Revisiting Floyd Lee Corkins’ Legacy

You might not think about Floyd Lee Corkins much, but perhaps we should. Back in 2012, he walked into the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C., armed and ready to cause chaos. Luckily, security stopped him before he could proceed with what looked like a mass murder plan. His case marked a noteworthy moment—it was the first one in the District of Columbia to be categorized as a domestic terrorist act.

However, soon after, he faded from public memory. And maybe that’s not the best thing. There was, after all, a propaganda leaflet against Chick-fil-A and Christians found in his car. It felt almost like the media glossed over the connections to groups that fueled his actions. I’ve been saying—if authorities fail to address wrongdoing decisively, some individuals will take matters into their own hands, as Corkins did. It’s a worrying thought. Calling conservatives “Hitler,” well, that could inspire someone to act out dangerously.

This kind of mentality remixed itself into the narrative of the 2017 shooting at a congressional baseball practice, where a Bernie Sanders supporter almost shot a House Republican. The words we use have become potent, almost like bullets. Fast forward to 2025, and there’s talk of shell casings with names inscribed. It makes you wonder what kind of climate we’re creating.

Take late-night host Jimmy Kimmel as an example. Once upon a time, he might have seemed irrelevant, but he remains on air. Why? It’s not just about ratings or ad revenue. It’s about sustaining relationships with corporate sponsors who prefer to support certain narratives. Companies like Pfizer and Disney seem to enjoy promoting the “right” kind of content, regardless of the financial losses.

In a way, Kimmel exercises a form of privilege, getting away with edgy commentary about conservatives—even after violent events like Charlie Kirk’s assassination. His language serves as a thin veil for threats, masked as entertainment. It’s a bit unsettling, isn’t it?

But the issue stretches beyond one comedian. It’s about an ecosystem that nurtures such rhetoric. Advertisers and media networks create excuses, while extremists take these messages as a form of validation. And before you know it, words morph into violence.

So here’s where we stand: we have two choices. Either we rigorously enforce laws, holding accountable those who incite violence, or we settle for a culture that starts with fierce name-calling and escalates to real-life actions. It’s a slippery slope.

There’s this notion of remaining calm, like Mike Pence during a funeral march, insisting on decorum while our society unravels. Some might find solace in that approach, but I can’t allow my child’s future to hinge on it.

Corkins once came, and he might not be the last. Kimmel’s backers might actually hope for this cycle to perpetuate. But really, the pressing question remains: what actions do we take next?