The radical xenophobes of Aberdeen’s absurdly commafied “Americans First, Task Force” continue to stroke their anti-Muslim bigotry. Under a post about the London van/knife attack last Saturday, AF,TF writes (with more inept puncutation), “This attack is sad. However, what is equally said is the grave narrative: Islam is a religion of peace, will continue to to be sold to the public, as the blood of the Islamic terrorist victims still wets the ground.”
Panic and hatred flow forth in the comments, with just a couple glimmers of hope and patriotic rejection of stereotyping:
Some neighbors try to call out the xenophobes but are met with paranoia impervious to reason… and a call to deport all Muslims:
Aberdeen City Council candidate Kaleb Weis posts a slogan blurb on his campaign Facebook page about needing to “find ways to help out newest citizens acclimate to our culture while learning and understanding the laws that keep us all safe and living harmoniously…” a funny thing for a city council candidate to talk about, since such education is the purview of the school board, an office for which he did not run. This comment draws out more xenophobia which he lets stand with correction on his campaign page:
“Remove all refugees… deport them”—how cowardly, un-American, and un-Christian.
I’m pleased to see at least a few of my neighbors trying to fight back against the ignorance and hatred in our midst.
Groups like “Americans First” are working daily, directly for the Islamic State terrorist leaders. Jihadists love dupes and believers alike. Those who preach anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic religion hate speech are immensely important in recruiting new suicide bombers. I.S. uses these agents to direct readers to selected hate sites and gives them hate speech copy to distribute on blogs and Facebook. This “Americans First” hate group knows just too many of these obscure reference sites to be legitimate. What terrorist group are they really fronting for, hmmmm? Just think about it. If a young Muslim man feels welcome he’s much less apt to radicalize than a young Muslim man living in a community where the hate against him raises a stench anyone might want to fight back against. If you want to recruit suicide bombers, first you foment an unjustified hateful environment towards young Muslim men. Eventually, someone will respond with bloodshed.
If a tragic terrorist event ever happens in Aberdeen, the group “Americans First, Task Force” should and will be held directly responsible for creating an environment that could easily drive a young Muslim man or group of young Muslim men to retaliate violently. You can’t push every group around like you push most “New Americans” around and get away with it, American First bigots.
I will grant that AF,TF are willing dupes. They are allowing ISIS to instill in them exactly the sort of paralyzing, destructive fear that ISIS uses to undermine American values.
Exactly correct, Porter. Every time I think I’ve “seen it all”, I really haven’t. Not in Trumplandia, that’s for sure.
When I lived in Colorado, my next door neighbors were Muslim. Nicest folks in the world! Dad ran a Moroccan restaurant. Mom, was a teacher. And they raised three wonderful children. One, who was born deaf, is now a teacher at a deaf school. The youngest child is in the process of becoming a doctor. This family loves America and the opportunities that are available to them. Great, hardworking Americans and I was proud to call them friends and my good neighbors. They were my neighbors for over 20 years. (but in Trumplandia, those folks would probably think that this family used “successful things” as a front before they were going to commit a terrorist act.)
But I guess I’m naive in so many ways. Prior to the election of Barack Obama, I knew there were still racists and racist views in this country, but I thought it was the exception and not the rule. Boy howdy was I blind and naive. So sadly and angrily, these American Firsters don’t surprise me. Not anymore.
When I read the propaganda that groups like American Firsters post and print I always comeback to one central question. Why do Americans love to live in fear? They not only love it, they relish in it.
I was raised during the early years of the cold war and remember how the John Birchers and groups like them, saw communist behind every tree and under every bed.
It took a while for the Birchers to go away, but they did, and like Joe McCarthy left empty handed.
There are plenty of things to fear in America like losing our healthcare and food for the hungry to give one good goddamn about Muslims.
Americans first, just fell a little father towards the back of the line. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-netherlands-hyperloop-idUSKBN18S418
Other countries are gonna beat us if we continue to follow xenophobia and all the rest of the stupidity. When these countries beat us, we loose on all fronts.
Great story, Dana. So many in Aberdeen and across the state think they’re experts on Islam. Most know no one of the Isamic religion, haven’t met anyone of the Islamic religion and couldn’t tell an Islamic follower from a Siekh follower.
PS … Kaleb Weis can go acclimate himself to the realization that his fear of the unknown and intolerance of others made him a loser, today. #YES
Good link, Jerry. A group in CO are committed to putting a hyperloop several hundred miles into the Rockies from Golden to various ski areas, to reduce traffic and pollution. They’re also planning a test tube soon.
Porter…..I remember how frightened this family was after the Sept 11th attacks and they told me that they were afraid that people were going to blame them. And before she said that, that possibility hadn’t even entered my mind! Again, naive. I felt so bad for them, and the only thing I could offer was to let me know if they saw something suspicious or whatever at their home. I felt so helpless in my shoes. I couldn’t even imagine how they were feeling.
Ramadan Mubarak, South Dakota. The ones who now hate Muslims are the same who once hated gays; once hated Mexicans; once hated blacks but have always really just hated themselves … often because their fathers told them they were useless.
Wow, I came here to pat Cory on the back for some word play, and then I find another gem in the comments.
First, in the original post, “absurdly commafied” is a perfectly-crafted combination of words. Since I first saw the name of this ridiculous “task force,” I hated that comma as much as I hate what they pretend to stand for. What an elegant jab.
Second, despite my disagreement with most things Porter Lansing says in these comment sections, I strongly agree with Porter’s portrayal of these sad kool-aid drinkers: “but have always really just hated themselves…often because their fathers told them they were useless.” Less subtle than Cory, but I think you nailed it. Those people probably don’t get subtlety anyway.
Thanks for taking time to read what I say, Ryan. I don’t post here to be agreed with. I post here for balance.
This morning I’m thinking about why Trump’s base support him. I think many of them are quite like the President, himself. They just like being contrary and irritating. (I won’t rant about choosing bar stools and pain pills over night school and self-improvement because personal choices are personal.)
We got through 9/11 without banning refugees. Like Roger, I believe that turning against refugees and our values only makes our enemies stronger.
[“test tube”—good one, Porter! If they let pregnant women ride—as well they ought, to determine any potential prenatal effects—and one of them goes into labor, they’ll have Colorado’s first “test tube baby”!]
Thanks, Ryan!
But you say Porter is less subtle than me? Uff da—outdoing me in unsubtlety takes some effort. :-D
Drumpf is losing base support from all sections of America.
I guess these “‘merica firsters” would look with disdain on a suggestion to invest in a good style manual, eh ?
Rounds, Thune, NOem and trump are even gonna screw disabled veterans http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/06/01/proposed-va-benefit-cut-angers-elderly-disabled-vets.html You go into the military, get your arse shot off so you cannot work like the rest of the good cult republicans and then they want your meager Social Security to finance a new gold plated bathroom for the wealthy. Next time you hear a cult republican like these 3 speak of veterans, just know that they intend to take your life support. America first, my arse. Rich first, the rest who cares.