It’s funny, when you see the pattern of politically motivated bombings today, we are supposed to sort of pretend that one political party hasn’t monopolized violence and terrorism in the US for the last two decades. (THREAD)
We get the immediate “both sides”ism coming not only from the right, but the “reasonable centrists”, including from folks I genuinely respect, like @artkellermanmd
But this is not a case of “both sides”. Sure, we are polarized and more divided than in living memory. And that’s not great, and the polarization is mutual. But ONLY ONE SIDE IS ROUTINELY KILLING PEOPLE.
Let’s take a (depressing) stroll down memory lane.
July 2008
58-year-old Jim David Adkisson opened fire on a Universalist church because he wanted to kill Democrats and Liberals.
2 dead, 6 injured
cnn.com/2008/CRIME/07/…
58-year-old Jim David Adkisson opened fire on a Universalist church because he wanted to kill Democrats and Liberals.
2 dead, 6 injured
cnn.com/2008/CRIME/07/…
May 2009
Keith Luke shoots three black immigrants, killing two, as part of a racially motivated killing spree planning to kill black, Latino and Jewish people. "kill as many Jews as possible."
Keith Luke shoots three black immigrants, killing two, as part of a racially motivated killing spree planning to kill black, Latino and Jewish people. "kill as many Jews as possible."
May 2009
Scott Roeder assassinates Dr. George Tiller in a Wichita, Kansas church. Roeder, an anti-abortion extremist, believes in justifiable homicide of abortion providers
Scott Roeder assassinates Dr. George Tiller in a Wichita, Kansas church. Roeder, an anti-abortion extremist, believes in justifiable homicide of abortion providers
June 2009
white supremacist James von Brunn, who had previously attempted to kidnap Federal Reserve employees in 1981, shot and killed a police officer at the United States Holocaust Museum
white supremacist James von Brunn, who had previously attempted to kidnap Federal Reserve employees in 1981, shot and killed a police officer at the United States Holocaust Museum
March 2010
“Sovereign Citizen” Brody James Whitaker opens fire on two Florida state troopers during a routine traffic stop on I-75 in Sumter County.
nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Fug…
“Sovereign Citizen” Brody James Whitaker opens fire on two Florida state troopers during a routine traffic stop on I-75 in Sumter County.
nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Fug…
April 2010
Oath Keepers president Matthew Fairfield convicted of explosives charges after authorities searching his home discover a napalm bomb built by Fairfield
Oath Keepers president Matthew Fairfield convicted of explosives charges after authorities searching his home discover a napalm bomb built by Fairfield
May 2010
A father and son team of “sovereign citizens” murder West Memphis, Ark., police officers Robert Brandon Paudert, 39, and Thomas William “Bill” Evans, 38, with an AK-47 during a routine traffic stop
A father and son team of “sovereign citizens” murder West Memphis, Ark., police officers Robert Brandon Paudert, 39, and Thomas William “Bill” Evans, 38, with an AK-47 during a routine traffic stop
January 2011
Kevin William Harpham set a pipe bomb along the route of the Spokane, WA, MLK memorial march. It was defused, none injured.
Kevin William Harpham set a pipe bomb along the route of the Spokane, WA, MLK memorial march. It was defused, none injured.
January 2011
Jeffery Harbin, of the neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement, built homemade grenades and pipe bombs intended to supply to anti-immigrant groups patrolling the Mexican border.
Jeffery Harbin, of the neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement, built homemade grenades and pipe bombs intended to supply to anti-immigrant groups patrolling the Mexican border.
March 2011
Six “sovereign citizen” members of the Alaska Peacemakers Militia, are charged with plotting to kill or kidnap state troopers and a Fairbanks judge. The group already has a large cache of weapons, including a .50-caliber machine gun, grenades and a grenade launcher.
Six “sovereign citizen” members of the Alaska Peacemakers Militia, are charged with plotting to kill or kidnap state troopers and a Fairbanks judge. The group already has a large cache of weapons, including a .50-caliber machine gun, grenades and a grenade launcher.
October 2011
White supremacist David Joey Pedersen, and his girlfriend, Holly Ann Grigsby, go on a murderous rampage, killing a man they thought was Jewish, an african-american man, and tell police they "were on their way to Sacramento to kill more Jews."
reuters.com/article/us-usa…
White supremacist David Joey Pedersen, and his girlfriend, Holly Ann Grigsby, go on a murderous rampage, killing a man they thought was Jewish, an african-american man, and tell police they "were on their way to Sacramento to kill more Jews."
reuters.com/article/us-usa…
Dec 2011
Far-right survivalist Eli Franklin Myers III shoots two Pennsylvania state troopers after they pull him over. One dies.
Far-right survivalist Eli Franklin Myers III shoots two Pennsylvania state troopers after they pull him over. One dies.
Dec 2011
Four Army soldiers at Fort Stewart, Ga., members of the terror group Forever Enduring, Always Ready (FEAR), murder Michael Roark and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Tiffany York…
Four Army soldiers at Fort Stewart, Ga., members of the terror group Forever Enduring, Always Ready (FEAR), murder Michael Roark and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Tiffany York…
because FEAR leader Isaac Aguigui, 22, feared they would talk about the group’s plans to take over the Army base, overthrow the government, assassinate a future president
latimes.com/nation/la-na-s…
latimes.com/nation/la-na-s…
July 2012
Jedediah Stout burns the Joplin MO, Islamic Society Mosque. He later is arrested for attempted arson of a Planned Parenthood clinic. Stout refers to himself as a “conservative Christian” and tells investigators that he doesn’t like Islam and doesn’t believe in abortion
Jedediah Stout burns the Joplin MO, Islamic Society Mosque. He later is arrested for attempted arson of a Planned Parenthood clinic. Stout refers to himself as a “conservative Christian” and tells investigators that he doesn’t like Islam and doesn’t believe in abortion
August 2012
Neo-Nazi skinhead Wade Michael Page, 40, opens fire with a 9 mm handgun at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., killing six and critically wounding three, including a police officer.
Neo-Nazi skinhead Wade Michael Page, 40, opens fire with a 9 mm handgun at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., killing six and critically wounding three, including a police officer.
August 2012
Seven people with ties to the antigovernment “sovereign citizens” movement ambush and murder two Louisiana sheriff’s deputies
(I’m sensing a theme with these sovereign citizens)
Seven people with ties to the antigovernment “sovereign citizens” movement ambush and murder two Louisiana sheriff’s deputies
(I’m sensing a theme with these sovereign citizens)
September 2012
Sovereign citizen Christopher Lacy, 36, shoots a California Highway Patrol officer at close range after the officer stops Lacy’s vehicle
Sovereign citizen Christopher Lacy, 36, shoots a California Highway Patrol officer at close range after the officer stops Lacy’s vehicle
November 2013
A “pissed off patriot trying to water the tree of liberty." Paul Anthony Ciancia opens fire at Los Angeles International Airport, killing TSA officer Gerardo Hernandez at a security checkpoint and injuring six others.
A “pissed off patriot trying to water the tree of liberty." Paul Anthony Ciancia opens fire at Los Angeles International Airport, killing TSA officer Gerardo Hernandez at a security checkpoint and injuring six others.
March 2014
A standoff occurs at the NV ranch of “Sovereign Citizen” Cliven Bundy. Right wing activists threaten violence before the government backs down.
A standoff occurs at the NV ranch of “Sovereign Citizen” Cliven Bundy. Right wing activists threaten violence before the government backs down.
April 2014
Neo-nazi Frazier Glenn Miller opens fire at a Jewish community center and a Jewish retirement community in Overland Park, Kansas. Three people are killed.
Neo-nazi Frazier Glenn Miller opens fire at a Jewish community center and a Jewish retirement community in Overland Park, Kansas. Three people are killed.
May 2014
Racist Incel Elliot Rodger goes on a killing spree in Isla Vista, California, kills 4 men and 2 women by stabbing and shooting them
latimes.com/local/lanow/la…
Racist Incel Elliot Rodger goes on a killing spree in Isla Vista, California, kills 4 men and 2 women by stabbing and shooting them
latimes.com/local/lanow/la…
June 2014
Antigovernment activists Jerad and Amanda Miller shoot two police officers while they are eating lunch. The pair leave a swastika and a Gadsden flag on the bodies.
lasvegassun.com/news/2014/jun/…
Antigovernment activists Jerad and Amanda Miller shoot two police officers while they are eating lunch. The pair leave a swastika and a Gadsden flag on the bodies.
lasvegassun.com/news/2014/jun/…
June 2014
Brent Douglas Cole, a sovereign citizen camping in northern California, opens fire on two law enforcement officers investigating vehicles that had been abandoned at a wooded campground near Nevada City.
Brent Douglas Cole, a sovereign citizen camping in northern California, opens fire on two law enforcement officers investigating vehicles that had been abandoned at a wooded campground near Nevada City.
August 2014
Douglas Lee Leguin, a sovereign citizen, reports a dumpster fire in Dallas, Texas, and begins shooting with an AK-47 at firefighters who respond.
Douglas Lee Leguin, a sovereign citizen, reports a dumpster fire in Dallas, Texas, and begins shooting with an AK-47 at firefighters who respond.
September 2014
Anti-government survivalist Eric Frien uses a sniper rifle to kill one state trooper, injuring another, at the PA State Police barracks.
citizensvoice.com/news/murder-su…
Anti-government survivalist Eric Frien uses a sniper rifle to kill one state trooper, injuring another, at the PA State Police barracks.
citizensvoice.com/news/murder-su…
November 2014
Armed with a .22-caliber rifle, an assault rifle and homemade bombs, Larry Steve McQuilliams, 49, fires more than 100 rounds at a police station, a Mexican consulate, a federal courthouse and a bank in downtown Austin, Texas.
Armed with a .22-caliber rifle, an assault rifle and homemade bombs, Larry Steve McQuilliams, 49, fires more than 100 rounds at a police station, a Mexican consulate, a federal courthouse and a bank in downtown Austin, Texas.
June 2015
Dylan Roof, hoping to ignite a race war, attends an evening Bible study class at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. He opens fire with a semiautomatic handgun, killing nine African-American worshipers.
Dylan Roof, hoping to ignite a race war, attends an evening Bible study class at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. He opens fire with a semiautomatic handgun, killing nine African-American worshipers.
July 2015
Neo-nazi John Russell Houser, 59, opens fire in a crowded movie theater in Lafayette, La., killing two and wounding nine
Neo-nazi John Russell Houser, 59, opens fire in a crowded movie theater in Lafayette, La., killing two and wounding nine
October 2015
White supremacist Christopher Sean Harper-Mercer enters a classroom in Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, and opens fire on students and teachers, killing nine
White supremacist Christopher Sean Harper-Mercer enters a classroom in Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, and opens fire on students and teachers, killing nine
November 2015
Four Minnesota white supremacists shoot and wound five Black Lives Matter protestors in Minneapolis.
Four Minnesota white supremacists shoot and wound five Black Lives Matter protestors in Minneapolis.
November 2015
Robert Lewis Dear Jr, armed with rifles and home-made bombs, opens fire at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, CO. Three die and nine are wounded.
Robert Lewis Dear Jr, armed with rifles and home-made bombs, opens fire at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, CO. Three die and nine are wounded.
January 2015
Heavily armed antigovernment militants occupy the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, led by the Bundy brothers.
Heavily armed antigovernment militants occupy the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, led by the Bundy brothers.
June 2015
Anti-government militia leader William Keebler (and Bundy associate) attempts to carry out a bombing at the Arizona Strip Bureau of Land Management facility. An undercover FBI agent disarmed the bomb before it was placed.
Anti-government militia leader William Keebler (and Bundy associate) attempts to carry out a bombing at the Arizona Strip Bureau of Land Management facility. An undercover FBI agent disarmed the bomb before it was placed.
July 2015
Antigovernment “sovereign citizen” Gavin Eugene Long, 29, of Kansas City, Missouri, kills three Baton Rouge, Louisiana, police officers in a coordinated ambush-style attack
Antigovernment “sovereign citizen” Gavin Eugene Long, 29, of Kansas City, Missouri, kills three Baton Rouge, Louisiana, police officers in a coordinated ambush-style attack
Jan 2017
Marq Vincent Perez sets fire to the Victoria Islamic Center in Victoria, Texas
Marq Vincent Perez sets fire to the Victoria Islamic Center in Victoria, Texas
Feb 2017
William Christopher Gibbs, a member of the racist Georgia Church of Creativity, is arrested for possession of ricin. Hilariously, he is caught when he checks himself into a hospital after accidentally exposing himself to the substance.
William Christopher Gibbs, a member of the racist Georgia Church of Creativity, is arrested for possession of ricin. Hilariously, he is caught when he checks himself into a hospital after accidentally exposing himself to the substance.
Feb 2017
Adam W. Purinton shot two Middle Eastern men in an Olathe, KS, bar, after telling them to “get out of my country.” One died, one survived.
Adam W. Purinton shot two Middle Eastern men in an Olathe, KS, bar, after telling them to “get out of my country.” One died, one survived.
March 2017
James Harris Jackson travels to NYC to hunt and kill black men, to deter inter-racial marriages. He fatally stabs Timothy Caughman, 66, with a "Roman short sword" as a “practice run”. nytimes.com/2017/03/22/nyr…
James Harris Jackson travels to NYC to hunt and kill black men, to deter inter-racial marriages. He fatally stabs Timothy Caughman, 66, with a "Roman short sword" as a “practice run”. nytimes.com/2017/03/22/nyr…
May 2017
Two Trump-supporting, Infowars-watching neo-nazis, Marshall and Lloyd Barrus, kill a Broadwater County, Montana police officer and engage in a prolonged gun battle while fleeing police. helenair.com/news/crime-and…
Two Trump-supporting, Infowars-watching neo-nazis, Marshall and Lloyd Barrus, kill a Broadwater County, Montana police officer and engage in a prolonged gun battle while fleeing police. helenair.com/news/crime-and…
May 2017
"Alt-Reich: Nation" member Sean Urbanski stabs and kills newly commissioned army Lt. Richard Collins III a black student who is visiting the University of Maryland campus
usatoday.com/story/news/nat…
"Alt-Reich: Nation" member Sean Urbanski stabs and kills newly commissioned army Lt. Richard Collins III a black student who is visiting the University of Maryland campus
usatoday.com/story/news/nat…
May 2017
Anti-islamic racist and white supremacist Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, stabs three bystanders who attempt to intervene as he is harassing two middle eastern women on a train in Portland, Oregon. Two die.
Anti-islamic racist and white supremacist Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, stabs three bystanders who attempt to intervene as he is harassing two middle eastern women on a train in Portland, Oregon. Two die.
July 2017
Alt-right social media conspiracy theorist (and former Breitbart intern) Lane Maurice Davis, stabs his 73-year-old father to death at the family home in Skagit County, Washington, after accusing his father of pedophilia.
Alt-right social media conspiracy theorist (and former Breitbart intern) Lane Maurice Davis, stabs his 73-year-old father to death at the family home in Skagit County, Washington, after accusing his father of pedophilia.
August 2017
A mosque in Bloomington MN was bombed. None were injured.
A mosque in Bloomington MN was bombed. None were injured.
August 2017
Jerry Drake Varnell, 23, of Sayre, Oklahoma, a member of the “3% militia” attempted to remotely detonate a thousand-pound vehicular bomb outside a BancFirst building in downtown Oklahoma City. (an undercover FBI agent had rendered the bomb harmless)
Jerry Drake Varnell, 23, of Sayre, Oklahoma, a member of the “3% militia” attempted to remotely detonate a thousand-pound vehicular bomb outside a BancFirst building in downtown Oklahoma City. (an undercover FBI agent had rendered the bomb harmless)
August 2017
At the neo-nazi “Unite the Right” rally, James Alex Fields, drives his car at a high speed into a crowd of counter-protesters. Heather Heyer, 32, is killed and 19 others are wounded.
At the neo-nazi “Unite the Right” rally, James Alex Fields, drives his car at a high speed into a crowd of counter-protesters. Heather Heyer, 32, is killed and 19 others are wounded.
December 2017
White Nationalist William Edward Atchison disguises himself as a student at Aztec High School in rural New Mexico and opens fire in the hallway, killing two students
White Nationalist William Edward Atchison disguises himself as a student at Aztec High School in rural New Mexico and opens fire in the hallway, killing two students
December 2017
Nazi sympathizer Nicholas Giampa shoots and kills the parents of his ex-girlfriend
Nazi sympathizer Nicholas Giampa shoots and kills the parents of his ex-girlfriend
December 2017
Alt-right member Matthew Riehl shoots and kills two police officers investigating a disturbance at his apartment near Denver
Alt-right member Matthew Riehl shoots and kills two police officers investigating a disturbance at his apartment near Denver
January 2018
Avowed neo-Nazi Samuel Woodward, member of the violently racist Atomwaffen Division, kills Blaze Bernstein, a college student who was gay and Jewish. …
Avowed neo-Nazi Samuel Woodward, member of the violently racist Atomwaffen Division, kills Blaze Bernstein, a college student who was gay and Jewish. …
Woodward stabbed Bernstein over 20 times, burying his body in a shallow grave. Atomwaffen members hailed Woodward as a "one man gay Jew wrecking crew."
cbsnews.com/news/blaze-ber…
cbsnews.com/news/blaze-ber…
February 2018
Nikolas Cruz murders 17 and injures another 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland FL. He had inscribed a swastika on his rifle and had expressed far-right antisemitic, homophobic and xenophobic views in private.
Nikolas Cruz murders 17 and injures another 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland FL. He had inscribed a swastika on his rifle and had expressed far-right antisemitic, homophobic and xenophobic views in private.
March 2018
White supremacist Benjamin Morrow kills himself in an accidental explosion while making a bomb in his Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, apartment.
White supremacist Benjamin Morrow kills himself in an accidental explosion while making a bomb in his Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, apartment.
April 2018
Travis Reinking, a 29-year-old self-described sovereign citizen, is accused of murdering four people and injuring four others at a mass shooting in a Nashville, Tennessee, Waffle House restaurant.
washingtonpost.com/news/post-nati…
Travis Reinking, a 29-year-old self-described sovereign citizen, is accused of murdering four people and injuring four others at a mass shooting in a Nashville, Tennessee, Waffle House restaurant.
washingtonpost.com/news/post-nati…
July 2018
Ronald Lee Kidwell, a white supremacist who draped himself in the Confederate flag and had a swastika tattoo on his arm and claimed to be a member of the Ku Klux Klan and Aryan Nations, allegedly killed a black woman in Shawnee, KS.
Ronald Lee Kidwell, a white supremacist who draped himself in the Confederate flag and had a swastika tattoo on his arm and claimed to be a member of the Ku Klux Klan and Aryan Nations, allegedly killed a black woman in Shawnee, KS.
August 2018
Proud Boys rally for “free speech” in Portland OR
Proud Boys rally for “free speech” in Portland OR
And of course, the ur-right wing terrorist attack in the US:
April 1995
A truck bomb hit the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killed 168 people, including 19 children in a day-care center. Another 500 were injured. Anti-government Timothy McVeigh was executed for it
April 1995
A truck bomb hit the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killed 168 people, including 19 children in a day-care center. Another 500 were injured. Anti-government Timothy McVeigh was executed for it
I’ve left many many items off this list. The number of conspiracies to commit terrorism that were found out and stopped by law enforcement is easily as long. I also omitted most events where nobody was hurt or the motive was unclear (Orlando Pulse).
And there are no corresponding litanies of left-wing violence. There are a few, I admit, but the mass of political terrorism in the US is 60% conservative, with another 20-30% being islamic in motivation, with a tiny number of left-wing cases. splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018…
We need to acknowledge that political violence in the US is largely a unipolar phenomenon. And note that much of it preceded Trump. He didn’t create the alt-right, he just rode it to power, and now stokes the flames.
The conservative movement has long embraced and used violence for their political ends. And yes, of course, there’s a ton of overlap in these tragedies with mental health. We can’t ignore that. But they’re not all “just nuts.” Many of these crimes were cold and calculated.
And no, not all conservatives are violent/racists/etc. Those who cross the line are vanishingly rare. But it comes from somewhere. What is it about the rhetoric of the right that motivates these few sociopaths to take it to the next step? How can we counter that?
If nothing else, we need to hold the party leaders accountable for their incitements to violence. “Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?” Isn’t a harmless rhetorical question when there are fanatics only too willing to follow that implied order.
I don’t have an answer other than defeating them at the ballot box and hope that the arc of the universe does indeed bend towards justice.
Don’t just get mad. Vote.
Don’t just get mad. Vote.
