I've been concerned about the potential for physical violence against persons from the Right for ages. The culture of that particular in-group trends toward a sort of bullying and physical intimidation that slides pretty easily toward serious injury of those who oppose them if not death. Certainly the Right has been wildly free with spewing death threats as opposed to the Left, and they've been doing it since 1980. I remember the reaction of my DH (then my boyfriend) when I got into a verbal sparring duel with a pro-life protester at the University of Oregon in 1980 (set the stage; unauthorized Right protesters would show up to harangue students; most were of a sort of religious bent that was 180 degrees from my orientation so I'd play the game of "Bait the Blorters." Along with other theology students I knew in the late 70s).
The pro-life protester (carrying a 6 foot metal pole with graphic signage) physically tried to intimidate me and threatened "If you can kill a baby, then I can kill you!" while waving his sign toward me. DH stepped between us, fists tightened, teeth bared, and said "You touch her and I'll take care of you."
Ahh, romance.
In any case, that was just one of several incidents I've observed over the years where I've seen the Right more willing to engage in verbal threats as well as taking it further. There really isn't a Left equivalent--the closest comes from the anarchist front (and I don't really consider Critical Mass to be a Left organization; it's very narrowly focused) and anarchists, especially anarcho-syndicalism, have had a sort of popular history of this sort of thing. Though even the IWW tended to focus their attacks on things and not on people; it's worth the noting that many of the deaths attributed to the IWW movement in the early 20th century may well have been actions by agents provocateurs.
In any case, you don't have the popular rhetoric of "Conservative Hunting Licenses" such as I've seen aimed at Left thought. I am more concerned about retaliation from the right toward Left points of view in the educational system than the other way around. I do not hear Left talk show hosts calling for the deaths of their opponents, much less read in on Left blogs.
And that, I think is telling.
One last thing--I'm sensing a different dynamic around here in Estes Park from the visitors than I did back in 2006. Can't quite articulate it yet, but let's just say that for once I am very, very aware that there is quite the difference between the mainstream in the Pacific Northwest and the mainstream in the Midwest.
The pro-life protester (carrying a 6 foot metal pole with graphic signage) physically tried to intimidate me and threatened "If you can kill a baby, then I can kill you!" while waving his sign toward me. DH stepped between us, fists tightened, teeth bared, and said "You touch her and I'll take care of you."
Ahh, romance.
In any case, that was just one of several incidents I've observed over the years where I've seen the Right more willing to engage in verbal threats as well as taking it further. There really isn't a Left equivalent--the closest comes from the anarchist front (and I don't really consider Critical Mass to be a Left organization; it's very narrowly focused) and anarchists, especially anarcho-syndicalism, have had a sort of popular history of this sort of thing. Though even the IWW tended to focus their attacks on things and not on people; it's worth the noting that many of the deaths attributed to the IWW movement in the early 20th century may well have been actions by agents provocateurs.
In any case, you don't have the popular rhetoric of "Conservative Hunting Licenses" such as I've seen aimed at Left thought. I am more concerned about retaliation from the right toward Left points of view in the educational system than the other way around. I do not hear Left talk show hosts calling for the deaths of their opponents, much less read in on Left blogs.
And that, I think is telling.
One last thing--I'm sensing a different dynamic around here in Estes Park from the visitors than I did back in 2006. Can't quite articulate it yet, but let's just say that for once I am very, very aware that there is quite the difference between the mainstream in the Pacific Northwest and the mainstream in the Midwest.
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