Last summer, Jim Adkisson (pictured above) walked into a Knoxville (Tennessee) Unitarian Universalist Church and opened fire with a shotgun. He killed two people and injured several others. At the time, it was believed to either be a personal crime against someone he knew, or the act of a mentally unstable person. It turns out that neither was true. This was a hate crime.
He was a complete stranger to the people in the church, and seemed to know exactly what he was doing. He was saving America from "liberals". He turns out to be a right-wing conservative nut. Police found books by Michael Savage, Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity in his home. He quoted from a conservative book by Bernard Goldberg, and very probably also enjoyed the hate speech of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter.
He was not confused or disoriented when he committed the heinous crime against unarmed and peaceful church-goers. He was carrying out the orders of his right-wing heroes, who had filled him with the hate-filled belief that only those who agree with them are patriotic Americans, and it's OK to commit violence against anyone who disagrees -- even heroic.
On February 8th, Adkisson was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murders, but he still shows no remorse for his actions. In fact, he calls for other right-wingers to follow his lead and kill "liberals". He gave the Knoxville newspaper a four page "manifesto" which contained the following:
"Know this if nothing else: This was a hate crime. I hate the damn left-wing liberals. There is a vast left-wing conspiracy in this country & these liberals are working together to attack every decent & honorable institution in the nation, trying to turn this country into a communist state. Shame on them....
“This was a symbolic killing. Who I wanted to kill was every Democrat in the Senate & House, the 100 people in Bernard Goldberg’s book. I’d like to kill everyone in the mainstream media. But I know those people were inaccessible to me. I couldn’t get to the generals & high ranking officers of the Marxist movement so I went after the foot soldiers, the chickenshit liberals that vote in these traitorous people. Someone had to get the ball rolling. I volunteered. I hope others do the same. It’s the only way we can rid America of this cancerous pestilence.”
“I thought I’d do something good for this Country Kill Democrats til the cops kill me....Liberals are a pest like termites. Millions of them Each little bite contributes to the downfall of this great nation. The only way we can rid ourselves of this evil is to kill them in the streets. Kill them where they gather. I’d like to encourage other like minded people to do what I’ve done. If life aint worth living anymore don’t just kill yourself. do something for your Country before you go. Go Kill Liberals."
Adkisson is right where he needs to be -- in prison for the rest of his life. But there are some other criminals who will not be punished for their crimes. I'm talking about the people who filled him with hatred for his fellow Americans. The ones who convinced him that it's permissable to be violent toward anyone who's not a conservative.
Hannity, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Savage, Goldberg and Coulter (and others like them who spew hate speech) are complicit in this crime.
Seriously, you think people that speak opinions contrary to yours are criminals?
ReplyDeleteDo you have any idea how fascist that sounds?
None of those commentators you have mentioned advocated the killing of anyone.
How can you sit there and say this guy isn't a nut for killing those people, especially after reading what you quoted of his letter?
This is beyond nuts. I knew you were off the deep end but this post is quite extreme. This kind of rhetoric isn't going to build any bridges. Unless of course that isn't your intention and you simply intend to plow over any obstacle that stands in building your "bridges" of hatred.
If Limbaugh and all of them are as bad as you say, then you labeling them and people that disagree with you as criminals makes you even worse.
If you think Coulter and her friends haven't threatened liberals, then you haven't been paying attention.
ReplyDeleteIf it is so easy the provide a source for your accusations.
ReplyDeleteComplicity in crime is the charge, as I note. Bodacious makes the next several unsupported steps, saying that jobsanger says anyone who doesn't agree with him is a criminal. That's totally different from saying that preaching hate is complicit when those who absorb that hate then go out and commit heinous crimes based on that absorbed dogma. Sadly, when you are speaking with an unbalanced group and point it toward unbalanced feelings, you are one step behind that 'smoking gun'. Directly, intentionally, behind it.
ReplyDeleteBodacious makes the next several unsupported steps...
ReplyDeleteNot at all. You and Jobsanger are sitting here calling what all those commentators say "hate."
Also, recall that jobsanger said "But there are some other criminals who will not be punished for their crimes. I'm talking about the people who filled him with hatred for his fellow Americans. The ones who convinced him that it's permissable to be violent toward anyone who's not a conservative."
He labeled them criminals.
Limbaugh and the rest are can only be accused of those kinds of things and being complicit if there is an extreme stretch of what they are saying.
Also, given that a vast majority of conservative opinions are shared with Limbaugh and the rest and are blatantly opposed to jobsangers views, how are other people, holding the same views as Limbaugh, not also criminals?
When opposing opinions are declared as hate, we have real problems here.
Thank you Jobsanger and Ruth, your points are well made, I wonder if Bodacious will even consider them, in right wing radio, there is a constant barrage against Liberals, Michael Savage, just to name one habitual offender, has and is doing a heck of a good living by bashing and demonizing Liberals, sadly, when I look at by Liberal contributions to society in work place conditions and benefits, health, safety, arts, etc., of which I'm sure Bodacious and people of his ilk have benefited from them, is he ready to work from sun up to sundown without overtime pay? Work 7 days weeks? Not take vacations or sick leave? It is hard to imagine how they believe the propaganda they are regularly fed, we are destroying this country? It is pure projection and you get all the evidence if you just look at what conservatives / republicans, which are neither conservatives nor republicans, have done, bodacious, your side claim to be Patriots, serve you country by informing yourself
ReplyDeleteJobsenger, again thank you, it is very important to bring awareness to what is happening at 'hate-radio'
I feel that the people quoted in the 4 page memo and the books found, are valid grounds to ask the question you raised.
On Thursday, August 7, 2008 I posted this item on one of my blogs, check the def for "accessory":
Are M. Savage, B. O'Reilly and S. Hannity Guilty of Accessory to Murder?
Accessory
*
Law.
1. One who incites, aids, or abets a lawbreaker in the commission of a crime but is not present at the time of the crime. Also called accessory before the fact.
So...do you think these right-wing attention whores (Limbaugh, Coulter, etc.) should be arrested and charged with a crime?
ReplyDeleteWhat about others who may be "complicit" in this crime? His parents who raised his sorry ass? His white-trash friends who may have encouraged him?
This is a slippery slope.
You are absolutely right, it is a slippery slope, however, what do you do when this man sets out to kill Liberals and states his desire to kill all Liberals based on the information he has been getting from the shock jocks?
ReplyDeleteThe least we can do is talk about it and ponder as to what extent the inflammatory language coming from their mouths, bears a responsibility on the state of mind they create on people in their audience.
We don't know if his parents did teach him to hate groups based solely on their belief in equality and acceptance for all, but if they did, then we'd have to also ponder on their responsibility, or guilt, if their child took action on the hate-full feelings they incited in him.
"Innocent until proven guilty" That's what I believe, but I also believe that the question should be asked, which is what both, jobsanger and I, did; specially if it is not being asked, notwithstanding that there are clear indications of a direct correlation between inciting hate and intolerance with words, and the violence been committed against the people being targeted.
Do you think that we liberals are ruining this country? Or, are they inciting hate with lies and misinformation?
Food for thought question that I wish right wing radio listeners could entertain, ponder and independently research.
Talk about it...ponder it...food for thought...blah blah blah.
ReplyDeleteShould they be arrested and charged with a crime?
I don't think so. Of course, I kind of like the free speech thingy.
Recently I encountered a group that was espousing killing Jews because they occupied their homeland. We call that terrorism. Advocating killing for any reason is nothing other than mindless terrorism, wherever it occurs. See: OK city bombing.
ReplyDeleteYou did not answer the question. In your opinion, should Limbaugh, Coulter, etc. be arrested and charged with a crime?
ReplyDeleteIf it is found that there is enough evidence to suggest they bear responsibility in the commission of the crime by inciting it, yes.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a lawyer, I'm just asking a question that I hope an authority in the Judicial System with Jurisdiction in the municipality where the crime was committed, in this case, Knoxville, needs to consider and decide to move and build a case to present before a Judge for a ruling in whether or not a crime has been committed and that the accused should be charged and refers the matter to a trial.
But to get to that stage, a Prima Facie case has to be established as per Common Law Jurisdiction, to do this, all of the evidence for the Prima Facie case has to be presented and rebuttals need to be heard in a Court of Law, then, and only then, they could be charged.
I'll not apologize for "the ponder... food for thought... blah, blah, blah" comment that you so readily dismiss, because intentionally I set out to prepare myself so as to being able to express my thoughts, to convey and comprehend compound sentences and complex issues such as the one at hand, instead of your preferred mode of using jingoistic-bumper-sticker slogans with a few simple words.
And, least be left unsaid, I'm not ambivalent on the First Amendment, I don't 'kind of like it' I firmly believe in it and I don't think of it as a 'thingy'
Does that answer your question?
Good the see the far-left nutjob fringe element feels the same way about free-speech rights as the far-right wingnuts.
ReplyDeleteOK.
ReplyDeleteThere was a direct two part question about the shock jocks in radio and tv that I asked you and that you have yet to answer, do you think you can do that now?
Do you think that we liberals are ruining this country? Or, are they inciting hate with lies and misinformation?
As long as you agree with the Socialist Democrats on everything, you are a correct thinking person; when you have a contrary thought, you beconme the enemy and are assigned negative labels.
ReplyDeleteDear Bopper:
ReplyDeleteNotwithstanding your comment is off-topic on the subject at hand, I'll take a few minutes to respond because I found amazing the ease is which you regurgitate right wing talking points without any reflection on the validity of them.
There is a world of difference in the conclusions on your way of 'not-thinking' vs. the way honest thinking people arrive at them.
You just take what you are told at face value, whereas we look at all aspects of the debate, take for instance 'Socialist' practices and legislation:
Democrats tend to favor the working middle and lower class citizens when awarding assistance, unless you are super rich, which I doubt, most likely you, members of your family and friends, have benefited from Democratic legislation which the Republicans have faithfully opposed, such as unenployment and disability insurance, social security, etc., have you or the people in your circle refused these benefits when you needed them? Please, feel free to think about other Democrat Socialist legislation benefits, and while you are at it, please share with us which ones you, or your circle of like-minded individuals have refused to use.
Republicans / Conservatives (Which are neither), always, let me repeat it, always are in favor of Welfare for the Corporations and have waged an aggressive war on the middle class to the point that it is almost non-existent today, they are the ones who have shipped your jobs overseas, raised your taxes and lowered them for the Corporations, not only that, they have allowed these Corporations to declare earnings from off-shore accounts, thus skirting their Patriotic duty to contribute to the well being of our Nation, so we can pay police and fire service, build roads, you know, things we really need.
Just in the last eight years, people with your way of "Thinking(?)", have supported Corporate Welfare / Socialism to an obscene level, you helped them pick your already slim pockets, amazing, truly amazing!!!
RE "Labels", let's see how well informed you are on the subject, could you please provide a few concrete examples?