... A VIOLENCE-THEMED TWO YEARS: President Obama's election and the Democrats' solidification of power in Congress in 2008 spawned a wide ranging right-wing backlash of violent intentions that has resulted in bloodshed. Indeed, shortly after Obama's inauguration, the Department of Homeland Security warned the right-wing groups may resort to violence to advance their goals.
James von Brunn, the white supremacist who shot and killed a security guard at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. last year, reportedly also wanted to kill White House senior adviser David Axelrod. An anti-abortion crusader killed late-term abortion provider Dr. George Tiller in May, 2009, while just last month, the FBI arrested a self-described "Christian counterpart to Osama bin Laden" for plotting to bomb an abortion clinic. Authorities arrested nine members of the "Hutaree militia" in March for plotting a violent uprising against the federal government. A Montana Tea Party leader recently advocated violence against gays. As part of the increasing Islamophobia over the past two years, one right-wing radio host said of the proposed Islamic community center in downtown Manhattan, "I hope somebody blows it up." Just last week, in the wake of the Fox News-led backlash over NPR's decision to fire contributor Juan Williams, NPR's headquarters in Washington, DC received a bomb threat. Today, the TriCity Herald reports that a supporter for Washington state GOP U.S. Senate candidate Dino Rossi attacked a woman protesting Rossi.
DEMOCRATS TARGETED: Democrats were the targets of violent threats during the heated health care reform debate last year. Rep. Betsy Markey (D-CO) received a phone call before the final vote threatening her life. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) received death threats via phone and fax. Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) told CNN that his office had received a fax showing a noose after he voted in favor of the health care reform bill. Just days after the final health care vote, the FBI arrested a California man for making threatening phone calls to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Another man was arrested for threatening Sen. Patty Murray's (D-WA) life because of her vote for health care reform. But other random acts of threats and actions have occurred outside the health care debate. A tea partier called for Murray's hanging at an event in February. In July, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) said he had to close a local office "after staff members discovered a bullet had shattered a window there." Just last week, an envelope containing "a plastic bag of white powder and two pieces of paper with swastikas written on them" was reportedly mailed to Grijalva's campaign office, which was later to be determined a benign substance.
REPUBLICANS ENCOURAGE ANGER: In addition to violent rhetoric coming from Florida House GOP candidate Allen West, on at least two separate instances throughout her campaign, GOP U.S. Senate candidate in Nevada, Sharrong Angle -- who has a real chance at defeating incumbent Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) -- suggested the possibility of an armed insurrection against the U.S. government. Saying that the purpose of the 2nd Amendment "was for the people to protect themselves against a tyrannical government," Angle added, "if this Congress keeps going the way it is, people are really looking toward those Second Amendment remedies." Angle, who has refused to disavow those claims, even said recently that it's "possible" that the U.S. could be faced with a "revolutionary situation." Last week, GOP House candidate in Texas Stephen Broden said a violent overthrow of the government is "on the table."
GLENN BECK INSPIRED: In July, 45-year-old parolee Byron Williams opened fire on Highway Patrol officers in Oakland, California. After a brief shootout, police wounded Williams, who is now sitting in a California jail. Police caught Williams on his way to San Fransisco, where he hoped to "start a revolution" by killing workers at the American Civil Liberties Union and the Tides Foundation. According to a recent Media Matters report, Williams said that he was inspired by the fiery rhetoric of Fox News' self-described "Progressive Hunter" Glenn Beck. "I would have never started watching Fox News if it wasn't for the fact that Beck was on there. And it was the things that he did, it was the things he exposed that blew my mind," Williams said in an interview from jail. "I do enjoy Glenn Beck," Williams also says, "and the reason why I enjoy that is because...no other channell will speak about the same things that he's talking about, and if you go and investigate those things you'll find out that they're true." "Beck is going to deny everything about violent approach, deny everything about conspiracies," Williams said, adding," But he'll give you every reason to believe it. He's protecting himself, and you can't blame him for that. So, but I understand what he's doing." ...
More at http://pr.thinkprogress.org/2010/10/pr20101028">THINK PROGRESSCan anyone think of similar violence, in recent decades by those on the left? You know, Olbermann inspired shootings and the like? Numerous death threats against right wing Senators? People being gunned down at work, (like Dr. Tiller) or as Bill O'Reilly affectionately called him, "Tiller the Baby Killer"? :shrug:
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