Knoxville, Tenn. police has released a statement that a letter in the car of church shooter Jim D. Adkisson reveals that he targeted the congregation due to its liberal views on civil liberties and women’s and gay rights. Adkisson killed two people at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in the middle of a children’s performance.
Chief Sterling Owen IV said Adkisson had a “stated hatred of the liberal movement.” He is now charged with first-degree murder. Among the complaints against the church was its founding of a chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
The children were performing “Annie” when Adkisson decided to kill people in the name of the true faith. According to reports, Greg McKendry, a 60-year-old usher and board member at the church, blocked the killer and was his first victim, click here.
It is simply astonishing that even a demented killer would think that God would want him to mow down Christians who are not sufficiently conservative, including children. Some reports indicate that he had problems with Christians in general, click here. It takes a lot of hate to walk into a scene of children performing in a religious sanctuary and turn it into a place of massacre. Of course, as with the Virginia Tech massacre, the story also reveals the best of humanity in those adults who confronted his man at the risk of their own lives. Had he not been restrained by church members, the death toll might have been much greater.
Ironically, the ACLU and these church members would likely be the first to defend Adkisson’s rights as he faces a potential death penalty for his alleged crimes.
For the latest on the story, click here.
BARTLEBEE PRESENTS
# DOM DEPLUME’S GREATIST HITS – DARK SIDE OF THE PLUME #
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And as you vent, and you advocate, you push an agenda that many on the right (and some in the center) grow concerned about.
😐
Given that level of rancor, is it any wonder that a member of a group that has become increasingly marginalized for years would, if he had the mental precondition, snap?
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I can understand, on some levels, why he is angry.
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After listening to some the left wing ranting going on here, it astonishes me that those on the left still wonder “why.”
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THE END?
Before anyone accuses me of creating a strawman, put his comments in context.
Here is the context
A. This thread is about a crazy right wing nut shooting up a Unitarian Christian church filled with people, killing 2, because he perceived them as liberal or left wing.
B. He opens his comments by mocking anyone here for wondering why this crazy right wing nut shot up a church full of liberals.
C. He concludes his comments by declaring he understands “on some level” why this guy was angry enough to open fire on a church full of liberals.
😐
Like it or not folks, you’ve all just been threatened, albeit subtly, with further assaults on liberals if you don’t tone down your rhetoric.
You can kid yourselves and say he wasn’t really making a threat, but he was implying one.
…uhh…let’s just say Vinnie and FlatNose Tony here just want to…er….take you for a ride….
Just like the mob does it.
Well if that one creeped you out Susan, take another look at his opening statement.
nom deplume
1, July 28, 2008 at 6:33 pm
After listening to some the left wing ranting going on here, it astonishes me that those on the left still wonder “why.”
Read that a few times, and then read that statement he made about “understanding on some level” why the guys angry.
Essentially, he just told everyone posting comments in support of the left wings positions on things, that they deserve to be shot by gunmen.
“I can’t speak to why he snapped, or why he hates. I have no facility for that. But I can understand, on some levels, why he is angry.”
Bartlebee wrote:
I hope everyone is taking note of this statement, because it speaks to the new mindset being pushed by the far right wingnuts like this chucklehead calling himself nom deplume.
This sort of subtle empathy with the killer, suggesting that a killer who killed people because they were “liberals”, is something he can “understand”.
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It does sound rather creepy. Rather like something Rush or Coulter would say. Neither of them are too fond (to put it mildly) of liberals either.
It is strange that Nondeplume says that he can understand why the killer was “angry” at liberals. Does that mean that NDP is also “angry” at Liberals? I sure hope that NDP does not own a gun. Because if you are angry at someone because they complain when the constitution is being dismantled by his righty friends, then it is OK to kill some people in a lefty church.
Nom Deplume “understands” why a guy would need to get a gun and go shoot and kill liberals in church.
😐
What’s even scarier is I’m not at all surprised.
Jill
1, July 28, 2008 at 8:11 pm
That is a strange thing to say when the guy wrote a letter laying out his motives. His letter is very clear
And even stranger to say he can “understand” his anger, ay?
Especially the day after the guy just opened fire on a church full of people.
I can’t speak to why he snapped, or why he hates. I have no facility for that.
Bartlebee,
That is a strange thing to say when the guy wrote a letter laying out his motives. His letter is very clear.
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…course.. I imagine for nom deplume it’s probably like looking in a mirror.
Besides.
Did mr ‘deplume’ get a look at the mug on this guy he’s busy “understanding”?
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This guy looks like a geriatric Snake Blisken.
nob deplume
1, July 28, 2008 at 6:33 pm
I can’t speak to why he snapped, or why he hates. I have no facility for that.
But I can understand, on some levels, why he is angry.
I hope everyone is taking note of this statement, because it speaks to the new mindset being pushed by the far right wingnuts like this chucklehead calling himself nom deplume.
This sort of subtle empathy with the killer, suggesting that a killer who killed people because they were “liberals”, is something he can “understand”.
😐
What he’s doing is seeding the thought with a degree of tolerance, and thats a bad thing to do.
Deplume,
I am giving you quotes about killing liberals and democrats directly from his letter. You don’t need to take my word for it, I gave the source for you to read yourself.
Deplume,
What’s an AWM? I don’t really see how you can claim liberal bias against the Association for Women in Mathematics.
nom deplume
1, July 28, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Imagine if the right advocated for you to be silenced, fired from your jobs or denied benefits because you harbor left wing thoughts
You mean like you guys did to the liberals in the Department of Justice, as outlined in a 140 page report just released by the Inspector Generals Office?
You mean like that?
😐
Yea… that’d suck.
nom deplume
1, July 28, 2008 at 6:33 pm
But I can understand, on some levels, why he is angry.
Of that there is no doubt.
😐
You rest my case.
nom deplume
1, July 28, 2008 at 6:33 pm
I would go so far as to profess that those on the left consider those on the right to be the enemy.
Well gee, considering its “those” on the right, that keep calling “those” on the left, “traitors”, it would seem the other way around now, wouldn’t it?
I wouldn’t worry about it though.
😐
Dyslexia never kept Einstein down.
Nondeplume,
You missed one significant point. The right wing through the illegal policies of George W. Bush and company, have tried to silence the left. With so-called Free Speech zones and having Secret Service and police arrest people at public appearances when they wear the shirt of their opponent or have a bumper sticker on their car for the candidate on the left. Have you not noticed that the EPA has been eviscerated under the Bush regime? I hope you read Prof. Turley’s posting about the politicization of the Justice Department. What about the Bush Administration’s denial of Science concerning Global Warming and its steps silence the NASA weather scientists who were trying to warn about global warming? Maybe I misread what you wrote, but you seem to be trying to tell us that this shooter was abused and marginalized by a regime that has brought the radical, religious right to the forefront, in violation of the separation of church and state. How has the left marginalized him and how can we when the far right has been in control of the White House for almost eight years and up until 2006, the Congress had been in the rights control for the prior 12 years. Are you sure you don’t have your thoughts reversed? And one more thing. George W. Bush and his minions on the Right have turned this country into a country that now tortures its enemies and prisoners as a policy matter. And you tell us that the left has marginalized this crazed killer?
The guy goes by “David” now, which I assume is his middle name.
I think thats significant since his first name is Jim (James). James is a Christian name, while David is effectively a Jewish name.
We know the guy grew up Christian;
From the article;
According to Massey, Adkisson talked frequently about his parents who “made him go to church all his life … he was forced to do that.”
Chances are this guy did mentally what so many “angry Christians” do, and got frustrated with the law of Jesus, and turned to the Old Testament to find some sort of rationale for his violent feelings.
This is why Jerry Falwell, so called “man of Christ”, always preached from the Old Testament. Because the 4 gospels just didn’t jive with his rage.
Res ipsa loquitur, indeed.
After listening to some the left wing ranting going on here, it astonishes me that those on the left still wonder “why.”
Here is a person, part of a demographic, socio-economic group that is persistently marginalized by the left. I would go so far as to profess that those on the left consider those on the right to be the enemy.
Read the text of some of your posts. Putting aside the genuine expressions of compassion and wonderment, the vitriol is unmistakable and these aren’t even that vitriolic compared to some I have read. And as you vent, and you advocate, you push an agenda that many on the right (and some in the center) grow concerned about. Given that level of rancor, is it any wonder that a member of a group that has become increasingly marginalized for years would, if he had the mental precondition, snap? You on the left want to reform and rehabilitate drug thugs, but think that AWM’s should be rounded up and locked away on an island somewhere.
Go back, read these and other posts, substitute “right wing” for left wing and consider how you would feel about the writer. Or go to the most vituperative right wing blogs you can find, and imagine that the writers want to impose their agendas on your lifes (although I suppose some of you already feel that this is happening) and will have the votes and political will to overrun your way of life. Imagine if the right advocated for you to be silenced, fired from your jobs or denied benefits because you harbor left wing thoughts, or have your fundamental rights denied to you because you were of the wrong demographic class. Something tells me that you would not much like it.
I can’t speak to why he snapped, or why he hates. I have no facility for that. But I can understand, on some levels, why he is angry.
Evidently, the letter does not show a hatred of Christianity per se. He hated this church because it was full of liberals and democrats whom he wanted to kill. His home has a bunch of right wing literature–a lot of names everyone knows.
I couldn’t get the link to work so just go to knoxnews.