the doctor who treats you.
I advise everyone who travels to carry a typed health profile in his/her wallet or purse. The profile should include your name and contact information (along with the phone numbers of emergency contact people)… your medical diagnoses… medications that you’re taking… and information about allergies.
It also should include your insurance information, doctor’s telephone number and, if possible, copies of test results revealing your condition, such as cardiograms and lung tests.
Helpful: Google has a free service that allows you to store your health information and print out a wallet-size version. http://www.google.com/health.
Get vaccinated. If you haven’t gotten flu vaccinations for seasonal and swine flu, ask your doctor if you need them. Most flu deaths occur in people with preexisting health problems.
If you’re traveling outside the US, you may need other vaccinations as well. Check the Web site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov (click on “Travelers’ Health”).
Don’t wait until the last minute to get vaccinated. Some vaccines take weeks before providing total protection.
Manage medications.
Always pack enough medication to last longer than your trip, just in case there’s a delay getting home. Don’t count on filling your prescriptions when you’re away. Many of the drugs that are readily available in the US may be unavailable in other countries or packaged under different names.
When flying, put all your medicines (in their original, labeled containers) and medical devices (such as syringes) in a clear plastic bag and carry them with you (don’t check them in luggage, which can get lost).
Walk around.
One of the main risks of airplane flights (or trips by car, train or bus) is deep-vein thrombosis (DVT). Blood clots that develop in the legs can break free and travel to the lungs. This condition, known as pulmonary embolism, is frequently fatal.
DVT often occurs in those with other health problems, including congestive heart failure. It’s mainly caused by immobility because clots are more likely to form when you don’t move your legs.
Stretch your legs at least once an hour. On a plane, train or bus, walk up and down the aisle. On car trips, stop and walk for a few minutes. In between walks, rotate your ankles and flex your toes.
Also helpful: Drink at least one extra glass of water every hour or two during trips. It may reduce the risk for clots.
Plan for altitude. If you’re going to a high-altitude location, you may feel tired and have difficulty breathing, especially if you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), anemia or heart disease.
Ask your doctor about precautions you need to take. You might just need to take it easy for a few days after you arrive. In most cases, you will be advised to drink plenty of water.
If you use supplemental oxygen because of COPD or other lung disease, airlines typically will provide you with the needed in-flight oxygen equipment (you may be charged a fee).
Ask whether you need documentation from your doctor. If you need oxygen when you arrive, be sure to make arrangements ahead of time.
Personal interviewed Neil Shulman, MD, associate professor in the department of internal medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
He is coauthor, with Michael A. Silverman, MD, and Adam G. Golden, MD, of The Real Truth About Aging: A Survival Guide for Older Adults and Caregivers (Prometheus).