Two posts this weekend showed Indiana’s far right’s core values. Number 1 is “Don’t Know,” embodied by a man [FN1] who would have fit in w/the 19th Century Know Nothings: Micah Beckwith. [FN2] Example: as he hyped his lectures on The Constitution he warned: 1/8

“stay away from higher education and [its] secular progressive bias.” He gives neither examples of bias nor reasons people should stay away from higher education. That betrays his own bias. A meme he re-posted on 10/28 goes further. Beside a Guy Fawkes mask, the meme says: 2/8

“IF IT STARTS WITH,” provides several phrases that are phrases not uncommon in journals or other literature related to sciences. [FN3] The meme concludes: “IT’S A LIE.” Beckwith is scared that people will read and learn. 3/8

For “Don’t Care” is Guy Relford, host of a weekend radio show in Indy. A mass shooting in Maine started the weekend. Next we see Relford smiling & laughing at a local shooting range w/a person who had a show on the same station. Perhaps it’s unfair to say yukking up 4/8

about guns on the radio is in bad taste after the mass shooting in Maine. Relford has made no claims to clairvoyance. He could not have foreseen the mass shooting in Tampa ... or Texarkana or here in Indy or Chicago. We have so many mass shootings that they are a given. 5/8

More guns do not staunch the flow of blood. On the one hand, Beckwith wants you uninformed. On the other hand, Relford wants to laugh it up. And these are amongst the voices that say people should arm themselves against the left. 6/8

Footnotes: FN1. Freedom to express our opinions as to political issues & public, political figures is given the greatest protection under the First Amendment. N.Y. Times v Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964). FN2. Hamilton County preacher who seeks GOP nomination for Lt Gov in 2024. 7/8

Footnotes: FN3. “>studies suggest >experts are saying >scientists believe >according to research >majority of people believe >polls indicate >anonymous sources say” 8/8