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An Army veteran, a recent college graduate and a student who once won a poetry contest by condemning prejudice stirred up by the Sept. 11 attacks intervened as a man screamed anti-Muslim insults at two women in Portland, Ore., on Friday.
[...] Two of the men — Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23, and Rick Best, 53 — died in the attack, which occurred on a commuter train. The third, Micah David-Cole Fletcher, 21, was treated on Saturday for injuries that the police said were serious but not life-threatening.
Jeremy Christian, 35, of North Portland, Ore., was charged with two counts of aggravated murder in the attack and could face additional charges when he is arraigned on Tuesday. Mr. Christian, who the authorities said had a history of making extremist statements on social media, was ranting at, and talking disparagingly about, the two women, one of whom was wearing a hijab.
Source: The New York Times
President Donald Trump has released his first official statement on the attack in Portland, Oregon, more than 48 hours after the two victims died.
"The violent attacks in Portland on Friday are unacceptable," Mr Trump tweeted. "The victims were standing up to hate and intolerance. Our prayers are w/ them."
Source: The Independent
Portland law enforcement leaders were tightlipped Saturday about the investigation into Friday's attacks that killed two men on a light rail train but a federal official did say it was too early to label the incident a hate crime.
[...] Loren Cannon, special agent in charge of the Portland FBI office, [...]
"It's too early to say whether last night's violence was an act of domestic terrorism or a federal hate crime," he said. "However, in the coming days, the FBI, PPB and the prosecutors will work together to share information, leverage resources and make determinations about future criminal charges."
[...] Leaders of the Muslim community said they were thankful for the men who gave their lives to save the girls from harm. They have raised $50,000 toward a goal of $60,000 to help support the victims and their families.
Source: The Oregonian
(Score: 5, Informative) by takyon on Tuesday May 30 2017, @04:09AM (24 children)
From the description of the event I read, the man got into an argument, and eventually started stabbing. It wasn't premeditated, it wasn't calculated to further a political goal. It doesn't satisfy many definitions of terrorism:
TMB, if you are reading this, I think I have found a small bug with the spoiler tag. You need to add a line break (or probably a space character) between <spoiler> and a URL if you want the URL to be automatically converted to a hyperlink.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @04:28AM (7 children)
The question of premeditation is kind of a misdirection. The evidence is this guy had been working himself up to a constant state of agitation. It was only a matter of time before he popped off. The exact specifics of attack were probably not planned, but an attack was practically inevitable. Not unlike that guy in Chapel Hill [newyorker.com] who killed three muslim neighbors - the specific argument might have been the spark, but he had been piling up the mental kindling for months if not years.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday May 30 2017, @08:56AM (6 children)
"guy in Chapel Hill" doesn't appear to be Christian, or right wing, really.
"On Facebook, Hicks presented himself as a libertarian gun enthusiast and an “anti-theist” who wanted “religion to go away.” "
I did a search for his image. He looks white - a white bullet-head Neanderthal maybe. Alright, alright, he's white. But, you can do away with the "Christian", as well as "right wing".
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/fivepoints/craig-stephen-hicks-guns-anti-theism [talkingpointsmemo.com]
"Hicks declared his support for marriage equality and the LGBT community in general in several posts on his Facebook page over the years.
“I am not gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, pansexual, intersex, or asexual,” one recent post read. “I just support this crazy thought that everyone should have equal rights.”
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @01:29PM (3 children)
> "guy in Chapel Hill" doesn't appear to be Christian, or right wing, really.
Who said he was?
Me thinks the lady doth protest too much.
But, since you zeroed in on LGBTQ rights, funny thing, the alt-reich is all about support for teh gays, witness milo pedopolous.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday May 30 2017, @03:54PM (1 child)
The link was provided in the course of a discussion about "white, Christian, far right terrorists". This guy only gets one out of three - that was the whole point.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @05:10PM
Well, if talking about white christian terrorists is all that is required to start throwing links around:
Robert Dear [usatoday.com]
Sean Christopher Urbanski [fox2now.com]
Allen Scarsella [atlantablackstar.com]
Mitchell W. Adkins [washingtontimes.com]
James Harris Jackson [washingtonpost.com]
Jerad and Amanda Miller [foxnews.com]
Nah. But no one mentioned them, did they?
That's because the key factor wasn't who they were, but who they attacked.
Only your pussy, triggered mayo ass couldn't see that since you share their animus.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @03:57PM
Only in the most cynical way possible. They needed to illustrate that they're better than the brown people who worship a differently-branded desert religion somehow.
I'm not holding my breath for the "alt-reich" (as you put it) to come out in opposition of bathroom laws. Making the concession of gay marriage is acceptable to them. (Somebody must have realized that gay marriage does not cause anybody who wants to get straight married to lose anything.) They certainly hate us filthy gays and want us to die, but they just like to let us know they're in no particular hurry and fine if it's AIDS or poverty that does the job. Makes 'em feel like better people than their Moslem bogeyman that way.
And speaking of, Milo was the perfect LGBTQIFAOMGWTFBBQ poster boy for them. Yeah, this Milo guy, isn't he fantastic! Look at all those #salty tears he extracts from those leftist commies! And plus he proves our theory that LGBT identities are the result of childhood sexual abuse and are comorbid with pedophilia! What luck!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @09:53PM (1 child)
No, we cannot! That is how we spot the right-wing nut-jobs, Runaway! You of all people should know that, since it is what gets you tolerated, until you go on about abortion and women's armpits (or is that Eth?). "White Male (you forgot that part) Christians are the main source of terrorism in the America, so we cannot do away with those categories: they are useful. And useful because they correlate to reality.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @10:03PM
so keep running your mouth
(Score: 4, Informative) by NotSanguine on Tuesday May 30 2017, @04:34AM (9 children)
My understanding was that the attacker was harassing, with hate-filled language and possibly the threat of violence, two teenage girls, both brown, with one wearing a hijab. The three men intervened (as I might, as I despise a bully) and were stabbed for their efforts.
I agree this wasn't a "terrorist" (that term is thrown around with a lot of inaccuracy these days) act, but it was one fueled by hate and intolerance. Certainly heinous and, assuming the facts described are accurate, the attacker deserves to spend a long time in a small cell, alone with his hate.
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @05:05AM (8 children)
security video from the train shows he'd made threats towards the driver (who sits in front in locked cab) as well.
This piece of white trash deserves to be blown from a cannon, his head retrieved, and set on a pike in Pioneer Courthouse Square for the crows to pick clean.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by NotSanguine on Tuesday May 30 2017, @06:10AM (7 children)
I disagree. Why give such a worthless piece of garbage the sweet release of death? Let him contemplate the fact that he will never see another free day ever again. Let him sit in his 6x9 cell and contemplate the stupidity and hate that put him where he will be *until he dies*.
I think that would be a much worse punishment. Killing him just lets him off the hook, IMHO.
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 2, Interesting) by anubi on Tuesday May 30 2017, @08:29AM
I am for submitting his lousy ass for medical research, in lieu of those hapless animals who end up there.
He took a life; his is now forfeit. Hate to waste a perfectly good biomechanism. Maybe in his death he can make some repayment for that which he took.
If nothing else... organ donor.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday May 30 2017, @08:31AM (4 children)
The problem with that is, some sympathetic judge and/or parole board will set him free. The Lockerby bomber was turned loose eventually for "humanitarian reasons". Here in the states, a "life sentence" may mean as little as five years in prison.
Blow the sumbitch away, and he'll never be a worry to anyone again.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @02:38PM (3 children)
> The Lockerby bomber was turned loose eventually for "humanitarian reasons".
>
> Blow the sumbitch away, and he'll never be a worry to anyone again.
He had cancer and was basically permanently attached to an IV. He wasn't a worry to anyone.
So by your own logic his release was ok.
What, logic isn't really the point of your argument?
Who would have guessed?
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday May 30 2017, @03:52PM (2 children)
How much intelligence did he possess? Was he capable of passing that intel on to Khadaffy, or any other interested parties? Terminal illness? Let the bastard terminate in a cell block. Don't turn him loose because you suddenly feel sorry for him.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @05:12PM
Again, not an argument that has anything to do with worrying about what he might do.
You are so twisted up you don't even realize when you are confirming the accusations against you.
Kind of like a certain president manbaby.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @09:58PM
I ask myself this about some people all the time. Some of the time I ask it about Runaway. And it is obvious that we cannot "blow away" Runaway because of his intelligence, but Brenda down at the Dew Drop Inn has no such reservations.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @05:21PM
The problem with such protracted punishment if the matter of payment of the associated costs to keep him 1. alive and 2. in the USA.
If you wish to pay the full bill for such punishment yourself (or can round up enough volunteers), then go right ahead.
Where I object, though, is where you hold a gun to my head to extract funds from me to pay for keeping the person you want to punish fed and housed.
(Where restitution is not possible, I personally favor exile or execution. Yes, I will volunteer to pay for the cost of one bullet.)
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @05:15AM (1 child)
He didn't "get into" an argument. There was not a conversation that got out of hand, or some perceived slight from one of the other passengers leading to an exchange of words, etc. You know, normal things that get one "into" an argument with someone else.
He was already "spun up". He saw the two girls, and was venting his vitriol at them. The other passengers made space for him, 3 of them tried to talk him down. That's not "getting into an argument". He was already well in the argument in his head, and it just broke out for everyone else to hear at that point.
(Score: 1, Troll) by takyon on Tuesday May 30 2017, @05:32AM
Was it a terrorible argument?
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(Score: 2) by butthurt on Tuesday May 30 2017, @06:35AM (2 children)
> It wasn't premeditated, it wasn't calculated to further a political goal.
I wanted to use the Daily Mail as the source for this; they link to a KOIN-TV story in which a woman who had been riding a train with the man the night before said of him:
-- http://koin.com/2017/05/28/video-stabbing-suspect-went-on-rant-night-before-attack/ [koin.com]
Back to the Daily Mail for a transcript of what the man said that previous night (the video may be at the KOIN page; I have not viewed it):
-- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4551550/Man-accused-Portland-attack-history-racist-rants.html [dailymail.co.uk]
They also quote some of what they say were Mr. Christian's Facebook posts (emphasis mine):
Those read, to me, as though he were contemplating physically harming people for political purposes (there's a fair bit more in that vein).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @03:28PM (1 child)
So where are the people on here that regularly decry religion as the source of all our woe, all our violence, etc.
Methinks that violent people will just use whatever excuse it at hand.
(Score: 2) by rcamera on Wednesday May 31 2017, @05:00PM
from that, we can gather that he's not a fan of christians that he doesn't perceive as "real christians". he probably also thinks he's a "real christian", but apparently doesn't think "christ's teaching of love, [and] charity..." apply to him.
besides, wan't this whole incident literally based on his intolerance for someone else's religion? FTFS, "... as a man screamed anti-Muslim insults..." is a dead giveaway. how was this particular act of violence NOT based on religion, in your opinion?
/* no comment */
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday May 30 2017, @10:39AM
Blerg. Who do you think you are, Bytram?
My rights don't end where your fear begins.