- cross-posted to:
- politics@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- politics@lemmy.world
The man accused of assassinating the top Democrat in the Minnesota House held deeply religious and politically conservative views, telling a congregation in Africa two years ago that the U.S. was in a “bad place” where most churches didn’t oppose abortion.
Vance Luther Boelter, 57, was at the center of a massive multistate manhunt on Sunday, a day after authorities say he impersonated a police officer and gunned down former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home outside Minneapolis. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz described the shooting as “a politically motivated assassination.”
Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, were shot earlier by the same gunman at their home nearby but survived.
Friends and former colleagues interviewed by The Associated Press described Boelter as a devout Christian who attended an evangelical church and went to campaign rallies for Donald Trump. Records show Boelter registered to vote as a Republican while living in Oklahoma in 2004 before moving to Minnesota where voters don’t list party affiliation.
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Why’s he a shooting suspect and not a domestic terrorist?
He killed Democrats, not a scumbag CEO.
Not enough melanin
Legally there’s nothing such as domestic terrorism in America; the label "terrorist’ is exclusively used for foreign entities.
Except for when it’s used for natural born citizens of course.
Like?
Well my boy Luigi is currently facing (trumped up) terrorism charges
Oh, TIL. It seems what I said only applies to federal law. Does Minnesota have similar anti-terror laws?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but targeted assasination of someone has never counted as domestic terrorism, unless carried out by non-state actors, just like the guy who attempted to kill Trump would not be a terrorist
You’re wrong. Targeted assassination of political enemies is the use of violence against non-combatants for political/ideological aims. It’s textbook terrorism.
They’re careful not to label it as terrorism because once you get on the back foot and admit that one white MAGA guy attempting (and succeeding) in killing a Democrat is terrorism then you have to admit that the tens of thousands of others who are threatening it should also be monitored and treated as serious threats - and they absolutely do not want to do that as they know that white conservatives are the majority of domestic terror threats in the US.
This is an insightful comment. Thank you for sharing that.
I guess that makes sense
I’m unsure what you mean by “non-state actor”, but Luigi is accused of a targeted assassination and is being called a terrorist.
Unfortunately, you are probably wrong. It seems that this guy killed them because of ideology. If that isn’t terrorism, then I don’t know what is terrorism.
MURDERING people is how you KNOW he’s Pro Life!
Religious people are all mentally ill.
This is what happens when they are armed.
Religious people are dangerous and are all ticking time bombs ready to “punish” people who aren’t afflicted with the identical mental illness.
What worsens it are the grifters who aren’t really religious, but feed these people’s beliefs to rise to power and/or steal their money.
They are not mentally unwell, they are criminally undereducated or even miseducated. To not have a mandatory national school curriculum, hell even a state curriculum should be a way bigger talking point. It would be too, but you know, education…
Criminally undereducated to the point of mental illness I say.
The Venn Diagram is basically a circle. I’d say all of these wanna be badass guys worship the same underlying psychological flaw. Comes in a lot of different flavors but there’s usually some serious psychosis going on with the “lone” wolf gunmen.
Keep being crazy, Lemmy.
I’m not religious. I’m sane. Hell I’ve been tested. 100% fit for trial no less.
No mental disorder here. Just clarity.
Cheers mate.
Religious people are dangerous and are all ticking time bombs ready to “punish” people who aren’t afflicted with the identical mental illness.
Idk sounds like some pretty heavy paranoia.
I find your faith… disturbing.
This is the type of person that conservative culture produces.
Yup. Constantly enraged, misinformed and lives in an echo chamber.
“Thou shalt not kill.”
“…well… I mean, if they’re a Democrat of course it’s ok to kill them.”
Yes I am so religious… Riggggght.
It’s amazing how many people use their religion to justify murder. I remember this guy killed his wife because he wanted to be married to someone else, and he was so Catholic he just couldn’t get a divorce. So he killed her. Now what’s strange is, if you ask most Catholics they’ll tell you murder is ALSO a horrible sin. Like. Go to hell sin. 100% going to hell. Where as divorce is… frowned upon? But it’s not as bad as murder.
Are you sure he wasn’t Anglican cause that’s some Henry VIII energy right there.
Historically accurate.
The real answer to your unstated question is that they can (hopefully) get away with the murder and not be discovered. It would be nearly impossible to divorce without the entire community knowing.
Most christians (conveniently) forget the little jesus parable about comparing the priest publicly donating and praying in the street to the woman quietly putting a much smaller amount in the donation coffers. To the modern christian, being a part of the ‘in-group’ by publicly making everything about their religion IS the way they engage with their religion. If they were to be rejected by the ‘religious community’ ONLY THEN would they care.
Most self described Christians don’t really follow their religion very well.
Christians got cucked by maga. Republicans got cucked by maga. The marines got cucked by maga. All of them either are too cowardly to do anything about it or too stupid to know they got cucked.
I love that cucking is becoming a known word; it is rather fun to piss off maga-types with it but… I don’t think you’re using it quiiiite in the correct context. Every place you used it just now could be replaced with ‘hoodwinked and sucked in’ and be much more accurate.
Literally, sure. But metaphorically, what they love and espouse has been taken over by another male.
Here’s an example. Trump made the GOP his own, fucked it, and together they brought American fascism to life.
Raping Lady Liberty isn’t a physical or literal act, but it is still a crime. Which do you suppose is bleeding more: her soul or her torn vagina?
On a side note, a severe lack of critical thinking in America is why we’re in this mess.
The USA is splitting. It is not about Republicans and Democrats anymore, nor is it really about Conservatives vs Liberals.
It is about the Faith-based community, versus the Reality-based one.
Personally I want to be on the side that has science and vaccines and no Invisible Friend in the Sky.
It’s the ruling wealthy class vs the rest of us. Everything else the elite making up scary stories to distract us from them stealing from us.
Slavery led us to civil war before and I believe they will use religion to start the next one
You’d think somebody would have figured out how religion makes the masses more compliant, like an opiate.
Surprising absolutely no one
I religious conservative goes on a shooting spree? Shocked! Shocked I say!
Regressive, No need for so many words. Regressive sums up that type quite well.
Yet the right-wing are spewing how Boelter is a Marxist. Fucking red baiting bullshit. 🙄🙄🙄
Better start investigating crazy conservative nut jobs?
Yet another death cultist goes on killing spree
I am very smerprised. Is anyone else smerprised?
Make an example of him. Kidnap, torture, post it on youtube.
Makes sense. Conservative shot democrats when they sided with conservatives.
