The attack today at the Holocaust Museum (see maryschoyc's diary, right on the heels of the Roeder anti-abortion terrorist murder of Dr. Tiller, was inevitable in kind, if not specifics. These attacks have been potential energy up to now, but they will escalate, thanks to a combination of right wing extremist rhetoric from "mainstream" demagogues like Glenn Blech, O'Lielly, InsHannity, et al. at Fox Noise, on talk radio, and prompted by the election of America's first black president, who, as we all know, is being painted by the wingnuts as some version of Joseph Stalin and the Anti-Christ combined.
To repeat and reemphasize: These incidents are being encouraged, plotted, and perpetrated by a growing integration of white supremacist, anti-abortion, anti-government, fundamentalist Christian radical groups and movements in the United States, some of which are collecting arms and hoping to overthrow the democratically elected U.S. government.
The FBI, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Department of Homeland Security, the Council on Foreign Relations, and other government and non-government orgs that track rightwing hate groups have been predicting a rise in violence from the rightwing for some time now.
The Roeder terrorist attack, and now this one, are clear evidence that the radical fringe right is coming unglued about Obama's election, and is realizing they are losing the battle. Like cornered animals, the most crazy and violent among them will strike back and perpetrate these types of attacks.
The DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis Report, "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment" warns law enforcement and other government officials about a rise in "rightwing extremist activity," noting that it defines
"rightwing extremism in the United States" as including not just racist or hate groups, but also groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority, and may include "...groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration."
This extremist violence is being exacerbated by, as the Wash. Times reports:
... the economic recession, the election of America's first black president and the return of a few disgruntled war veterans could swell the ranks of white-power militias.
The Council on Foreign Relations notes that Americans tend to think of terrorism as coming from Islamic radicals, but that in frequency, the domestic incidents of terrorism have been far greater:
Q. Do homegrown terrorists pose a threat to the United States?
Yes, according to U.S. law enforcement officials. The September 11 attacks—the biggest and deadliest terrorist plot ever executed in the United States—were carried out by foreigners, but the twenty-four terrorist incidents that occurred between 2002 and 2005 were carried out by domestic extremists, according to the FBI. The most notorious recent case of domestic terrorism was the April 1995 truck bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, which killed 168 people and injured more than 500.
Other hate group incidents have include the Eric Rudolph "Olympic Bomber" terrorist attacks, including his bombing of the Atlanta abortion clinic.
Wingnut Southern Regional Party Denials
You may recall the virulent, bitter wingnut criticism in response to the "For Official Use Only" DHS report. It was painted as a partisan hit job on Republicans (yes, projection is a wonderful psychological phenomenon, isn't it?) by the Sec'y Napolitano's DHS.
At the time, Homeland Security Department clarified that it does not have "specific information that domestic rightwing terrorists are currently planning acts of violence," but warned that fringe organizations are gaining recruits. We now see the potential energy turning to actual events.
Be prepared for much more, sad to say.
UPDATE: Very sorry I was called away to work right after posting this, and I'm appalled that I had misspelled good Dr. Tiller's name in the title and text. It was a brain fart of the embarrassing magnitude, given that I was and am well aware of Dr. Tiller's name, and his tremendously brave and generous legacy. Edit first and ask questions later, I have learned my lesson.
ALso, however, for anyone who doubts that these various movements have begun to rally around an integrated anti-Obama, anti-government, anti-abortion, white supremacist, anti-immigrant, and Christianist religious theocracy banner, please do read the SLPC and DHS material. It is quite accurate, and backed up by lots of evidence that transcends simple anecdotal observation of the incendiary media crap that we're seeing.
This is the last gasp of the cornered white, male, racist, Christian American Taliban in this country, and seeing the demographic writing on the wall (increasing minority populations, opposition to their hate-filled agenda and chosen GOPosaur Party by the young, etc.) they will do ALL they can to stop progressive visions of America from succeeding.