Terrorism and Hate Media - Remember Timothy McVeigh? What Were His Motives? Rarely Discussed By MSM

[Median Democrat]

In light of the Tennessee shooting spree and the recent cop killing by Richard Poplawski, a gun but who was afraid that the government might take his guns, one person that is consicuously absent from the discussion regarding the potentail danger of hate radio is Timothy McVeign, who up until 9/11, was responsible for the most deadly terrorist attack on U.S. soil. The only mainstream profile I could find was on the BBC. The parallels are quite scary, yet what is perhaps more scary is how the mainstream media ignores this obvious parallel:

<>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1321244.stm

/snip

The economy was in a slump, the radiator factory had stopped hiring and McVeigh took a series of dead-end jobs, working in a burger bar and as a security guard in Buffalo.

He began collecting guns while still at school and after he left devoured right-wing, pro-militia magazines like Solider of Fortune and Spotlight.

An even stronger influence was The Turner Diaries, a racist, anti-Semitic novel which tells the story of a gun enthusiast who reacts against tighter gun laws and starts a revolution by packing a van with home made explosives and blowing up the FBI headquarters in Washington.

McVeigh embarked on a flirtation with the militia movement, which believes that ordinary Americans are under imminent threat of attack, from nuclear war, communists or central government.

* * *

McVeigh travelled to Waco to see the siege for himself and was horrified by the final showdown when federal troops fired tear gas and a massive fire engulfed the compound.

Both events have been painted by militia movements as evidence of a federal clampdown, with more to come.

While on death row, McVeigh asked a friend to pass on to a London newspaper a three-page letter detailing why he carried out the bombing.

McVeigh could not forgive the Waco assault

In the letter, entitled "Why I bombed the Murrah building", he explains that he lost patience after waiting for the government to apologise for Waco. "I reached the decision to go on the offensive - to put a check on government abuse of power, where others had failed in stopping the federal juggernaut running amok," he said.

"Borrowing a page from US foreign policy, I decided to send a message to a government that was becoming increasingly hostile, by bombing a government building and the government employees within that building who represent that government."

/snip

It is interesting that the mainstream media is not bringing up how Glen Beck, Sean Hannity, and other right wing notes may be actively encouraging the next Timothy McVeigh.

[firedupdem]

1. The parallels are quite scary. The MSM does need to bring

this up more as the faux news group, as well as rush, are truly egging on another attack of this kind.

[Median Democrat]

2. Google News - "Jim Adkisson, Richard Poplawski, and Timothy McVeigh"

There is not a single story noting the obvious parallels between each killer's racism, love of fire arms, and fear that the government would take away their guns.

I mean am I just imagining these similarities because I don't think it is that difficult to see the similarities between these killers and their stated motives. Yet, do a google news of these three names, and no one is noting the obvious similarities between these individuals, as well as the possible affect of the hate media in motivating such attacks.

For example, look at Jim Atkisson who is noted in a letter to a newspaper:

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=281358&src=

/snip

On July 27, 2008, unemployed truck driver Jim David Adkisson entered the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Church in the middle of a children's musical program. He was carrying a guitar case, leading members of the audience to believe he was part of the program.

He quietly put the case down, opened it, and removed a 12 gauge shotgun. He began firing randomly into the audience, shooting eight people, two of whom later died.

Why? Quite simply because Adkisson hated liberals. According to a local television station, Adkisson targeted the church because of its liberal teachings and his belief that all liberals should be killed because they were ruining the country.

He felt that the Democrats had tied the country's hands in the war on terror and that they had ruined every institution in America with the aid of media outlets.

When the police searched Adkisson's home, they discovered copies of "Liberalism is a Mental Disorder" by Michael Savage, as well as books by Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly. Words matter. Inciting hate and intolerance matters. Physically attacking those who think differently than you matters.

/snip

Is it really that hard to see and note the common thread in these attacks? Why is it so verboten to discuss the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil prior to 9/11, and the similarity in motives between the individuals who perpetrated these attacks?

[rvablue]

7. KO went after Beck big-time twice this week. After Beck's crazy

"gasoline" stunt today, we'll see if he does so again tonight.

[snowbear]

3. Great thread Median Democrat !!

.
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It is pretty bizarre that McVeigh's behavior is rarely (if ever) discussed..

[Karenina]

17. I remember my bemusement

after too many school shootings and breath holding prayers that the one(s) who ran amok were NOT black, at how the FBI could come up with no "profile." :rofl:

[firedupdem]

4. kicking! n/t

[JSK]

5. Thom Hartmann mentions McVeigh quite often on his show

and brings him up from time to time when interviewing wing-nuts. (seems the righties don't really want to talk about their home-grown terrorist)

If my feeble memory serves me correctly, Thom has said that McVeigh hoped that the bombing would result in even stricter gun laws/bans from the Clinton Admin, which would then cause the militias and gun nuts to finally rise up and stage a full-on revolt.

[Median Democrat]

6. The Lack Of Coverage Of These Similarities Reflects A Media Double Standard/Censorship

The mainstream media periodically blasts music lyrics, video games, and sex in movies as reasons for certain types of behavior. Even Glen Beck himself frequently blasts Hollywood for its influence. Yet, it is amazing how little coverage there is of the connections between extreme right wing hate-filled rhetoric and these attacks.

The Nazis understood the potential impact of propaganda and promoting xenophobia. It motivates people to take action. Some people are, of course, more susceptible to influence than others, but I do think that the purveyors of this rhetoric should stop being cowards, and acknowledge that their words do have impact, particularly on the weak minded.

[AtomicKitten]

8. A RW pundit recently linked the Oklahoma bombing to Saddam Hussein.

Too late for Timmeh.

[Number23]

10. Yep. They've been trying the "it was really Muslims who bombed Oklahoma" angle for years

[AtomicKitten]

15. Now that they've hanged Saddam, they're looking for a new boogie-man.

[csziggy]

13. Frank Gaffney linked the Oklahoma City bombing to Al Qaeda on Hardball

While trying to defend Ari Fleischer for linking Saddam to 9/11:

Frank Gaffney, proud Neo-con and President of the Center for Security Policy is asked if he thought Fleischer was out of line for his statement that we should all be thankful to George W. Bush because Saddam Hussein can't attack us...again. Someone remind me when Saddam attacked us the first time. Gaffney tries to argue that grammatically that wasn't what Fleischer was saying, but the transcript is hard to argue with.

FLEISCHER: ... and I believe this still today. And of course, you and I disagree with it. But after September 11, having been hit once, how could we take a chance that Saddam might not strike again? And that‘s the threat that has been removed, and I think we‘re all safer with that threat being removed.

I'm sure that it comes to no surprise that the latest member of the Bush Legacy PR Team thinks that not only was Fleischer right, but Saddam was far more evil than we ever knew...right down to conspiring with those who committed the Oklahoma City bombing?

MATTHEWS: The polling that took place before we attacked, conducted by “Time” and CNN, showed that 72 percent of the American people, nearly three quarters, believed it was likely that Saddam Hussein was involved in the attack on us 9/11. How do you think they got that idea, that somehow going to war with Iraq was getting even for 9/11?

GAFFNEY: Well, as I said, he kept saying that he was going to try to get even against us for Desert Storm, so it wouldn‘t be unreasonable for people to conclude maybe that that‘s what he was doing. There‘s also circumstantial evidence, not proven by any means, but nonetheless some pretty compelling circumstantial evidence of Saddam Hussein‘s Iraq being involved with the people who perpetrated both the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center and even the Oklahoma City bombing.
http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/hardball-trying-defend-gwbs-record-fr

[AtomicKitten]

14. That's the one!!!

Gawd that was spectacularly twisted!!!

Thanks for nudging my memory on the name.

[Sparkly]

9. Such "militias" were active and vocal in the 90's

One of the things that struck me on 9/11 was that rightwingers were proclaiming their patriotism. Little did I know how far they'd run with that, but it was the first time in a long time -- they'd been all about fighting the government for so long.

Now, predictably, they're back to that.

[Supersedeas]

11. creating a new Tim McVeigh is a hate rate goal....per chance?

[Chulanowa]

12. Yup, they're out to grab our guns!

Our lovely friends down the the gungeon will tell you just how vile and evil democrats are, based on the barely-lucid rantings of right-wing pundits.

[ColbertWatcher]

16. Don't forget how hate radio flamed the Rwandan genocide ...

... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RTLM