Today, At about 8:30 AM, it appears a small explosive was detonated at the rear door of a Social Security office in Casa Grande, AZ. Thankfully, nobody was injured. It is still early, and we cannot say that it is a political act, or even be sure that this is an act of domestic terrorism, but it does seem likely.
Assuming this is a bombing, and that the bombing was conducted by a right wing zealot opposed to big government (neither of which we know for sure), I think we are seeing the start of something that I have seen coming for awhile.
I live in Tucson, AZ. As everyone knows, last year 18 people were shot (including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords) and six people killed at a 'meet your congressperson' event in front of a Safeway. As it turned out, the shooting was done by a psychologically disturbed young man, partially influenced by the increasingly violent and secessionist rhetoric of US political reporting.
For a long time now, I have believed that the re-election of President Obama would lead to a rash of right wing violence in the US. That is, with the right wing feeling that 'traditional America' is lost, many will turn to violence. Living in a 'liberal' enclave in an otherwise red state, I have always suspected that this right wing violence will be directed at federal buildings and liberal establishments here in Arizona.
I fear that the bombing today is a sign of what is to come. Just as the violent and secessionist rhetoric of the early 90s culminated in the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, I fear hate radio and Fox News will lead to bombings in red states.
Assuming the bombing today in Casa Grande is the product of right wing extremism, it is already beginning. And make no mistake, if this is right wing extremism, the difference between this bombing and the Oklahoma City bombing is only in scale...the intent is the same.
Tue Dec 11, 2012 at 9:10 AM PT: Just a quick note several days after the fact. It turns out my diary is wrong. A right wing nut job did not plant this bomb. My speculations were premature. In my defense, there were a ton of disclaimers in this diary, but that doesn't change the fact that I was wrong.
Now, following the suggestions of someone who wrote to Kos and got posted in Hate Mail, I need to get to my day job of training secret muslim terrorists to hunt and shoot god fearing conservatives.