The Aerie
Shoddy reporting and incomplete information gave me a brief, panicked glimpse into the abyss this evening, and brought to the surface hidden feelings revealing just how anxious I am about this political season.
It started when I flipped channels on the television and caught the last few seconds of the story of a man being attacked. The man's name was David Strom.
Now for those of you not in Minnesota, David Strom is the head of the Taxpayer's League of Minnesota, one of hundreds of neo-conservative front organizations across the nation. This one holds the state Republicans hostage with a "no tax increase" pledge, forcing Governor Tim Pawlenty to look elsewhere for funds to support our crumbling school and highway system.
I'm not a fan of David Strom: as a matter of fact I consider him a bit of a media whore, constantly inventing new and audacious reasons for the press to write stories about him.
Despite my thorough dislike of the man's policies, I was not prepared for what I saw when I followed up the story by visiting the website of local news organization KSTP:
Man attacked outside family farm
David Strom was attacked and burned Tuesday night outside his grandmother's farm in Otter Tail County...
The story went on to relate that the victim was not only set afire, but had his tongue cut out!
Honestly, I panicked. It was a quiet, stunned panic - not running about screaming, but a desperate search for assurance. What had happened? Was this the same David Strom? Was this a politically motivated act?
I hadn't until that moment realized just how anxious I am about the election. All the fears I've been stuffing down vomited to the surface like Mt. St. Helen's magma. I felt as if I were living in a hut in Dharfor, and I'd heard a scream outside. If this were a politically motivated attack, might it herald more than a week of similar attacks? Was civilization about to crumble into chaos? I wasn't afraid for the safety of my self and my family - at least not directly. I was more concerned that a week from now a lot of people would be dead and the city would be under martial law.
My panic was not entirely unwarranted. Just days ago, Right Wing nutcase Ann Coulter was attacked with pies during a speech. Mind you, I think both Coulter and Strom are Right Wing nutcases - but violence, even the tossing of a cream pie at a speaker, is absolutely and completely the wrong wrong wrong way to oppose their philosophies.
Coulter has the right to speak her piece at any podium stupid enough to have her. Strom has the right to bamboozle any press fatuous enough to lend attention to his absurd policies. And if you don't like what they say you have the right to speak up and oppose them, to protest, etc. And if it seems unfair that they have the Scaife foundation behind them and you don't, well, it IS unfair - get over it and put a stone in your sling, David.
So, fearing that we were about to see a week of unprecedented violence, I tried to find out: was the David Strom in the article the same one as the head of the Taxpayer's League?
Reading the article was no help: while the victim was described as 33, with a history of drug abuse and mental illenss, well, that doesn't rule out anybody (no joke intended). One can be 22, hooked on drugs and schizophrenic, and with treatment and medication by age 33 you can be living a decent life - or even running the Taxpayer's League (okay that was a joke). I didn't know if that Strom was 33 - I thought he was older - but again, one can't be sure.
So I tried calling KSTP. I tried calling the local Star Tribune newspaper. Oddly enough, there was no one answering the phone on a Sunday afternoon during a Vikings game. Finally I broke down, and phoned a local columnist I know who I figured would be able to tell me.
He took my call graciously enough, and confirmed that none of the descriptions - mental health, drug history, and most importantly, age - applied to Strom. I apologized for interrupting his dinner preparations, and rang off.
I was embarassed at having gotten panicked, but only slightly so. I mean, how stupid do the people at KSTP have to be to post such a well-known name to such a horrific tale, but not clarify that this David Strom is not THAT David Strom?
But I also feel guilty... because I feel better knowing that the victim of this violence was not attacked because he led the Taxpayer's League. This makes me feel better? Some poor man is horribly, horribly mutilated in my state, and I'm relieved that it wasn't done for political reasons? I must say, I confuse even myself.
But now that my fear over this election has surfaced, I can at least face it. I'm mortified that something horrible is going to happen between now and next Tuesday, I'm frightened beyond reason.
Let's hope my fears stay that way, just fears. And let's hope David Strom of Otter Tail county somehow manages to heal.
Well, and if David Strom of the Taxpayer's League decided to take a monastic vow of silence, I guess that would be okay too.
Posted by Albatross at October 24, 2004 8:41 PM While political violence is not new it has taken a bizarre twist in this election. It's as if people are trying to hint of violence and yet really not claim that it may happen. Why did Senator Edwards' wife mentioned that the Democrats won't riot if they win. Does that mean that they will riot if they do lose? Even Yankee fans didn't riot in the Bronx when they lost the series. Although Boston fans proceded to turn over cars and smashed storefronts when they won.
Perhaps it's just the last stupid week before the election and the nerves of the players are frayed, but unless such rhetoric is toned down we will devolve into a bunch of English football hooligans after the election day results. Of course the rhetoric after the election will also be brutal. I fear listening to the preprogrammed cries of the bad losers. Fortunately, I have already sent in my absentee ballot and life goes on.