what terrorists?

things have gotten so bad in the US lately that muslims can't even pray without being harrassed and accused of terrorism (not to mention the subsequent smear campaign to make them sound like terrorists). so considering that every time of those swarthy muslims sneezes, it makes national if not front-page news, it's surprising just how little attention white christians get even when they are caught participating in textbook terrorist activities.

for example, consider this case from a few months back, as unearthed by dkos diarist winstnsmth:

A Michigan man described as a bookworm by relatives has wandered the Midwest since August, looking for a medical clinic to attack with his 2004 Saturn compact car, authorities said.

It was dawn Monday when David Robert McMenemy approached Edgerton Women's Health Center in Davenport, which he mistakenly believed provided abortions.

the fact that this happened on a monday might seem innocuous, unless you note the story's dateline of wednesday, september 13. yes, this happened on the five-year anniversary of september 11th.

He entered the center's driveway off East Rusholme Street and then took a few moments to turn and configure the car to face straight into the lobby, Davenport Fire Marshal Mike Hayman said.

The 45-year-old crashed the Saturn into the central lobby, coming to rest at the counter. When the car did not immediately burst into flames as he may have expected, police said he took gasoline that he had poured into a Gatorade bottle and spread it over the interior. "I lit it," McMenemy told investigators, and he exited the structure to surrender himself to startled Davenport firefighters.

i never heard about this story until today. but you better believe that if any brown people had done anything even a tenth as bad as this (especially on september 11), it would've been all over the media for weeks, and the man's name would be front-page news. but no, since he's just a run-of-the-mill white anti-abortion wingnut, the media hardly even notices.

the delicious irony of this story is that mcmenemy only suspected this clinic was performing abortions:

The Edgerton facility started in 1972 as Maternal Health Center in Bettendorf and moved to the Davenport location in 2002. It does not perform abortions and also does not provide abortion referrals, according to Tom Fedje, facility president. It does advise low-income and underprivileged pregnant women on various options available to them.

from the roundabout description, this actually sounds like one of those faith-based "crisis pregnancy centers" that are designed solely to convince pregnant young women not to get abortions. mcmenemy was so eager to get out there and commit some acts of terrorism that he inadvertantly attacked one of his own (so to speak).

or how about this tennessee man, as noted by dave neiwert?

Demetrius "Van" Crocker of McKenzie, convicted in April of attempting to obtain a chemical weapon and possession of stolen explosives, was sentenced to 30 years in prison Tuesday by U.S. District Judge James Todd in Jackson.

Crocker, who told undercover FBI agents of his desire to explode a briefcase bomb while Congress was in session, was found guilty by a jury in about 90 minutes in April.

The 40-year-old farmhand and father of two was convicted of accepting what he thought were ingredients to make Sarin nerve gas and a block of C-4 explosive from undercover agents in October 2004.

this guy wasn't even an anti-abortion wingnut. he was just some racist white dude who wanted to blow up congress. had you ever heard about this story? i sure hadn't. as neiwert says, "this story is not even on the front page of the Jackson paper". but if crocker had been a muslim, you can be sure it would be on the front page of the new york times.¶