Mistaken Identity

It came out last week that the owners of an office supply company in Des Moines, whose last name happens to be Koch, have received at least one death threat after being confused with the owners of Koch Industries in Wichita:

A case of mistaken identity has entangled a small family-owned Des Moines company in union protests and led to a death threat.
Angry callers are mistaking Koch Brothers, a Des Moines office supply firm, with the brothers who own Koch Industries, the global energy conglomerate. … Dutch Koch, president of the Des Moines company, wants everyone to know he’s not one of those Koch brothers, and he’s not politically active.
“I initially thought it was humorous to be confused with a multibillionaire,” he said, but then a death threat was left on his answering machine. Koch reported the call to the FBI, which he said traced it to a California man. …
Since the start of the year, Koch said he’s received at least 20 emails and 15 calls from confused protesters.

In Minnesota, a trucking company called Koch Industries Inc. has evidently experienced similar problems. It recently added this disclaimer to its web site:

To our valued customers and visitors: In response to numerous inquiries, we wish to advise that we are not in any way associated, related, affiliated nor a part of the much larger “Koch Industries, Inc.” located in Wichita, Kansas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koch_Industries). We are likewise not associated in any way with its principal owners, brothers David H. Koch or Charles G. Koch, or any of their political activities or entities.

No word yet on what threats, harassment and abuse prompted that notice.
Most people take death threats seriously, but not, apparently, NPR. NPR finished its business report yesterday on what it seemed to consider a light note, with a segment titled “Dutch Koch Receives Death Threat By Mistake:”

MARY LOUISE KELLY, host: And our last word in business is the Brothers Koch. Charles and David Koch are the billionaire owners of a giant industrial conglomerate based in Wichita, Kansas. They’ve poured millions into conservative and anti-union causes. People who don’t like their politics have sent many critical emails and letters, even death threats to Dutch Koch.
RENEE MONTAGNE, host: You could also say that Dutch Koch is a Koch brother. He runs Koch Brothers Office Supplies in Des Moines, Iowa.
Mr. DUTCH KOCH (Koch Brothers Office Supplies): Well, it’s not business as usual for a little office supply company to have to field people who are virulent in their opinions regarding matters other than office supplies.
MONTAGNE: Dutch Koch says it’s not the first time he’s been mistaken for the other Kochs. People have also confused him with the big soda maker.
KELLY: He says he wants people to know he is not a billionaire, sadly, nor politically active. He does not say which cola he prefers.

Liberals threaten to murder the wrong guy? Ha ha ha! We sure have come a long way from Tucson. One wonders, though: how many death threats do you suppose the real Koch brothers have received? And is there a single person on the Left who has expressed concern about the frenzy of hate that has been stirred up against conservatives? I can’t think of one.

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