Tuesday, March 15, 2005


The Little Church of Horrors
Apocalypse now in Wisconsin: Carnivorous plants and the "end times"

...IF THE CURRENT news reports are true, it looks like the suspected gunman in the church massacre in suburban Milwaukee grew carnivorous plants as a hobby. He's described as an avid gardener, press reports say he raised such meat-eating vegetables as Venus flytraps, and I found on the Web what may be Ratzmann's photo (see above) of a carnivorous plant.

But the Living Church of God, the small sect he belonged to, was also one of Terry Ratzmann's passions. Perhaps he was driven past the edge by the right-wing sect's nonstop apocalyptic warnings—a set of scare-tactic teachings similar to those used to great effect by the Bush regime's religious zealots.

Incessant fear-mongering is a proven strategy of evangelists and other politicians. It worked in the last presidential election. ...