Things are getting scary up in this bitch. I normally like to traffic in humor, but this has got me shook.
I woke up this morning to this text:
This is pretty major news for Hartland, which is where I work. We speculated all morning over what it was all about, and were hopeful that it didn’t involve any of our students. When news broke about what actually happened, I was stunned.
Breaking: The FBI thwarted what they described as a plot to violently overthrow the government and kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.https://t.co/uIpNgA7DUI
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 8, 2020
I have made no secret about my admiration of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and how she has provided leadership during the pandemic, but I do understand the frustration some people feel about her strict mandates. But this? This is a whole other level of insanity.
Apparently, the FBI had been tracking this group, the Wolverine Watchmen, for some time. They even had an inside man, who came to them because he was “concerned about the group’s plan to target and kill police officers.” Had their plan come to fruition, I have few doubts they would have executed Whitmer, as they planned to kidnap her, take her to a “secure location” in Wisconsin, and put her on “trial” for treason.
This is the same behavior terrorist groups such as ISIS partake in, and is roundly condemned by all sides of the American political spectrum. While their plan was thwarted, they should be treated no differently, and should absolutely be charged with domestic terrorism.
This is the point where I have to choose my words very carefully. I feel certain that Trump would not condone the kidnapping or murder of a political figure, and I do not believe that he intended his words to cause this action…butttttt, when he stokes the flames of these hate groups filled with delusional maniacs, dire consequences could occur. When he condones the actions of people like Kyle Rittenhouse, he sends a message that vigilantism is allowed.
JFC. Documents reveal Trump officials were told to speak sympathetically about Kyle Rittenhouse: https://t.co/NHBcKQ6C9Y pic.twitter.com/HECKiDCPbi
— Complex (@Complex) October 1, 2020
Let’s avoid all of the whataboutism by acknowledging that there are agitators on both sides, and nobody is blameless in the polarization we’re experiencing right now. Things have simply gotten too far out of control, and a dramatic shift in the way we treat each other needs to occur.
For me, I am utterly embarrassed this happened in my backyard. I wouldn’t want it to happen to any governor in any state, but it just hits a bit different when you realize these are the same people you buy your groceries with. These are the same people who you might carry on a polite Midwestern conversation with. It’s all just too close to home for me. Tonight, I’m thankful that Big Gretch is safe, but tomorrow, some shit has got to change.