Head stomp just latest rightwing attack or threat

Amid the controversy generated by the Kentucky Head Stomper, little reporting has been done about the fact that Rand Paul supporters’ Monday attack on a liberal activist was just the latest incident of rightwing violence, or attempted violence, against progressives this year. Today, Alternet published a compilation of 17 instances of recent violence and threats of violence by Brown Shirts, excuse me, by uber-conservatives, sorry, I mean ultra-conservatives.

First, though, here’s the latest from the Case of the Kentucky Head Stomper: senate candidate Rand Paul told Fox News he would return the $1,950 donated to his campaign by head head-stomper Tim Profitt, who, at the time of the incident was the Bourbon County coordinator of Paul’s campaign. Now, however, Paul says he’s keeping Profitt’s money after all, explaining that it was good enough that the Paul campaign disapproved of the head-stomping incident before his opponent, Jack Conway, got around to it.

To put the Kentucky violence in context, check out the Alternet story mentioned above. Their report contains more details, but here are some examples of violence and threats against progressives in the U.S. this year:

– Californian Byron Williams, who set out to kill people at the Tides Foundation and the ACLU, saying that “it was the things Glenn Beck exposed that blew my mind.”

– Judge Susan Bolton of Phoenix, AZ, received hundreds of threats after issuing an injunction that halted key parts of Arizona’s controversial immigration law, SB 1070.

– A Phoenix man was indicted for threatening to kill Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) because of the lawmaker’s opposition to the Arizona immigration law.

In March, a number of attacks on lawmakers who voted in favor of the health care reform law took place, including the following:

– A gas line outside the house of the brother of Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA) was cut. Perriello’s brother’s address was mistakenly identified by a Tea Party blogger who suggested that “activists” descend on the house.

– A Washington state man was arrested for calling Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) numerous times in March, threatening “to fucking kill you.”

– Several Democratic Party local headquarters’ windows were smashed.

– Multiple members of Congress were threatened and/or had their offices’ windows broken.

And to think that these guys’ heroes are set to take control of the House of Representatives. Ahh, good times.

This article appears in Oct 26 – Nov 1, 2010.