Yet another unsettling episode illustrating the mind of the fundamentalist conservative.

Thomas Hackbarth, a Republican state rep from Cedar, MN, was armed with a .38 revolver when he was spotted leaving his pickup truck in the parking lot of a Planned Parenthood. The PP office - which was closed at the time - has been the scene of anti-choice protests, and Hackbarth opposes abortion rights.

Illustration from tpaine13

I think I can be forgiven for mentally filling in the blanks at this point: crazy whackjob seeks his own "justice" when his version of God isn't accepted by everyone. Not like that would be new.

But no, it goes someplace even darker.

Hackbarth explained he didn't know that he'd parked at a PP facility - he'd happened to pull off the road there. No, he thought his kind-of girlfriend might be seeing a man without telling him, so he was out there tracking her down. With his gun.

He offers this as his explanation as though it were utterly understandable and acceptable.

To their credit, the St. Paul police were concerned with this, um, questionable attitude, arrested him, and took him in. But no charges were filed. Hackbarth took his gun and went home. He's now stripped of his leadership in the state legislature.

The internets are all a-holler with this story, so you can find more if you like on this particular incident. I'm more intrigued - and frankly concerned - about its undertones of maladjustment. Misogyny. Anger. The insistence on controlling the life and behavior of others, with the implicit threat of violence behind it.

Were this one chilling instance - well, it would still be alarming, but that's all. But it's textbook example Number Infinite of the link between vehemently expressed conservative political and religious beliefs and apparently poor mental or social health. Stop and think:

George W. Bush

Glenn Beck

The "Tides" shooter

The Ft. Hood shooter

Coincidence does not prove causality. All of the above show at least some indication of poor social adjustment, perhaps delusions, definitely a drive to control others.

Before I throw open the central question for your consideration, let me register this emphatic disclaimer: I do not believe that to have religious convictions is to be demonstrably inferior in any way. I don't believe being religious means being stupid or gullible. I decry and reject the superior tone some atheists take, their apparent joy in deriding those whose beliefs differ. Not only is it rude and insensitive - it doesn't productively forward any conversation.

That said, I'm starting to believe that conservative fundamentalist ideology - that which:

• dictates that followers carry the only truth;
• dictates punishment or conversion for those outside the ideology; and
• mandates infliction of beliefs and behaviors on non-believers (e.g., Christian Reconstructionism) through government.

can only thrive where mental health and social adjustment are compromised.  In other words, a well-adjusted human being at home in his/her own skin, capable of critical, logical thinking, comfortable with life's uncertainties and cognizant of the rights of others, could never buy into - well, you name it: extreme Christianism, Sharia, fundamentalist Mormonism - I'm sure you can add to this list.

I'm inspired to research a corollary: that America's Republican Right is manipulated by leaders who know this to be true, and who thrive through willingness to compromise our educational and mental health systems. I won't firmly posit that until I've spent some time on the theory. In the meantime - what's your take on this? Does it stand up to scrutiny? Demonstrably true, false on its face, or so obvious it's not worth discussing?