Did the SPLC just make it dangerous to have a ‘conservative’ bumper sticker?
The Southern Poverty Law Center has produced a video, “’Sovereign Citizens’ and Law Enforcement: Understanding the Threat,” warning police that traffic stops involving “right wing” citizens could end up as deadly encounters. I’ve embedded it in the sidebar video player. Go ahead and watch it before reading on.
There’s no question the officers were murdered. The question is, do we blame an ideology or the individuals who committed the act? And if the former is a factor, what responsible actions have the finger-pointers taken to limit the blame to a narrow spectrum of violence initiation advocates—as opposed to conflating their beliefs and actions with those of the broader liberty movement?
With SPLC, the answer is obvious, and the connect-the-dots exploitation/obfuscation kicks into gear once retired ATF Special Agent in Charge James Cavanaugh begins his narration, as the “sovereign citizen” incident transitions seamlessly to the Oklahoma City bombing to Ruby Ridge to Waco.