Trump supporters deface Maryland church with racist message.

Courtesy of WJLA: 

A church in Silver Spring Maryland was vandalized with racists statements in support of Donald Trump Saturday night. 

According to church officials, the phrase "Trump Nation whites only" was written at the Episcopal Church of Our Savior at 1700 Powder Mill Road on a sign advertising the church's Hispanic service and on a wall in the church's memorial garden which serves as the church cemetery. 

"I guess none of us realized where we were living," says Margaret Gordon, a member of the church's vestry. 

According to Robert Harvey The Rector of the Episcopal Church of Our Savior, about 80 percent of the church's members are immigrants and there are people from more than 50 countries of origin as part of his congregation. 

"They're afraid," says Harvey who also says that this was not the first such incident of racism in the community during the week.

This is just one example I literally had dozens of others I could have chosen to illustrate what is happening all across our country right now. 

Somebody on Twitter actually had the gall to point out that there was a similar outbreak of racism after Barack Obama was elected, right up until somebody pointed out to them that those instances of racism were directed AT the President, not inspired BY the president.

Historic church in Mississippi burned and tagged with pro-Trump message. Welcome to Donald Trump's America.

Courtesy of WDAM: 

Authorities are now investigating the burning and vandalism of a historic church in Greenville as a hate crime. 

Tuesday night, at 9:15 p.m. authorities responded to the scene of the 111-year-old Hopewell M.B. Church. The church was not only burned, but also vandalized with the words "Vote Trump" spray painted on the side of the building. 

Officials said during a press conference held on Wednesday that the incident is now being investigated as a hate crime and Greenville Police Chief Freddie Cannon called the incident "a form of voting intimidation". 

We're told that there is heavy fire, water and smoke damage in the sanctuary of the church. The pastor's study and the kitchen also were damaged.

What's more this was found in the yard of the suspect named in the case of the murder of those two police officers in Iowa.

Neighbor tells me that shooting suspect Scott Michael Greene put this Trump sign in his yard approx 2 weeks ago. pic.twitter.com/8HjtthB51I

— Grant Rodgers (@GrantMRodgers) November 2, 2016

I think this is just the beginning.

I would bet that we are going to see a lot more of this kind of aggression directed at minorities, government employees, black churches, mosques, and Democratic headquarters all the way up to November, and afterwards.

And that will be true whether Donald Trump gets elected or not.

He has opened the door into a type of ugliness that will be in no hurry to run back and hide in the shadows anytime soon.

Democrats raise $13,000 to repair firebombed GOP headquarters in North Carolina.

This is the country of freedom & liberty- not of hate & violence. The orange co gop will rebuild and be renewed. #ncpol @NCGOP pic.twitter.com/fiYvFC5Mvx

— Kami Mueller (@kamimueller) October 16, 2016

Courtesy of USA Today: 

A group of Democrats came together Sunday to raise money to rebuild a Republican headquarters that was firebombed in North Carolina on Saturday night. The GOP headquarters in Orange County, N.C., suffered major damage when an explosive device was thrown through a window on Saturday night, according to officials. 

The words “Nazi Republicans leave town or else” were spray-painted on a nearby building. 

Dallas Woodhouse, executive director of the North Carolina Republican Party, denounced the attack, calling it “political terrorism.” He said all Americans “should be outraged by this hate-filled and violent attack against our democracy.” 

On Sunday, David Weinberger began a GoFundMe page to raise $10,000 to rebuild the Hillsborough, N.C., headquarters. 

“As Democrats, we are starting this campaign to enable the Orange County, N.C., Republican office to re-open as soon as possible,” the page said in the story section. 

The group said that while it’s still unclear who attacked the office, or why, one thing is clear: “This is not how Americans resolve their differences.”

Well put.

There are, as you might imagine, a number of us who are more than a little suspicious as to who firebombed this building.

Of course Donald Trump is convinced that he knows who did it.

Animals representing Hillary Clinton and Dems in North Carolina just firebombed our office in Orange County because we are winning @NCGOP

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 16, 2016

Well.....maybe.

However it should be noted that both sides have been known to fake this kind of thing in years past.

Knowing that some people came out very aggressively on social media against liberals who donated.

That included MSNBC contributor Ana Marie Cox who got into a protracted Twitter battle with her detractors.

And, folks, the money wasn't going to directly to them. No one here made a *donation to the GOP* tonight.

— Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) October 17, 2016

The Twitter backlash included reminders of some of the nasty political attacks that have some out of this office in North Carolina and charges that they would certainly not do the same for Democrats if the roles were reversed.

Personally I am glad that the Democrats raised money like this.

Sure the Republican approach to a firebombing of a Democratic headquarters would probably be to show up with marshmallows and stand around singing camp songs while it burned, but then again we are not them, now are we?

Besides if we don't take the high road, then who will?

How some Christians respond when Atheists try to give back to their communities.

Does this qualify as a hate crime?

Because it seems like it should.

(H/T to the Friendly Atheist.)

Lion killing dentist forced to hire armed security.

Courtesy of the Daily Mail: 

Lion killing-pariah Walter Palmer has hired a phalanx of private investigators to protect his safari-themed homes from animal rights activists, Daily Mail Online can reveal. 

The globally-despised dentist, 55, is spending thousands of dollars a day on armed security and covert CCTV cameras after being deluged with death threats and abuse. 

Palmer and his blonde wife Tonette, 56, went into hiding last week after he was unmasked as the fanatical American bow hunter who slaughtered famed big cat, Cecil. 

While the wealthy couple remain out of sight, private detective agencies have been tasked with guarding their three lavish properties, which are all crammed with exotic animal heads and mementos from Palmer's numerous kills. 

The main Palmer residence in Eden Prairie, Minnesota has been closely monitored by police and has so far escaped any damage. 

But their vacation home in upscale Marco Island, Florida was targeted overnight Monday when vandals sprayed the words 'lion killer' on his garage door and dumped pigs' feet on his driveway. 

Daily Mail Online can reveal the $1.1 million waterfront property has a hunting-themed decor, with exotic animals and safari motifs on the wallpaper, drapes and upholstery. 

Okay I just have to say that while I think this Walter Palmer guy is a despicable human being, and deserves much of the backlash that he has received, I draw the line at death threats and property destruction.

Engaging in criminal behavior in response to behavior you find criminal is a logically impaired mindset.

In other news Cecil the Lion has become a cause celeb and has even been memorialized by one of the animators behind "The Lion King."

I'm telling you if this keeps up it could have a significant impact on minimizing or even putting a stop to trophy hunting around the world.

And gee wouldn't that be oh so terrible?

Two men attempt to light "Keep Saturn in Saturnalia" sign on fire. Well so much for religious diversity in this country.

Courtesy of South Jersey Times:

Someone tried to torch the “Saturnalia” billboard on the edge of town Tuesday night. 

An off-duty police officer from another municipality was in Carolina Blue with a number of friends when they looked across the intersection of Lambs Road and Holly Avenue at about 11:45 p.m. and spotted two men underneath the billboard, which proclaims “Keep Saturn in Saturnalia.” 

The billboard was erected by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, the organization’s way of countering the “Keep Christ in Christmas” banner that hangs across Broadway, Pitman’s main thoroughfare. The Christmas banner is erected by the Knights of Columbus. 

The FFRF has been objecting to the Christmas banner since at least 2011, insisting it is illegally hung, without receipt of proper permits. 

Despite the fact that the billboard features a depiction of the ringed planet Saturn, Saturnalia was an ancient Roman holiday named after Saturn, a Roman deity. The holiday took place near the Winter Solstice — which occurs on Dec. 21 this year — and featured public feasting and gift-giving.

That was not the first attempt to destroy or deface the sign either by the way: Also on Sunday, a man accompanied by a woman and child put an extension ladder against the billboard and prepared to climb up and paste a poster with a picture of a manger on it over top of the Saturnalia sign. Police intervened and the protesters left.

Sure the religious people are always talking about freedom of speech and diversity, but put up one billboard celebrating the TRUE reason for the season and what them lose their shit.

I gotta tell you this stuff is cracking me up this year.

Occupy Oakland protests turn violent. Update!

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Okay this is exactly what I have been worried about.

If this becomes the norm, or if it gives the mainstream media the excuse they need to simply write these protesters off as hooligans, than the movement is doomed.

At this point I do not know what the circumstances were that led up to these destructive and aggressive behaviors on the part of the protestors, but it is in sharp contrast to the peaceful and very appropriate attitudes we have witnessed in the recent past.

It is my hope that the protestors recognize how damaging this kind of activity will be to their cause, and take aggressive steps to curtail it in the future.

I, like many Americans, want very much to support the movement, but cannot condone, nor excuse, vandalism and violence toward the police or innocent bystanders.

Update: it appears that the vandalism may NOT have been the work of the protestors:

Although most of the marches were peaceful, at least three banks – Chase, Wells Fargo and Bank of America – were damaged during the day, with windows smashed and cash machines put out of service. 

Much talk in the camp was of a rogue group having committed the acts, without the backing of most protesters. Bubb Rubb, from Oakland, was unimpressed with "these people in black clothes, with black flags". 

"They bamboozled us. They wanted violence," he told the Guardian. 

Many of the sites that were vandalised bore posters next to where the incident had occurred, saying it was "not the actions of the 99%".

Okay if this is accurate reporting, and I certainly believe that it is, then this needs to be spread far and wide, because I can guarantee that the images of vandalism and barricades set ablaze will be all over the mainstream media for the next several days.

Palin family friend, Steve Menard, apologizes for wetting the bed and claims to be in rehab program, as City of Wasilla yanks away his travel privileges.

Courtesy of ADN:

The Wasilla City Council is requiring Menard to pay the city back the entire cost of his trip to Sitka and forbidding him from any more travel on city business until his term expires in October 2013. 

Menard was staying at the Westmark in Sitka earlier this month for a meeting of the Alaska Municipal League. The hotel reported that damage to his room included urine on two mattresses and a chair, vomit on the carpet, ruined bedding, and a burned mattress. It's not clear exactly how it was burned but the hotel bill said there had been smoking in what was a non-smoking room. 

The Wasilla City Council met in a closed session at the end of its regular meeting Monday night to decide what to do about it. Before the session began, Menard gave a brief statement, according to an audio recording provided by the city. 

"I would like to start off by ..." he began, followed by a long pause. When he resumed his voice was breaking slightly. "Apologizing publicly for my actions in Sitka. The City of Wasilla, my friends and family, I'm truly embarrassed and sorry, truly sorry." 

"I sit here before you a humbled man 11 days sober and working a program. And only through the grace of God I will redeem myself. And I thank you," he said. 

Menard is a member of one of the best known and most influential families in the Mat-Su. His mother, Linda Menard, is a state senator who represents Wasilla. His father, Curt Menard, was a longtime state legislator and friend of the Palin family who was serving as the Matanuska-Susitna Borough mayor when he died in 2009 after an extended battle with cancer. 

Then-Gov. Sarah Palin appointed Steve Menard to fill out his father's term on the Alaska Railroad's board of directors. He is no longer on the railroad board but Gov. Sean Parnell last year appointed him to a public seat on the Alaska Royalty Oil and Gas Development Advisory Board for a term that expires in 2015.

It appears that everybody wants to give Menard the benefit of the doubt here, including Anne Kilkenny, but part of me is absolutely certain that if this guy's last name was not "Menard," and he was not best chums with the Palins, that he would be out on his keister.

According to the spokesperson for the Westmark Sitka, they actually "went light on the charges," which also makes me wonder who was pressuring whom.

I guess I find this story a little frustrating because in my efforts, and the efforts of others, to get people in Wasilla to go on the record with what they know about the Palins, we have been told over and over again that people in that town are intimidated because if they say anything Sarah and Todd's friends will make their life hell.

I have always felt that the Menards were part of this, "Wasilla Mafia" if you will, that are still actively protecting the Palins. (Steve Menard is even mentioned in an e-mail by Sarah back in 2005 when she was trying to get her ex-brother-in-law Mike Wooten fired from the State Troopers.)

Anyhow I do hope that Steve Menard gets his life back together, because everybody deserves a second chance. However this is it, and if there are any other similar incidents I expect him to be treated much more firmly, and to lose his seat on the Wasilla city council, as well as his seat on the Alaska Royalty Oil and Gas Advisory Board

Whether he is a Palin family friend or not.

Radical Right taking to vandalism to express their anger toward Health Care reform. Rachel Maddow has more.

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