We've talked a lot about how we're impressed with the clinical case of chronic amnesia the press suffers from. The symptoms of this malady were on display again during the discussion of the Obama administration's Department of Homeland security report outlining threats from right-wing extremists. The report pointed to a variety of factors including the economy, the first African-American president being elected, and many veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder having trouble re-integrating into society as potential catalysts for violent activity.
Many were offended by the reference to veterans as being folks who could be turned to violence in the current political and economic environment. Fair points of debate.
However, many rejected the report completely as an example of the Obama administration trying to politicize the Department of Homeland security. However, many of these critics seem to have forgotten that the Bush administration's Pentagon felt threatened by anti-war protesters earlier this decade. Such anti-war sentiments were perceived to be destabilizing by the Bush administration. But forgetting such points is forgivable since that would be reaching back a few years...though we still struggle to understand how people in the press who spend 8 plus hours a day looking at this stuff can't draw back on their own memories much less Google.
A few years ago is forgivable, but not being able to reach back a few days is definitely less so. On April 4th Richard Poplawski killed 3 police men in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (where candidate Obama famously said they cling to their guns and religion). He was arrested soon after the shootings.
Based on reviewing Poplawski's online activity, it's clear he had white supremest tendencies, feared the current administration, and was generally an avid consumer of right leaning information. Despite Dennis Roddy's efforts in Slate to suggest Poplawski's interests were wider ranging than right-wing news, its hard to get away from the fact that his online search history revealed a disturbed individual who easily subscribed to the most extreme perspectives offered by the right (there are similar stories on the left, but for the moment we're speaking of the recently released Department of Homeland security report). In addition, there was fear of being evicted from his residence. This fact may line up with the economic pressures the report points to.
It's not clear that Poplawski's interest in things right-wing led to his killing of 3 police officers. However, he clearly was interested in stock piling weapons and food in anticipation of the end of society as we know it based on current policies per some of his online comments. A correlation between his seeming online perspectives and real world actions will likely either be affirmed or rejected through his trial.
But, when such vocal outrage is expressed at a report that was largely authored during the tenure of the Bush administration; the press should at least point to this juxtaposition of facts - a recent killing(s) seemingly motivated by extremist thought and flabbergasted outrage at a report that suggests such violence could occur. It would seem that a simple copy/paste technology could have helped the media create that context for the news consuming public. The ridiculous string of events begs for comments: A right wing extremist kills 3 police officers, a report suggesting such a thing could occur comes out, and outrage at the suggestion that this possibility which has already occurred could occur would seemingly be an obvious story. The absurdity of the logic and chain of events would demand some comment in the media.
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