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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThought Experiment: What If Instead Of Shouting "Heil Hitler" Suspect Had Shouted "Allahu Akbar"?
Peter Bergen, writing for CNN.com:
Now let's do the thought experiment in which instead of shouting "Heil Hitler" after he was arrested, the suspect had shouted "Allahu Akbar." Only two days before the first anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings, this simple switch of words would surely have greatly increased the extent and type of coverage the incident received.
Yet the death toll in the shootings in Kansas is similar to that of last year's Boston Marathon bombings, where three people were killed and the suspects later killed a police officer as they tried to evade capture. (Many more, of course, were also wounded in the Boston attacks; 16 men, women and children lost limbs.)
In fact, since 9/11 extremists affiliated with a variety of far-right wing ideologies, including white supremacists, anti-abortion extremists and anti-government militants, have killed more people in the United States than have extremists motivated by al Qaeda's ideology. According to a count by the New America Foundation, right wing extremists have killed 34 people in the United States for political reasons since 9/11. (The total includes the latest shootings in Kansas, which are being classified as a hate crime).
MORE:
http://us.cnn.com/2014/04/14/opinion/bergen-sterman-kansas-shooting/
http://crooksandliars.com/2014/04/maddow-why-arent-domestic-terrorists-cause
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/15/us/prosecutors-to-charge-suspect-with-hate-crime-in-kansas-shooting.html
randys1
(16,286 posts)This is just another perfect example of how broken our country is, we cant look into our most dangerous enemies, rightwing terrorists
which most cons are nowadays anyway.
Rex
(65,616 posts)Who would the authorities go on alert for? Illinois Nazis? The few remaining Nazis that fled to Mexico and parts of Central America? HOWEVER, there are still thriving terrorist networks out there...so shouting Allahu Akbar would raise the threat level to something far beyond saluting a dead German dictator, whose army surrendered and fled long ago.
MohRokTah
(15,429 posts)It's far more extensive and organized than any Islamist based terrorist network.
Rex
(65,616 posts)As a matter of fact, I read that the KKK is on a never seen before decline in membership. And as far as the Arian Nation goes...it is now more a criminal empire (like MS-13), than an anti-government authority.
MohRokTah
(15,429 posts)CJCRANE
(18,184 posts)And they certainly exist in America, Europe and elsewhere.
Rex
(65,616 posts)I worry far more about terrorism then I do the 3rd Reich being resurrected.
CJCRANE
(18,184 posts)http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/15/extremism.report/
Hezbollah is a regional group, I doubt you'll come across them in your everyday travels. Also Hezbollah is a Shi'ite group. We seem to have more problems with the Sunni groups supported by our allies.
lunasun
(21,646 posts)do not know about other US areas though but keep dreaming it ain't so..........
2012 doc
Rex
(65,616 posts)My point is that they do not number in the 100s of thousands, they have no organized military. I am far more worried about terrorism, than say the resurrection of the 3rd Reich.
randys1
(16,286 posts)Loudly
(2,436 posts)What's important to me is how impulsive someone with a gun can be.
closeupready
(29,503 posts)?
On edit, oh, okay, I get it - I agree with him. K&R