Yet another 'sovereign citizen' leaves his bloody mark on the American landscape

Another "sovereign citizen" leaves his bloody mark on the American landscape

You all remember how the Right freaked out last year over that DHS bulletin for law enforcement warning that the nation was looking at a surge in right-wing domestic terrorism -- the kind of trend that always has lethal consequences for law enforcement personnel.

They were especially freaked out over a single footnote in the bulletin:

Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.

The report further detailed some of the antigovernment belief systems it was warning about, and how they would exploit the current circumstances:

Historically, domestic rightwing extremists have feared, predicted, and anticipated a cataclysmic economic collapse in the United States. Prominent antigovernment conspiracy theorists have incorporated aspects of an impending economic collapse to intensify fear and paranoia among like-minded individuals and to attract recruits during times of economic uncertainty. Conspiracy theories involving declarations of martial law, impending civil strife or racial conflict, suspension of the U.S. Constitution, and the creation of citizen detention camps often incorporate aspects of a failed economy. Antigovernment conspiracy theories and “end times” prophecies could motivate extremist individuals and groups to stockpile food, ammunition, and weapons. These teachings also have been linked with the radicalization of domestic extremist individuals and groups in the past, such as violent Christian Identity organizations and extremist members of the militia movement.

The bulletin, it turns out, could have been describing Jerry Kane.

C&L was one of the first news organizations to report that last Thursday's shootout in West Memphis, Arkansas, involved a far-right extremist named Jerry Kane and his 16-year-old son Joe, acting evidently on the paranoid belief systems they had been traveling the country promoting.

Now more details are emerging about Kane. And the portrait that is emerging is one that's becoming all too familiar: Yet another "sovereign citizen" radicalized by far-right belief systems, fully convinced that the American government and its laws are illegitimate, which gives them the right to act beyond the law.

And once they move beyond the law, anything is possible. This is why we've seen so many "sovereign citizens" acting out violently now, from Scott Roeder, the killer of Dr. Tiller, to James Von Brunn, the Holocaust Museum shooter, to Jerry Kane. This is also why we're seeing so many police officers -- seven in the past year alone -- mowed down by these far-right radicals.

Just curious about all the people who were railing against the DHS report (which was written under Bush) on rightwing extremists...where are they now? Why aren't they showing themselves?

Yet another "Southern Poverty Law Center" hit piece.

Need I say more...

Funny this comes up on the day msnbc runs a hit piece on "the new right" which is supposed to label alex jones and the like as violent extremists...

[edit on 16-6-2010 by alaskan]

Yeah are you talking about laws as in "gravity" or in the sense of laws or rights with reference to the religious quacks that claim power over many people or the imaginary made up junk they try to make others pray to thier "law and order" nonexistent Zeus in the sky?

Originally posted by zzombie
Yet another "Southern Poverty Law Center" hit piece.

Need I say more...

Um, yes?

You could address the article, rather than dismiss the messenger.

If this article was about, say, MUSLIMS doing these thing I have a feeling that you wouldn't be so dismissive of the source.

reply to post by mothershipzeta


I certainly would. If the report was about brain eating zombies or pedophile paleolithic amphibians I'd still write it off as fear-mongering SPLC drivel.

Any lunatic can claim any motive for his actions. And any external group can attribute any motive to the actions of another.

It's stupid.

I assume you must be equally terrified my the "muslim threat" then? Maybe worried all those gays will spread the gay to your children?

Oh, what a frightening world!!!! Anybody and everybody is out to get me!!!!!

Look out, here come a bunch of Mexicans. They'll force rice and beans into the cafeterias.

That post only proves to me that just because you're paranoid,it doesn't mean that they're not after you! You read things nearly everyday where someone gets a constitutional right stripped from them,or an over zealous L.E.O. over stepping their bounds and assaulting a civilian. IMO it's time for people to get a little paranoid!!

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere
reply to post by mothershipzeta

 

I certainly would. If the report was about brain eating zombies or pedophile paleolithic amphibians I'd still write it off as fear-mongering SPLC drivel.

Any lunatic can claim any motive for his actions. And any external group can attribute any motive to the actions of another.

It's stupid.

I assume you must be equally terrified my the "muslim threat" then? Maybe worried all those gays will spread the gay to your children?

Oh, what a frightening world!!!! Anybody and everybody is out to get me!!!!!

Look out, here come a bunch of Mexicans. They'll force rice and beans into the cafeterias.

You must be hanging out at Tea Party rallies. Muslims, gays, Mexicans...that's where you hear all of the above.

And the "sovereign citizens" are the ones crying that the gov't is out to get them!

Your cognitive dissonance is impressive. But your misdirection isn't helping your cause.