Inflammatory and irresponsible OpEd - L.A. Times

[Redneck_Buddha]

The author bemoans the rise of the patriot movement and angry white men who are McVeigh sympathizers. Quotes the Southern Poverty Law Center which is as reliable as a drunk uncle. Probably the most laughable is accusing patriots of belief in "conspiracy theories" when the author comes off as a raging fear-monger railing against these supposedly interconnected groups of white males. By the nature of this piece, it is almost like he/she wants to incite one of these groups in an attempt to validate this claptrap. Also nice how the L.A. Times allows the author the cloak of anonymity with no byline.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/edi ... ?track=rss" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Peril from Patriots

March 8, 2013

There are, in increasingly frightening numbers, cells of angry men in the United States preparing for combat with the U.S. government. They are usually heavily armed, blinded by an intractable hatred, often motivated by religious zeal.

They're not jihadists. They are white, right-wing Americans, nearly all with an obsessive attachment to guns, who may represent a greater danger to the lives of American civilians than international terrorists.

[VMI77]

This is an Obama shill conditioning exercise intended to help facilitate exactly the actions the author claims are unjustified concerns. We are all more scary and dangerous than Arab terrorists. There is no need for such demonization unless our concerns are justified.

[suthdj]

lol did you see the poll!
yes- 4%
No- 96%

[baldeagle]

It's kind of hilarious that they included a poll with this screed - Should we worry about "patriot" groups? - and got these results - Yes 4% (188 votes) No 96% (4,096 votes)

[VMI77]

It's kind of hilarious that they included a poll with this screed - Should we worry about "patriot" groups? - and got these results - Yes 4% (188 votes) No 96% (4,096 votes)

I looked at the poll after it was mentioned here....but I have to ask did you look through the comments? There were too many too skim through them all, but I skimmed through many of the "newest." They were dominated by extreme leftist vitriol. Gun owners are called racists, murderers, child molesters, perverts, traitors, insane, America hating terrorists, fearful, KKKers, filthy, paranoid, losers, lazy leeches, worthless, hicks, primitive, fear mongers, Nazis, evil, small minded, treasonous fascists, incipient mass murderers, delusional obsessive little men, depressed, obese, Tim McVeigh wannabes, school shooters in training, Hateriots, undereducated fanatics, imbeciles, and thugs.

All that in just two pages of comments. This level of hatred, vitriol, and demonization is too focused and repetitive to be random. This editorial and a number of the comments are the product of a campaign of demonization. At the very minimum this administration is trying to Balkanize the population and incite violence, and I suspect something worse may be in the works.

Edited to add:

BTW, I see the same editorial is printed in the Salt Lake Tribune. It is followed by the same kind of focused comments demonizing gun owners as terrorists.

[LTUME1978]

There was a similar article in the Houston Chronicle last week. When I saw the point of reference was the Southern Poverty Law Center, I knew it was written by a bunch of left wing nuts and moved on to something else.

[JALLEN]

. Also nice how the L.A. Times allows the author the cloak of anonymity with no byline.

It is by the editorial staff guys.

I'd be ashamed to put my name on that bile too.

[Dadtodabone]

The poll accompanying the article says it all, 2nd Amendment advocates are not seen as a threat by an overwhelming majority of the citizens of this country. Is the opposite true? Does that same majority see 2nd Amendment detractors as a threat?

[Beiruty]

The pro 2nA are color blind and ethnic neutral. Arabs/Muslims, Black, Latinos and many other minorities are Pro-2nA.Why? it is because it is personal right and Not state privilege.

[cw3van]

Not a pretty picture of what's happening to our beautiful country many believe we should not be able to defend ourself. A lot of famlies are now 3rd generation living off the government (tax payer) money so whatever the government or liberal media says is fine with them. Problem we now have more takers than makers not sure what will happen when the money runs out.

[K.Mooneyham]

The pro 2nA are color blind and ethnic neutral. Arabs/Muslims, Black, Latinos and many other minorities are Pro-2nA.Why? it is because it is personal right and Not state privilege.

The right to keep and bear arms is a human right. It should only be abrogated due to severely negative actions by an individual, and only for that individual; in other words, for a violent felon, for example. A lot of folks in this world are simply ignorant of that fact.

[VMI77]

The pro 2nA are color blind and ethnic neutral. Arabs/Muslims, Black, Latinos and many other minorities are Pro-2nA.Why? it is because it is personal right and Not state privilege.

The right to keep and bear arms is a human right. It should only be abrogated due to severely negative actions by an individual, and only for that individual; in other words, for a violent felon, for example. A lot of folks in this world are simply ignorant of that fact.

Yes, and the way to attack those attacking us on this is to put those faces out front, just like our enemies do. Less old white males and more women and ethic minorities putting out our message. A good campaign would also include people who came from countries where gun ownership is prohibited or restricted talking about how those limitations did damage to their lives, loved ones, and communities. The NRA is way late in putting people like Colin Noir in prominent positions. We know who owns and shoots guns in this country, we see them at the range.....children, women, African-Americans, Hispanics, Arab/Muslims, Asians, Native Americans, and others, and the rest of the country needs to see them too.

[TexasGal]

I've read that Obama has a large group of people whose job is to use the internet to spin all this crap out and to troll conservative forums. Seems at least this piece fits with that. They seriously want to goad people to serve their plans.