Twenty Years Ago Today

Ken AshfordHistory, Rightwing Extremism/ViolenceLeave a Comment

Carried out by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, the Oklahoma City bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building killed 168 people and injured more than 680 others. The blast destroyed or damaged 324 buildings within a 16-block radius, destroyed or burned 86 cars, and shattered glass in 258 nearby buildings, causing at least an estimated $652 million worth of damage. The bombers were tried and convicted in 1997. … Read More

Trouble Brewing In Them Thar Hills

Ken AshfordCourts/Law, Gun Control, Rightwing Extremism/ViolenceLeave a Comment

There is a dispute regarding property rights to gold mine in Oregon between the owners and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). If only we had a mechanism to resolve land disputes in this country. Oh yes.  The court system. But the allure of an armed conflict with federal agents has still proved irresistible to self-styled militia members who have flocked … Read More

Suicide Or Lynching?

Ken AshfordCrime, Race, Rightwing Extremism/ViolenceLeave a Comment

The last person who saw Otis Byrd before he disappeared was a friend who dropped him off on March 2 at a casino in Vicksburg, Miss. Byrd, 54, enjoyed going to casinos every so often before he went missing, a family member toldlocal television station KMBC. He reportedly attended church regularly and held down various jobs, including work on an … Read More

Patriots

Ken AshfordGun Control, Rightwing Extremism/ViolenceLeave a Comment

So that Nevada couple who shot the police, a random bystander and then themselves declaring that "the revolution" had begun had been at the Bundy Ranch? What a surprise. It turns out they were right wing radicals.  Who'd a thiunk it?

Calling It Quits

Ken AshfordRepublicans, Rightwing Extremism/Violence, Sex/Morality/Family Values, Tea PartyLeave a Comment

Jimmy LaSalvia co-founded political action group GOProud to prove to America that the Republican Party is a safe home for gay conservatives. But he no longer believes his own arguments. On Monday, he announced on his blog that he could no longer take his own party’s refusal to stand up to bigotry: he was leaving the Republican Party and had registered as … Read More

Moments Later….

Ken AshfordGun Control, Rightwing Extremism/Violence1 Comment

Gun nut libertarian loads a gun within blocks of the White House and uploads the video on YouTube   Then… Police searched the Northern Virginia home of activist Adam Kokesh Tuesday evening and took him into custody on a charge of being in possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms while also having a gun, authorities said. Kokesh, a former Marine, was held overnight at … Read More

Second Amendment Terrorism Is Here

Ken AshfordGun Control, Rightwing Extremism/ViolenceLeave a Comment

Second Amendment supporters are suspected to have committed three terrorist acts this week on American soil – one against the group Mayors Against Gun Violence, another against Mayor Bloomberg, who is a staunch gun control advocate, and a third against President Obama.  All were sent similar suspicious letters, at least two contained powder, and at least one tested positive for … Read More

This Is What The Wingnut Rhetoric of Fox News Get Us

Ken AshfordRightwing Extremism/ViolenceLeave a Comment

Expect to see more stories like this one:  MONTEVIDEO, MINN. – The Black Snake Militia’s home base is the Rogers family trailer on the north end of town, where the group’s initials are spray-painted on a repurposed Farm Bureau sign and passerby are greeted by a handmade warning about the dangers of government tracking devices. “We are not slaves,” the cardboard … Read More

Too Much KoolAid

Ken AshfordRight Wing and Inept Media, Rightwing Extremism/ViolenceLeave a Comment

There are, unfortunately, waaaay too many people who get all their information from Fox News.  And to the extent that the other media outlets and, let's face it, reality, conflict with Fox News, these rabid fans of disinformation just cover their ears and go "neener, neener, neener".  Usually. One guy in Florida decided that the best way to deal with … Read More

Racist Non-Reaction

Ken AshfordRightwing Extremism/Violence, War On ChristmasLeave a Comment

Ok.  I'll say it. Last weekend, there was a terrorist attack.  The shooter was white; the victims were Sikh. There was, of course, a negative reaction — but now, a few days later, all seems to have normalized. Thought experiment: Suppose the same thing had happened, except that the shooter was of Arab descent, and the victims were white?  Would … Read More