First Thoughts On Hearing Reports Of The Politically Motivated Assassinations In Minnesota--
Written and posted as of Noon Saturday
It is heartbreaking, and I am outraged personally. I wish I had words to console the families and friends whose loved ones were taken from them in such fashion.
The people of Minnesota who are sheltering in place right now have every right to be frightened, but because they are a strong people and have real leadership, they will come out of this shaken but undeterred.
You will all be deluged with news coverage of these shootings, and most of it will be "facts only," vacuous, sterile and ambiguous. Or it will be limited to the "human interest" side of it, which will abide by the usual rules of mainstream media "objectivity" that serves to cut the heart out of the actual reality underlying this tragedy, which I see as the following:
1. The warnings leading up to today's "No Kings Marches" nationally were loud and clear that the far right was planning violent attacks. They were openly making threats on their platforms which were publicized by various media. The shooter (whose profile is not yet available to me as of this posting) had in his vehicle leaflets advertising the local No Kings March, a manifesto which he wrote, and a hit list of prominent Democrats including Governor Walz, so we know these shootings were not random or on impulse. The shooter's disguise as a policeman indicates significant forward planning. It should also be in the front of our minds that Governor Walz is a prospective Democratic Presidential candidate who is one of Trump's leading rivals in 2028.
2. Beginning in March, Trump, Patel, Bondi, Miller, and Gabbard proceeded to dismantle specific FBI programs and to end the use of tools for tracking and pre-empting domestic terrorism by white supremacist groups and individuals. Let that sink in.
<The Trump regime both incited and allowed these shootings. Simultaneously they are also deliberately provoking violence coming from their opposition in order to justify their plans for martial law and dictatorship. I have no hesitation in saying it, just like that.>
3. They blinded federal law enforcement which had eyes on those who might perpetrate this kind of attack. They pardoned the far-right terrorists who attacked our Capitol and are making them into patriotic heroes. They have demonized Democratic leaders as communists, child predators, baby-killers, insurrectionists, allies of the drug cartel and China, and have told their supporters that they will use the military domestically and are at war with drug and human traffickers allowed into the US by Joe Biden and the Democrats.
4. Every single drop of blood spilled in Minnesota today is on the hands of the above-named figures of the Trump administration, one which embodies the ideals of white supremacy and employs strategic violence in pursuit of an authoritarian state. Remember the names of the victims because their assassinations demand justice. And be clear, this was no "lone nut." The regime has a private army of many more like this shooter, and there will be more casualties. The shooter was clearly associated in some fashion with an organized network operating on social media, and their purpose is nothing other than terror.
5. The initiative to go after these terror networks must now come from the states and local governments, simply because the Trump regime has obstructed federal agencies from doing it. They have weaponized political, religious, and ideological race-hatred, and are using strategic violence to neutralize their growing political opposition, just like the Nazis did. This is a two-pronged strategy carried out by both their federal law enforcement shock troops of ICE, and Donald Trump's private army of stochastic Nazi terrorists. The power of state Governors, Attorney Generals, and District Attorneys to investigate, arrest, and prosecute, is our main guardrail against this increased threat of political violence.
6. Nazis and white supremacist networks in Police and Sheriff's departments are active and well known. They are often part of local militias, and covertly assist them by tipping them off about investigations, exposing law enforcement informants and agents when they infiltrate, and operating generally as a terrorist fifth column. White supremacists in law enforcement must be exposed and purged, across the board. They wear their white nationalist and Neo-Confederate tattoos proudly and flaunt their associations. They are a security risk and their views should be judged as a danger to the public safety, not as first amendment protected speech.
7. It is a mistake to see this as an isolated attack by someone with a political grudge or mental health issue. These are the opening shots of a war. The elected leadership of the blue states, cities, and local governments need to deploy their resources to protect their citizens from both the violent terrorists of the far right in their backyard, and those wearing government uniforms being sent in by Donald Trump. And these states must coordinate their actions and reactions to insure maximum support for the others. We as citizens have both the obligation and ability to exert the pressure where it is needed to bring these urgent changes about. We are not pushing for blue state secession, because the US Constitution must be defended, not nullified.
8. I am not an advocate of violence. But law enforcement has a duty to protect and defend the public. The removal of their "bad apples" is long overdue, for reasons which came boiling to the surface five years ago, ironically exploding first in Minnesota. Now we have even more reason to do so, because there are more shooters out there who are part of networks planning more of the same types of tragedies as we have seen today.
9. Our state and local governments will need to disarm, raid, arrest, prosecute, and jail the fascist militias which advocate and carry out violence, and to do so lawfully. This will likely lead to multiple forms of armed conflict, which frankly was going to happen anyway. And our biggest obstacle in doing that will be the the federal government currently headed up by Donald Trump. That is where we are.
10. It is both a time to grieve, and to also take stock of what we are doing. The times ahead will require us to form new alliances, to carefully rely upon trusted information, and to find those sources of courage which will be needed for what awaits us in this unfolding nightmare. When your enemy resorts to terrorism and violence it is a sign that they are weakening and desperate. Don't Look for "good news." Let's work together to make some.
(Photo, No Kings Day March today, Minneapolis)
Yeah, it’s been a day in the Twin Cities.
My take - out of an abundance of caution, Walz/Dept of Public Safety called for local cancellation of No Kings. Local footage showed protests still going on in the Twin Cities while active searches occurred in multiple locations around/south of the Metro for the suspect. I watched SWAT roll onto the suspect’s property south of the Twin Cities and SWAT on a notable golf course in the northern Metro (both still in place), while a search warrant was executed in another Mpls location which recently was cleared.
Suspect has been ID’d, photos shared, and he happens to be the head of a security company (hence, the LE appearance and LE-like SUV equipped with lights). He ditched his officer garb, vest, equipment, mask in a swamp and has now been seen on CC camera in jeans, jacket, cowboy hat still on the loose.
LE probably knows their limited resources on this particular day should something happen. All MN government lawmakers and others on the manifesto were awakened in the middle of the night and told LE would stand watch, walk property, etc. As of this moment, all LE is still in place at these homes.
The other item that will probably not get much airplay is when LE was called to the first scene, backup LE realized another lawmaker lived nearby (the second home that was attacked) and dispatched more squads there and almost encountered the gunman. There’s a possible third lawmaker that avoided danger when a squad may have scared off the suspect. TSA has been put on alert and the FBI has offered up $50K reward.
Walz will be put through the wringer in upcoming hours/days as MSM whips up headline-grabs to put narrative to this story as they did during the George Floyd uprising. Walz did a fine job then, too. We’re in weird times, to say the least, and I admire Walz being responsible to notify No Kings organizers. I also admire those out protesting. Walz is in a no-win situation should anything happen. We’re living this shit in real time once again, so I trust Walz to make the best decision in the moment.
There were far more people yesterday than previously. However , still not enough! In the early 1930's{in nazi Germany}. people went about their normal daily routines of work, meals etc. right up until they couldn't. We must never forget. Wake up America!