This weekend in Jacksonville, police arrested 27-year-old Gregory Timm, who drove into a Republican voting registration tent, destroyed it, and then jumped out to celebrate his attack. This is just the latest in a long line of attacks and violent speech directed against conservatives on and off campuses. This incident follows a student screaming at young Republicans on campus at Arizona State that they should all have their throats slit.
One of the common complaints from conservatives is the media spends considerable time exploring President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and how it fuels violence and hate speech. I have repeated criticized Trump for his rhetoric, but I also see dangerous rhetoric coming from his critics. That is not covered as much and certainly not treated as a pattern is violence against conservatives and Republicans or motivated by the politics from the left. There is virtually no coverage of how rhetoric from Democratic politicians may be fuel such attacks with claims of tyranny and treason.
In the latest attack, a white male in his 20s drove his van into a Republican voter registration tent in a shopping center parking lot – narrowly missing six volunteers. Undeterred, he then got out of the van, videoed the destruction, and flashed the middle finger at the volunteers before speeding off.
Photos posted by the Republican Party of Duval County showed van and the destruction:
Today in Jacksonville, Florida six Trump Campaign volunteers were intentionally targeted while registering voters.
5,0335:36 PM – Feb 8, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy6,225 people are talking about this
There is an interesting legal twist. The police initially announced that they were looking at charges not only for aggravated assault, but “interruption of the political process.” That was a new criminal offense for me and I tried to look it up but found nothing by that name. Perhaps our Florida lawyers can assist us. I did find a crime specifically linked to registration efforts:
104.012 Consideration for registration; interference with registration; soliciting registrations for compensation; alteration of registration application.—
. . .
(2) A person who by bribery, menace, threat, or other corruption, directly or indirectly, influences, deceives, or deters or attempts to influence, deceive, or deter any person in the free exercise of that person’s right to register to vote at any time, upon the first conviction, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, and, upon any subsequent conviction, commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
For now the charges appear to be aggravated assault, criminal mischief, and driving with a suspended license. Given his own videotape and the witnesses, the ability to plead down such charges may be limited, particularly with President Trump and U.S. Senators now highlighting the incident.
In the meantime, the age of rage was disturbingly evident in a recent incident at the Arizona State University. The video was virtually exclusively shown on conservative media sites:
ASU officials are still trying to identify the student.
It is common by some on the left to refer to conservatives as “fascists” to justify violent acts or speech. Such labels also support a growing movement against free speech, particularly on campuses. I have previously discussed how Antifa and other college protesters are increasingly denouncing free speech and the foundations for liberal democracies. Some protesters reject classic liberalism and the belief in free speech as part of the oppression on campus. The movement threatens both academic freedom and free speech — a threat that is growing due to the failure of administrators and faculty to remain true to core academic principles. Dartmouth Professor Mark Bray, the author of a book entitled “Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook” is one of the chief enablers of these protesters. Bray speaks positively of the effort to supplant traditional views of free speech: “At the heart of the anti-fascist outlook is a rejection of the classical liberal phrase that says I disapprove of what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” He defines anti-fascists as “illiberal” who reject the notion that far right views deserve to “coexist” with opposing views.
The question is whether such a video calling on all “fascists” to have their throats slit by a Trump supporters would have received as little attention. Obviously, this just another unhinged person among many on both sides. However, such videos do not support the narrative that the MAGA movement is fueling violence in society. The fact is that there is irresponsible rhetoric coming from both sides and plenty of disturbed people, like this student, who spew violent speech at those with whom they disagree.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.oregonlive.com/portland/2020/02/antifa-response-to-rumor-of-kkk-rally-turns-into-dance-party-police-arrest-2-after-pepper-spray-used.html%3foutputType=amp
As I read this, the 3 arrested were antifa types.
This is the latest in a long trend of violence and domestic terrorism against conservatives.
Activists do not seem to understand fascism. Gentile based it upon socialism, only he disagreed that class struggle was inevitable. He took away individual rights for the good of all, which the government defined as the country. Dissent was not tolerated.
Conservatives want to preserve individual liberty and rights, and wanted limited government. The opposite of fascism.
Karen, maybe you missed this:
“FBI Director Christopher Wray said Tuesday that the agency has made about 100 domestic terrorism-related arrests since October, and the majority were tied to white supremacy.
”I will say that a majority of the domestic terrorism cases that we’ve investigated are motivated by some version of what you might call white supremacist violence, but it does include other things as well,” Wray said at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, referring to cases in fiscal 2019, which began Oct. 1.
The FBI is “aggressively” investigating domestic terrorism and hate crimes, Wray said, noting that the bureau is focused on investigating the violence, not the ideology motivating the attacks…..”
The Hill 7/19/19
The reason that the people arrested are white supremacists is because Democrat mayors and college presidents tell their police officers to stand down when Antifa is destroying property, throwing rocks at people, preventing invited speakers to give their talks on campus, blocking traffic, etc. So saying more white supremacists were arrested doesn’t mean they were committing the most crimes, just that they were the only ones held responsible for their crimes.
“The number of domestic terrorism arrests are on par with the amount international terrorism cases, according to Wray.
“In terms of number of arrests, we have through the third quarter of this fiscal year had about give or take 100 arrests on the international terrorism side, which includes the homegrown violent extremism,” Wray told Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) at the hearing. “We’ve also had just about the same number – again, don’t quote me to the exact digit – on the domestic terrorism side.”
—————————————————————–
This is from The Hill, July 23, 2019. It includes Wray’s estimates of those arrests for both “domestic” terrorism and “international” terrorism.
The FBI does not consider Antifa to be a domestic terrorist organization. Black supremacy crimes are not tabulated as hate crimes. For instance, all those racially motivated assaults on Caucasians. Crimes against Trump supporters are not tabulated as hate crimes.
Your data is only as good as the collection criteria.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-hampshire-man-arrested-after-allegedly-assaulting-pro-trump-teen-polling-site
Neo Nazis and the KKK are a fringe group. They are nearly universally condemned. If any of them showed up in the hood, there would be a line of brothers eagerly waiting to kick their butts down the street. No black person that I ever met woke up in the morning worried the Klan or Neo Nazis were after him.
However, anyone in any part of the country with any significant Democrat population has a reason to fear if they put on a MAGA hat. They have a high likelihood of being harassed or assaulted, or even run over by someone’s van. There is a far higher statistical likelihood that a Republican will be assaulted by a Democrat for wearing a MAGA hat, than a black person will be confronted by a Klan member, especially in a majority black community.
https://www.fbi.gov/news/speeches/the-evolving-and-persistent-terrorism-threat-to-the-homeland-111919
What about Democrat Supremacy groups who threaten, assault, and riot when an invited conservative speaker arrives on campus? It happens with such regularity that the cancel culture has grown out of these threats.
#StandUpToDemocratSupremacists
He should have been shot.
I bet Turley, who I sincerely believes is shocked by this, often breaks bread and offers toasts to those who teach their students the fundamentals of why Conservatives are racists, fascists, etc. etc. ad nauseum. Every “ism” begins in the Ivory Tower and thrives there long after the bodies are counted and buried or burned; a eulogy to those who just didn’t implement their directives correctly.
“FBI Director Christopher Wray said Tuesday that the agency has made about 100 domestic terrorism-related arrests since October, and the majority were tied to white supremacy.
”I will say that a majority of the domestic terrorism cases that we’ve investigated are motivated by some version of what you might call white supremacist violence, but it does include other things as well,” Wray said at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, referring to cases in fiscal 2019, which began Oct. 1.
The FBI is “aggressively” investigating domestic terrorism and hate crimes, Wray said, noting that the bureau is focused on investigating the violence, not the ideology motivating the attacks…..”
The Hill 7/19/19
Pardon me if I don’t take Wray’s word for it. “Tied to White Supremacy” is kind of a loaded term. Does it include Aryan Nation drug running, for example. Or the whole Sovereign Citizen crap which more and more blacks are joining. I would have to see some specifics here.
Because as we have all learned, at least the ones of us capable of learning, the FBI leadership’s mouth ain’t no prayer book. See FISC abuse and the IG’s report about Hurricane Crossfire.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Plus they don’t arrest Antifa. They let them run wild destroying property and harassing citizens, injuring some. They wear masks so they can’t be identified and the Dem mayors tell the police to stand down. Of course they are going to have more arrests recorded for other terror groups when they never hold Antifa responsible.
“I have repeated criticized Trump for his rhetoric, but I also see dangerous rhetoric coming from his critics.”
The part of this that catches my attention is the “but I also see” clause.
I see this differently. I’d say the dangerous, vicious rhetoric, in the modern era, began with the progressives. I saw it with progressive cries that Bush, who lied to get the US into a war in Iraq, was a racist who deliberately killed babies and traded American blood for oil in order to enrich Haliburton. I also remember the incredibly racist cartoons of Condi Rice (?!?) and a constant stream of criticisms that Muslims in the US were under constant threat by white Americans. All who voted for Bush were (later) openly placed in a basked of irredeemables.
I won’t dwell on the Obama supporters racially divisive, contemptuous rhetoric and policy decisions directed against middle-class Americans, and the progressives embrace of those words and policies. (“put you-all back in chains.”)
I see Trump and his rhetoric as a consequence of prior bad rhetoric and behavior.
If I were to rewrite your sentence, I think I’d suggest including something like this: “we finally see the dangerous rhetoric of Trump’s progressive critics turned back on them. And in retrospect, that was inevitable.”
Darn Good Point!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
To blame The President for the behavior of those who oppose him is like blaming McDonald’s for ones own obesity. The left wishes to remove culpability for the likes of Antifa and shift it to those who would defend themselves from Antifa’s violent behavior. Utilizing your convoluted logic, you are responsible for the violent behavior of the left for providing a justification; however convoluted.
Speaking of attacks against Conservatives: Berkeley assault case nears one-year mark with no trial.
Turley wrote about the case of Zachary Greenberg a couple of days after he was arrested for a vicious assault on a conservative activist that was caught on camera. Does Turley ever follow up on these cases? It would seem to be more important – especially from a legal standpoint – to report on the prosecutions than the crimes. It’s more important for the public to be aware of the behavior of its government than the behavior of any random individual.
The victim of this assault needs to bring this to the local US attorney’s attention. Even if the victim’s not a member of a “protected group”, the political nature of this assault and the lack of prosecution in this case point to a punishable pattern of local corruption which should be investigated aggressively.
Turley Claims Media Cover-Up
But This Incident Was Covered
With this column Professor Turley makes the irresponsible claim that politcally motivated attacks on conservatives are more common than the public realizes because mainstream media fails to provide adequate coverage. Yet it does not appear the Professor has any scientific proof of this alleged ‘cover-up’. It is only a subjective claim based on anecdotal evidence.
I have noted in the past that Professor Turley is pandering to a culture of victimhood in making these frequent claims. This culture of victimhood has only grown since Donald Trump became president. So-called Christian Conservatives, in particular, seem to revel in believing they are a ‘persecuted minority’.
Turley seems to suggest that a commission of some kind is needed to prepare a report documenting this ‘media cover-up’. But I seriously question if an actual conspiracy exists. There will always be young people committing acts of vandalism and rowdiness. To suggest that all these incidents are evidence of a conspiracy against conservatives is simply irresponsible.
@ Seth Warner – perhaps you missed it, even though this was covered in numerous publications. Several different organizations, including Pew and Yale, discovered that 92% of all Trump media coverage was negative, with even Fox coming in at 51% negative.
With that kind of coverage, only a fool could posit what you’ve said here…. oh, wait…
Canuck, look at Trump’s Twitter feed: it’s almost all negative! That’s Donald Trump.
When a right-wing extremist hit Heather Heyer and injured 19 other people during the Charlottesville, Virginia riots, was he just a young man “committing acts of vandalism and rowdiness”?
When antifa protesters put journalist Andy Ngo in the hospita and physically attacked many other unarmed victims, were those “acts of valndalism and rowdiness”?
When Representative Maxine Waters called for acts of harassment against Trump administration officials, and people associated with the right such as Tucker Carlson and his wife (confronted at night in her own home by screaming antifa protesters shouting “We know where you live!) – just “acts of vandalism and rowdiness”?
I don’t believe those acts were parts were part of a specific conspiracy, but they do fit a pattern of violent intimidation. When a right-winger commits such acts, there are calls for action by the press on which the FBI acts. Despite antifa’s interstate network, there seems to be no interest in the press in acting against left-wing violence, and the Federal government doesn’t seem interested in acting against it.
It wasn’t against conservatives but it very well may have been against Constitutionalists. Big difference. In the same vein it is doubtful it was committed by a democrat but more probably by one or the other kind of Socialist. National, International or Regressive. All the same,
Just another Democrat with a screw loose, along with the shooting at the ballpark
The captive mass media haven’t compiled a list of left-wingers who’ve gone amok and injured or killed those who they see as political enemies. No serious attention to the antifa man who shot up a ICE facility with an assault rifle, specifically aiming at the propane tank on the premises. Even a Sanders campaign worker putting Rep. Steve Scalise (R, LA) and other softball players in the hospital in 2017 hasn’t drawn as much attention as other shooting before or since.
No attention to the high school kid in Texas who (wearing antifa pins on his coat) murdered fellow students with gunfire. Glancing attention to antifa putting journalist Andy Ngo in the hospital and attacking other unarmed victims. These are just the highlights of left-wing violence in this nation which the Department of Homeland Security hadn’t (under Jeh Johnson) seen fit to analyze in a research paper, as they did the threat posed by “right-wing extremists” in 2008 – which spawned fewer victims than left-wing violence since..
ASU is my alma mater and I lay all the blame on President Michael Crowe. He was “triggered” by the posting of pictures of Nick Sandmann. You can see who he carries water for. ASU is where Obama gave his first off-WH speech as President. They have not invited Trump.
Democrats think they know what’s best for everybody, and if you don’t agree with them, that’s too bad.
You should proof read your articles. The many typos vastly overshadow whatever dumb point you were trying to make.
Nancy sending the wrong message.
Our youth need leaders
Not destroyers.
This kind of hate and arrogance is what caused Catholics to burn heretics at the stake a few centuries back. Like I have said ad nauseum, being a Democrat has become an identity to people. It is their source of moral self-esteem and identity. Therefore, any one who disagrees with them is not just wrong, but EVIL.
I think the main stream press stokes this fire, but it did not set the fire. That mindset of hate and arrogance and smugnorance has existed long before Gutenberg ever invented the printing press. It just manifests itself differently as time goes on. Unfortunately, there ain’t enough therapists in the Universe to fix all this stuff.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
This is what the Biased Left Main Street Media and Liberals and Dems have done to this country since they lost the election. Just wait until they loose again they will really crazy
Hope they throw the book at this guy
We’ve got shirt-tails in Jacksonville. Was mildly anxious that it was one of them.
This is the Democratic Party today. It’s a reasonable wager Natacha’s not pulling these stunts because being morbidly obese limits your mobility; also, she got sectioned the last time and that’s 72 hours out of your life. Gainesville’s worried some of his occupational licenses might be pulled. Peter’s racked up so many appearance tickets in Will Rogers Park &c. that he cannot afford any more time in court.
Good of you to highlight this, except as usual your desire to remain balanced creates a little tension with the truth. The overwhelming number of political violence events are perpetrated by those on the left, be it the more organised Antifa thugs who destroy property and throw cartons filled with concrete at police and demonstrators, or lone crazies, like the one who nearly killed Congressman Scalise, or the man who attacked and gravely injured Rand Paul, or the woman who crashed into Mar-A-Lago last week. Frequently they insult and harass Trump supporters. Congresswoman Maxine Walters incited a crowd to shun anyone working for Trump, to impede their ability to buy gasoline or eat in a restaurant, and various restaurant owners – to the delight of leftist partisans – have asked Republicans to leave their establishment. It takes courage to wear the Trump campaign hat.
And all of this fueled by blatantly false stories about what he said in Charlotteville, or about targeted immigration/tourist bans, or the influx of poor illegal immigrants from Mexico. Most of his original comments in such matters, though not always politically correct, are never inflammatory or either advocating for or inciting violence. The anti-Trump ethos comes from the top, with Hillary Clinton only a few days ago saying that as long as they are in charge, there can be no civility. The Press inflames anti-Trump sentiment by broadcasting no end of lies and scorn.
This has been a very one-sided exercise and treating the subject without pointing it out isn’t ‘fair and balanced,’ but borderline disingenuous.
Yours,
A Fan.