Call it what it is...Domestic Terrorism

Many who are eager to spend money on fighting "terror", whether it's the real kind(Al Quaida, ISIS) , or the politically histrionic kind(random Middle eastern guy in the wrong place at the wrong time), are hesitant to spend the same resources on domestic terrorism in the US, even though, according to hard numbers, it's a greater threat than terrorism abroad.

 For instance, Wired reported it was discovered that political pressure was being put to discourage  investigating domestic hate groups, even when the data showed a significant threat.  Given the over lap between Neo-Nazi type groups, White Power, anti-Semitism, general racism and the misogyny driven Gamer Gate phenomena, an organized investigation of such groups is long over due.

While on the most extreme side a racist, woman hating, right-wing radical shoots people for (very bad) reasons, the more pernicious effect of letting extremist organize is a low level form of terrorism where people perceived as part of vulnerable groups are targeted through social media for relentless harassment.

Locally, a couple was refused service because they were gay:

When Cryer and her mother arrived at the bakery in January 2013, Aaron Klein, Melissa’s husband and the bakery’s co-owner, refused to sell Cryer a wedding cake because she and her partner were lesbian.

Earlier this month, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), the state’s civil rights watchdog, concluded that the Kleins’ actions were discriminatory and violated Oregon law. State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian ordered the Kleins to pay $135,000 in damages because of emotional and physical suffering they caused Bowman and Cryer by denying them service.

One can read the full article for the context.  Apparently the baker had a previously sold a cake to the mother of one of the couple, and, from their interactions and correspondence, the couple had no reason to believe there would be a problem ordering a cake for their own wedding.   At no point were they given to suspect the baker and her husband were heavily invested in the predatory, fringe  political scene.  They found out the hard way:

Aaron Klein had posted a copy of Laurel’s complaint on his Facebook page. The complaint included Rachel and Laurel’s home address and phone number. Rachel and Laurel received hundreds of angry and threatening messages in response to Klein’s post, including death threats. Klein later testified he was unaware that the women’s personal information was on the complaint when he posted it. The BOLI decision found his denial was not credible.

I feel for Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer.  They were targets of opportunistic Tea Partyesque fringe politics.   Persons invested in fringe politics can deceive themselves into exploiting people for their own ends.  Unfortunately, this behaviour does not surprise me.

In 2006, I became involved with a fake activist group that presented themselves as anti-racist and anti-homophobic, while obscuring or outright lying about their fringe political associations,  including connections to Lon Mabon of the infamous OCA.   After I left, with a clear understanding of "no contact", one of these people exploited their job at the Oregon Department of Human services to dig up personal information never shared with the group.  This information was spread through social media, mixed with malicious lies and the occasional death threat.  I'm glad the FBI became involved in the Bowman-Cryer's case.  My experiences with the FBI have been uneven, even when reporting information about the group that included possible domestic terrorism. 

This is the level of seriousness this situation deserves.  While the refusal to serve this couple was bad enough, vindictively sharing their personal details rises to the level of incitement.  Make no mistake, Mr. Klein knew exactly what he was doing, who his audience was, and what they would do.  His fringe political  "values" allows him to justify his despicable behaviour.   Law enforcement needs to be more aggressively involved in incidents of malicious incitement before someone is injured or killed. 

This is what Domestic Terrorism looks like...whether it's outright shooting people, or abusing social media to create a hostile  climate with harrasment and death threats.  And it needs to be taken as seriously as Al Qaida and ISIS, or people will die.

 Edit: July 29th

Spot on comment on article:

Not believing in gay marriage makes you delusional and stuck in an antiquated fantasyland. Refusing service to someone based on their sexual orientation makes you a bigot. Publishing the address, phone number and full name of someone who filed a discrimination complaint against you makes you a thug.

—Craig McDonald

Nuff said.

  For more on the rise of right wing extremism:


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