Dr. Slammy of Scholars & Rogues has what I think is a very important piece that urges the media to stop describing acts of domestic terror as being perpetrated by “lone wolves.” Doing so circumscribes the problem of right wing extremism within the physical agent conducting these assassinations. Dr. Slammy points out that this phrase as used “asks us to accept that these people have no context, no community, no ideological fellow-travelers whipping them on. Which is bunk.” This is perpetuated by the media, leading to an increased lack of understanding of the dangers facing America:

In the end, the reader comes away with the idea that these killers are, as a matter of fact, solitary agents. Both agencies lend credence to this misinformation by failing to challenge the underlying factual inaccuracy, and in doing so they inadvertently serve the cause of the “leaderless resistance.“ When our most reliable news institutions say that these incidents are isolated, that they’re not part of a larger movement, that there’s no collective organization behind the attacks, it provides cover for a thriving, blood-thirsty community of wolves.

The simple point is that America has a serious, growing problem with right wing extremists turning to violence. They are not acting alone and continued assertions of such in the press is tantamount to causing the public to ignore a present danger.