Comments on: Breaking Reports: Shooting at Holocaust Museum in DC

By: mischiefmanager

mischiefmanager — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:43:17 +0000

Becky, I agree with you. These are acts of rage and desperation by people who see their grip on this country eroding day by day. (Well, they’re also like tantrums thrown by 2 year olds-only with guns.) In a sense, that is good news.

But we cannot let these loons act out their anger in this way over and over. We now have an FBI that might actually take an interest in domestic terrorist groups, and I urge all of you to contact the FBI to demand that they protect us from these clear and present dangers. Thank goodness for the Southern Poverty Law Center and their ilk, or we wouldn’t have any body of information on hate groups at all. God knows King George didn’t care.

By: PhDork

PhDork — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:07:29 +0000

PSoul, I was out and about all afternoon–didn’t know anything about it until 5pm. Just wanted to say a big thanks for jumping on this horrible story and making the link to Tiller’s murder. It’s not a coincidence, and now I’m just waiting for the 3rd thing…

By: baraqiel

baraqiel — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:55:03 +0000

Oh my god. Ohhhh my god. This frightens me more than I want to admit. I guess as a Jew and/or a woman one always sort of knows that there are people out there who want to use violence against one, but there’s knowing and there’s KNOWING. I agree that this is backlash, and optimistically I agree that it means we’re getting somewhere in large terms, but. Paradoxically, I feel less safe in my own country in the past two weeks than I have for years. That’s what complacency gets you, I guess.

By: funnyface

funnyface — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:44:01 +0000

As far as I am concerned, the Holocaust museum is practically holy ground. It profoundly affected me to the point that I ended up sobbing in the room full of shoes.

The American Prospect’s TAPPED blog has some good info on the shooter: http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/tapped_archive?month=06&year=2009&base_name=holocaust_musuem_shooter_is_wh

http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/tapped_archive?month=06&year=2009&base_name=more_on_alleged_holocaust_muse

By: ImTheMarigold

ImTheMarigold — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:24:33 +0000

Working in my DC office right now.

88 yr old white supremacist appears to be responsible, according to news reports.

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1693510

Spare yourself an aneurysm and avoid the comments section.

By: Gretchen

Gretchen — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:19:03 +0000

It’s interesting that I’m not the only one who immediately thought of Dr. Tiller upon hearing this news. Is it possible that the fact that Tiller’s assassin actually achieved something for his movement (the permanent closing of the clinic) encouraged this new shooter to think that picking up a gun would be a way for him to cause similar change?

If that’s the lesson people are learning from the situation in Kansas we’re all in big trouble.

By: BeckySharper

BeckySharper — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:15:27 +0000

I tend to think that terrorists–white supremacists, anti-choice wackos, Al Qaeda–like to ramp up their violence when they sense things are not going their way. We’ve got a black president, Roe v. Wade is not going to be overturned anytime soon, gay marriage is gaining a toehold, Jews are still doing okay…all of this makes extremists feel even more desperate, whether they’re lone wolves or part of an organized terror group.

Not to minimize these recent attacks, but in an odd way, if society is really pissing these evil people off, I think it’s a sign that we’re headed in the right direction.

By: Tiny Danza

Tiny Danza — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:44:24 +0000

Thank you for breaking the news to me (in UK). This is scary, horrible stuff, particularly in light of the recent European elections where right-wing Holocaust-denying parties won seats. My grandfather was in Auschwitz – I am shaking.

By: Miss Pinot

Miss Pinot — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:34:22 +0000

That news just made me lose my lunch. I live in a predominantly jewish town, and see people with tattooed numbers pretty frequently. How could ANYONE go into a place commemorating(is that the correct word?) the horror and hardship that these people lived through and cause more horror and violence???!??

By: KittenFluff

KittenFluff — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:05:00 +0000

“But is anyone else getting that sick stomach feeling from all of this violence directed at marginalized groups in the U.S.? First Dr. Tiller, now this. It’s starting to feel like that backlash everyone expected after the election is beginning.”

I had the same thought. Ugh.