Other articles by Craig Anderson:

Phoenix is near top in road rage, No. 1 in sweat Saving horses at the brink Apache Junction horse lovers ride to the rescue Self-described hippie is locked in unpeaceful battle over acreage Gilbert is the destination of a 21st century land rush

Other articles by Jason Massad:

Pinal worker among 4 charged in ID theft Country Thunder snag rumbles into Florence Incoming Pinal sheriff vows major shake-up Queen Creek offers high-voltage-line route Fund reports shed light on Pinal campaigns

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Fear of foreign threats real and perceived, anger at the loss of America's post-9/11 unity, mounting apprehension about future security and prosperity — these served as the fuel.

A Mesa city councilman's protest gesture was the spark.

The vitriolic public reaction to Tom Rawles' silence during the Pledge of Allegiance at Monday's council meeting now includes death threats that have prompted police to place him under 24-hour protection at work and home.

Still, even the latest development should come as no surprise, given Arizonans' unease about divisive issues such as illegal immigration and the war in Iraq, local historians say.

"You can't separate this out from the broader context of what's going on in the world," said Craig Allen, associate professor of media history at ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. "It's just one of those times when people are mad as hell."

Rawles has received a handful of death threats in the days since announcing he would not recite the national pledge during public meetings, meant as a show of opposition to the Bush administration's decision to deploy more troops to Iraq.

Mesa police spokesman Sgt. Chuck Trapani said a 24-hour security detail has been escorting Rawles until police can assess the likelihood of an attack.

It's uncertain how long the investigation will take, because Rawles is still receiving new threats, he added.

Trapani said that in his 12 years with Mesa police, no statement or action by an elected official has engendered such a menacing backlash.

Rawles, a lawyer and former Maricopa County Supervisor, was dismayed that three-fourths of the calls to his office have been in opposition. Just one in four callers offered support.

"It depresses the hell out of me, to tell you the truth," he said. "I didn't disrupt the meeting; I didn't whistle, whoop, yell."

Rawles remained adamant that the decision to express his political dissent is an act of patriotism and said he plans to continue the protest.

"I think the point is getting through — people are thinking," he said.