Who's more scary: the racist "base" or the guys at the top?

The other night at a barbecue, a man asked me, regarding Obama:

Do you really think he'll live through his first term?

I answered first, I certainly hope so. Second, and more importantly, I don't think fear is a rational basis for making such a decision, so I don't contemplate that question very much.

It is very likely true, as Dave Neiwert posits, that when Obama takes the office, there will be a far-right backlash, sort of the '90s on steroids. It is also possible that we will avoid another Oklahoma City, and that presidential security is strong enough to thwart assassination. After all: meth-heads plotting assassination last week were arrested before they could leave their hotel room.

But Neiwert has a frightening post today on those meth-heads: why, when the FBI wanted them charged with conspiracy to assassinate Senator Obama, the Rove appointed US attorney declined.

Amy Goodman was charged this week with Conspiracy to Commit Riot for the crime of stepping off the convention floor and into the street.

These men had a plan and the equipment to carry it out, the fed has weapons and testimony to convict with, and the US Attorney declined?

Another funny thing: When a black man in prison sent a threatening letter containing baby powder to John McCain, Troy Eid brought down the full force of the law, complete with press conferences and public declarations that "We won't stand for threats of this kind in Colorado."
But when it’s a claque of white men with rifles, disguises, and all the accoutrement of a conspiracy – as well as open admissions to it – Troy Eid isn’t worried. After all, they just a bunch of harmless, tweakers, right? … Just like little Timmy McVeigh.
But then, when you’re a Karl Rove operative promoted to deliver justice the Republican way, as Troy Eid is, that’s the way the scales fall. As Marcy reported at the time, Eid in fact nearly didn't get the Colorado job because of concerns about "improper lobbying."
His failure to take this matter seriously is itself a serious matter. When law-enforcement officials let this stuff slip by, they send a dangerous message to other would-be plotters out there. And next time, they may in fact be more competent.

I really don't know what else to say.

After a respite, the keyboard beckons

It's been almost two weeks since I last logged on. Knoxville took my attention for a time. I worked out a local service with two other women in their honor, which we will hold tomorrow night. We'll acknowledge the sadness and anger, honor the dead and express our support for the surviving community. And we'll reaffirm our shared values. Putting this together has been a powerful experience for me. Almost no writing was required; there have been so many beautiful words written by UUs across the country. Creating the service was almost a process of simple selection and editing.

In addition to Knoxville, certain home and hearth things have been demanding, and so I haven't made the time to write about exterior things.

But my personal internal is often moved forcefully by the external, so it's best that I blog, even if it has no outcome other than that I have spent some time forming sentences.

Ahhh... so off I go.

The Knoxville tragedy

Update: Over at Orcinus, Sara's post is a perfect expression. Recommended you read.

Whatever the reasons turn out to be, there are at least two lessons I hope y'all take away from today's events.
One is that you can bet that the members of this congregation will find a novel way to approach their healing -- and in doing so, they'll set example for the rest of us to watch carefully. If (when) mental illness becomes the issue, they will respond to this man and his family with compassion and justice, because that's the UU way. And if hate turns out to be part of the story, too, then Knoxville, TN is about to have a dialog on hate crime that will leave nobody in town untouched or uninvolved. That's the UU way, too.
The other is that this congregation's cool, brave response shows, once again, that it's past time to drop that old stereotype, and stop underestimating the courage and intelligence of the religious left in America. We've gotten incredibly short shrift over the past few decades -- not only from the religious right, which thinks we're the minions of Satan on earth; but also from fellow progressives, who think that "religious" is a synonym for crazy, dangerous, irrational, and definitely not an asset to the movement.

I was in a meeting yesterday afternoon, at church, when the phonecalls started coming in. We UUs are a pretty small, tight community, and news of the shootings in Knoxville immediately stunned, casting a pall over the rest of the afternoon.

I went home and searched the web: who was he? why? There were few details uncovered over the course of the day.

There was a lot out there in the blogs, and in various newsite's comment threads. Some of the comment threads were deeply disturbing. Things like, at least it happened to a bunch of bible thumpers, or, on sites where posters knew that UUs aren't "bible thumpers", stuff about maybe we should worship Jesus if we don't want to get shot at.

I stopped checking those sites.

Elsewhere there was discussion about whether the church was targeted because it is liberal. I was going to post this morning that such speculation is counter-productive and unecessary, but it turns out that the man did leave a note saying that he planned the shootings because he hated the liberal movement".

I still don't think talking about his motives is productive.

This is pretty clearly a man with a mental illness. He apparently was not part of a liberal-hating group of any kind, just a guy without a job.

I don't think this signals the beginning of any kind of backlash- though I do believe the country is changing and that there will be backlash from various quarters. I just don't believe that this particular incident is necessarily symptomatic of anything.

I am so sad for the church members and friends. I am grateful for the knowledge that the UUA is supporting them with crisis ministry teams. I am so grateful that surrounding churches in their community are offereing them support and love.

And I have a spark of recognition- proud recognition- for who we are, and who those congregants are. The gunman, they say, did not expect to leave the church alive. He expected to be killed by police.

The members of the congregation who tackled and held him assured that he would not die there. And he will now stand trial. And that is a very good thing.

Scott emailed me this morning full of praise for the heroes who intervened and kept him from reloading and firing again. I'm very proud of them, too. And heartbroken that one of them is dead.

Anyway. The point of this post is that yesterday was a tragedy, and mourning is the thing to do right now. And sending love to those who are personally affected.

Political agendas and paranoia can wait.

Is it wrong to say "Bring 'em on"?

My church will be voting on adopting a resolution which states that we will publicly denounce the proposition to amend CA's constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. I got home from work and was responding to some emails on voting procedures and such. Took a break, went to Sadly, No! for a giggle, and found a link to this:

Anti-gay activists crash worship services
Minutemen take 'word of God' to 2 congregations

A conservative Christian values group has been interrupting services at two central Ohio churches to protest their support for homosexuality.

Minutemen United vowed to attend services every Sunday.

And they're not even going after UU or UCC, it appears to be Baptists and Methodists they're harrassing.

I do not like it when people harrass churches. ANY churches. It shows a dangerous level of crazy.

And, unfortunately, there is always the mama-bear part of me that screams, "TRY THAT IN MY HOUSE, MOTHER FUCKER!" while the rest of me tries to coax the she-bear back to calm and peace.

God, they don't even bother to code it...

Happy as I am to think loving squishy thoughts about the marriages at the County today, I didn't really want to get into this, but it KEEPS COMING UP, NO MATTER WHERE I GO ON THE INTERNET.

I thought the Obama nomination and subsequent campaign would mean coded racism from the right. Boy, was I wrong.

There's this little gemfrom today's Texas Republican Convention.

There was this lovely Fox chyron last week.

There was this fantastic comments thread, pulled to the light by Sadly, No!

All of which is almost - almost- laughable. When you read this stupid racist fuck stream, you kind of have to remember that THEY ARE LOSERS, AND THEY WILL LOSE.

But then I happened over to Orcinus today (and if you haven't lately, you should), and Dave actually kind of scared me. Not to mention turning my tears of happiness into tears of frustration. Because in this day and age, how can this be so pervasive?

Bradley T. Kahle, 60, of Troutville, was one of five people arrested in last weekend's sweep. He told undercover agents he hoped Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton or Barack Obama would be killed if they were elected president, and that he would shoot judicial and law enforcement officials if he became terminally ill, according to an affidavit of probable cause made public Tuesday.

"Kahle said words to the effect of, that 'if Hillary Clinton, or Barack Obama, get elected, hopefully they will get assassinated, if not they will disarm the country and we will have a civil war,'" the affidavit stated.

The same man also told authorities he planned to visit Pittsburgh so he could get on top of a high rise and start shooting black people. And of course, the judge let him go on bail. Would I be crazy to suspect that if he were a Muslim talking about shooting white people from a high rise and hoping John McCain would get killed, no judge on earth would let him go?

Ok, just one freak. Deep breaths.

But wait:

The extremist right went into remission, largely, with the election of George W. Bush; militias disbanded because their followers believed the threat of an oppressive, gun-grabbing, baby-killing "New World Order" had largely passed. They bided their time by forming Minutemen brigades. Now they can see that their "safe" era is coming to an end.

All this time, there really has been hankering for an excuse to start acting out violently, and they see any Democratic presidency as providing that excuse. But an Obama presidency in particular will do so.

All of which makes rather ironic the fears expressed by the fellow who propped up that phony "Hillary Clinton Supporters For John McCain" page:

What good is a great economy if you have to worry about getting blown up by a car bomb every time you go to the Mall? You want another Baghdad here in the USA, not me! I want my grandkids to be free and that includes being free from the fear of being killed by a terrorist. If Obama is elected, you better hope he adopts Hillary Health Care plan, because you are going to need it with his idea of "Security" for this country.

Well, there is indeed a potential threat looming after this election in which terrorists will make ordinary people feel unsafe about going to places like malls -- just like they did in the 1990s.

But they won't be Arabs coming from Baghdad. They'll be little Timmy McVeighs from Buffalo.

Dave covers hate groups and home-grown terrorists regularly. He's really, really good at it, very well researched.

I truly believe that the vast majority of this country can see a leader with black skin, just as I know that California will not vote to amend the constitution and ban same-sex marriage.

But the freaks have their forums.

Those offensive stupidities that Sadly, No! has chronicled may only mean that I hope none of those people are my neighbors (because I would start screaming if they ever opened their mouths and let the sickness pour out). That's a level of frustration I can live with, believing as I do in the progress of our national conscience.

But there is, of course, the threat of real violence. Like the anthrax attacks (and the fake anthrax attacks), and worse.

shudder.

(and thanks to SN! for always making it funny)

Really?

Church Vandalism a Suspected Hate Crime

Ventura County Sheriff's deputies are investigating the recent vandalism of a Moorpark church as a hate crime, authorities said Monday.

I don't want to sound like a wing-nut-glibertarian or anything, but are there organized gangs of satanists trying to scare Prespyterians these days?

Not that the church and its members don't have my sympathies- they do. But hate crime laws aren't really supposed to be used against stupid stoned teenagers with no agenda other than freaking their parents out, are they? Wouldn't your standard property damage/ vandalism laws apply?