This commentary is reminiscent of the radical right’s reactions to the Ruby Ridge incident of 1992, an 11-day standoff in Idaho between federal agents and the family of Randy Weaver, a Christian fundamentalist affiliated with the far-right white separatist movement. The standoff resulted in the deaths of Weaver’s wife, son, and a federal marshal.
Dude… Ruby Ridge was a big deal because the FBI shot Randy Weaver in the back while he was lifting the latch to his shed to see his son’s body, and then kept shooting at him as he and his family was running back to his cabin, hitting and killing his wife while she was holding their baby. It was a huge deal for a lot of people, Randy Weaver was found not guilty of any “siege-related charges” and awarded $3 million in damages, and the DOJ extensively revised their policies as a result.
Craig Deleeuw threatened to kill the president, and then according to the FBI and I see no reason to doubt them, was pointing his weapon at the FBI when they shot him. Whatever Randy Weaver did to create the Ruby Ridge confrontation, I don’t think it’s fair to compare the reaction to that to the reaction to this.
The guy that said federal agents wouldn’t dare arrest him “because they’d get a .45 in the face”? He pointed a gun at the FBI?
Say it ain’t so
Still, the Ruby Ridge and Waco comparisons are frightening. This is where the radical right really started to emerge. There was a great podcast series that I listened to about it. Here it is: Long Shadow (Apple) or Spotify link
Some reich-winger’s tweet quoted in the article:
There has been no claim that this individual fired on FBI agents, or even that he was armed at the time of the fatal altercation today. Apparently a giant squad of militarized personnel was incapable of apprehending a 75 year old man without gunning him down on his doorstep.
In Buffalo, a 75 year old man who was trying to turn in lost property during a protest; the police shoved him to the ground so hard that he was bleeding from his head, but they just stepped over his body. Breonna Taylor was sleeping when cops raided the wrong apartment. Charles Kinsey was shot lying facedown in the street with his hands in the air while trying to protect his autistic patient.
They’re fine with all the other “poor outcome” police shootings in this country, they only get upset and fearful when one of “their own” is shot.
Craig DeLeeuw Robertson was an American retiree from Provo, Utah who allegedly threatened online to assassinate President of the United States Joe Biden and other government officials and was subsequently shot and killed by agents of the FBI on August 9, 2023 when they attempted to execute search and arrest warrants.
He allegedly referenced the president’s scheduled Thursday visit to Utah and threatened to dig out camouflage gear and a rifle.
In other posts, Robertson identifies himself as a “MAGA TRUMPER” and describes one of his rifles as a “DEMOCRAT ERADICATOR.”
The complaint included screenshots from Robertson’s profile where he threatened to shoot (New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is prosecuting a criminal case against former President Donald Trump) in a courthouse parking garage. But when FBI agents confronted Robertson, he said it was a dream, according to the complaint.
Days after FBI agents spoke with Robertson on March 19 and told him they were investigating his social media posts, Robertson started posting content addressed to the FBI itself. He often said he knew they were watching what he was posting, and that the agents who spoke to him came close to being shot.
Additional info from: https://www.sltrib.com/news/2023/08/10/what-we-know-about-provo-man/
So they didn’t march in and assassinate him; they’ve been trying to get him to calm down since March and he still posts threats…
Far right figures will always claim this and stoke stochastic terrorism. So go vote in 2024. Actually, go vote in every local election. We got a lot of terrorism fixing to do.
It is amazing how they are always the badass and victim in their own story.
Some FCC licensed corporate shill expresses a viewpoint slightly to the right of average and at the same time they are a radical freethinker truthteller who is being threatened, censored, and attacked.
Yeah buddy you arent special. You work for the man same as the rest of us. If you cross a line that costs them money they will fire you.
It is amazing how they are always the badass and victim in their own story.
This is fascism. Just pointing it out for everyone scrolling by. Not “everyone I hate is a Nazi”. No, that contradiction is a key part of fascism. We cannot play nicely with those who aren’t intent on even playing the same game.
