Political Attacks

[only_more_so]

No, I'm not talking about campaign ads. I'm talking about the people getting beaten up for their political views. Just read an article about a McCain supporter who had a "B" carved into her face (after getting mugged) when the mugger saw the McCain bumper sticker on her car.

If that were the only case, I probably wouldn't have written anything. But it seems like there are a lot more of these cases this cycle. Or maybe they are just getting more press.

So, am I the only one thinking this election cycle is more acrimonious than most? Is it a trend? Or is it caused by the current political climate (economy, war, etc)? Or is it because of the actual candidates?

I'm guessing a combination, but I'm thinking more of the later.

 

[sr71plt]

The Internet has only made instanteous comment/discussion/fighting accessible in just the last couple of elections. Blogs didn't exist yet for the last election. Obviously (as seen even on the AH), all of this yammering has really keyed everyone up. Add the Republican campaign's hate/fear mongering, and I don't see it at all surprising to see people acting out in response.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

ONLY MORE SO

Things were actually very violent prior to 1840 when duelling was outlawed many places. And much of the violence was related to politics and elections.

 

[Tricialen]

I wonder if this is still going to be America after we vote. Will be still be able to believe what we want to believe. Will we still be able to voice it. Or will thugs and vandals and mean-minded people become our wardens?

This is beyond horrible....that someone would carve up a woman's face because of who she's working for, because of what she believes.

And the scary part is those vandals, and thugs and mean-minded people think that nothing is wrong. It's all good. As long as they get their way.

I will be attacted on this board for daring to say this. Shame on me for speaking my mind. What? Do I think this is America?

 

[xssve]

I think Palin really raised the stakes and increased the tension to the breaking point with those terrorist remarks about Obama, it was very ill advised in my opinion, and I think an apology would go a long way towards settling things down.

I don't expect it though, the press has been pretty hands off, but that was totally uncalled for.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I wonder if this is still going to be America after we vote. Will be still be able to believe what we want to believe. Will we still be able to voice it. Or will thugs and vandals and mean-minded people become our wardens?

This is beyond horrible....that someone would carve up a woman's face because of who she's working for, because of what she believes.

And the scary part is those vandals, and thugs and mean-minded people think that nothing is wrong. It's all good. As long as they get their way.

I will be attacted on this board for daring to say this. Shame on me for speaking my mind. What? Do I think this is America?

For thugs, gang-bangers and terrorists of all stripe, 'the cause' is just an excuse. What they really like to do is hurt people and that's what they do. If they can't come up with one excuse, the next one to come along will do just as well. They've always been around. We call them . . . barbarians.

 

[epiphany65]

No, I'm not talking about campaign ads. I'm talking about the people getting beaten up for their political views. Just read an article about a McCain supporter who had a "B" carved into her face (after getting mugged) when the mugger saw the McCain bumper sticker on her car.

If that were the only case, I probably wouldn't have written anything. But it seems like there are a lot more of these cases this cycle. Or maybe they are just getting more press.

So, am I the only one thinking this election cycle is more acrimonious than most? Is it a trend? Or is it caused by the current political climate (economy, war, etc)? Or is it because of the actual candidates?

I'm guessing a combination, but I'm thinking more of the later.

I think that these politically motivated attacks we're reading about are just symptoms of the bigger problem: that America is a violent society. Unfortunately people get attacked all of the time -- for being black, or gay, or Jewish, or whatever makes them different from someone else. Every three minutes a woman is sexually assaulted. Politically motivated attacks are just another type of the core problem which needs to be addressed.

 

[3113]

This is beyond horrible....that someone would carve up a woman's face because of who she's working for, because of what she believes.

Indeed, but we should point out that "carved up" isn't exactly accurate. Here she is.

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j99/mocowboysfan/bcarvedintoface.jpg

And here's the story:

Pittsburgh police are investigating after a volunteer for the Republican campaign says she was attacked by a mugger who became enraged after seeing a John McCain bumper sticker on her car last night.

According to police, Ashley Todd, 20, said she was robbed at an ATM at the corner of Liberty Avenue and Pearl Street in the Bloomfield area around 9 p.m. Wednesday after leaving a Republican phone bank. Todd told police that the suspect, described only as a dark-skinned African-American man about 6'4", stole $60 from her and became enraged after seeing a bumper sticker supporting Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain on her car.

Todd, who is from Texas, said the suspect put a knife to her neck and demanded money. Todd told police that the man became very angry after noticing the McCain sticker on her car and began punching and kicking her. After repeatedly hitting, kicking and threatening her, Todd told police that the man carved a "B" in her cheek.

According to the police report, the officer confirmed that he "observed the wound on the right side of [her] face. Todd declined immediate medical attention last night but said she would go to the hospital today. The suspect ran off after the attack; but police are hoping that footage from bank surveillance camera may help lead them to the suspect.

While political emotions are running high, this was a mugger with a knife. Such a person might well do violence in any election to anyone with opposing views to theirs, however peaceful and polite the election.

 

[DeeZire]

Years ago, Tina Fey got her face carved up in a non-political mugging. The gal above is extremely lucky to have not suffered the same fate.

I suspect Palin might have had something to do with the reprisal by the mugger. I'm not making excuses for the guy, but it's entirely possible if McCain/Palin had been running a clean campaign all this time, the mugger would have had no reason to get enraged upon seeing the bumper sticker. Perhaps he would have simply gotten enraged because he was an asshole, as is usually the case with muggers.

 

[Liar]

Not going to go into explanations of a crazy persons violent attack. He was clearly looking for an excuse to slash someone, and anything could have triggered it.

That being said, what the hell is the letter B supposed to represent? Biden?

 

[Luke's Angel]

No, I'm not talking about campaign ads. I'm talking about the people getting beaten up for their political views. Just read an article about a McCain supporter who had a "B" carved into her face (after getting mugged) when the mugger saw the McCain bumper sticker on her car.

If that were the only case, I probably wouldn't have written anything. But it seems like there are a lot more of these cases this cycle. Or maybe they are just getting more press.

So, am I the only one thinking this election cycle is more acrimonious than most? Is it a trend? Or is it caused by the current political climate (economy, war, etc)? Or is it because of the actual candidates?

I'm guessing a combination, but I'm thinking more of the later.

Yes politics is getting more violent. What did you expect? We are heading for another war. Think.

 

[rgraham666]

On thinking about this, the timing is awfully suspicious.

 

[cloudy]

On thinking about this, the timing is awfully suspicious.

as is the fact that the B is backwards, as if someone were doing it while looking in a mirror.

 

[Safe_Bet]

Indeed, but we should point out that "carved up" isn't exactly accurate. Here she is.

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j99/mocowboysfan/bcarvedintoface.jpg

And here's the story:

While political emotions are running high, this was a mugger with a knife. Such a person might well do violence in any election to anyone with opposing views to theirs, however peaceful and polite the election.

That's interesting. That SURE does'nt look like it was done with a knife. Looks more like somebody scratched it in with their fingernail???

 

[kromen]

I watch too much CSI and read too many profiler books, but I don't think a street level mugger would worry about someone's political affiliation when they just scored 60 dollars.
I checked the posts at the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and alot of readers are calling bullshit. One poster said he lives in that neighborhood and at nine oclock at night, it is a real busy street with people at coffee houses and a cop bar across the street, plus a hospital is one half block over. Then again, thats all hearsay.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I'm really expecting the possibility (or actuality, as it comes down to that) of having a black president to seriously unhinge a certain number of people, who just won't be able to deal with it. It's going to come from both sides.

I wouldn't be surprised if there's rioting if he loses. I wouldn't be surprised if there's rioting if he wins. This is a revolution that's going to make us into a far better country, but it's a revolution nonetheless.

 

[Guest]

Horrible story, all of it. But why is the B backwards?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

The orientation of the cut depends on where the cutter was located. Likely she was on the pavement and he was kneeling over her.

 

[jomar]

ONLY MORE SO

Things were actually very violent prior to 1840 when duelling was outlawed many places. And much of the violence was related to politics and elections.

True. people used to get in fights outside of the town hall when the politicians were stumping.

The orientation of the cut depends on where the cutter was located. Likely she was on the pavement and he was kneeling over her.

CSI says the bottom loop is larger so the perp was not kneeling above her head and their handwriting experts conclude it's her handwriting.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

JOMAR

I just read a book about criminalists (CSI).

Just before I retired from the state I had a major fight with an MD about a groin injury on a child. The kid had a saddle bruise on his penis, testicles, and anal area...but nowhere else.

The MD insisted that someone kicked the kid.

I said that the kid fell off something (ladder or bathtub side) and straddled something. There were no other marks on the kid. I told the MD that you cannot kick a kids groin like a fucking football unless someone else is holding the legs apart, and youre damned good at place kicking. Plus I had a witness (sitter) swear the kid fell off a ladder.

I lost the battle, of course, but I was correct.

I have my doubts the mugger practiced penmanship while scratching the B on her face.

 

[jomar]

JOMAR

I just read a book about criminalists (CSI).

Just before I retired from the state I had a major fight with an MD about a groin injury on a child. The kid had a saddle bruise on his penis, testicles, and anal area...but nowhere else.

The MD insisted that someone kicked the kid.

I said that the kid fell off something (ladder or bathtub side) and straddled something. There were no other marks on the kid. I told the MD that you cannot kick a kids groin like a fucking football unless someone else is holding the legs apart, and youre damned good at place kicking. Plus I had a witness (sitter) swear the kid fell off a ladder.

I lost the battle, of course, but I was correct.

Docs know everything, don't they.

I have my doubts the mugger practiced penmanship while scratching the B on her face.

Me too. That's why the B should be less perfect (she'd be squirming and he'd B in a hurry - sorry, couldn't resist).

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

JOMAR

I have lotsa MD stories.

I used an MD story for my state certification. An MD accused a young mom of deliberately making a kid sick as an excuse to see a nurse at the hospital emergency room. A very serious charge!

I investigated it. The kid had a real respiratory infection confirmed by lab tests. The kid was referred to the hospital by the pediatrician. So what was up?

Mom made a complaint about the MD, and the doc got some paybacks. Mom coulda gone to prison and lost her kids.

I sent mom to a psychiatrist and psychologist, then I assembled a panel of MDs to review and assess the hospital referral. The referral was appropriate and necessary. The kid was really sick. The MD was then fired.

 

[Liar]

CSI says the bottom loop is larger so the perp was not kneeling above her head and their handwriting experts conclude it's her handwriting.

Beeecause you get perfect, pretty handwriting when trying to carve letters into other people's faces?

Sounds like a weird argument to dismiss it as fake.

 

[xssve]

I'm really expecting the possibility (or actuality, as it comes down to that) of having a black president to seriously unhinge a certain number of people, who just won't be able to deal with it. It's going to come from both sides.

I wouldn't be surprised if there's rioting if he loses. I wouldn't be surprised if there's rioting if he wins. This is a revolution that's going to make us into a far better country, but it's a revolution nonetheless.

We could use a revolution of some sort, preferably nonviolent - this one got no coverage at all:

On June 26, three Kurdish men in Harrisonburg, Virginia (Rasheed Qambari, Ahmed Abdullah, and Amir Rashid) will be sentenced for sending money to Iraqi Kurdistan without a license to their families and those of fellow members of their community via the traditional hawala system (a fourth man, Fadhil Noroly, will be tried on July 11). This is a felony offense under amendments to the Patriot Act introduced after 9/11.

No longer does the transfer have to be linked in any way to any illegal activity or terrorism, nor does the party doing the transferring have to know that what they are doing is illegal. Even the FBI and prosecuting attorneys agree that none of these transfers through the traditional halawa system had anything to do with terrorism or anything of the sort. Indeed, one prosecutor declared to Rasheed Qambari during his trial on January 31, "we know that you are not the bad guys." What is going on here?

A Travesty of Justice: Oppressing the Kurds of Harrisonburg, Virginia

Todd will become a poster girl for the xenophobic/reconstructionist Palin faction: when Whitey shows his ass, it's always justifiable as a rational response against the barbarian hordes, slavering for the pale, flaccid flesh of their wives and daughters.

We're already caught in a fucking meatgrinder, and it's just warming up.

 

[3113]

Horrible story, all of it. But why is the B backwards?

Presumably because she was on the ground and the mugger was crouching over her head rather than on her chest when he scratched the "B" on her face.

There are certainly a lot of questions about the story. But I hope there is video to bear it out and prove it true. The reason that I say I hope it's true is because ever since Obama got the nomination, there's been a rise in membership among white supremacist groups (THAT, by the way, is what I'd consider evidence of this election getting more acrimonious and ominous--as compared to a criminal acting like a criminal). There is an all-too-good chance that there will be a reprisal for this. And if some innocent person is going to get beaten up or killed because of this, I'd like to think it was because this was a true story that got on the news because it was news. Not because some crazy person had a crazy idea about getting votes for McCain.

So, I hope that there is video that backs her up. And I hope they catch the guy--who was pretty stupid in doing this as now the Pittsburgh police have to be after his ass because it got on the news and McCain/Palin themselves are horrified and the police can't look like they're not doing everything they can to find the perp.