Bizarre conspiracy theories and incendiary anti-government rhetoric are on the rise. They’ve inspired acts of violence – and may do so again – so resist the temptation to write off each episode as temporary nuttiness. That’s the blunt message Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich delivered Monday night at an event hosted by the Republicans of Spokane County in Spokane Valley. He is frustrated with the fear of phantom menaces as he tries to cope with real ones. We don’t blame him. Time and again, we’ve dismissed oddball concerns only to see them spread. For example, “Agenda 21,” a supposed United Nations plot to usurp U.S. sovereignty, used to be a topic kept at the fringes. Now it’s a plank in Republican Party platforms across the country. We’ve yet to see the tangible consequences of this alleged threat/SR Editorial Board. More here.

Question: Does the rhetoric and antics of the Far Right in the region worry you?