Pittsburgh shooter was fan of online conspiracy theories

Pittsburgh shooter was fan of online conspiracy theories

rawstory.com

The unemployed twenty-two year old man who killed three Pittsburgh police officers and wounded two others in a four-hour shootout on Saturday morning had been heavily influenced by extremist conspiracy theories prior to the incident.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Richard Poplawski was "convinced the nation was secretly controlled by a cabal that would eradicate freedom of speech, take away his guns and use the military to enslave the citizenry. ... He appeared to share a belief that the government was controlled from unseen forces, that troops were being shipped home from the Mideast to police the citizenry here, and that Jews secretly ran the country."

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is rather interesting... I found this at rawstory.com, and is usually better than mainstream media. What I found intriguing is that this is yet another attack on people who question authority.

I will reiterate the second portion of the second paragraphs:

"convinced the nation was secretly controlled by a cabal that would eradicate freedom of speech, take away his guns and use the military to enslave the citizenry. ...


This strictly contradicts views that are natural on ATS. This is from the Pittsburgh Gazette. Yet another attempt to discredit people who question the official stance? Obviously, this man had a problem, and I'm not defending his action, but the article tone is what startled me.

Add: ABC also ran a article:

DiMarco said his friend was "preparing for the end of the world," and that Poplawski had stockpiled bottled water and bags of rice. When asked why his friend had so many weapons, he replied, "for protection."

abcnews.go.com...

*If I find any other stories relating, I'll add them

rawstory.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 5-4-2009 by truth_seeker3]

I wonder if he was an ATS poster.

It wouldn't shock me, frankly.

There are a lot of people here that seriously believe Obama is going to institute some kind of Soviet USA, seize all private firearms, etc. even though this view has absolutely no basis in reality.

What started as ridiculous campaign-season FUD has become an article of faith to many here.

Sure, blame conspiracy theories for the actions of an insane person.

Blame the heavy metal songs for murder and suicide.

Blame RAP music for inner city crime and violence.

Blame video games for creating a new generation of violent criminals as well.

Blame The Saw movies for the actions of a murderer. etc and on and on and on....

Blame anything and everything except the criminal.

ATS you have now murdered in Pittsburgh.

You should all be locked up and censored before your theories can kill again, or worse that your theories can infect anyone else.

heavily influenced by extremist conspiracy theories

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Richard Poplawski was "convinced the nation was secretly controlled by a cabal that would eradicate freedom of speech, take away his guns and use the military to enslave the citizenry. ... He appeared to share a belief that the government was controlled from unseen forces, that troops were being shipped home from the Mideast to police the citizenry here, and that Jews secretly ran the country."

Demonization of those who seek conspiracy....

For the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to call it "extremist conspiracy theories" just shows they are slandering people as mental cases who follow conspiracy theories. I would bet that statement above in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette covers most of Alex Jones listeners and ATS members.

So there you go, your all labeled as crazy and dangerous to society. The new label for terrorist "Conspiracy Extremist."

[edit on 5-4-2009 by imitator]

reply to post by xmotex


I thought this when we first heard about it Saturday, from the thread here.

I would be very surprised if he was not a member here.


Raist

Demonization of those who seek conspiracy....

So are you contending that it isn't true, or just that it shouldn't be reported because it makes CT's look bad?

Are we supposed to be immune to criticism?

There's no need to "demonize" this guy, he was a scumbag that murdered three people.

[edit on 4/5/09 by xmotex]

reply to post by Walkswithfish


It has nothing to do with CTers as a whole. Every crowd gathers its nut cases.

You have to admit though that places such as ATS quite possibly collect a few more nut cases than many others. Not knocking my fellow members but you can quite clearly see this in some of the posts/threads here on ATS.

I really think this guy was a member here if not a lurker at the very least. If he were a member I would love to see the content of his posts/threads. I think we would clearly see this guy had a screw loose if we did.

Raist

reply to post by xmotex

There's no need to "demonize" this guy, he was a scumbag that murdered three people.

I agree with you on that....but....

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is demonizing CT's by association.


[edit on 5-4-2009 by imitator]

Originally posted by imitator
reply to post by xmotex

 

There's no need to "demonize" this guy, he was a scumbag that murdered three people.

I agree with you on that....but....

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is demonizing CT's by association.

[edit on 5-4-2009 by imitator]

Sounds reminiscent of how Christians, Muslims, Jews, and practically every other religion on the planet being demonized (on ATS) by someone claiming to be one of the above being a nut case.

Funny how things can come back to haunt us is it not?


No matter what group you are in there are ten others that are lunatics that will cause an issue and make you look bad if you allow them too.

Raist


[edit on 4/5/09 by Raist]

Interesting video concerning this topic...

Maher Calls Out Glenn Beck As Crazy Who Could Incite the McVeighs of America

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is demonizing CT's by association.

They're simply reporting the facts they have.

I've said it before, some elements of the right are going off the rails, and there will be violence - and now there has been. There will certainly be more.

If the facts don't make CT's look good, then maybe we need to take a long hard look at ourselves, instead of blaming those who report them.


[edit on 4/5/09 by xmotex]

There used to be a day when newspapers, radio, and TV reported on what are now called "conspiracy theories". There were reporters that spent lots of time poring over city hall records, payola schemes, corruption on all levels.

MSM News is very weak now, they cater to advertisers, rather than the consumers of their product. You just don't see hit pieces on their Cash Cows.

Yesterdays' news, is today's conspiracy theory.

reply to post by Raist


Would you like to know what your post tells me about you?

Of course there are nuts here, and everywhere.

From all walks of life, some with extremist views, some with "out there" conspiracy theories but...

You can't honestly buy this guilt by association bull# can you?

You have been here at ATS for some time now and have been exposed to conspiracy theories, perhaps you should consider turning yourself in for reprogramming before it is too late and you commit criminal acts, or worse murder.

What is really funny is that there has been several threads pertaining to weather or not violence is needed. I myself, as one of the more active and outspoken people when it comes to revolution, DO NOT condone wanton violence. I have expressly stated that violence souldne't occur unless it is done upon you. This would defeat any good part of our cause. HE DOES NOT represent conspiracy theorists. For that matter he DOES NOT represent the revolution movement.

Originally posted by truth_seeker3

This is rather interesting... I found this at rawstory.com, and is usually better than mainstream media. What I found intriguing is that this is yet another attack on people who question authority.

When will you (collectively, those who share these same beliefs) realize that you can question authority without shooting up a bunch of people!

This isn't an attack against people who question authority... this is an attempt at understanding what elements caused this guy to go off the rails.

I will reiterate the second portion of the second paragraphs:

"convinced the nation was secretly controlled by a cabal that would eradicate freedom of speech, take away his guns and use the military to enslave the citizenry. ...


This strictly contradicts views that are natural on ATS. This is from the Pittsburgh Gazette. Yet another attempt to discredit people who question the official stance?

Once again... how do you equate "massacring innocents" with "Questioning authority"

How unstable does someone have to be to equate shooting up innocent people with questioning authority?

Obviously, this man had a problem, and I'm not defending his action, but the article tone is what startled me.

Sure sounds like you are... So far your entire post has been in defense of this guy.

Add: ABC also ran a article:

DiMarco said his friend was "preparing for the end of the world," and that Poplawski had stockpiled bottled water and bags of rice. When asked why his friend had so many weapons, he replied, "for protection."

abcnews.go.com...

*If I find any other stories relating, I'll add them

rawstory.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 5-4-2009 by truth_seeker3]

This guy was a NUTJOB pure and simple who was inspired by the rhetoric of lesser nutjobs.

This is not questioning authority. If you recall, our forefathers questioned authority through long drawn out congresses of free men.

There is NO way you can call what this guy did questioning authority. This guy is nothing more than someone who has succumbed to paranoia. He is a fear based pariah who, thankfully has been killed.

At least half the human race are psychopaths nowadays. So what new.

Conspiracies appen, fact of life. i just wonder of all the victims of the 3 police man. Who have they murdered, while eing in the police, what about there justice. Police have so many nutcases, what about them??

Governemnet and police can get away with murder, and we call anyone who does it a nut, nice. I wonder how many on this site, may have driven people to suicide, or ratted them to the polcie for no reason so the police can kill them.

How many here on ats have had people killed or destroyed, there are bound to be loads in a community this big. Stop pretending, that this person is the only murderer, police are mostly made up of murderers. DDoes god judge one murder different than the next, i doubt it.

reply to post by Walkswithfish


You obviously did not read my post well enough or my other posts on this thread to understand me than.

I plainly said it has nothing to do with ATS or CTers because there are nuts in every group.

Here I’ll say it again for you in case you missed it in this post or my others.

It has nothing to do with ATS or CTers as a whole. But you have to admit we are more likely to attack nut cases than say a forum related to cars. There are nuts in every group not just ours. What really matters is the response you have to any criticism that comes from stories like this. You can either get defensive about it or try to prove there are nuts in all groups but most are not.

How is it affecting you? Are you getting defensive or are you going to correct any misconceptions given by such news?

Raist

If they told me he was a member of this forum I wouldn't be surprised. I feel justified in shooting down crackpot beliefs and hijacking threads even more so now.

reply to post by Raist


The possibility that this person was an ATS member is likely very near certain, I would not argue that.

Am I defensive?

Perhaps, but only against the notion that theories and ideas here on ATS or elsewhere could somehow fuel some paranoid delusional fantasies and be motive to murder.

In my posts in this thread my sarcasm should be obvious, though I hope it makes a point.