Firebombing Of Office Of Texas State Senator Wendy Davis An Act Of Brutality Consistent With The Enactment Of State-Mandated Rape In Texas
The Fort Worth office of Democratic Texas State Senator Wendy Davis was attacked with Molotov cocktails on Tuesday.
(Above–The aftermath of the attack. Photo from the Facebook page of Anthony Spangler via the Burnt Orange Report.)
While two staffers were present in the office at the time of the attack, nobody was hurt. Senator Davis was not present when the Molotov cocktails were thrown at the office.
Senator Davis has been quite vocal in opposing Governor Rick Perry on a number of issues. She has recently spoken out against Governor Perry and Republicans in control of the Texas legislature gutting funding for women’s health services such as cancer screenings.
While it is not currently known who committed this act, it is a deed consistent with the mindset and actions of people who support cutting off funding for cancer screenings for women, and who support laws such as the Texas forced sonogram law which is state-mandated rape.
It is also an act that is consistent with people who do not recognize the rule of law. They are trying to intimidate, to frighten, and to destroy law and people.
By tossing Molotov cocktails at an office, the person who did this thing should be strongly punished. This person is rightly termed a criminal.
At the same time, a measure of irony is found in that we address people who cut off cancer screenings and who enact state-mandated rape with titles such as “Governor” and “Senator.”
What act of terror will be next in the war against Texas women?
What will you do to change the climate in Texas, and to repeal the state-mandated rape of the forced sonogram law?
(Off The Kuff has also posted about this attack.)
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Here’s the short story how this will play out: 1st) anti-choicers will accuse feminists/pro-choicers of staging the firebombing. 2nd) a suspect will be caught. 3rd) anti-choice groups will deny any knowledge or responsibility for “lone wolf” who took action on his own 4th) they will paint suspect to be mentally ill.
The real story – there’s a 20+ year pattern of anti-choice rhetoric triggering terrorist actions by a network of anti-choice activists.
I truly hope that the suspect is caught quickly, and that no one else is hurt. We need to stop the violence – in the legislature and in the streets. Thanks for being so vocal about stopping it.
If that’s the most damage they can do, they are pretty ineffective. But that doesn’t mean there may not be another Eric Robert Rudolph out there.
Neil and nonsequiteuse, if you have any evidence as to the motive or identity of the perpetrator, please send it to DPS. You might include a CC here, so that the readers might see that you’re serious, rather than play-acting fevered paranoid fantasies.
Seems pretty evident to me that their are native born terrorists amongst us.
As I said—This is an act consistent with the brutality of state-sponsored rape.
“Seems pretty evident to me that their [sic] are native born terrorists amongst us.”
It does? Cedric Steele, a homeless fugitive with a considerable criminal record, has been arrested and charged with arson. What information do you have about Steele’s political motivation?
Surely you wouldn’t make such a bold claim without being able to back it up.
Seems part of an emerging trend.
Well it appears that Matt gets the last grin on this one. The evidence seems to be pointing to an imbalanced individual that was trying to get the the state senator’s attention regarding a visit from aliens he was experiencing.
“FORT WORTH — A 40-year-old homeless man who spoke of aliens and twice visited state Sen. Wendy Davis’ offices demanding to see her returned Tuesday and tossed a paper bag filled with six Molotov cocktails against the outer door, sparking a small fire, police said Wednesday.
Cedric Steele, who has been living in an abandoned home on Donnelly Avenue, was arrested late Tuesday in a convenience store parking lot in the 6000 block of Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead said.”
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/03/20/3824423/wendy-davis-fort-worth-office.html#storylink=cpy
I’m so relieved that they’ve caught someone, and indications are that it is likely the right person AND that the violence was not politically motivated. Equally tragic, however, is that it seems to be someone who suffers from such serious mental health problems. There’s really not a win in a situation like this, nothing that makes me feel comforted – we’re so ready to attribute violence like this to political animus because it has been such so many times before, and then, we’re not surprised that someone whose mental health has deteriorated to such a point has no options but living on the street.
What I would say is there is a climate of violence and despair in much of Texas and the nation. This was not a right-wing attack in any fashion. Yet political decisions– made by people from both sides of the political aisle–create this climate.