Onward Christian Soldiers: Increased Gun Violence Against Liberals and Progressives Signaling Desperation on the Right?
Bumping this back to the top -- see updates in red. Originally posted 2008-08-24 16:51:13 -0500. This is a call for action and more researchers.
UPDATE 2: "DENVER – Police have arrested three people they believe are linked to a white supremacy group in connection with a threat to possibly assassinate Sen. Barack Obama during the Democratic National Convention." UPDATE 1: Via the Denver Post, two men have been arrested on weapons charges after a fortuitous traffic stop may have been involved in an assassination plot against Barack Obama.
Call for Researchers: The story below loosely indicates the possibility of a disturbing -- and perhaps encouraged -- trend toward violence. Volunteer information, links or participation in the effort to dig out and analyze whether or not this is a real trend or simply a set of disparate, depressing and deadly incidents.
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Is this what we've come to? If a party that lives by fear-mongering can't win and gets desperate, it relies on the unhinged to become their assassins?
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Man arrested with weapons at Pelosi hotel
The Associated Press
Article Launched: 08/24/2008 12:47:18 PM PDTDENVER—A man who tried to carry two hunting rifles and two pistols into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's downtown hotel remained in police custody Sunday.
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More below the fold.
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Remember this?
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Man charged in Tenn. church shooting that killed 2
July 28, 2008 - 7:41am
By DUNCAN MANSFIELD
Associated Press WriterKNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities were investigating why an apparent stranger entered a church and opened fire during a children's performance of "Annie," killing two, including a man witnesses called a hero for shielding others from gunfire.
Seven others were wounded Sunday at the Unitarian church and attendees tackled the gunman.
Jim D. Adkisson, 58, has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting and was held on $1 million bail, according to city spokesman Randy Kenner, who did not know if Adkisson had an attorney.
...
The church, like many other Unitarian Universalist churches, promotes progressive social work, such as desegregation and fighting for the rights of women and gays. The Knoxville congregation has provided sanctuary for political refugees, fed the homeless and founded a chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, according to its Web site.
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That man was apparently motivated to shoot the churchgoers because of their liberal views:
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"It appears that what brought him to this horrible event was his lack of being able to obtain a job, his frustration over that, and his stated hatred for the liberal movement," Police Chief Sterling Owen said.
Adkisson was a loner who hates "blacks, gays and anyone different from him," longtime acquaintance Carol Smallwood of Alice, Texas, told the Knoxville News Sentinel.
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Even more disturbing,
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"Adkisson targeted the church, Still wrote in the document obtained by WBIR-TV, Channel 10, 'because of its liberal teachings and his belief that all liberals should be killed because they were ruining the country, and that he felt that the Democrats had tied his country's hands in the war on terror and they had ruined every institution in America with the aid of media outlets.'
"Adkisson told Still that 'he could not get to the leaders of the liberal movement that he would then target those that had voted them in to office.'
...[...snip...]...
"Inside the house, officers found 'Liberalism is a Mental Health Disorder' by radio talk show host Michael Savage, 'Let Freedom Ring' by talk show host Sean Hannity, and 'The O'Reilly Factor,' by television talk show host Bill O'Reilly."
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Let's not forget the recent murder of Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman Bill Gwatney:
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UPDATED: Gwatney dies after being shot at state Democratic headquarters
Guman dead after chase, is identified as Searcy man
By ArkansasOnlineLITTLE ROCK — A gunman shot state Democratic Party Chairman Bill Gwatney at the party's headquarters in Little Rock on Wednesday before fleeing the scene in a pickup, leading police on a chase that ended with a shootout that left the man dead. Gwatney was transported to an area hospital, where he died, police said.
...[...snip...]...
The Little Rock police said about 2:30 p.m. that the suspect, identified later as Timothy Dale Johnson of Seracy, was dead after being shot by authorities near Sheridan, around 40 miles south of the capital city.
...[...snip...]...
Police recovered several weapons from 50-year-old Johnson's pickup, a 2000 blue Dodge Dakota, Hastings said.
According to witnesses, Johnson had said he just lost his job. There was no motive for the shootings offered by authorities at a late afternoon news conference.
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Note: No information has been released so far to indicate what factors may have motivated Johnson's actions.
People are stressing out, and the continued stream of mindless, dangerous babble by the likes of Rush Limbaugh and company are striking nerves in the minds of the mentally unbalanced and decidedly dangerous following that they have.
Comments
rba
August 24, 2008 - 18:28
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Verified
Just did a quick google of "attacking liberals" and came up with a horrendous amount of garbage hits - mixed, not matched. If anyone is interested in working on accumulating "conservative" spoken/written words - "Attila's Guide to Civility" or the "Modern Fascist's Handbook" - it might be worth the effort.
Somewhere I remember after the '06 campaign Bush having the gall to justify vitriolic attacks as "just politics". So documenting, publishing, and promoting a canonical database of hate-speech-as-politics by Republicans + surrogates over the past eight years is likewise allowed.
Sorted by medium, issue, time? It's a thought. Or maybe this is all self-evident, and no worries after all.
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Media Matters is probably one of the best at coverage on this, and they're hiring.
GreyHawk
August 24, 2008 - 18:40
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There appears to be a building frenzy, while
pundits like Limbaugh, O'Reilly and Coulter gleefully get away with their two-bit impersonations of "Who will rid me of this troublesome priest" soliloquy.
It would be an interesting, and possibly worthwhile, endeavor.
And I'm swamped at the moment. :(
cho
August 24, 2008 - 19:33
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rba... how's your time?
You are the best for ferretting out this sort of stuff.
Might be worth a timelines -- Not sure what the fields would be...
If nothing else a table that includes "crime," perpetrator, alleged political motive (something to define it as a political hate/attack, party of victim, etc. etc.)
I am swamped too, and can't do diddle on it right now.
It's a great project though.
GreyHawk and Rba -- if nothing else, what about using this commentary as a collection spot for drive by drops of the data rba suggests.
rba
August 25, 2008 - 22:15
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Fairly Ok on time
Just checked over @ MediaMatters, and they do have a database going back to 1998. Search parameter: "liberal fascists". Hits: 22.
Yeah, I know that's over the top, but the fact 22 came back says much about "milder" comments. It will take time to search, so I've sent them a request for guidance/help/shortcuts. Meanwhile I'll keep looking. . . .
GreyHawk
August 24, 2008 - 20:35
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Obama's MN Campaign HQ vandalized
Obama MN Campaign Headquarters Trashed (Updated)
by Gumpster
Source
susie dow
August 24, 2008 - 22:43
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Inciting violence: Obamacide
Headline: Obamacide -- What Makes Barack Worse Than His Fellow Abortion Proponents
Author: J. Matt Barber
Date: August 24, 2008
Source: http://www.lifenews.com/nat4193.html
Quote: So, we now add a new word with a dual definition to our modern political lexicon: Obamacide. It means, 1) Killing the newborn survivor of a botched abortion through a deliberate act of omission; and, 2) That which a nation commits upon itself by electing one who would allow such a thing.
The above crosses the line from Free Speech to inciting violence.
GreyHawk
August 24, 2008 - 23:19
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There are likely more examples that are out
there.
Remember Coulter's reference to poisoning Justice Stevens' soup?
O'Reilly and his Coit Tower baloney (among other items)?
Rush Limp
dickbaugh has had quite an interesting run of hate-speech too, of late. I need to try and dig out a few of the more recent violent ones.jimstaro
August 25, 2008 - 21:33
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Here's a MugShot
Tharin Gartrell
Of the Felon who was originally picked up as per Greg Mitch's KOS post and another over there, nothing on the second perp with the broken ankle yet, Press Conference at 4pm Denver time tomorrow.
Bring our Veterans All the Way Back - PTSD
"The wise man points to the stars and the fool sees only the finger - and discusses it 24/7 on cable."
GreyHawk
August 25, 2008 - 22:44
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Thanks, Jim. Looks like the pot is a-boiling...
...and the freakshow is coming out full-force.
cho
August 25, 2008 - 23:04
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whoa.
this is a scarey looking dude.
GreyHawk
August 26, 2008 - 09:51
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You should see the other one -- sunken cheeks, face, etc.
Looks like a bad mating outcome between Jethro Clampet and Gollum.
avahome
August 26, 2008 - 08:06
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"If you think you have the moral high ground, you can do some
terrible things"....via Turbulent '60s the backdrop for 'Weather Underground'
Obama spot responds to ad tying him to 60s radical
I don't know anything about the "American Issues Project" but I am sure they will have more to say....
GreyHawk
August 26, 2008 - 08:18
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It's interesting that the phrase quoted is one
very similar to the manner and methods by which the GOP operates.
rba
August 26, 2008 - 09:29
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Sue the Bastards
Obama asks Justice probe of 'Issues' ad:
Guess these idiots think they're still dealing with the Kerry team. That would be no.
cho
August 26, 2008 - 13:46
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amen.
n/t
Ilona Meagher
August 26, 2008 - 11:15
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Such an important story, GreyHawk...
I wish I could help myself, but I'm sending you my positive energies for your work instead. This is an alarming trend that warrants further exploration.
Sending you my best (and a hug, too...)
On PTSD Combat : Moving a Nation to Care
On PTSD Combat : Moving a Nation to Care :Log in to post comments
GreyHawk
August 26, 2008 - 11:21
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Thank you, my friend. For more disturbing news, check out
the comment I left on Jan Barry's piece "Sources Said"...
cho
August 27, 2008 - 20:44
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Some more from DEFuning
in Jim Staro's thread...
Here's the link to her comment
Connecticut Man1
August 27, 2008 - 23:30
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I just dumped a diary
from my archives that may be useful. I took it from my archives but it is archived at the old ePM site OR here? I am not sure, but I think the ePM archived version had a bunch of linked material in the comments as well.
GreyHawk
August 28, 2008 - 11:59
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That's a good diary -- saw it and commented within.
The archives are the old site -- do you know how to look for what you want over there?
GreyHawk
August 28, 2008 - 11:58
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Thanks, Cho.
That'll help.