Agreeing with a murderer is … uncomfortable. Even if the agreement is only in part.
Over the weekend, the news hit that one Jeremy Joseph Christian was in custody for a stabbing spree on one of Portland, Oregon’s MAX trains. According to reports, Christian had been yelling religious slurs at two hijab-wearing women when three men intervened in defense. Christian then stabbed the men … two to death.
The next day, quadrennial Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein politicized it in the now-de rigueur point-scoring manner: “Another heartbreaking tragedy in Trump’s America, as a white nationalist shouting anti-Islam slurs murders 2 on Portland, OR subway.”*
Immediately, other Twitterers (tweeters?) rushed to point the finger back at her. It turns out (investigation courtesy of BuzzFeed) the accused’s Facebook page showed the knife-wielder as supporting first Bernie Sanders and then … Dr. Stein herself.
But that is just the side story. Christian appears to have a long criminal record. It seems likely that he took to white nationalism as well as free speech — he brought a baseball bat to the recent Portland free speech rally I wrote about a few weeks ago, the police say, to “attack left-wing protestors” — and even progressive politics simply to fill his personal rage quota. The fact that he saluted Nazi-style, shouted “Hail Vinland,” and called himself a “nihilist” strongly suggest that he’s mostly unhinged.
You and I support free speech; he said he supported free speech. But free speech doesn’t include stabbing people. We can all agree that Stein is off the hook.
As is President Trump.
As are we.
We, after all, don’t support murder, heiling Hitler, or … Vinland?
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
* Portland has no subway; MAX is an on-the-surface light rail system.
4 replies on “Vinland?”
Of the three pictured at the top of the page, the bloke in the middle looks that least deranged.
Bit of a worry, that.
Paul,
Exactly how are you ‘agreeing with a murderer?’
He may have SAID he ‘supported free speech’, but his actions belie his words.
What is there to agree with him about?
Jeremy Joseph Christian is mentally unhinged. Another lost soul who needed mental health care. Where were the family & friends? He made no secret of his crazy theories & beliefs. (But that’s another topic.)
As I have said before, I didn’t like ANY of the Presidential 2016 choices. But this constant battering & accusations of the elected POTUS is sickening. The very vocal hatred of Pres Trump is so wearying & doesn’t allow him to make any progress. He is always putting out fires. (Some of his own making because he really doesn’t know how to play the game.) I wish Jill Stein, Bernie Sanders & Mrs. Clinton would just go away. The election was almost 7 mos ago.
I care most about the 2 brave bystanders that were murdered. I am glad 1 good Samaritan survives.
Gee, do you think maybe that Stein already knew about his background when she made that comment in order to get ahead of the “politically correct” media curve and deflect any criticism from herself? Stranger things have happened.