Last year there were those who worried about the political fervor of the Right, particularly the religious right. Dan Savage fretted about this last year (his interview starts around 02:30 into the clip):

Then we had the gun-toting types near public meetings featuring President Obama.

(Only men with huge egos and tiny shortcomings walk around “looking tough” with a gun.)

Last week the health care reform protestors in Washington shouted “nigger!” and “faggot!” to members of Congress. Their signs took an unhealthy turn:

(courtesy Huffington Post)

We have faxes containing racist slurs and images of nooses on gallows sent to House Majority Whip James Clyburn.

And someone shot out the glass door to the office of Representative Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona and left “a message” (contents not disclosed). This after weeks of angry protests outside the office after she announced that she would support the reform bill.

What do we call those who

• use guns (or threaten to) on others?
• employ religious or nationalist dogma as a excuse for the violence they commit?

Umm…terrorists, isn’t it?