WA Lawmaker Behind Biblical War Plan Discussed Violent Tactics with Extremists

Washington State Rep. Matt Shea, a radical right-wing zealot who has been in office since 2009, made news last November after his name became linked with a four-page document titled “Biblical Basis for War.” In one section called “Rules of War,” it talks about how opponents must surrender by promising to ban abortions, same-sex marriage, and idolatry — and “If they do not yield — kill all males.”

Shea later said these were just his notes for a “series of sermons on biblical war in the Old Testament” — which is totally what people go to church to hear — and that any suggestion that he agrees with these ideas is absurd. But since when do Christian extremists distance themselves from the Bible?

At least he was somewhat punished over this. He lost his role as chair of the state’s Republican caucus.

Somehow all of this just got worse.

According to chat records obtained by The Guardian, Shea participated in secret conversations with three other men in 2017 in which they talked about violently attacking their political enemies. (One of those men provided the chat logs to The Guardian.) This was happening when Shea ran the state’s GOP.

One of the men, Anthony Bosworth, said that they should locate “Antifa members” and that, if they caught them alone, they could “work him over a little bit.” Another man, Jack Robertson, went even further when discussing a local female activist:

Fist full of hair, and face slam, to a Jersey barrier. Treat em like communist revolutionaries. Then shave her bald with a K-Bar USMC field knife… Would make good attachment points for hoisting communists up flag poles. Especially the ones with nipple rings… But… if you cinch up zip ties enough, you don’t even NEED nipple rings for hoisting.

This was all in addition to talks about surveilling and intimidating their ideological opponents. Shea had no problem with that, and he said nothing in response to the threats of violence. Because that’s the kind of leader he is.

He’s still in office, though. He’s already introduced bills this term to ban abortions and make guns more easily accessible. Even if you dismiss his online activities, he’s eager to cause harm any which way he can. And Republicans in his state continue supporting those bills while pretending to distance themselves from his other activities.

(Thanks to Brian for the link. Portions of this article were published earlier)