Drowning in a Sea of Right Wing Extremism, Prejudice, and Bigotry Arizona Is Drowning in a Sea of Extremism
-by Max Blumenthal The social fabric of Arizona seems to be deteriorating as fast as the state's population grows, driving the state to the brink of dysfunction. The shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killing of U.S. District Court Judge John Roll and several other innocent bystanders by a lone gunman have brought Arizona's crisis to the fore, prompting Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik to aptly declare Arizona "the mecca for prejudice and bigotry." Since I first traveled to Arizona over seven years ago to interview right-wing extremists participating in armed anti-immigrant vigilante patrols along the border, I have watched up close as the state drowned in a sea of extremism, signing away its future in the form of racist ballot measures and budget-busting tax cuts. In this climate, the assassination attempt on Giffords was not terribly surprising. When President Barack Obama took office, Arizona's anti-immigrant Right fused with extreme Religious Right elements under the the banner of the Tea Party. In August 2009, 28-year-old Chris Broughton openly carried an AR-15 assault rifle and a handgun to an Obama rally in Phoenix. The night before, Broughton attended a sermon led by Rev. Steven Anderson, a local Tea Party activist. Calling his sermon "Why I Hate Barack Obama," Anderson declared, "When I go to bed tonight, Steven L. Anderson is going to pray for Barack Obama to die and go to hell." A few months later, after Obama's health care plan passed through Congress, the windows of Rep. Giffords' office in Tucson were shattered by shots from a pellet gun, an attack possibly inspired by a far-Right anti-government militia leader's call on his blog to "send a message that [the Democrats] cannot fail to hear: break their windows." More here: http://www.alternet.org/story/149513/arizona_is_drowning_in_a_sea_of_extremism -- Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. Have a great day, Tommy -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
