No Surprises Here

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By the way, folks, you know that guy who killed two women and wounded several others in a movie theater in Louisiana the other day? He was an anti-feminist, anti-abortion, teabagger neo-Nazi whackjob.

“He was opposed to women having a say in anything”: The ugly views of America’s latest mass shooter
Associates say John Russell Houser was an anti-feminist who supported fascist political movements”

“Portrait of Louisiana Killer: Liked Hitler and Hated Liberals”

“Lafayette Theater Shooter Fan of David Duke, Neo-Nazis, and Antigovernment Conspiracies”

This guy was so far Right that even Jim Hoft couldn’t think of any way to argue he was really a liberal. However, Houser had a history of mental health issues, which righties are using to argue that his political views are irrelevant.

Dear Righties: If having “mental health issues” means political or religious motivations are irrelevant, then Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez can’t be called a terrorist. You can’t use mental health issues to excuse white men and not everybody else.

IMO most of the time in these situations, you’ve got someone with emotional or behavioral problems but who is not psychotic. “Not psychotic” means he was capable of making reasoned decisions and knowing right from wrong. So, it’s a combination of someone who is emotionally or socially distressed and who also has some big, honking opinions. Probably both factors need to be present to create a mass killer. This accounts for most terrorism as well, IMO.

Are Louisiana movie theaters “gun free zones,” by the way? I doubt it.

The bigger picture is how easily this guy got guns. He not only had a history of “mental health issues”; he also had a history of domestic violence (for which law enforcement seems to have given him lots of passes) and other threatening behavior. Steve M has details.

23 thoughts on “No Surprises Here”

  1. Wow!
    Another angry right wing white guy goes on a gun killing spree!
    Whodathunk it, right?

    Soon, the news will be people who successfully went to the movies, or the mall, or their church, and didn’t get shot!
    Oy…..

  2. Dear Righties: If having “mental health issues” means political or religious motivations are irrelevant, then Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez can’t be called a terrorist. You can’t use mental health issues to excuse white men and not everybody else.

    Maha: this would only apply if logical consistency had any meaning or value to wingnuts. These are, after all, the same folks who simultaneously accuse President Obama of being a socialist out to destroy the free market–and a practitioner of crony capitalism.

  4. “by the way, folks, you know that guy who killed two women and wounded several others in a movie theater in Louisiana the other day? He was an anti-feminist, anti-abortion, teabagger neo-Nazi whackjob”

    Been out of town but read something in a small Seattle paper that this fuckstick was somewhat of a local bayou radio star, the host knew he was nuts but it made great radio! This gun thing is getting stupid, righty white this week , righty brown last week, hmmm. Doug, you didn’t take the deal? If I were you I’d keep the elephants at home.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv2FqieK7YY

  6. There’s no other way to describe random, senseless murders than tragic. The righties are correct – no law will eliminate access to guns. There are too many in circulation. On the other hand, no regulation will eliminate automobile acidents. Yet we continue to put up guardrails where the hazard is severe. People will still run off the road and sometimes get killed where there’s no guard rail.

    We need to limit access to guns, when the objective is to prevent unqualified persons unlimited access. IMO, people who want guns need to show proficiency consistent with the kind of gun and the reason for ownership. How you ‘qualify’ some one for gun ownership will be debated – which is fine. But legislators need to stem the bleeding.

    uncledad – I don’t think a trial should happen. It’s a circus which the authorities are demanding to ‘make an example’ of me. The elephant in the room is the corruption of Congress, which no one in polite society inside the DC beltway will discuss. I’m gonna talk about it – in the courtroom if I can. Outside the courtroom and outside the beltway where the rule of ignoring graft doesn’t hold. If the authorities insist on a trial – we shall see who makes an example of whom. I think the elephants I can bring will be more entertaining than the clown car charges they have.

    oh, this is extremely well done. The artist sent it to me.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yzkvqrYFR4

  7. Ah, Gov. Booby J. has issued the typical “Christian” conservative NRA advocates trope after another senseless gun massacre”
    “We all need to pray.”

    No, Booby J., we all need to work to pass sensible gun control laws!
    But, THAT ain’t happenin’ any time soon!

    Besides, “we all need to pray,” my other favorite is that it’s always “too soon” after a gun tragedy to talk about any form of gun control.

    Well, yeah!
    D’OH!
    We seem to have another mass gun murder just as the final shovelful of dirt is put on the graves of the last victims.
    So, it’s ALWAYS too soon!

  8. Doug: Love that music video.
    I think you may have intuitively chosen the elephant. According to Hindu beliefs, Ganesha is the elephant god, Lord of success and destroyer of evil and obstacles. I still haven’t learned how to do links but hinduism.about.com gives more information about Ganesha. I sincerely hope this fiasco doesn’t lead to trial but if it does, bring all the elephants you can. I know I will be there in spirit.

  9. A Texas legislator wants to allow people to carry guns into hospitals— you know, in case your first 6 shots didn’t kill that rival gang member. Seems, from politicalwire, the law maker had to walk to his car through a dark parking structure. In a non-bizarro version of the U.S. Of A., one might go with better lighting, blue boxes, security cams– some combination. The legislator does not feel manly enough without enhancing his endowments with a .45 caliber strap-on. Pathetic.

  10. Tom_b,
    From the early to the mid ’80’s, I was a bartender and bouncer in the East Village, Lower East Side, and “Alphabet Jungle,” of NY City.

    I often walked to the nearest subway for 10-20 minutes through some rough neighborhoods.
    From 1am to 5am.
    Unarmed.
    Carrying my tips and shift-earning every night.

    This un-endowed TX coward would have had to change his Depends every half a block, if he’d had to go through those neighborhoods.

    When did we become such a nation of wussies?!?!?!

  11. Cool song, Doug. I accidentally posted a similar comment on another post. That pesky old dementia again.

  13. Yeah, but, remember when that far-left vegan lesbian went and shot up that McDonalds because she said McDonalds was poisoning America?? Yeah, me neither.

  14. Grannyeagle – here I am, an agnostic, on a site run by a Buddhist, being schooled on a Hindu elephant deity – to advance a purely secular agenda on liberty. I love it. Thank you.

  16. Doug,
    I had stuff to do earlier for me and my mom, so I waited ’til I could enjoy the song.
    And I loved it!
    And the best thing is, a the end of the ballad, you’re still alive!
    Too bad Phil Ochs is long gone, he’d have done another great version!!!

  17. “When did we become such a nation of wussies?!?!?!”

    I knew a woman in college, a Stonewall veteran, who worked the overnight shift at a Village 7-11, who told a dude who walked into the store and stuck a gun in her face (in the ’70’s) to “f*ck off”.

  18. “Outside the courtroom and outside the beltway where the rule of ignoring graft doesn’t hold”

    I would like to think I would fight the charges, I understand that. My problem is no one really understood the landing, the media never reported the story, I doubt they will get too truthful with the trial. I would really love it if a large mob of rightious free thinkers would get behind you, but at what cost to you?

  19. “far-left vegan lesbian went and shot up that McDonalds”

    Buckyblue, if only they were shooting up stuff, god fearing mericans know how to shoot back. It’s the turning everyone queer thats the problem, forcing them to gay marry and all! There is good news the american coal industry is in the crapper , production down 25%, seems that all powerful colored guy convinced China to cut back on charcoal!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yNrPYinIrw

  23. I’ve always liked the Roches. Thanks for the link. I’ll have to dig out their CDs.

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