Pierce writes: "So, I was at the Netroots Nation thing on Thursday, hanging with the invaluable David Neiwert, who has spent years tracking and reporting on the activities of America's violent white-supremacist underground. 'Hey,' he said to me, 'what about that thing in Florida?'"



Mugshots of 10 alleged members of the neo-Nazi skinhead group American Front. (photo: CFNews13.com)

Terror by Another Name

By Charles Pierce, Esquire Magazine

o, I was at the Netroots Nation thing on Thursday, hanging with the invaluable David Neiwert, who has spent years tracking and reporting on the activities of America's violent white-supremacist underground. "Hey," he said to me, "what about that thing in Florida?"

"What thing in Florida?" I responded, demonstrating once again how very much on top of things I am. I knew Florida had Pensacola, which had a reputation for being the OK Corral, especially when it came to shooting abortion doctors, and that it was a place in which, if you shot an abortion doctor, a nice fella who later would host the morning show on liberal MSNBC would represent you in court. But that was the best I could do. No, Neiwert said, the thing that happened a couple of weeks ago.

Fine looking bunch of patriots, aren't they?

Is it necessary to point out ... oh, hell, of course it's necessary to point out that the rounding up of these people did not occasion the BREAKING NEWS graphic, or the shouty anchorpeople, or the thrilling theme music, or the thundering of a newly minted logo - TERROR IN OUR TOWN!!!!!!!! - and all the other set decoration unpacked by our news directors every time an undercover FBI dude convinces some shoeless loser that he can lead the international Jihad from the packing crate in which the fellow now spends the evening. It is very important to know who The Terrorists really are. It is important to keep people afraid only of the right people.

Oh, and there's more of this going on, too.

Somebody should cook up a logo right quick.

Of course, as the Los Angeles Times points out ...

The arrests serve as one of numerous reminders of the efforts of law enforcement to monitor, and sometimes crack down on, the militia and hate groups whose numbers have ticked up since the election of President Obama.

Geez, I just can't imagine why that would be the case.

(UPDATE - Thanks to the commenters for pointing out that my Florida geography was off, and I apologize to Dave for misquoting him, and to the assembled for typing in haste.)