Boston Double Standard

Another day, another tragedy. I hate writing that and as my heart goes out to the victims of yesterday's bombing, I pray I will not need to write them again. And again, the speculation machine is in full force. Even worse to me is seeing the vitriol and wrath directed toward official enemies. No one, repeat, no one at this time knows who set and detonated these bombs at this time and no amount of assertion by alex jones or the new york post will validate the fears of high scoring right wing authoritarian followers. No folks, a Saudi national is not in custody and under guard at the hospital as of this writing. However, a double standard big enough to drive a truck through has already emerged. Twenty six people gunned down in Newtown, CT and an obnoxiously vocal minority screams against rational steps to curb the availability of weapons used in that massacre. But three people blown up at the Boston Marathon and this is the first thing I see in my facebook feed:

I hope someone is dumb enough to take credit for yesterday in Boston.... and when then they do, our waste of a president better come with full force and furious anger in response.

Attack America on patriot's day...? THATS YOUR ASS!

I wish that would be true but all I see is red dawn an he's up shaking hands with the assholes
 

The second indent was a comment. So, 26 dead by firearms and authoritarians blame mental illness, video games, lack of guns, the President's daughters. Anything but the tools of violence and death. Three dead and many wounded by bombs and many on the right are ready to bomb anyone they can find in retaliation. Their only worry is that "our waste of a president" will not respond forcefully enough to satiate their bloodlust.

The first thing through my mind was, "and if the perpetrator turns out to be a lot more like you than like a dark-skinned middle-easterner?" If this was the work of an American "patriot" (ho ho) lashing out in rage at the heart of liberalism (Boston) on "patriot's day" (tax day), then what? Most low scoring authoritarians, i.e. normal people, wanted the President to go "full force and furious anger" to finally do something to curb gun violence, and my friend above called Barack Obama a tyrant for the tepid weaksauce offered in the executive orders. Again, this is also speculation but the double standard is a slimy, gaping hole.

There are reactions like the one above all over the internet. I am making no predictions about what actually happened or who was responsible and will eat my words if it does turn out to be a "saudi national" after all. I just wanted to comment on the obvious, shocked initial reactions to this tragedy, as though retribution and revenge at this point serves any purpose other than soothing the ego. And to the radical right-wingers salivating over revenge... be careful what you wish for.