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Ear to the Ground

Suspect in Unitarian Church Killings Hated Liberals

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Posted on Jul 28, 2008

Jim David Adkisson, the suspect in Sunday’s deadly shooting in a Unitarian Universalist church in Knoxville, Tenn., left a note expressing his hatred for “what he perceived to be the liberals in our country,” according to Knoxville Police Chief Sterling Owen, who said the incident was being treated as a hate crime.


USA Today:

Police and witnesses said Adkisson pulled a 12-gauge shotgun out of a guitar case and opened fire while children performed Annie Jr. Sunday morning. He fired three times before members of the congregation tackled him. Seven adults were injured. Two had been released from the hospital, and the others remained in serious or critical condition Monday, Owen said

“The intention was to shoot as many people as he could with the expectation he would be killed by the police,” Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam said.

Other potential motives include the loss of public benefits, Owen said.

When searching Adkisson’s residence, police found a letter from the state informing him he would be receiving fewer food stamps or none at all, Owen said.

“That might have been a trigger,” Owen said.

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By Inherit The Wind, July 29, 2008 at 10:20 pm #

New model of “Freedom”—kill Liberals and claim it’s their fault.

Why not?  The President is blaming Democrats for the inflation, rising unemployment and high gas prices.  He’s been President for almost 8 (painful) years.  He had the House for 6, and has enough Blue Dogs to keep Democrats from actually running it.  He had the Senate for 4 years, and could prevent the 2 Dem Senates from doing anything the other 4 years.

EVERYTHING bad in America now is his fault, including the rationalizations this loser used to justify murdering strangers.

It’s all Liberals’ fault so it should be against the law to slaughter them in the streets.  That’s the Re-thug-lickers’ “High Moral Ground”.

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By jobart, July 29, 2008 at 7:53 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Re: FOX New’s claim that this sick maniac was really acting out against Christians, I found these new disclosures that were recovered from his home…
Via Knockville News Sentinel and RAW STORY:

“Adkisson targeted the church, Still wrote in the document obtained by WBIR-TV, Channel 10, ‘because of its liberal teachings and his belief that all liberals should be killed because they were ruining the country, and that he felt that the Democrats had tied his country’s hands in the war on terror and they had ruined every institution in America with the aid of media outlets.’

“Adkisson told Still that ‘he could not get to the leaders of the liberal movement that he would then target those that had voted them in to office.’
...
“Inside the house, officers found ‘Liberalism is a Mental Health Disorder’ by radio talk show host Michael Savage, ‘Let Freedom Ring’ by talk show host Sean Hannity, and ‘The O’Reilly Factor,’ by television talk show host Bill O’Reilly.”
...
“Adkisson, a 58-year-old truck driver on the verge of losing his food stamps, had 76 rounds with him when he entered the church and pulled a shotgun from a guitar case during a children’s performance of the musical ‘Annie.’
...
“It appears that church had received some publicity regarding its liberal stance,” the chief said. The church has a “gays welcome” sign and regularly runs announcements in the News Sentinel about meetings of the Parents, Friends and Family of Lesbians and Gays meetings at the church.
...
The church’s Web site states that it has worked for “desegregation, racial harmony, fair wages, women’s rights and gay rights” since the 1950s.

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By P. T., July 29, 2008 at 1:12 pm #

This raises the issue of conservative terrorism and whether political profiling of conservatives may be necessary.

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By Thomas Billis, July 29, 2008 at 12:40 pm #

This man was really crazy, as one commenter said, to blame liberals on the loss of food stamps is a leap of logic only a conservative supporter could make.This is Limbaugh Logic.

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By Reubenesque, July 29, 2008 at 11:49 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Has Rush, Ann, Michelle, Shawn, Bill, et al figured out a politically correct way in which to praise this deranged individual?  Give them a little while.  They will.

Report this

By cyrena, July 29, 2008 at 6:18 am #

By Outraged, July 28 at 11:40 pm

“... do feel it highlights the damage these conservative blowhards create when they spew the lies they spew.  Obviously, this man was completely in the dark as to the actual reasons this situation had presented itself.”

~~~~

Outraged, you took the words right out of my mind and my fingers. It was my immediate first thought, as I see Ed Harges has noted as well..

How does he figure the LIBERALS are responsible for his dire straights? (which are the SAME circumstances that millions of others are finding themselves in..no job, no way to survive, and no help from anybody - all compliments of the radical right repugs currently in charge.)

And, he’s CERTAINLY *not* the only one this confused. All you have to do is read this very website, and some of the comments to figure out that there are a whole bunch like him, blaming all of their similar problems on the ‘liberals’ or the ‘neo-liberals’.

That’s how dangerously jacked-up their thinking is. Because of everything that you’ve said…and more. The blowhards spew the lies and the rhetoric, and people believe it.

Makes me wanna vomit.

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By Outraged, July 29, 2008 at 3:40 am #

A terrible tragedy, all those innocents.

His wife had filed a restraining order and the fact is, not always but too often, these are not taken seriously except by the people who have little power help.  It doesn’t seem too far-fetched to assume that having no job and losing food stamps would have contributed to this.

I do feel it highlights the damage these conservative blowhards create when they spew the lies they spew.  Obviously, this man was completely in the dark as to the actual reasons this situation had presented itself.  Yet, the Rush Limbaughs, Michele Malkins, Ann Coulters and the Bill O’Reallys of America who HAVE contributed to this fateful outcome with their vicious and hateful rhetoric will not assume any responsibility for their contributions. Nor will those who created these conditions.

In fact, not only are they NOT assuming responsibility for their contributions some are claiming it a “set-up” by liberals, to discredit conservatives (as if they needed help in that department).  Apparently they want to light the fuse of the next bomb waiting to go off.

From Crooks and Liars:
“The right wing has been selectively pulling comments from left wing blogs to try and blur the line between author and anonymous poster for years and as usual the media quickly lapped it up. Well, check this out. It’s a comment about the horrific shooting spree in TN. And Malkin screens the people that can comment on her site with great vigilance, so what does that tell you?”

The “commentor’s” comment: “You know what I think? He didn’t hate liberals. He hated Christians. He wanted to leave the impression that he is conservative who hates liberals, however, to discredit conservatives.

Evil.”

>On second thought, I think this is meant to accuse atheists as well as liberals.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/07/28/malkins-commenter-on-the-tn-church-gunman-he-wanted-to-discredit-conservatives/

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By Outraged, July 29, 2008 at 3:35 am #

My condolences to the family and friends of those who lives were taken.  If I felt there were words to ease the pain, certainly, I would offer them up.  Although words now… seem insignificant, when considering the loss of those who are loved.

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By Ed Harges, July 29, 2008 at 2:59 am #

Wait - he blames liberals for his not getting enough food stamps? Mmmmmkay.

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