Colorado Springs has a wild west mentality . . . . making it ripe for violent anti-abortion rhetoric

From Josiah Hesse, reporting for the Guardian from Colorado Springs about the Planned Parenthood shooting that killed three people and wounded another nine:

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"Colorado Springs, the location of an attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic that left three people dead, is a centre of rightwing Christian culture with a “wild west mentality” when it comes to guns.

"The attack, by a lone gunman carrying a rifle or shotgun, took place at a clinic that is the site of regular anti-abortion protests by the city’s pro-life Christian groups. . . .

"Colorado’s second largest city, with a population of 445,800, has built itself a reputation as a playground for white, pro-gun, pro-life Evangelical Christians. . . .  [It was] featured in the documentary film Jesus Camp, where evangelical Christian children were taught to engage in anti-abortion protests. . . . 

"The city’s pro-gun contingent flexed its muscles in 2014 with an unprecedented recall election, ousting state senator John Morse. The recall was primarily motivated by new gun control laws in Colorado – following the Aurora cinema shootings in Denver -- which banned magazines holding more than 15 rounds, and demanded a universal background check for all gun purchases. . . .

"Three weeks before Friday’s Planned Parenthood shooting, a man was seen brandishing a rifle while walking down the streets of Colorado Springs on Halloween morning. A concerned citizen called the 911 Emergency Line to notify the police, but was told by the operator [that] . . . 'Well, it is an open carry state . . . . 

"Shortly after the call the man shot and killed three people before being shot dead by police.  Following the Halloween shooting, Colorado Springs resident Jessie Pocock organised a vigil with her fellow citizens, who expressed a mix of grief and outrage at the deaths. She feels that there is a 'wild west mentality' when it comes to guns in Colorado Springs. 

“'It’s important that we can go to the grocery store and not be worried about someone randomly shooting us down on the streets, and right now that is not the case in Colorado Springs,' said Pocock, who lives close to the abortion clinic. . . .

"Colorado Springs’ year of violence began last January when a bomb detonated outside the local chapter of the NAACP. No one was harmed in the attack, but the incident put many in Colorado Springs on edge."

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From what is now known, the Planned Parenthood attacker likely is a mentally ill man.  That cannot be used to excuse the gun lobby or those who claim the 2nd amendment gives them unfettered rights to own any weapon they chose (Why stop at assault rifles?   Why not nuclear weapons?)

The fact is that the tone of the anti-abortion messages, plus the near-paranoid flavor of the 2nd amendment zealots, practically begs for some deranged person to step up and do what he thinks they want done.

And maybe it is what they really want.   Some social media reactions to the shootings justify it by citing how many "babies are killed" in the abortions.   Some of them actually see it as justifiable.

It's pretty disturbing that Ted Cruz has proudly flaunted the endorsement of a man who justifies killing abortion providers.   This was in the news at the same time the PP Clinic was attacked.    No, I'm not blaming Ted Cruz . . . not directly.   But he and those like him contribute to the problem.

Ralph  

Ted Cruz painted into a corner on refugees

GOP presidential contender Ted Cruz has been moving up in the pack and could possibly even win the Iowa caucuses.    He's not leading in the polls there, but political insiders point out that winning Iowa depends to a large extent on good organization that will get its supporters to go out and spend the two hours it takes to participate in an Iowa caucus.    The Cruz campaign is reportedly much better prepared to do that than either Trump or Carson.

Consequently, more media attention is turning to Cruz.   Friday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution had an opinion essay written by Duke University history professor Gunther Peck.   He reviews the history of nations accepting refugees and says that refugees, as opposed to immigrants in general, are usually accepted in response to a foreign policy crisis, such as "Cuban refugees fleeing Castro's victories after 1962" and Vietnamese after the fall of Saigon in 1975.

Peck acknowledges that the impulse to accept refugees is stronger when humanitarian imperatives complement positions that also benefit our national interests -- and that we have not been as open when people were fleeing oppression from governments that were U.S. allies, such as Haiti and Guatemala.

Which brings us to Ted Cruz and the paradox of making his refugee-father's story a central theme of his campaign, while now viciously denouncing President Obama's plan to use his executive authority to expand the number of Syrian refugees we accept, which Cruz has called "nothing short of an act of lunacy."   As Peck puts it: 

"[Cruz] ignored the fact his Cuban-born father would almost certainly have been denied entry and U.S. citizenship if not for Cold War commitments that defined all Cuban migrants as 'refugees.'   More important, he undermined the very executive authority he seeks to wield as a future president." 

When pressed by CNN's Dana Bash to explain his opposition, in view of what it would have meant for his father, Cruz's response was . . . well, rather crude.   In Peck's words:

"Cruz asserted virtually all Syrian refugees were potential terrorists, unlike his freedom-loving father.   Cruz's broad brush strokes might work well with one slice of the Republican electorate . . . .  But Cruz's disavowal of the United States' long history of bipartisan refugee policy is harmful to our national interest.   It weakens the nation's credibility in working with Muslim allies, and makes it easier for ISIS and other religious radicals to recruit jihadists against the U.S. and its allies."

Notice the slick, dog-whistle communication there:   "virtually all were potential terrorists."   That doesn't really say anything other than that 'any human being could be a terrorist.'  But those programmed to fear unknown terrorists will hear 'Obama wants to let in terrorists.'  And then Peck concludes:

"There is no better way to draw a sharp distinction between the aims and methods of ISIS and that of the U.S. government than to remain dedicated to core humanitarian principles, even in the wake of terrorist attack."

Yes.    Ted Cruz is not the worst of the fear-mongerers.   But that arrogant, willfully ignorant line -- "virtually all Syrian refugees were potential terrorists" is the gist of what's wrong with their position.   It's Dick Cheney type thinking.   If it could possibly happen, assume that it will and muster all self-serving anecdotes (and distort the risk) to strike fear in the heart of the people so they will support what you want to do.

That mentality scares me more than the tiny risk of a terrorist sneaking in as a refugee, despite the most rigorous screening of anyone who comes into our country.   It is totally and intentionally false to equate how easy it is for a Syrian terrorist to get into and travel around Europe -- and how difficult it is for a Syrian to be admitted into the U. S. as a refugee.   That is the crucial distinction that the anti-refugees politicians fail to acknowledge -- and it makes all the difference.

Ralph

The real terrorist threats in America

Here's how Timothy Egan put it in Saturday's New York Times:

"A bigger threat than a homeless victim of a savage war is a homegrown crazy with an assault rifle.   If only the two-year vetting process now applied to those seeking refuge were used to screen unstable Americans purchasing guns at the mall."

Stop the right-wing bigotry

Last Sunday, more than a dozen white men, some wearing masks and armed with AK-15 assault rifles, stood outside a mosque in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.   Their proclaimed purpose was to  protest the "Islamization of America, Syrian refugees, and Islam in general."

The group's organizer David Wright, wearing a mask and toting his AK-15, acknowledged that they wanted to intimidate Muslim members:  "I'm not going to lie.   We do want to show force.  It would be ridiculous to protest Islam without defending ourselves."

Local authorities knew about the planned protest and notified Mosque leaders, who in turn advised their members to stay away.   Police were also on hand to ensure members' safety.   So nobody was hurt . . . physically.

But such bigotry continues to hurt all of us.    Just imagine the reaction if the affiliations had been reversed, and a gang of masked, armed Muslim men had gathered outside a Christian church to intimidate its members.

Every time a Republican presidential candidate, or a Republican governor, or Fox News or  right-wing, talk radio bigots blast out anti-Muslim fear and hatred -- this is what results.   Someone is going to get hurt -- and they will all bear some of the responsibility for revving up the fear and vigilante mentality.

Ralph

Gov. Deal brings shame to Georgia

In sharp contrast to the heart-warming article (below) about the little boy from Texas, Georgia's Gov. Nathan Deal has once again displayed the craven stinginess and mean spirit of Republican governors and legislatures.

But Gov. Deal went further than all the other governors who said they would not take any new refugees from Syria in their states.  No, Gov. Deal has shamed us Georgians by making us the only state to deny food stamps to Syrian refugees.

Think about that as you digest that big Thanksgiving dinner.

Fortunately, the U. S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the food stamp program, has stepped in with a letter to remind the governor that refugees are eligible and that, to be in compliance with federal law, the state agency must accept their applications.

We're better than that, Gov. Deal.   Stop dragging us down with you.

Ralph 

Good news #11: Generosity begets generosity

Reported by DailyKos:

"A little boy in south Texas did something pretty great last week, and the news spread quickly across the world, via social media. Seven-year-old Jack Swanson took $20 from his piggy bank and decided to give it to a community mosque that had been grossly defaced during a Muslim hate crime.

"Twenty dollars might not seem a lot to some, but to Jack Swanson, it was a life’s savings.  And to Faisal Naem, a board member from the Islamic Center of Pflugerville, Jack’s gift was comparable to “$20 million” to the Muslim community. 

"What many didn’t know last week was that Jack Swanson was saving his pennies for an Apple iPad.  Ardalan Iftikhar heard about the story and said he was moved to tears. Known to some on social media as The Muslim Guy, Iftikar contacted Jack’s mother, Laura Swanson, and within days, Jack received a package in the mail along with this note from Iftikhar:

‘Dear Jack, you had saved $20 in your piggybank for an Apple iPad. But then a local Islamic mosque was vandalised. So you donated your $20 to this local Texas mosque. Because of your amazing generosity and your kind heart. ‘Please enjoy this Apple iPad with our sincere thanks :-). Love The American Muslim Community.’ 

"Jack Swanson will most likely always remember how his kindness was received by many around the world. What a wonderful lesson to learn so young — that when we give to others, from our hearts, expecting nothing in return, the good often comes back to us, multiplied. Thank you, Jack, for this lovely reminder."

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What a good message for Thanksgiving Day.   Pass it on.

Ralph

NYTimes finally, seriously calls Trump a demagogue

The New York Times published an editorial on Tuesday that is a scathing takedown of Donald Trump's serial lies on the campaign trail.  It begins: 

"America has just lived through another presidential campaign week dominated by Donald Trump's racist lies.  Here’s a partial list of false statements: The United States is about to take in 250,000 Syrian refugees; African-Americans are responsible for most white homicides; and during the 9/11 attacks, 'thousands and thousands' of people in an unnamed 'Arab' community in New Jersey' were cheering as that building was coming down.'

"In the Republican field, Mr. Trump has distinguished himself as fastest to dive to the bottom. If it’s a lie too vile to utter aloud, count on Mr. Trump to say it, often. It wins him airtime, and retweets through the roof. 

"This phenomenon is in fact nothing new. Politicians targeting minorities, foreigners or women have always existed in the culture. And every generation or so, at least one demagogue surfaces to fan those flames."

The editorial then goes on to draw parallels between some of Trump's statements and those of Sen. Joseph McCarthy in 1950 (Trump rails against Muslims instead of Communists) and Alabama's Gov. George Wallace's 1963 statement:  "We can no longer hide our head in the sand and tell ourselves that the ideology of our free fathers is not being attacked and is not being threatened by another idea ... for it is." 

The Times editorial concludes: 

"Mr. Trump relies on social media to spread his views. This is convenient because there’s no need to respond to questions about his fabrications. That makes it imperative that other forms of media challenge him. . . .

"It’s become a full-time job just running down falsehoods like the phony crime statistics he tweeted, which came from a white supremacist group. Yet Mr. Trump is regularly rewarded with free TV time, where he talks right over anyone challenging him, and doubles down when called out on his lies.

 "This isn’t about shutting off Mr. Trump’s bullhorn. His right to spew nonsense is protected by the Constitution, but the public doesn’t need to swallow it. History teaches that failing to hold a demagogue to account is a dangerous act. It’s no easy task for journalists to interrupt Mr. Trump with the facts, but it’s an important one."

It's about time the mainstream media began serious criticism and fact-checking of this demagogue.  I emphasize serious, because thus far Trump has been treated mostly as an entertaining buffoon rather than as the dangerous bigot and rabble-rouser that he is.  The television networks are concerned too.

Politico is reporting that representatives of ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CNN held a meeting to discuss problems of covering the Trump campaign, amid complaints that their reporters are being kept away from interviewing people at Trump rallies and are being confined to a "press pen."

We've waited long enough for Donald Trump to self-destroy, but that shows no sign of happening.   His fact-free boasts and simplistic (fantasy) solutions are too appealing to angry conservatives.   We can no longer risk his lead becoming entrenched all the way to the ballot boxes next November.   It's time for brave journalists to stand up and call him on his bigotry, his lies, and his false promises.

Ralph