When Muslims Do It, Conservatives Call It Terrorism. When White Americans Do It, Conservatives Call It “Populist Rage?”
Who Will Denounce Joseph Stack’s Terrorism?
This morning a man named Joseph Stack intentionally flew his plane into a government building in Austin, Texas. One person is missing and may have died, another two were hospitalized.
On September 11, 2001, when radical Islamic terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center in New York City, into the Pentagon, and into the ground in Pennsylvania, rightly so, everyone called it terrorism. It was.
How is it any different that an American who left a “manifesto,” excoriating the IRS, then flying his plane into an IRS building, is anything except terrorism?
It is not an act of bravery. It is not, as some have claimed, “refreshing the tree of Liberty.” It is not an appropriate expression of anger at “big government.” He is not a “hero.”
Just hours after Stack flew his plane into the IRS, Scott Brown was interviewed on FOX News and asked his thoughts on the incident. He called it “tragic,” then said he can feel that “people are frustrated,” essentially associating the “populist rage” that purportedly put him in Congress with the rage that Stack may have felt.
Sinful.
The Village Voice has a post up about how the Right wing blogosphere is blaming the Left:
“He was a crazed Bush-hater kinda like Amy Bishop,” says Instapundit. “Nothing to see here, move along…” “Left-Terrorist,” preempts Virginia Virtucon.
“They won’t be able to blame this one on the Right,” says Weasel Zippers. “He was a Kos, DU mentality. An ObamaCare loving Moonbat.”
“The American Spectator’s Jeffrey Lord, in a stunning display of reach, noted that Stark attacked “the very same IRS that, using Obama-think, is itself the Guantanamo-style symbol of bad things in store for the American taxpayer at a time when everyone is saying taxes will have to be raised… If this incident does in fact show that someone with a grudge against the IRS did this — does this mean this incident is Obama’s fault?”
Newsweek, in, “The Other Tax Revolt,” takes the opportunity to talk about CPAC in relation to Stack’s “protest.”
There is even a Facebook group now called, “Joseph Andrew Stack.” Facebook took it down once. Its creator put it up again, writing,
“This is Emily Walters. We were the original ones who started this group. It grew to about 300 members and was deleted. They deleted my profile also. This is my boyfriends profile he made just to put it back on there because its sad when you don’t have the right to freedom of speech or expression anymore.”
Joe Weisenthal writes, “Here’s What’s Insane: LOTS Of People Are Defending Joseph Andrew Stack.”
Activist and Sirius Radio host Michelangelo Signorile wrote on the page, “HI all, Can you tell me if you are all part of the teaparty movement?”
No responses. Yet.
**Update: 9:50 PM**
John Aravosis writes,
“FOX News is convinced the guy who crashed the plane into an IRS office is not a terrorist.” After all, he isn’t brown.
Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.