News that is Packaged to Incite

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

There ought to be a special word to describe people who become so enraged by dictionary definitions that they feel compelled to threaten the dictionary's publishers with physical harm.  Perhaps Merriam-Webster, the oldest dictionary publisher in the United States, is already focused on discovering that very word.

Jeremy David Hanson, a thirty-five year-old man from Rossmoor, California, has an appearance scheduled in federal court for today for issuing threats against Merriam-Webster that were so alarming the company felt compelled to close two of its major offices for five business days.   Mr. Hanson, who is apparently a fan of right-wing news sites, was angry at the dictionary's new, more inclusive definitions of "girl," "female," and "woman."  In one tirade on the company's "Contact Us" page he said:

"It is absolutely sickening that Merriam-Webster now tells blatant lies and promotes anti-science propaganda.  There is no such thing as 'gender-identity.'  The imbecile who wrote this entry should be hunted down and shot."

In another message to Merriam-Webster, Hanson expanded on his angry tirade:

"Your headquarters should be shot up and bombed.  It is sickening that you have caved to the cultural Marxist, anti-science tranny agenda and altered the definition of 'female'. as part of the Left's efforts to corrupt and degrade the English language and deny reality.  You evil Marxists should all be killed.  It would be poetic justice to have someone storm your offices and shoot up the place, leaving none of you commies alive."

Wow!  Small wonder Merriam-Webster felt compelled to close their offices and call in the FBI.

It turns out tthe FBI has been aware of Jeremy David Hanson and dealing with him since 2014 when he posted threats to rape and kill several people, but up until this latest incident with the dictionary publisher charges had never been filed.  Hanson's mother, who describes herself as his "caretaker," said that her son has been diagnosed with autism and depression.   She added that he had lately become obsessed with transgender issues.  She also said that he was prone to what she termed "verbal hyperbole."  Hanson's mother did not believe that her son posed any serious threat to anyone because he was reclusive, under her supervision, and had no access to weapons.

Hanson, for his part, has told the FBI that he knows it is illegal to threaten people, and that he struggled to control his rage and used the internet as an outlet for his emotions.

In the past Hanson has reportedly threatened to "shoot up and bomb" DC Comics after that company revealed that their new "Superman" would identify as bisexual.  He also threatened to "shoot up and bomb" the Hasbro toy company for "pandering to tranny freaks" after it removed the "Mr." from its "Mr. Potato Head" toys.

Today Jeremy David Hansen will have an opportunity to discuss his rage with a judge.  His mother says he is harmless, but even if he is not armed and a physical danger to others, his words still worry and cause anxiety and impact how others function.  At some point enough is enough, and apparently eight years is the FBI's limit for playing footsie with someone who fantasizes about shooting up and bombing his way back to the simpler times of mid-twentieth century America.

And we all should be concerned with the other loners listening to right-wing news that has been packaged to incite - those poor bastards sitting at home, getting fired up as they listen to the "news" and clean their guns - and have no sensible mothers at home to keep them in check.  Some of those guys will eventually be the news.