Published: Friday, June 12, 2009
EXTREMISTS
Threats mustn't be dismissed
It's a tragic, fine line between tolerating crazy cranks and their hate speech and the gunning down of an innocent person.
By all accounts, James W. von Brunn lived a hate-filled life, but made it to 88 years of age before his beliefs and an apparent suicide wish prompted him to kill a fellow citizen, Stephen Tyrone Johns, 39, a guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Johns is remembered by friends and family as a "gentle giant" -- "Big John" stood 6 feet, 6 inches, according to news reports. One of Johns' last acts was to open and hold the door for the elderly Von Brunn to enter the museum. Von Brunn's last act was to shoot Johns in the head. Johns' fellow guards shot back, critically wounding von Brunn, who was charged with murder Thursday.
The FBI knew von Brunn was a racist nut-case, but he wasn't on their radar recently, which is understandable, given his age. But apparently neo-Nazis don't believe in retirement. Perhaps Guantanamo can be "fixed up" for elderly Holocaust deniers and their ilk, and whatever young followers they might have. Isn't that what they want, to be alone together? And no, they already tried, and cannot have Idaho.
In 1981, von Brunn was convicted of attempted kidnapping, burglary and weapons charges after entering the headquarters of the Federal Reserve System with a revolver, hunting knife and sawed-off shotgun in his bag. Upset at the nation's economy, he wanted to kidnap board members for media attention. Nutty and loaded with weapons, but not lethal. Not yet. He still had the Internet age to embrace, his hate site to create. He had to live through the election of the nation's first black president.
According to the New York Times, a note found in von Brunn's car said, among other things, "The Holocaust is a lie. Obama was created by Jews. Obama does what his Jew owners tell him to do. Jews captured America's money. Jews control the mass media."
In October 2008, two white supremacists were arrested for threatening to kill Obama during a planned "killing spree" of some 100 African-Americans. The two men talked a lot, however, and the plot was dismantled. As was a similarly disorganized plan that ended in the arrest of three Colorado men in August.
Unfortunately, stupid as they are, we can't count on white supremacists, and other extremists, to get themselves arrested before they do harm. Von Brunn reminds us we can't dismiss threat-filled ranting, can't let it fall off the radar, no matter someone's age, no matter what.
By all accounts, James W. von Brunn lived a hate-filled life, but made it to 88 years of age before his beliefs and an apparent suicide wish prompted him to kill a fellow citizen, Stephen Tyrone Johns, 39, a guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Johns is remembered by friends and family as a "gentle giant" -- "Big John" stood 6 feet, 6 inches, according to news reports. One of Johns' last acts was to open and hold the door for the elderly Von Brunn to enter the museum. Von Brunn's last act was to shoot Johns in the head. Johns' fellow guards shot back, critically wounding von Brunn, who was charged with murder Thursday.
The FBI knew von Brunn was a racist nut-case, but he wasn't on their radar recently, which is understandable, given his age. But apparently neo-Nazis don't believe in retirement. Perhaps Guantanamo can be "fixed up" for elderly Holocaust deniers and their ilk, and whatever young followers they might have. Isn't that what they want, to be alone together? And no, they already tried, and cannot have Idaho.
In 1981, von Brunn was convicted of attempted kidnapping, burglary and weapons charges after entering the headquarters of the Federal Reserve System with a revolver, hunting knife and sawed-off shotgun in his bag. Upset at the nation's economy, he wanted to kidnap board members for media attention. Nutty and loaded with weapons, but not lethal. Not yet. He still had the Internet age to embrace, his hate site to create. He had to live through the election of the nation's first black president.
According to the New York Times, a note found in von Brunn's car said, among other things, "The Holocaust is a lie. Obama was created by Jews. Obama does what his Jew owners tell him to do. Jews captured America's money. Jews control the mass media."
In October 2008, two white supremacists were arrested for threatening to kill Obama during a planned "killing spree" of some 100 African-Americans. The two men talked a lot, however, and the plot was dismantled. As was a similarly disorganized plan that ended in the arrest of three Colorado men in August.
Unfortunately, stupid as they are, we can't count on white supremacists, and other extremists, to get themselves arrested before they do harm. Von Brunn reminds us we can't dismiss threat-filled ranting, can't let it fall off the radar, no matter someone's age, no matter what.
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