You know all that rhetoric about “race war” that’s showing up at Breitbart.com and many other right wing sites these days? It’s not just rhetoric. There are some people in Sanford, Florida right now who are taking it very seriously indeed: Armed Neo-Nazis Now Patrolling Sanford, Say They Are ‘Prepared’ for Post-Trayvon Martin Violence. Go To Site

The latest wildfire spreading through the media and blogosphere is that armed neo-Nazis are patrolling Sanford, FL, in anticipation of trouble if George Zimmerman is not charged in the killing of Trayvon Martin. In what has become a prime example of media malpractice, none of the major publications spreading the rumors bothered to check with local law enforcement. I did, and the Sanford Police deny any indication of neo-Nazi patrols. -William A. Jacobson Go To Site

Wild Goose-Step Chase

Liberal, Incitement, Incompetence, Character, Racism, Oops, Press

He reported on Saturday that he had emailed the Sanford police, who wrote back: "We have no indication of any such patrols at this point in Sanford. The only large gathering was the children and their parents at the Easter egg hunt." But the false story was repeated by, among others, the New York Post and Daily News, the Drudge Report, the Daily Beast (Newsweek's website), the Puffington Host, Gawker and numerous lesser sites. -James Taranto

NY Daily News whitewashes its Sanford neo-Nazi faux pas

Liberal, Incitement, Incompetence, Character, Racism, Oops, Press

Completely substituting one post for another, while using the original url for both, had the effect of washing out a key part of the story here: The irresponsible spread of racially charged rumors in an already racially tense situation by a well-known print and web publication. -William A. Jacobson

Neo-Nazis patrolling Florida town where Trayvon Martin was killed

Liberal, Incitement, Incompetence, Racism, Narrative, Oops

A heavily armed troop of Neo-Nazis are goose-stepping around the Florida town where Trayvon Martin was killed.

Members of the Detroit-based National Socialist Movement are patrolling Sanford, Florida proclaiming they’re prepared for violence in case of a race riot, its commander Jeff Schoep told the Miami New Times.