Patriotic Terrorists or Terroristic Patriots?

Back on March 17, the FBI's New York office alerted law enforcement agencies around the country that white nationalists had decided upon a new terrorist strategy. ABC News quoted the FBI memo, "Members of extremist groups are encouraging one another to spread the virus, if contracted, through bodily fluids and personal interaction."

Now it's April 20th, and President Trump has affirmed his support via twitter for stop-the-lockdown rallies in Michigan, Colorado, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. These rallies, almost entirely white, feature Trump supporters who ignore social distancing, gather in large crowds, and do the same things that the FBI accused terrorists of planning a month ago. Ignore social distancing. Check. Recruit large crowds. Check. Yell and chant loudly, spreading virus. Check. Most not wearing face masks. Check.

So I guess I'm having trouble with labels here. Was the FBI warning law enforcement about patriotic terrorists? Was President Trump publicly supporting "responsible" but terroristic patriots? Should I be able to tell them apart?

A month, I suppose, must be a long, long time for Americans blessed with various stages of amnesia. Attempted murder in March becomes the latest flavor of freedom in April. Amazing, really, what the fog of pandemic has done.

I lived two blocks from today's Harrisburg (PA) anti-lockdown rally. Harrisburg, with just 50,000 people, really isn't a very big place, so a few hundred terrorists can make quite an impression on those tight streets surrounding the capitol building. Oh, wait. Those were "demonstrators." Sorry. But be patient. Maybe it'll be back to "terrorists" in May after an outbreak or two. Tough to tell these days without a scorecard or a DeVos mailing list.

My favorite part of today's Harrisburg terrorism was the big green truck with the signage, "Jesus is my vaccine." Evidently stupidity wasn't the disease.


April 20, 2020
Bob Dietz