Political violence has become the new norm here in the United States of late, as our nation remains as divided as ever, (barring that little scuffle in the 1860’s). Every day we hear calls for radical retribution to be exacted upon someone’s ideological enemies in America, and some extremists have taken these calls to heart and committed heinous acts in their wake.
The latest example of such a pipeline of petulance comes to us from the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
A California man carrying at least one weapon near Brett M. Kavanaugh’s Maryland home has been taken into custody by police after telling officers he wanted to kill the Supreme Court justice, according to people familiar with the investigation.
The man, described as being in his mid-20s, was found to be carrying at least one weapon and burglary tools, these people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. Police were apparently notified that the person might pose a threat to the justice, but it was not immediately clear who provided the initial tip, these people said. The man apparently did not make it onto Kavanaugh’s property in Montgomery County but was stopped on a nearby street, these people said.
The trouble appeared to stem from a the court’s imminent ruling on Roe v. Wade.
Two people familiar with the investigation said the initial evidence indicates that the man was angry about the leaked draft of an opinion by the Supreme Court signaling that the court is preparing to overturn Roe. v. Wade, the 49-year-old decision that guaranteed the constitutional right to have an abortion. He was also angry over a recent spate of mass shootings, these people said.
Thankfully, no one was harmed in the incident.
The Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin this week warning that politically-charged violence could increase over the coming months, and this incident a salient reminder that vigilance will be necessary in America in 2022.
