The Politicization of Our Safety by Republicans and Right-wingers

A brief chronology:

A Objective Assessment on Public Safety Concerns

April 7, 2009: The Department of Homeland Security releases a nine-page assessment document entitled "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment" (in PDF). Among the findings:

Threats from white supremacist and violent antigovernment groups during 2009 have been largely rhetorical and have not indicated plans to carry out violent acts. Nevertheless, the consequences of a prolonged economic downturn--including real estate foreclosures, unemployment, and an inability to obtain credit--could create a fertile recruiting environment for rightwing extremists and even result in confrontations between such groups and government authorities similar to those in the past.

The assessment also warned of "a heightened level of extremist paranoia" and "lone wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks."

Right-wing Blowback and Politicization

April 14, 2009: Former Speaker Newt Gingrich:

The person who drafted the outrageous homeland security memo smearing veterans and conservatives should be fired

April 14, 2009: Conservative commentator Sean Hannity intentionally misrepresents the focus of the assessment as targetting "people who have pro-life bumper stickers."

April 14, 2009: Conservative commentator Michelle Malkin:

The "report" ... was one of the most embarrassingly shoddy pieces of propaganda I'd ever read out of DHS. I couldn't believe it was real. ...

By contrast, the piece of crap report issued on April 7 is a sweeping indictment of conservatives.

April 15, 2009: House Republican leader John Boehner demands an apology from the Department of Homeland Security for the report.

The Report's Tragic Accuracy

May 31, 2009: Dr. George Tiller, a frequent target of right-wing hate and violence for performing late-term abortions, was murdered. The suspect apprehended is a right-wing extremist with a long history of violent rhetoric and criminal actions on behalf of the right-wing anti-choice movement.

June 10, 2009: A lone gunman opened fire at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, killing a security guard and injuring others. The suspected shooter is a right-wing extremist with a long history of violent rhetoric and criminal actions on behalf of the right-wing white supremacist and Holocaust denier movements.

The Moral of This Brief Chronology:

Our public safety and national security should never be politicized, especially not by Republicans and right-wingers desperate for relevance in the media. How many times do Republicans have to be wrong and divisively political - and have their "wrongness" be illustrated in tragic events - before they either change their tune or have the traditional media stop taking them seriously?

Comments

[jsgaetano]

And let's NEVER forget about conservative Representative Mark Kirk, who flew all the way to China in order to sabotage America's economy.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/06/rep-mark-kirk-r-il-i-told-china-not-to-believe-us-budget-numbers.php

Just another "party before country" conservative, attacking America like they always do.

[Ohio9]

None of the recent incidents have undermined the actual points used to criticize the report: I. E. that it labels practically anyone who supports any conservative political cause and any veteran as a potential terrorist.

No one said right wing extremists were not a crime problem. Just that the report went way too far and made it seem like anyone who votes for Ron Paul or opposes gun control could be planning the next 9/11.

[lwaxanatroi]

Note to Democrats: stop apologizing. What even this post doesn't mention is that a companion report discussed possible extreme left-wing violence. So this wasn't a barbed attack on conservatives by the Obama administration (especially since the report was commissioned by Bush Jr). When will our side stop letting the other side set the terms of the dialogue? If you say something true, stand by it and don't fold at the first blast of anger from the propagandists on the other side.

[cgr]

There is insanity and incredible irrationality afoot in this country right now, no doubt. Always there, but surfacing in new and louder ways, a bewildering development. An extraordinary article that shines a brilliant light on this:

http://www.esquire.com/features/obama-crazy-0709-2

[majii]

Old news. Wright speaks only for himself, not all progressives. In his case, I think he expected special treatment, didn't get it, and then decided to blame it on the jews in the WH. His statement is as despicable to me as von Brunn's and others who feel like them. Sorry, no sucker for you.

[whocan]

You're boing after the wrong "Right'.... Rev Wright is the one who just came out yesterday with the "THEM JEWS" COMMENT

[NedroidPrime]

Yes, using an insensitive remark is the same as going and acting out with violence.

You righties are freakin amazing in your deflections

[rjw918]

Let's not forget the 3 Pittsburgh Cops shot in early April....

The hard right has lost "our" love, "we" divorced 'em. People getting dumped and people losing their power get ugly, and they stir up ugly....

http://rjw-progressive.blogspot.com/2009/06/politically-ugly-uglier-ugliest.html

[mikeHAWKhertz]

Wasn't there a shooting in Tennessee? What about the Little Rock shooting?

[NedroidPrime]

The Little Rock shooting was perpatrated by a muslim extremist that had returned from Chad recently for training.

He did not ascribe to any "left-wing" group, as the right is trying to insinuate. You know, the whole "War on Terror" thing is still going on, right?

[crowepps]

There was a shooting in Pittsburgh and 3 law officers were killed by a man who was afraid of "the Obama gun ban that's on the way".
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/19094064/detail.html

And don't forget Jim David Adkisson shooting up the Unitarian church last year because they were 'liberals'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_David_Adkisson

[LintLass]

There was Knoxville, the conservative liberal-hater who shot up a Unitarian church production of Little Orphan Annie.

[ProfessorDuh]

The right wing creates, arms and encourages its old, white, male, Christian right-wing terrorists, but it's quick to throw them under the bus once they do what they have been relentlessly goaded to do by the fascist propaganda ranters. Then, suddenly, they're all "lone nuts."

[twogunmojo]

why is this a news story....how many other people were killed across the nation today in gunfire...about 37 nationwide...i don't see their stories on huffpo....­why...beca­use statistically 37 out of 300,000,000 isn't really that big of a deal....there is no way to prevent this type of crime...unless you outlaw and destroy ever gun ever made including military arms because the old adage is still true...where there is a will there is a way.....

[kbella]

The point of the article was not to point out the fact that people were murdered, but that just months after Republicans criticized a DHS report on right wing extremists, two right wing extremists did EXACTLY what the report said they might. THAT is the news. The murders themselves are horrible events, just as every murder is. But the backstory on these two murders warrants a news story.

[twogunmojo]

crazy people doing crazy sh't...this is news because if it bleeds it leads....

[rjw918]

>>there is no way to prevent this type of crime...

True.

But our actions and the actions of high visibility political commentators can increase or decrease the chances that this sort of crime happens.

Ugly causes ugly.....

[mikeHAWKhertz]

Didn't the Republicans ignore another report? Bin Laden determined to attack ...

[Helpcomputer]

I think that if there were consequences for pundits who get it wrong, the level of discourse and honest debate would rise. Like, maybe they don't get to go on TV anymore.

As it is, hack operatives get to go on any of dozens of news shows, claim that the sky is yellow or up is down, and then get to come back the next day and do it all over again. And instead of having deeper discussions, their opponents waste time debunking the total BS.

And it doesn't matter that their arguments and predictions are proven wrong. The fact that they get to run their circus sideshow to distract and divert means they've already won.

[ayc]

Yes.

[tomasedison]

the GOP wants everybody to pack a gun and a Bible. In the 30 years since Reagan you should have learned this.

[createpeace]

I read a comment yesterday from a woman who noticed marked personality changes in her mother who watches FOX constantly. Fox breeds anger in people.
How do we fix that?

[LazarusLong]

Education

[NedroidPrime]

My dad lost his cable a couple years ago. He constantly whines that he misses his FN, and is still a complete a$$hat. The anger does not go away, as they will try and seek it out in any way they can.

FN is like crack for these people, and it is very hard to get them off of it...

[Rogan]

Fox has turned my mother into a racist. Straight up. I don't watch enough of that crap to know how it worked, but somehow, that news channel taught her to hate Latinos. It's very disturbing.

[republicants]

Our public airwaves are filled with hate speech from the right that incites such violence. While they don't pull the trigger - these right wing nuts bear some responsibility.

[unity08]

Strange...I caught a good bit of Hannity's show tonight. Not one word about this shooting. Now I am aware it is not a "news" show, but still something this important and not a mention. Maybe Sean cant think of an excuse for his previous rantings.


Very, very, sad day for America.

[ProfessorDuh]

If only the terrorist had been a Muslim, Sean Hannity would have been screaming for the creation of concentration camps on the air for the next three weeks. Instead, since it was one of his white supremacist followers, he has to ignore the biggest news story of the day. I'm sure he's bitterly disappointed.