Barrett Rainey's Second Thoughts

There is substantial reason to believe this nation will face more armed attacks on our institutions and – in some cases – attacks on individuals prominent in public life.

The University of Chicago has a program it calls “Project on Security and Threats.” That group ran a national poll earlier this year. One finding: the number of Americans agreeing “the use of force is justified to restore Donald Trump to the presidency” has increased from 4.5 to 7-percent.

Put another way, that’s an increase from 12-million to 18-million Americans adults. Eighteen million people believe taking to the streets – in some cases armed – is just fine if it means Trump can be President again.

The Chicago institute found the increase “likely reflects the response of a more intense commitment to Trump following the announcement of the federal indictments against him for mishandling classified documents.” Those indictments were announced about 18-days before the June survey and it’s likely that timing had a direct affect on the polling results.

And, there’s this. Voices on the far-right are being raised again as they refer to the Biden White House as the “Biden regime.” Federal law enforcement is being called the “Gestapo” on talk radio. The Department of Justice now is called Biden’s “personal police force.” Institutions – DOJ for one – is labeled the “Department of Injustice.” Indictments against Trump are referred to as “political war crimes” and an “assassination.”

There is public talk on “hate radio” of imprisoning Democrat politicians – even their families! One of the loudest voices in that discourse is that of right-winger Charlie Kirk who’s talked of the outright assassination of President Biden.

It’s the MAGA media wherein the audience has been programmed, by years of conditioning, to talk of such things. To think such things. What’s out there today makes the late Rush Limbaugh and his imitators sound more like “pussycats.”

If you haven’t listed to “hate radio” in awhile, I recommend you spend about 15-minutes listening to the verbal diatribe. I seriously doubt any thinking person can stay tuned longer than that.

Lest you think there are overstatements herein when talking of “armed” action in our streets, I commend the name Ammon Bundy for your deliberation. Remember, he’s already had armed experiences against the feds in Idaho, Oregon and Nevada.

Currently an Idaho resident, Bundy recently lost a court battle for blocking entrances to St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Boise and was fined 50-million dollars for his activities. He didn’t show up in court to defend himself and St. Luke’s will likely never see a single dollar of that fine. That’s because he doesn’t recognize any form of government above that of county sheriff. Just doesn’t. However, one such sheriff put handcuffs on Bundy last Friday. We’ll see.

Bundy, and other criminals of the far-right, are armed to the teeth. It’s just a matter of time before someone – or something – sets one of them off and there will be violence. Shots fired. Somebody killed.

Remember those 18-million Americans who believe “violence is justified” if it means Trump can move back into the White House again. B Whatever it takes.

This armed resistance to authority has been festering for a long, long time. Fires, stoked by “hate” radio and other sources, have kept anger and fear at near-boiling temperature for more than 40-years. Now, the accursed Internet is linking up more of these haters using (un)social media. And, the fires are burning even brighter.

Where the first significant outbreak will occur and who it will involve are still unanswered questions. But, there are many indications conditions will get worse and shots will be fired.

It’s “duck and cover” time.

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