In 1995, I still lived in Boise, Idaho, at the height of the militia movement. I listened, every day, to AM talk radio. Aside from the usual right-wing blowhards — many of whom are still with us — there were a couple local hosts who were big fans of the militias. One in particular could rail for hours about the coming threat of one-world government, black helicopters, the United Nations, and the quislings who supported this massive conspiracy.
For months, the talk grew angrier. Meaner. Any second, I thought, foam might actually start frothing from the speaker. Names like “Waco” or “Ruby Ridge” or “Clinton” were trigger words, guaranteed to ignite the call-in lines with voices quivering with rage, barely able to keep from shouting.
When I heard about the Oklahoma City bombing, I didn’t feel shock. I knew something like it was coming. The rage was too much to contain with mere words. Even in the first hours, before Timothy McVeigh was captured, I knew it was the militias. And I knew the bombing would break them. It was all just talk. Until it wasn’t. Once people got to see what that talk was all about, nobody could listen any more. Nobody sane, anyway.
But we’ve got short memories. I’ve been reading the right-wing blogs lately, and the chatter there reminds me of talk radio, right before Oklahoma City.
There are people subtly, and not-so-subtly, comparing Barack Obama to Hitler. Predictions of purges and race riots and mass arrests. You’ve got halfwits talking about the destruction of the entire country, and cheerleading the stockpiling of guns and ammo. (Not that anyone wants to be a racist, of course. Except when they’re being racist.)
Maybe the people pushing this crap don’t realize, but there are some mouthbreathers who take it seriously. (See here, and here, and here, and here…)
9/11 and everything that came after rendered the militias almost quaint. They were afraid of Bill Clinton sending the Fish and Game wardens after them, while George W. Bush has set up the largest wiretapping operation in history, and imprisoned people without trial or charges.
But the thought of Barack Obama becoming president — that’s what really outrages these people. That’s the insult they can’t take. It’s enough to drive some of them over the edge.
And I’d swear I’m hearing echoes of 1995 all over again.
1 Comment
October 28, 2008 at 7:47 pm
The only one blowing around here is Biden and Murtha in regards to the election for your golden boy.