Right-wing extremist terrorism as deadly a threat as al Qaeda?

[maddezmom]

Washington (CNN) -- The word "terrorism" in the United States usually brings to mind plots linked in some way to al Qaeda, while the danger posed to the public by white supremacists, anti-abortion extremists and other right-wing militants is often overlooked.

Militants linked to al Qaeda or inspired by jihadist ideology have carried out four terrorist attacks in the United States since September 11, which have resulted in 17 deaths. Thirteen of them were in a shooting incident at Fort Hood, Texas, in November 2009.

By contrast, right-wing extremists have committed at least eight lethal terrorist attacks in the United States that have resulted in the deaths of nine people since 9/11, according to data compiled by the New America Foundation.

And if, after investigation, Sunday's attack on the Sikh temple in Wisconsin is included in this count, the death toll from right-wing terrorism in the U.S. over the past decade rises to 15.

more:http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/07/opinion/bergen-terrorism-wisconsin/index.html?iref=allsearch

[leveymg]

1. Right-wing extremist terrorism goes back to before the Civil War. Many of the same racist,

xenophobic, gun-worshiping elements are still there, carrying right through to the 21st Century.

Of course it's more deadly than al-Qaeda, and will be far harder to defeat because it's still inside of many Americans, even those charged with defending us from the external enemies. The external threats will come and go, but the enemy within is part of us.

[tblue]

2. About time somebody said it.

I fear them much more than al Qaeda. They walk among us.

[indepat]

3. The perceived gravity of each threat is indicated by the dollars Congress is

willing to spend to combat that threat.

[dballance]

4. Al Qaeda Can Just sit back and watch us implode

Right-wing extremism can be linked to Timothy McVeigh and now to this latest killer.

Al Qaeda doesn't need to waste time mounting attacks in the US. We do it to ourselves.

The RW religious fanatics in the US are just as dangerous and fanatical as the Taliban. Witness all the new laws in many states regulating contraception and women's health in general.

We find it easy to condemn the religious fanatics in the Middle East when they have the temerity to force women to cover themselves according to the precepts of their religion. However, here in the US we go out of our way to allow religious zealots to make laws requiring women to get invasive medical procedures like a trans-vaginal probe that are completely unnecessary. And now the esteemed Catholic Bishops who systemically hid child abuse and abusers worse than anything U Penn and Paterno could ever have conceived are suing to prevent women from getting contraception medicines.

I guess we're lining up along the "oh yea? well my religion is better than your religion" sort of school-yard arguments as public policy now.