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More Far-Right Violence? Anti-Immigrant Suspects In Arizona Killing Have Ties To White Supremacists
According to local law enforcement, three people posing as police officers forced their way into the home of Raul Flores in Arivaca, Arizona, about 10 miles from the Mexican border, on May 30. They shot and killed Flores and his nine-year-old daughter, and wounded Flores' wife. The three, Shawna Forde, Jason Bush, and Albert Gaxiola, were arrested and charged last Thursday and Friday.
But here's where it gets interesting: Forde's brother, Merrill Metzger, has told the Arizona Daily Star that Forde had been talking recently about "starting a revolution against the United States government," and had said she planned to recruit members of the Aryan Nations as part of a plan to rob drug cartels.
It sounds like Forde had started putting that plan into action. Bush, accused of being the triggerman in the killing, was also charged Friday in the 1997 murder of a sleeping Hispanic homeless man in Washington, reports the paper. According to law enforcement authorities in the state, Bush "has had long-standing ties to the Aryan Nations." In 2003, they say, Bush moved to the Sandpoint area of northern Idaho, a historic center of white supremacist activity.
Both Forde and Bush also have ties to the fringe of the anti-immigration movement. As Josh noted last week over at TPM, Forde leads Minutemen American Defense (MAD), a vigilante group that conducts patrols of the US-Mexico border. And according to a recent post on MAD's website, since taken down, the group recently signed up Bush -- said to be a Special Forces veteran, and identified only as "Gunny" -- and put him in charge of "command decisions, Recon and Tactical training."
"Gunny" himself seemed to offer a hint of the violence to come in a statement on the site, reported by the Daily Star:
My personal information is being withheld for security reasons . . . I am about to have a big bull's-eye on me and I don't want retaliation to reach my family. My goal is to bring the full force of our collective abilities down on the bad guys. this will make waves.
MAD isn't formally affiliated with Jim Gilchrist's anti-immigration Minuteman Project, or with its off-shoot, the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps (MCDC), both of which also conduct border patrols. But it appears Forde used to be active with the MCDC, and in this video from 2006, she's introduced both as a member of the Minutemen and as a "representative" of the more mainstream anti-immigration group, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which is quoted frequently in the media on immigration issues.
As for Forde's larger plans, they come off as a confused mixture of right-wing -- and just-plain-crazy -- notions.
Metzger told the Daily Star that Forde had said she planned to start an "underground militia" that would steal money and drugs from drug cartels (Flores, one of the Arizona victims, was a suspected drug dealer.) Metzger said he had secretly recorded a recent conversation with Forde, because he had grown concerned about her violent rhetoric, and had spoken to police about her.
And, reports the paper, investigators believe the attack was intended to be the first in a series of such crimes, with the goal of funding MAD and another venture. What was that venture? According to Metzger: "She was telling me that they were going to start some sort of militia that was going to go overseas and aid and abet those who are kidnapped. She said she was going to go to Syria."
No, it doesn't make sense to us either. But there's increasing evidence that something about the current climate -- the election of a pro-choice, African-American president, the economic downturn, or perhaps the ever-more unhinged flavor of even a lot of mainstream conservative rhetoric -- is prompting a greater number of confused and dangerous Americans to act out their bizarre and violent fantasies. And that's worth paying attention to, whether it makes sense or not.
Josh
Zachary
Fire David Letterman
he thinks rape and killing is funny
he need some time off...NOW
June 16, 2009 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Fuck off troll.
June 16, 2009 2:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
When you are barely educated white trash with a knocked up daughter and bastard grand child, you will be the object of late night fun. Get over it gov.
June 16, 2009 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
When did Letterman make a joke about killing being funny?
IF, as he said, his remark was intened to reer to Bristol she is 18, and there was no suggestion of rape, simply pregnancy, which cn occur due to a consensual act, but that'r probably not been your experience.
June 16, 2009 2:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
I get so mad I can't edit. "remark was intended to refer to Bristol,"
and of course "that's"
June 16, 2009 2:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
I thought it was reefer.
June 16, 2009 7:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was hoping it was reefer.
June 17, 2009 1:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Attention: Walter the unfortunate boarder
"Fire David Letterman
he thinks rape and killing is funny
he need some time off...NOW"
Um.... tool, are you aware that the media who appeared at the big protest against Letterman today outnumbered the so-called protesters by 35 to 15? Yeah, that's right, and none of them (the media) had any teabags dangling from tri-cornered hats.
The 15 teabaggers had a big hate-on, though:
*David Letterman and Sarah Palin have both moved on, but that didn't stop a few dozen protesters from turning up to a “Fire David Letterman” rally outside the Ed Sullivan Theater tonight. Videographer Jonah Green talked to a few of them, and learned that they watch Fox News, hate socialism, and think that Letterman "rapes children with his mouth." Oh, and they really, really like Jay Leno.*
_________________________________________________
Among the more alarming lines of attack -- particularly given that the rally was held because Letterman supposedly made a joke about Sarah Palin's teenage daughter Willow -- was that Letterman's son Harry was born out of wedlock (he recently wed Regina Lasko after dating for over a decade).
"Should we talk about his son?" one protester asked Green. "I believe his son was born out of wedlock. I believe there's a term for that."
"Is someone making jokes about his child?" asked another. "Especially, you know, when he had a daughter out of wedlock himself" (he doesn't; 5-year-old Harry is his only child).
"How dare he?" asked yet a third, the most offensive of all. "When he has a bastard son, and a slut for a wife" (Letterman's wife Lasko has kept a notoriously low profile).
It should be noted that Sarah Palin's teenage daughter Bristol gave birth to baby Tripp (out-of-wedlock) in December and broke up with the baby's father, Levi Johnston, in March.
Other conservative talking points thrown around at the rally included, "Close the borders!" and "I only watch Fox News," as well as the general sentiment that Jay Leno is a better host than Letterman.
(This would be an oppotune moment to note that both O'Brien and Leno have made snowbilly inbred incest jokes about the Whore of Wasilla in the recent past)
Nice. Are you one of those fucktards, Walter the unfortunate boarder? Cause if you are, perhaps I should contact DHS and report your apparent disorder?
June 17, 2009 1:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
News of the Flores assassinations in Arivaca stimulated me to research the Minuteman movement and some aspects of Shawna Forde's connection.
I've posted a short diary of findings at Daily Kos. For example, it seems a group that publishes an enemies list that includes "The Obama Adminstration" has a PAC that's given $10,000 to Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/6/15/742948/-A-little-Minuteman-research
June 16, 2009 1:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
For some reason all I can think of is that press conference where the Operation Rescue guy sneered at how bloggers were going to use the Tiller assassination to suggest "these white Idaho minute men or whoever they are" are dangerous or linked to violence.
June 16, 2009 2:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
While forming a list of right wing violence, don't forget Jim David Adkisson, who shot up the church in Knoxville last July because he thought they were liberals. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/Jul/28/church-shooting-police-find-manifesto-suspects-car/
June 16, 2009 2:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
"who would pull other such home invasion stunts"
NO!
"who would commit more terrorist acts."
Remember, a home invasion stands alone. But in this case, the idea is to create an atmosphere or mayhem and fear, and change the political environment.
That's called terrorism.
(And btw, water.board, until you can take it, don't even try to dish it out.)
June 16, 2009 2:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Cal, don't you realize that this was just another isolated incident conducted by two or three insane individuals? OF COURSE we all know it is not indicative of any trend or conspiracy! (Or any toxic subculture, either.) It can't be. They don't act like Left-wingers.
Oh, wait! Perhaps they CAN be painted as Left-wingers, and then one incident DOES indicate a trend and a conspiracy!
Right?
June 16, 2009 3:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Speaking of toxic subculture, check out the comments section at this Alex Jones post. Scary...seriously deranged, armed and dangerous Armageddonites.
http://www.infowars.com/americorps-paramilitary-propaganda-ad/#
June 17, 2009 1:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Jesus. So the idea is that the country is safe only for hostile, white,anti-abortion, mental defectives?
Well, that's a comfort for the rest of us, isn't it?
June 16, 2009 5:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm curious: Is Jason Bush one of George Bush's relatives? Now we can safely say that Bush is a killer.
I continue to wonder if the FBI makes any effort at all to rein in the right wing nut terrorists, or is it still doing as old J. Edgar had them doing, ignoring the Mafia - in this case an equally criminal group.
June 16, 2009 2:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
The CIA and the Hoover FBI shared their Rolodex of operatives with the Mafia, and still may for all I know...
June 16, 2009 5:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
IMHO, that is it. The prior suggestions are all issues which the MSM are underlining every chance they get. Our President is an African-American. That has not been news since January 20, but the MSM still think it worthy of mention whenever they can include it in their "news". Obama is Pro-Choice, and has been his entire career. The economy has been swirling around the bottom of the bowl since long before Obama took office, again, not news. But the rhetoric changed when Obama took office. Now the demand is that he fail, and somehow the US will survive that failure.
Obama has nothing near what FDR achieved in creating jobs and social programs. But, if one thinks about it, those institutions FDR created, Social Security, CCC, TVA, etc. were all existent as the Greatest Generation grew up. It is part of what made them great, having these support systems and having a sense that it would make our country better if we all sacrificed a little. The ancillary benefits to the nation as a whole would provide a decent return on investment, and it did.
June 16, 2009 2:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gregor, I agree with your first paragraph, but to expect Obama to actually have new programs in place when he has only been President since November 2008* is really unreal. Of course, the MSM is blaming for his failures already too.
FDR didn't get Social Security and Unemployment benefits passed and implemented for several years and the Republicans had pretty well been removed from Congress or cowed by events by then. His banking actions were initially administrative decisions, as most of Obama's have been. It helped a lot that the Depression had started almost four years before FDR was inaugurated because the need for action could not by then be denied, even by the right-wing media.
In contrast, Obama has come in and gotten his economic programs started fast enough to prevent the Depression from reoccurring this time around. His very successes have made the urgency seem a lot less, so that the partisan media has felt free to unleash the idiots like O'Reilly and focus on the Republican objections instead of emphasizing the massive success that Obama has already had.
Yeah, yeah, we all know this. I just think it needs to be repeated after your post.
* Bush went on vacation in November and only came back for the inauguration in January in spite of the economic crisis. Paulson and Bernanke did the best they could in a startling new and (to them) unexpected situation. Obama acted a lot more Presidential than Bush did from November until January, and deserves credit for it. Then the Congressional minorities have slow-walked his major appointments and to the best of their abilities blocked every initiative he has tried to get through Congress.
June 16, 2009 4:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'd like to offer one or two more dots to be connected: one of the earlier reports noted that Bush was treated for his leg injury (apparently shot by the surviving victim) in Kingman.
1) Kingman is several hours away from Arivaca - Bush must've known somebody (or somebodies) there.
2) Kingman (and the surrounding area) has long been known to have a strong hate group presence. Remember, it was one of the places that Timothy McVeigh lived (with Fortier), hung out and connected.
June 16, 2009 3:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
And wasn't there a hate group started by a guy named Metzger? White Aryan Resistance? Could they be related?
June 16, 2009 3:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
In this case, Metzger is the good guy -- brother of Forde who recorded and reported her craziness.
June 16, 2009 4:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, I understood that, and didn't mean to imply different.
Tom Metzger started White aryan restistance, and I found an artile that said he had several daughters, his only sons name is John, not Merril.
He is also the guy who broke Gerardo's nose!
June 16, 2009 11:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tom Metzger founded White Aryan Resistance (WAR).
June 16, 2009 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah: "good guy".
June 16, 2009 9:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Please try to follow the thread. The "good guy" referred to above is Merrill Metzger, not Tom Metzger.
June 16, 2009 10:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Indeed. I have not found anything regarding a relationship between Tom and Merrill, one way or the other. So, for now at least, I will assume there is no relation.
June 17, 2009 8:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm skeptical of anyone who is related to but endeavors to distance themselves from members of the lunatic fringe.
June 17, 2009 6:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
"More Rightwing Violence?" Tut, tut, no need to pigeonhole these fine americans as being either on the right (or the left) of the political spectrum. All that matters is that they are wackos, probably loners, who are in no way related to any political cause or movement, and certainly not conservatives, who, as every one knows, are all law-abiding and decent human beings who would never question Barack Obama's citizenship or loyalty to America or its values. No, not possible. Instead of politicizing this tragedy, let's all stick our heads in the sand and just ignore the root causes of this and all other acts of violence.
June 16, 2009 3:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Right! Let's politicize it to the hilt.
June 16, 2009 4:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Winger response, ...3-2-1
Bill Ayers, Rev. Wright, Bill Ayers, Rev. Wright, Bill Ayers, Rev. Wright
lather, wince, repeat
June 16, 2009 4:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
You forgot Sonia Sotomayor. If she wasn't such a racist, this never wold have happened.
June 16, 2009 5:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
If only Nixon hadn't been "driven from office" . . .
June 16, 2009 9:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
From what I have read this woman is simply a psychopath.
June 16, 2009 4:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
And therein lies the problem. From what you have read, you'd never know that this is ninth, count 'em, ninth episode of right wing extremist violence since January.
For the previous eight, and the reason it is scary, see the following.
http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2009/06/tragedy-at-holocaust-museum-stand-up-to.html
Just to summarize:
1/21/09, the day after Obama's inauguaration, Keith Luke goes on a rape and murder spree in the Boston area. Two killed, one more (sister of one of the two murder victims) brutally raped, shot and left for dead.
2/10/09. Police investigating the killing of Maine would-be Nazi James Cummings by his abused wife discover a large cache of radioactive "dirty bomb" materials and "how to" guides for building dirty bombs.
2/26/09. Dannie Baker, described as a mentally ill man "obsessed by the fear that illegal immigrants were taking over the country," walks into a townhouse inhabited by Chilean students (in the country illegally), killing two and wounding five in Miramar Beach, Florida.
4/5/09. "Budding white supremicist and recently discharged veteran Richard Popalowski" abushes cops who, he has become convinced, are preparing to execute Obama's secret plans to confiscate his guns. Three cops killed.
4/28/09. Ft. Walton Beach, Florida Army reservist Joshua Cartwright, whose abused wife said was very disturbed by Obama's election, shoots and kills two sherriff's deputies.
5/6/09. Stephen Morgan of Middletown, Ct., after harassing and stalking Johanna Justin-Jinich for two years, finally kills her. "A diary found in his belongings included an entry: 'I think it's ok to kill Jews and go on a killing spree" and "Kill Johanna. She must Die.'"
5/31/09. Scott Roeder, a guy who got around a lot in the loony right--Montana Freemen, Sovereign Citizen movement, radical anti-abortion movement--murders Dr. George Tiller in Kansas.
6/10/09. A leading figure in the anti-Semite movement, James Wenneker von Brunn, tries to rush the Holocaust Museum in D.C. in an apparent attempt to kill as many Jews as possible. Murders a black security guard who moved to stop him instead.
And now this. Three more killers, Shawna Forde, Jason Bush, and Albert Gaxiola, and three more victims, two dead--including a nine year old girl--and one wounded.
That's fourteen dead, including a child, seven wounded, including one who was raped and shot, and seven attempted, accomplished or partially accomplished mass casualty events.
Oh and it's also three episodes of right wing violence in three weeks.
But they're all just lone wolf nutjobs. No bigger picture at all. Move along, nothing to see here.
June 16, 2009 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Boston Area" = Brockton, MA.
June 16, 2009 9:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Once you get North the Mason Dixon line, its all just one big urbanized blur to us simple folk down here.
June 17, 2009 8:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Brockton, MA is some 22-ish miles south of Boston. Though it doesn't boast of the fact, it is the armpit of the universe (as so designated by Gawd), and -- politically -- even the gutter has more self-respect than accept it as a lodger.
June 17, 2009 6:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder if you'd include the recent assault in Virginia where four people attacked an individual using the code word '311' as they kicked his head soccer-style . The four have been linked to a nascent KKK group on the Middle Peninsula.
Is Southern Poverty Law Center tracking these? Is anyone compiling these for public viewing?
June 18, 2009 12:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
"....investigators believe the attack was intended to be the first in a series of such crime..."
In the dozens of articles were bits and pieces about Forde and her cohorts histories. It was in one of the articles, I believe in the AZ news,
that stated either Forde or Bush was linked to yet another violent home invasion in Calif. (memory holds that it was Forde - who the police have claimed was the 'ring leader' psychopath responsible for the child and her father's murders.
The AZ article stated that Forde's son is prison (for gun charges) and a member of a violent gang.
June 16, 2009 4:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
". . . in prison (for gun charges) . . .
I would never have suspected such a thing.
June 17, 2009 6:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
You can tell she is a psychopath because she seems to be wearing a snuggie.
June 16, 2009 5:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's worth noting that it appears that Shawna Forde apparently staged an assault in January, claiming that Latino gang members attackecd and raped her in her home, and tagged her floor with a marker (?)
http://immigrationclearinghouse.org/2009/01/04/national-director-of-nativist-hate-group-minutemen-american-defense-alleges-assault/
Seems that someone should have had an eye on her, no?
June 16, 2009 5:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is just more evidence of the racist motivation of many anti "illegal" immigrant individuals. The minute men are a hate group.
June 16, 2009 5:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
That incident in January was only one of three bizaare events involving Shana (she is from Everett WA and our local paper has extensive coverage of these early incidents.)
First her ex-husband was shot in his home. Shana claimed it was Latinos out to shut her operation.
Second she was attacked in her own home. Once again she blamed Latinos. Oddly enough the cops seem to be holding their noses here, things not exactly adding up evidence-wise.
Third she was found in the alley with gun-shot wounds to her arms.
Now obviously something happened in these incidents, but mostly her story doesn't add up. Her neighborhood has some rough elements but it is not the kind of place that people just ignore gun shuts or cries for help. And the housing is fairly dense with a lot of former single family residences carved into duplexes or triplexes, someone should have heard something. And given her past history a lot of people thought this was a little rich, something that the local police seem to believe as well.
In any event when we heard that our local gal was the prime suspect in a double murder home invasion robbery the reaction was not one of "Not Shana!". No more like "I told you she was a nut case"
June 16, 2009 6:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm sure Lou Dobbs is involved somehow.
June 16, 2009 6:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
She DOES NOT "have ties to" white supermacists/lunatic fringe; she IS white supremacist/lunatic fringe.
June 16, 2009 7:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Both Forde and Bush also have ties to the fringe of the anti-immigration movement."
The anti-immigration "movement" IS fringe, and both are at the "center" of it.
June 16, 2009 7:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
". . . ever-more unhinged flavor of even a lot of mainstream conservative . . . ."
1. It was "conservatives" who opposed declaring independence from Britain. They compromised in favor of it in exchange for preservation of slavery. But they were not radical in terms of being "revolutionaries".
3. The lunatic fringers in the media are NOT "conservatives"; they are LUNATIC FRINGE. That includes Hannity, Limbaugh, and O'Reilly.
June 16, 2009 7:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
She was going to start a militia and take it to Syria? I'm pretty sure Syria has its own version of the Minutemen, and they are probably not as look-the-other-way as some of the good folks in Idaho and Arizona. And of course she'd have to rob people to finance it. Not even far-right crazies are daft enough to contribute to a scheme like that.
Or the ones who are have spent all their money on bomb-making materials, Soldier of Fortune subscriptions, and incontinence pants.
June 16, 2009 7:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Zach,
I have serious doubts that this man was, as their website said, not only Special Forces but one decorated with the Bronze and Silver Stars and Purple Heart, who'd SUPPOSEDLY had six deployments overseas.
I smell a very big rat. Back in the 90's, I wrote a book that required research into the area of fake veterans. You can buy medals at gunshows and pretty much make up a military-hero past that is just accepted by people--nobody wants to question it.
I have contacts in SF, and I'm trying to find out if this guy really WAS SF.
Maybe he was SF, but when you're dealing with this kind of extremist, it is not unusual for them to make up a war-hero past, and until his proclaimed service is confirmed beyond the militia's own website (who got their info from him, I expect), I'd appreciate it if we didn't perpetrate the rumor; all it does is besmirch the service of those REAL decorated SF war veterans.
June 16, 2009 8:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
The motive here was money and drugs.
Everything else is histrionics.
June 16, 2009 9:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
No one is more blind than he who will not see.
June 16, 2009 11:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Money and drugs, strictly for their own sake. Of course.
June 17, 2009 9:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
NCSteve: You left J. D. Adkisson off the list; see ericf's comment above. Nice work.
June 17, 2009 1:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
but wait, there's more !
Forde was featured/feted at an 07 Anti Immigration event with Tancredo, Hunter, and good ol Fred Thompson. forgive me if I missed it's mention somewhere else in this thread.
you can read about it at this link
http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/17/minuteman-killer-co-hosted-anti-immigration-event-in-2007-featuring-tom-tancredo-duncan-hunter-and-fred-thompson/
June 18, 2009 1:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
"TancredO"? That's s suspicious-appearing name. Illegal immigrant?
June 18, 2009 7:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not in defense of our spineless media.
1. Publishers must sell ads: Liberals don't buy on ad power; we buy on performance, real or perceived.
2. Publishers must circulate: Conservatives buy the paper for ads & coupons - commercial information, not 'news' - they get their news from Faux (Fox).
3. Publishers, editors & reporters are not traitors; they're saboteurs. All they want is confrontation, conflict and wrap it up in a 27 second sound bite plus a lead-in from a toothy, smiley anchor - 1 black & 1 white, or put it in a sidebar written with more adjectives & adverbs that nouns & vebs. They are sabotaging the 'American Way'.
4. A. Think about it
B. Find a way to change it - boycotts don't work; they re-enforce the other medium's role in the cycle of information.
C. Barring that ... get over it. We're liberals and don't solve problems with either money or violence.
June 20, 2009 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink