Rightwing Terrorism -- Here It Comes
I'll make this quick. A couple of months ago the news read like this:
Fast-forward a little bit...
Earlier this week The Post had this story:
Today we have this horrifying news report:
I have long complained on this blog about the media's failure to report rightwing violence as terrorist acts. The government has not taken them seriously and the media give them special consideration. Here we have leading Republicans preparing a defense in advance, demanding that the government apologize for worrying about rightwing terrorism.
It is time to take it seriously.
Yesterday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich tweeted that "The person who drafted the outrageous homeland security memo smearing veterans and conservatives should be fired."
Gingrich was referring to this report prepared by the Department of Homeland Security's Extremism and Radicalization Branch, Homeland Environment Threat Analysis Division, and coordinated with the FBI.
As Fox News has reported, DHS also issued a study of the threat of leftwing extremists (read it HERE.) But the report on the rightwing extremists is the one attracting heat in the conservative bloggosphere, from Gingrich, Michelle Malkin, Powerline, and elsewhere.
The report states that while DHS "has no specific information that domestic rightwing terrorists are currently planning acts of violence...rightwing extremists may be gaining new recruits by playing on their fears about several emergent issues."
DHS defines "rightwing" as "broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration."
The "emergent issues," the DHS report states, include both "the election of the first African American president" and "a prolonged economic downturn—including real estate foreclosures, unemployment, and an inability to obtain credit," which DHS says "present unique drivers for rightwing radicalization and recruitment." Conservatives Decry Homeland Security Report on "Rightwing" Extremism
Fast-forward a little bit...
Earlier this week The Post had this story:
The man charged with murdering a high-profile abortion doctor claimed from his jail cell Sunday that similar violence was planned elsewhere for "as long as abortion remains legal."
...
"I know there are many other similar events planned around the country as long as abortion remains legal," Roeder said. When asked what he meant and if he was referring to another shooting, he refused to elaborate. It was not clear whether Roeder knew of any impending violence or whether he was simply seeking publicity for his cause. Suspect in Doctor's Death Warns of More Violence
Today we have this horrifying news report:
WASHINGTON — An elderly man walked into the Holocaust Museum, one of the capital’s most-visited sites, shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday and opened fire with a shoulder weapon or pistol, wounding a security guard before being shot himself, officials said.
The gunman was identified by several news agencies as James W. von Brunn, a man in his late 80s. According to a Web site maintained by Mr. von Brunn, he embraces a far-reaching conspiracy theory involving Jews, blacks and other minority groups. Early reports indicated that he lives in eastern Maryland. Two Shot at Holocaust Museum in D.C., Police Say
I have long complained on this blog about the media's failure to report rightwing violence as terrorist acts. The government has not taken them seriously and the media give them special consideration. Here we have leading Republicans preparing a defense in advance, demanding that the government apologize for worrying about rightwing terrorism.
It is time to take it seriously.
posted by JimK at 4:25 PM
47 Comments:
Let's waterboard Roeder and hear how many plans and planners he names when his brain shuts down because it perceives he's drowning. Rightwingers should be all be for that! They think waterboarding is justfied for foreign terrorists, so why not use it to get the "truth" out of domestic terrorists too? And why let a few laws interfere with such an effective interrogation technique?
news flash:
the al quaeda terrorists who were waterboarded would not hesitate to do much worse to American hostages
"TROY, Va. (June 10) - For more than a year, Virginia's largest women's prison rounded up inmates who had loose-fitting clothes, short hair or otherwise masculine looks, sending them to a unit officers derisively dubbed the "butch wing," prisoners and guards say.
Dozens were moved in an attempt to split up relationships and curb illegal sexual activity at the 1,200-inmate Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women, the inmates and corrections officers said.
Two current guards and one of their former co-workers said targeting masculine-looking inmates was a deliberate strategy by a building manager.
Numerous inmates said in letters and interviews that they felt humiliated and stigmatized when guards took them to the separate wing — also referred to by prisoners and guards as the "little boys wing," "locker room wing" or "studs wing."
Living conditions in wing 5D weren't worse than the rest of the prison, and no prisoner said she was denied services other inmates received.
However, the women said they were verbally harassed by staff who would make remarks such as, "Here come the little boys," when they were escorted to eat, and they were taken to the cafeteria first or last to keep them away from other inmates.
The three guards confirmed such remarks were made.
The two current guards and former guard William Drumheller said Building 5 manager Timothy Back, who is in charge of security and operations for that area, came up with the idea to break up couples by sending inmates to the wing.
Gradually, they said, the 60-inmate wing was filled with women targeted because of their appearance.
"I heard him say, 'We're going to break up some of these relationships, start a boys wing, and we're going to take all these studs and put them together and see how they like looking at nothing but each other all day instead of their girlfriends,'" Drumheller said.
Drumheller said Back told him the plan one day in a prison office.
The other two guards, who are both female, said Back's reasons for moving the prisoners were commonly known among guards, though officials would deny the reasons for the moves if inmates asked or complained."
"I have long complained on this blog about the media's failure to report rightwing violence as terrorist acts. The government has not taken them seriously and the media give them special consideration."
It's hard to make any sense out of this statement.
The guy at the Holocaust museum was a racist. It wasn't a matter of right and left.
Unlike most terrorists, moreover, no group takes credit or his actions as part of a terrorist campaign and it appears he was reacting to a perceived slight, an individual paranoia.
And he was covered in a big headline with huge block letters in the Post this morning.
As for the other incident, the pro-life movement has nothing to do with anti-semitism. While a misguided vigilante, the motivation in Roeder's case was not personal resentment.
No group claimed responsibility as part of a terrorist campaign and it was fully covered by the media.
Jim's statement makes no sense.
I've only got a second here, but things are turning up on the Internet.
Here's an article the killer posted at rightwing site The Free Republic:
Obama is missing
Comment on the "Ron Paul for President" Yahoo group (don't click if you can't stomach some extreme racism)
HITLER'S WORST MISTAKE: HE DIDN'T GAS THE JEWS.
His web site www.holywesternempire.org has apparently been taken down, but you can find pieces of it in the Google cache if you google his name
You can act like the Holocaust Museum murders were the work of a "lone wolf," but he found a ready audience in the rightwing community.
JimK
If we don't STOP THE HATE, we are doomed as a society!
I volunteer at the Holocaust Museum, where we constantly remind our visitors that we cannot continue to allow the hatred, ignorance, and bigotry to go unchallenged.
The disgraceful dialogue that passes as intelligent expression of dialogue in the public arena has got to STOP. The disrespectful words and acts of those who disagree with others because of their race, sexual orientation, national origin, or religion has got to STOP. The condoning of reprehensible, dehumanizing attacks on people whose cultures and values differ from ours has got to STOP.
If we don't come to our senses and dedicate ourselves to return respect and civil discourse in our society, we are doomed. In the name of our common humanity we must STOP the insanity.
The Holocaust Museum and its staff and volunteers work diligently to carry out the mission of the Museum - we must not allow hatred and fear and bigotry to survive. The guiding principle of the Museum - "Never Again" - calls us all to action.
RAP
Andrea- not anon
Anon- as usual- you are wrong. You make no sense- as usual- not Jim. The murderer at the Holocaust was a far rightwing extremist. A racist, an anti-semite(Jews are not a race- that is an ignorant,racist statement in itself) and the murderer's own statements show how far to the right he was.
Why don't you go back to Free Republic(where this murderer felt at home) and share your opinions there with likeminded people?
Kind of odd for a "right wing extremist" to be a registered democrat, huh?
Probably unusual -- are you saying that Democrats cannot be rightwing terrorists? You seem to chafe at the idea that the Holocaust Museum murderer is a whole lot like you.
Here's the transcript of an interview of a Professor Levin of Criminology and Sociology who also heads the Center of Violence and Conflict at Northeastern University, about the rise in hate crimes we were warned about just a few months ago. Professor Levin agrees with Anon that hate can come from either end of the spectrum, with RAP that hate (as exemplified by believing others are less than human or are the children of Satan) is a major cause of such violence, and with JimK and the Department of Homeland Security, that this type of domestic violence is bad and will get worse unless we find a way to end the hate and work together.
Full transcript of Countdown, June 10, 2009
OLBERMANN: All right. For more on this climate that has brought two acts of right-wing extremist violence in just 11 days, let‘s turn to Jack Levin—the professor of criminology and sociology at Northeastern University, director of its Center on Violence and Conflict. And also, the author of “Why We Hate” and “Domestic “Terrorism.”
Thank you for your time tonight, sir.
JACK LEVIN, NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY: Certainly.
OLBERMANN: Five months—less than five months actually, into this presidency of this Democratic president, white-half, African-American, and a shooter opens fire in the National Holocaust Museum. Eleven days after an OB-GYN in Kansas is assassinated and his women‘s health clinic closes its doors apparently for good. Is this a coincidence of timing that these attacks are happening now?
LEVIN: Oh, not at all. It seems to me that we are looking at a confluence of forces that come together to make a lot of people feel threatened—a bad economy, high unemployment rate, an unprecedented number of immigrants in the country. We‘re seeing an African-American president who has Jewish advisors and who just recently visited a concentration camp and was very critical of Holocaust deniers.
You know, if you put all of these factors together, you see that there are lots of racists in the country who simply feel that they have to defend themselves—defend their racial identity against what they see as an attack that‘s coming from all of these forces that are working together.
Second part to follow
OLBERMANN: Homeland Security, the secretary and the report that was in preparation long before she became the secretary warned of this kind of right-wing extremism, under these circumstances two months. And yet, Secretary Napolitano had to apologize for that report because of the outrage, the backlash among Republicans. In retrospect, not to suggest that she has been vindicated in some way, but why in the world did she apologize? This seems to have been the most prescient work done by this department since its founding.
LEVIN: Well, you know, I can‘t speak for her, and certainly, this could have political motivation. But let me point out something—first of all, it‘s not the ideology that comes from the right that causes these kinds of crimes. It‘s the name calling. You know, these kinds of racists view blacks and Asians and Latinos as subhuman, as animals.
And they see Jews as the children of Satan. They don‘t like Catholics, they don‘t like gays. They don‘t specialize. There are a whole bunch of people they regard as less than human, and its influences have come from outside of our society.
But let me also point out that it‘s not just the right, the extreme right, where we find this kind of anti-Semitism. There‘s also a new anti-Semitism that comes from the left, from progressives who blame Jews all over the world, even those who have never been to Israel, never been to the Middle East, support a Palestinian state, but they still get blamed for all of Israeli policies that they don‘t like.
So, now, we got anti-Semitism coming from both sides of the political spectrum.
OLBERMANN: Our reaction to this—I mean, I‘m always happy when terrorism anywhere in the world does not cause all the terror it could theoretically cause. But take this sad reality and transform it into that hypothetical I‘ve suggested earlier.
LEVIN: You did.
OLBERMANN: All the facts are the same, except that gunman‘s name was not Von Brunn but Mohammed or somebody—what might be happening in this country right now?
LEVIN: We might see an increase now, maybe even an epidemic of hate crimes. You know, there are lots of Arab Americans in this country who are prosperous and well-educated. And they have a stake in this country. And the last thing they want to do is blow it up. But if they are mistreated and we decide that they are all a bunch of terrorists and we treat them like that, we might actually create the monster that we‘re trying to ignore.
OLBERMANN: Are we under-reacting to this thing today because it doesn‘t fit that profile of what terrorism has been defined by the government for the last eight years?
LEVIN: Well, certainly, we have been very concerned, as you know, to fight the war on terror. And we always see it as international coming from the Middle East or Pakistan. What a lot of people don‘t realize is the vast of terrorism since 9/11 has actually come from American citizens. It‘s domestic, it‘s not international—the vast majority.
So, first let‘s get out—let‘s make sure that we understand terrorism before we decide what to do about it.
OLBERMANN: Well said. Jack Levin, the author of “Domestic Terrorism”
great thanks for your time tonight, sir.
LEVIN: Thank you.
while the attack in D.C. was horrible, it's not a widespread, or even, narrowspread phenomenom
chill out, everybody
crime will be with us always
yes, it would be nice to have "civil discourse in our society" but jumping from there to "we are doomed. In the name of our common humanity we must STOP the insanity" is a great stretch
"Anonymous" - It is truly sad and revealing of who you are as an individual that you can be so dismissive of the horrific incident at the Holocaust Museum yesterday. You see it as inconsequential or trivial ("it's not a widespread, or even, narrowspread phenomenoma..."chill out, everybody") without being able to acknowledge the wider implications of this act of terror. Perhaps if you had one scintilla of empathy, you would understand how a member of any of the minority groups who are on these wacko's hate lists, feel about yesterday's terrorist act.
Rush Limbaugh should be proud of you!
The readers here learn more and more about you every time you open your mouth and what we discover is reprehensible. Perhaps you should find another blog site, more reflective of your peculiar beliefs, in which to pontificate and where you can have your own coterie of adoring fans.
Diogenes
"It is truly sad and revealing of who you are as an individual that you can be so dismissive of the horrific incident at the Holocaust Museum yesterday."
Not "dismissive" at all. I just don't think it's part of any pattern of behavior that's widespread in our society.
It's an isolated incident.
When John Hinckley shot Ronald Reagan, no one was saying it was because of widespread idolation of movie stars.
He was simply a nut like the one yesterday.
Truth is, the security probably stopped the guy from doing worse.
The security guard is a hero we're not hearing much about.
The Obama girls show up everywhere (on the cover or magazines, etc.) and no one makes a joke about them getting knocked up. Willow is 14 years old and has no responsibility for her sister's pregnancy.
Letterman was gross and out of line and should be fired for it. Admit it and move on.
I just don't think it's part of any pattern of behavior that's widespread in our society.
It's an isolated incident.
The assassination attempt on Reagan was an isolated event, but the recent acts of domestic violence in this nation have not been isolated at all. They are all related to the changes the majority of Americans voted for last November because they demand America move away from the disastrous policies of the prior administration.
May 31, 2009, Scott Roemer shot Dr. George Tiller dead in his church. "The doctor's fatal shooting was the latest in a string of violent acts over two decades directed against abortion clinics, doctors and staff," according to the Charlotte Observer.
June 1, 2009, two Army recruiters are shot, one dead, by a "recent convert to Islam...[who]...appears to have been upset with the military, the Army in particular" per the Examiner.
June 10, 2009, an African-American security guard at the US Memorial Holocaust Museum, who kindly opened the door for him, was shot dead by a "gunman, James Von Brunn, an 88-year-old pensioner, is a notorious white supremacist who has written books on anti-Semitic and racist themes," according to news reports.
Anyone who thinks violence against abortion providers by religious nuts is an isolated event is sadly mistaken. There is unending violence at Women's Health Clinics across this land, that's why so few clinics remain. Some people's religious views tell them killing abortion providers is justified.
Anyone who thinks violence against our military by religious nuts is an isolated event is also sadly mistaken. We all know who's placing IEDs on military routes in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some people's religious views tell them killing American soldiers is justified.
Anyone who thinks violence by people who hate minorities from Jews to Muslims to blacks to Hispanics to Asians to gays is an isolated event is also sadly mistaken. The DHS report correctly warned that while they had "no specific information that domestic rightwing* terrorists are currently planning acts of violence...rightwing extremists may be gaining new recruits by playing on their fears about several emergent issues...[similarly to what happened]...During the 1990s, [when] these issues contributed to the growth in the number of domestic rightwing terrorist and extremist groups and an increase in violent acts...
*Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigoverment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration."
''This is the bad boy,'' he [John McCain] said in a phone interview. ''It was stupid and cruel and insensitive. I've apologized. I can't take it back. I could give you a whole bunch of excuses, but there are no excuses. I was wrong, but do you want me crucified? How many days does it need to be a story?''
He said the Senator who spoke just before he did to the Republican fat cats made a tasteless joke about Viagra. ''So I got up and said, 'You think that was a tasteless joke? Listen to this one.' The minute it came out of my mouth, I thought, 'Oh no, this is a terrible mistake.' ''
But, he added, defensively, ''I will always maintain a sense of humor. Life is too short not to.''
Life is also too short for making the President's daughter the target of a junky, misogynistic crack masquerading as humor.
Mr. McCain said he wrote a letter of abject apology to the President. That's good politics. But where's the letter to Janet Reno? He says he doesn't think that such a letter is necessary.
I don't seem to recall you clamoring for the firing of John McCain for his Presidential daughter joke. He apologized to the Presidential daughter (but not to the Attorney General and Fist Lady) and kept his job. Letterman apologized too and is not even on the federal payroll.
Thanks for this clear demonstration of your unfairness and lack of balance.
You think David Letterman issued an apology? Did you even watch the "apology"? That's funny if you think it's an apology!
Had Letterman made a sincere apology, I would have voted for him to keep his job. Like Don Imus. He made a joke that went awry and made REAL amends. To this day, Imus keeps apologizing, saying he was wrong. He said he has even spoken with his young son, telling his son how wrong he was. McCain wrote a letter of apology and sincerely apologized.
Letterman? Apologizing? He hasn't apologized yet. Plus, his "joke" about the rape was soooo thoroughly disgusting. More disgusting than anything Imus or McCain ever said. More disgusting than anything I've ever heard about a politician's family.
So disgusting, in fact, that NOW has inducted him into its National Hall of Shame!
Do you think that NOW made a mistake by inducting him into the National Hall of Shame?
I actually used to enjoy David Letterman, regardless of his politics. Now, I think he's just gross.
Rush Limbaugh was not fired for repeatedly calling Chelsea Clinton a "dog" when she was thirteen years old. His listeners thought it was very funny when he played the barking dog recordings every time her name was mentioned on his radio show. Why does the anon want David Letterman held to a different standard?
Just as there are extremists who dehumanize their opposition on both ends of the political spectrum, there are adults who ought to know better than to make fun of children (but don't). The saddest thing is not that they do it, but that they aren't smart enough to learn better.
Letterman's joke was stupid and not funny, but don't pretend that self-righteous child-taunting geezers are unique to liberals or the New York humorati.
Maybe there's a "David Letterman is the new Rush Limbaugh" Facebook group anon could join (real names are required).
Imus is a liberal, or at the very least, a moderate Democrat. Imus supported John Kerry. I don't think that qualifies him as a conservative? I was TAKING UP for a liberal when I took up for Imus, and STILL you say otherwise! Unbelievable! I specifically used Imus as an example of a liberal who redeemed himself!
Also, Letterman's comment about raping a young girl goes far beyond anything I've ever heard from a well known or well respected liberal, conservative or moderate.
If Letterman wants to fantasize about a young girl being raped behind her mother's back, I don't see why the public has to accept it.
If Letterman wants to fantasize about a young girl being raped behind her mother's back, I don't see why the public has to accept it.
If someone doesn't want to hear what Letterman has to say, they can do what I do when the Limbaugh show comes on -- change the channel.
Bea -- I didn't say that the public doesn't have to LISTEN to it...I said that the public doesn't have to ACCEPT it. Just like....CBS could decide to air pornography, and the public could decide not to accept that. Just changing the channel is not an acceptable answer to that kind of vile talk.
Andrea-not anon
I don't watch Letterman but heard he made some remark about A-Rod having sex with Bristol Palin. Anon makes fun of me for trying to save the lives of and stop the actual rape of women and girls in Burma but is all up in arms about some comment some guy on TV made about the Holy Palin family. Amazing but not really- just pathetic. Sorry, Anon- I am busy trying to get Congress to start a commission of inquiry into the current situation in Burma- I don't have time to write letters about inane crap on TV
David Letterman did NOT make the comment about Bristol. Palin's 14-year-old daughter was at the game --not Bristol.
Not that Letterman did himself any favor by saying that he MEANT to say that Bristol got knocked up by A-Rod.
Those Palin girls start young -- Sarah was proud of Bristol getting knocked up at, probably, sixteen ... But it's an outrage to joke about the fourteen-year-old? Don't be silly.
CBS could decide to air pornography
They could, but they'd be breaking the law.
Okay, Bea. I'll use a lawful hypothetical. CBS could decide to allow Letterman to make jokes every night about grown men knocking up the adolescent daughters of liberal politicians. But that doesn't mean that the public needs to accept it.
I would be equally as appalled if Letterman made those statements about the Obama girls, and I would be here saying the same thing about Letterman.
Regarding that gross statement that came in from Straight Eye...A-Rod is a 30-year-old man. Willow is a 14-year-old girl. And David Letterman is a 62-year-old man. To suggest that Willow should be treated in that manner simply because her older sister got pregnant by her teenaged boyfriend....well, that's twisted.
Even though I didn't agree with everything that Tish said....Tish seems to be the only one here who understands that Letterman was in the wrong.
"Letterman, an Indianapolis native and graduate of Ball State University in Muncie, had made several jokes on Monday’s monologue about the Palin family’s visit to New York.
His Top Ten list featured “Highlights of Sarah Palin’s Trip,” and included: “Bought makeup at Bloomingdale’s to update her ’slutty flight attendant’ look.”
But the diciest joke centered on the family attending a Yankees baseball game. Letterman said “an awkward moment” occurred for Palin when, “during the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by (Yankee third baseman) Alex Rodriguez.”
Without naming her, the joke seemed to refer to Palin’s 18-year-old daughter Bristol, an unwed mother.
But it was 14-year-old daughter Willow, not Bristol, who had been at the game. Todd Palin issued a statement that said “any ’jokes’ about raping my 14-year-old are despicable.”
And Sarah Palin charged Letterman with “sexually perverted comments made by a 62-year-old male celebrity.”
“I am not a celebrity,” said a deadpan Letterman, interrupting himself as he read the statements aloud on Wednesday’s show. “I’m 62 years old, but I’m not a celebrity.”
He denied the joke was meant to be about Willow Palin.
“I would never, never make jokes about raping or having sex of any description with a 14-year-old girl,” he said, dropping his signature sarcasm. “I don’t think it’s funny. I would never think it was funny.”
“I’m not necessarily proud of these jokes,” he said in a more ironically self-deprecating moment. “We do stuff all the time and our objective here is to get a laugh, and thank God we don’t have to go to the Hague and the World Court to defend them. It’s a joke and that’s all it’s supposed to be.”
Before he was done, he tried to boil down the situation into two key points, which he stated with playful precision:
“Am I guilty of poor taste? Yes.
“Did I suggest that it was OK for her 14-year-old daughter to be having promiscuous sex? No.”
He also invited Palin to be a guest on his show, saying, “I think we could put these differences behind us.” But the offer, extended to both Palin and her husband (“or leave Todd at home,” Letterman suggested), was turned down on Thursday."
"I am busy trying to get Congress to start a commission of inquiry into the current situation in Burma-"
try going on a fast and standing in the rain
that oughta scare the heck outta 'em!
Letterman pulls this type of stunt all the time
he's just seeking a rating windfall
this time, the tactic had a nasty edge
Palin is smart not to play along
Wow, I really feel out of the loop...then again I guess I do not watch much tv these days.
I do have a thought or two or even maybe three, though I am not sure where to begin.
Ok, I will start with Roeder. Roeder not only took the life of an innocent man, doing so in a place of religious worship, but he did so in the name of God. Roeder is a classic example of taking God's name in vain. What Tiller did was wrong, but as my mother once taught me, "two wrongs do not make it right".
While some in the pro-life camp like to compare abortions since Roe v. Wade as another "Holocaust" (that is to say, the murder of the unborn), I think this is unwise...even morally foolish. I think US abortion law since 1973 is more akin to how the Aztecs conducted public human sacrifices. Granted, we now do it under the guise of "choice" (for the party of the former at the expense of the party of the latter), but when looks at the system of human sacrifice the Aztecs engaged in, it bears an unsettling resemblance to our system today (I think the Post Modernist crowd calls it power relations).
Another observation I have is that it appears that Scott Roeder was not a member of any institutional church. Now, he may have been, but from the looking around I did I could not find any. Yes, he did read the Bible,but other than that it would appear that he did not have any religious institutional connection. Why is this important? Institutional church affiliation can have a moderating effect on extremist tendencies. Next to what seems to be some evidence of mental illness, there was nothing to moderate the extremism. Goodness, he did not even have a wife around, having been married and then divorced after his then wife refused to be sucked into his mental illness.
(I am running out of coffee, and it is getting late...so on to James von Brunn)...
The BIG story that is missing here is that this person hated quite a few folks, including "Neocons" like myself. You can read a little more about that here,
http://www.politico.com/
blogs/bensmith/0609/Weekly_Standard_may_have_
been_shooter_target.html?showall
Up until the last Administration left office there was no shortage of invective directed against "Neocons". From what I gather it is something about us "Neocons" being "Jew Lover's" or something of the like.
And here again, there appears to be no moderating influences in this person's life. Mind you, this is not an excuse, but it does help to make some sense out of deadly violence.
Goodness, I need to go to bed...though I do have one final observation. It has been said that "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" but we all know that words can hurt much more than physical abuse.
I have never thought, believed or affirmed that abortion is murder; to the contrary, I know and recognize it for what it is, the unlimited public license for the use of private lethal force. There is no place in American society wherein this is allowed (and rightfully so).
Whether it is one side calling such a momentous moral decision "choice" or another calling it "murder", we all need to recognize that the misuse, indeed the abuse, of our political language does not bode well for our political system, nor does it help it. I hope all parties will be careful about the words they use and will seek not just to communicate their side of the story, but use accurate words to appeal more to reason than to emotion.
Good nite.
can we use "human sacrifice" then, Orin?
Palin is smart not to play along.
Oh yeah, she's keeping such a low profile these days (eye roll)
June 8, 2009 FOX's Sean Hannity Interviews Gov. Sarah Palin
June 12, 2009, NBC Today Show's Matt Lauer Interviews Sarah Palin
June 12, 2009, CNN's Wolf Blitzer Interviews Sarah Palin
I guess Anon thinks this series of interviews means she's **not** as the Chicago Tribune reported "continuing a feud with the CBS "Late Show" funnyman over his joke earlier this week". Maybe Anon thinks Palin is **not** milking the media spotlight for all it's worth for her 2012 run. Maybe Anon disagrees with reports, that "Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin threw more gasoline on the David Letterman fire in separate interviews on NBC and CNN Friday."
I think these major media interviews prove Palin is indeed playing along, milking Letterman's bad joke and apology for all she the publicity she can wring out of them. After all, the interesting finding of that Gallup poll of party leaders last week, where Palin received a total of 4 votes (not 4 percentage points, but four votes) was that "no one" was the most frequent choice to answer the question, "Who is the main person who speaks for the Republican Party today?" Given enough publicity, maybe Sarah can raise her ranking from less than half a percent to over 14% ("no one's" score).
we I said "play along", I obviously meant by going on Letterman's show to give him a big ratings night
the counter-attack on this type of behavior is needed and helpful
thanks, Sarah
Thanks to the press for pointing who was the first person to interject the word "rape" into this dialogue. It was First Dude, Todd Palin.
Letterman said "“an awkward moment” occurred for Palin when, “during the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by (Yankee third baseman) Alex Rodriguez.”"
Todd "issued a statement that said “any ’jokes’ about raping my 14-year-old are despicable.”"
Everybody knew the "knocked up" joke was about the daughter who was "knocked up" by her ex-boyfriend at age 17, not the 14 year old. There's never been any allegation Bristol was raped, so apparently she was a willing participant in the act that got her "knocked up."
Why did Todd Palin turn Letterman's bad taste joke about A-Rod and Bristol into a "joke" about the rape of his 14 year old daughter? Todd's the one Sarah should be scolding for taking the comment far lower than Letterman ever did.
MCPS Mom
sex with 14-rear-olds is statutory rape, Mom
don't apologize for and defend what is wrong
It's obvious the joke was about the daughter who got knocked up and the ball player who gets around. Bristol hasn't been 14 in years. If age 17 is statutory rape in Alaska, then why wasn't Levi Johnston arrested?
I'm not apologizing for Todd Palin's cheapshot reply to Letterman's cheapshot joke. Two wrongs do not make a right. But from what I see on TV, it appears the Palins are only too happy to get and stay down in the mud with Letterman. At least Letterman keeps trying to be funny and joke his way past it, but the Palins can't stop talking about it. They keep dragging their younger daughter into it and can't seem to stop complaining about all the press coverage. Who do they complain to? Why, they complain to the press, don't you know! Giving TV interviews is no way to stop press coverage!
Far from apologizing for their apparent belief that any publicity is good publicity, I am disappointed by their willingness to exploit their kids for the publicity it brings, no matter how tawdry it might be.
MCPS Mom
There are lots of good jokes about teenage girls getting knocked up, and nobody was ever accused of "rape" for telling one. Until now.
Back to the subject at hand, Rightwing Terrorism. Here's the statement issued by the son of James W. von Brunn, who murdered Stephen T. Johns, a guard at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum last week.
"My father's beliefs have been a constant source of verbal and mental abuse my family has had to suffer with for many years. His views consumed him, and in doing so, not only destroyed his life, but destroyed our family and ruined our lives as well.
For a long time, I believed this was our family's cross to bear. Now, it is not only my families lives that are in shambles, but those who were directly affected by his actions; especially the family of Mr. Johns, who bravely sacrificed his life to stop my father.
I cannot express enough how deeply sorry I am it was Mr. Johns, and not my father who lost their life yesterday [Wednesday]. It was unjustified and unfair that he died, and while my condolences could never begin to offer appeasement, they, along with my remorse is all I have to give.
While my father had every right to believe what he did, by imposing those beliefs on others he robbed them of their free will. His actions have taken opportunities away from many people and forced decisions not expected, nor warranted, to be made that otherwise would not have been necessary.
For the extremists who believe my father is a hero: it is imperative you understand what he did was an act of cowardice. To physically force your beliefs onto others with violence is not brave, but bullying. Doing so only serves to prove how weak those beliefs are. It is simply desperation, reminiscent of a temper tantrum when a child cannot get his way. Violence is a cop out; an easy answer for an ignorant problem.
His actions have undermined your "movement," and strengthened the resistance against your cause. He should not be remembered as a brave man or a hero, but a coward unable to come to grips with the fact he threw his and his families lives away for an ideology that fostered sadness and anguish.
I apologize to friends and family who have been inundated with the media blitzkrieg you have been suffering through. While I understand it is the media's job to report as much as possible, I can only hope they have the restraint to curb the sensationalism they have thus far been reliant upon.
Again, my father's actions are unforgiveable. I do not expect, nor will I accept forgiveness for what he has done. I realize there is nothing positive to be taken from this incident. It is empowering, however, to know our country's resistance and intolerance for such acts of hatred has been bolstered in the face of this tragedy. I humbly ask you respect our privacy and allow us to grieve and attempt to rebuild our family, along with the other families affected by what has happened.
Erik von Brunn"
Fascinating, anon-B.
It may surprise you that: (1) we all read the news and that (2) your idea can be conveyed without a complete cut and paste.
"I humbly ask you respect our privacy and allow us to grieve and attempt to rebuild our family, along with the other families affected by what has happened."
Any chance that Anon-B'ers will consider granting this request?
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
Erik Von Brunn didn't say or act like he was seeking "privacy" at his Good Morning America interview with Diane Sawyer this morning. In fact, he spoke to those who would justify his father's actions.
-"To say what he did was brave, it was not," he said. "It was an act of cowardice. It's not something to be commended. It was a cop out what he did."
-"His views consumed him, and in doing so, not only destroyed his life, but destroyed our family and ruined our lives as well.
-"For a long time, I believed this was our family's cross to bear. Now, it is not only my family's lives that are in shambles, but those who were directly affected by his actions, especially the family of Mr. Johns, who bravely sacrificed his life to stop my father."
-"He was twisted by hate; it consumed him," Von Brunn said. "It prevented him from doing anything normal. There was no normal conversation."
"Erik Von Brunn didn't say or act like he was seeking "privacy" at his Good Morning America interview with Diane Sawyer this morning."
Ah.
Faced with an onslaught of media inquiries, he gives one interview to request that he be left alone and Anon-B thinks he a crazed publicity seeker.
Similar to Anon-B's position on Palin's objection to lewd comments about her daughter on the public airwaves.
Apparently, anyone who disagrees with Anon-B is just seeking publicity.
In fact, he spoke to those who would justify his father's actions.
"In fact, he spoke to those who would justify his father's actions."
Oops!
Forgot this part.
Why address this tiny subset of nuts?
I've never met anyone like that. Have you?
Neglect is a better strategy.
Why address this tiny subset of nuts?
I've never met anyone like that. Have you?
Oh yes, I have met people like that right here in MoCo, and I met some of them at CRC and CRG anti-BOE protests. People who believe conspiracy theories (Holocaust deniers, gay agendas, torture is effective, "33 minutes," Jewish takeovers, black helicopters, new world order, etc.) are quite common at anti-government protests and they tend to believe many conspiracies, not just one.
Why address one tiny subset? Because regardless of ideology, domestic terrorists intend to cause mayhem and harm. Our law enforcement agencies should try to stop all terrorists from harming our citizens, regardless of the size or the ideology of the group. They should heed the words of the DHS report and be on watch for lone wolves like Roeder and Von Brunn, who are obviously quite dangerous.
Neglect is a better strategy.
While you are enjoying the fruits of neglecting the Scott Roeders and James Von Brunns of the world, the majority of us are not. We demand our law enforcement officials infiltrate, monitor, track, and destroy domestic terrorist groups just as rigorously as they do foreign terrorist groups so they can protect peace-loving American citizens from terrorism, foreign and domestic.
"Oh yes, I have met people like that right here in MoCo, and I met some of them at CRC and CRG anti-BOE protests. People who believe conspiracy theories (Holocaust deniers, gay agendas, torture is effective, "33 minutes," Jewish takeovers, black helicopters, new world order, etc.) are quite common at anti-government protests and they tend to believe many conspiracies, not just one."
So, in other words, no, you haven't met any of these anti-semitic nuts.
Just as the gay advocacy movement has tried to conflate civil rights for minorities with special privileges for certain behavioral and emotional characteristics, now our favorite crazy old bat, tries to equate anti-semitism with any objection to the gay agenda.
To clear things up for you, Anon-B, there was a Holocaust and there is a gay agenda.
The two don't anything more to do with one another than the Iranian election has to do with the leprechaun on a box of Lucky Charms.
The gay agenda is a reality. If you don't know about the details, attend a convention of one the gay advocacy groups and listen to their plans to normalize homosexuality. They have a strategy.
"Why address one tiny subset? Because regardless of ideology, domestic terrorists intend to cause mayhem and harm. Our law enforcement agencies should try to stop all terrorists from harming our citizens, regardless of the size or the ideology of the group. They should heed the words of the DHS report and be on watch for lone wolves like Roeder and Von Brunn, who are obviously quite dangerous.
While you are enjoying the fruits of neglecting the Scott Roeders and James Von Brunns of the world, the majority of us are not. We demand our law enforcement officials infiltrate, monitor, track, and destroy domestic terrorist groups just as rigorously as they do foreign terrorist groups so they can protect peace-loving American citizens from terrorism, foreign and domestic."
I think law enforcement keeps on eye on these nuts already. Your "demand" is an offensive suggestion that they aren't.
I didn't suggest law enforcement ignore these types. You are again in the Shifting Sands of the Sahara mode.
The neglect I refer to addressing ignorant racists who condone violence. If someone has done such a thing, they should be shunned rather than addressed. To make a statement like this:
"For the extremists who believe my father is a hero: it is imperative you understand what he did was an act of cowardice. To physically force your beliefs onto others with violence is not brave, but bullying. Doing so only serves to prove how weak those beliefs are. It is simply desperation, reminiscent of a temper tantrum when a child cannot get his way. Violence is a cop out; an easy answer for an ignorant problem."
is to dignify these people as actually having a viewpoint that we need to discuss rather than merely reject.
Now go do something like look at ink spots and tell us what you see.
You enjoy that, don't you?
"It is simply desperation, reminiscent of a temper tantrum when a child cannot get his way."
Murdering someone is like a temper tantrum?
This statement is twisted.
"Violence is a cop out; an easy answer for an ignorant problem."
What problem are we talking about here?
This sounds like it's extending a measure of empathy to these anti-Semites.
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