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Culture

This is What a School-Board-Meeting-Shooter's Facebook Page Looks Like

Nick Gillespie | 12.15.2010 1:07 PM

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V for Vendetta obsessive Clay Duke took a Florida school board meeting hostage, apparently irate over his wife being fired by the district. Here's video of a board member, Ginger Littleton, trying to disarm Duke, who eventually killed himself without harming anyone else.

Here's a link to Duke's Facebook page, which gives rare insight into the mind of the sort of person who goes off the deep end (and please chill on the jokes about an anti-government anarchist nutjob being pissed that his wife got fired from a public school job). From his bio statement:

My Testament: Some people (the government sponsored media) will say I was evil, a monster (V)… no… I was just born poor in a country where the Wealthy manipulate, use, abuse, and economically enslave 95% of the population. Rich Republicans, Rich Democrats… same-same… rich… they take turns fleecing us… our few dollars… pyramiding the wealth for themselves. The 95%… the us, in US of A, are the neo slaves of the Global South. Our Masters, the Wealthy, do, as they like to us…

"There's class warfare, all right, but its my class, the rich class that's making war and we're winning"
- Warren Buffet 

Rise like lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number.
Shake your chains to earth like dew.
Which in sleep has fallen on you.
Ye are many – they are few.

Want the TRUTH? => http://metanoia-films.org/psywar.php http://metanoia-films.org/humanresources.php Can you handle the TRUTH?

His favorite quotation? "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!"

His pics are heavy on V for Vendetta stills and images such as this one:

Hat Tip: Margaret Griffis, shutterbug extraordinaire and collector of strange and wonderful stories.

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NEXT: Holder and Sebelius: The Government Must Eliminate the Cost Shifting It Compels

Nick Gillespie is an editor at large at Reason and host of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie.

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  1. Episiarch   14 years ago

    What is that in his hand, a Kahr? If so, at least his taste in guns is better than his taste in movies.

    1. Derp   14 years ago

      "People" on the internet seem to think that it was a .22 conversion of some kind, not sure of the model.

      1. Episiarch   14 years ago

        It seems pretty small for there to be a .22 conversion kit for it. It's clearly not a Glock or a Kimber; maybe a Sig?

        1. modnar   14 years ago

          Judging by the size, it looks [to me] like a Glock 19.

          1. Nagsheadlocal   14 years ago

            Looks for all the world like an H&K PSP P7.

            1. Episiarch   14 years ago

              Yes, I think you are right. The H&K has a conversion kit and the sights match.

          2. JD   14 years ago

            I thought it was a Glock too, but I think you can see a hammer at 2:39.

            1. Warty   14 years ago

              It seemed worse than it really was ? blood was pouring down from the tip of my left thumb onto my palm and staining the cuff of my white oxford shirt. But it really wasn't a deep would or anything, the hammer of the Glock 19 9mm handgun has simply ripped off a patch of skin when I fired it. I was obviously holding it wrong by putting my thumb back there; it didn't occur to me in the heat of the moment that the hammer would pull back when the bullet was discharged. It did, and when it snapped back into place it took a small patch of skin with it. It was a mess, but the adrenaline made sure that at least for now it didn't hurt much. I guess I should have taken the time to learn how to shoot the thing but no crying over spilt milk.

              1. rac   14 years ago

                Not the hammer, the slide. This guy needed more time at the range. Terrible shot.

                And why would anyone put a .22 conversion on their H&K, when they are going to a gunfight? I'll have to look at it agin, but wasn't there a little too much recoil for a .22?

                1. Warty   14 years ago

                  Don't tell me the difference between a hammer and a slide, tell Dan T.

                  1. rac   14 years ago

                    I didn't know where that came from. I assumed it was a quote form someone else. Your reputation with fireamrms precedes you. I earlier blogs.

                    1. Warty   14 years ago

                      You don't know Dan T's short stories? Prepare yourself.

                    2. rac   14 years ago

                      Can I just say, Holy Hweenblurters? And, I have a newfound appreciation for milk.

          3. JD   14 years ago

            If it is supposedly a .22, maybe it is the Glock lookalike sold by ISSC? That would explain the hammer.

            1. .   14 years ago

              Whatever it was, he couldn't hit the side of a barn with it.

    2. Barely Suppressed Rage   14 years ago

      I read somewhere it was a .22, but you know how the MSM reports about guns.

      1. MSM   14 years ago

        It was an assault pistol.

        1. Barely Suppressed Rage   14 years ago

          Not only that, it was an automatic, high-powered, large-caliber, high-capacity assault pistol designed to spray-fire from the hip.

          And it was made of plastic and had armor-piercing bullets.

          And it had a barrel shroud, which is a shoulder thing that goes up.

    3. Fist of Etiquette   14 years ago

      WHY ARE ALL YOU PEOPLE OBSESSING OVER WHAT FIREARM THE MAN IS POINTING? HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT TO THE STORY?

      I'm much more interested in that jacket. What do you think? It's not Members Only because it has a hood and no fake epaulettes that I can see. It also looks to be rain resistant if not retardant. Possibly Timberland.

  2. loser   14 years ago

    obviously this terrible tragedy is a validation all of my politcal prejudices

  3. joshua corning   14 years ago

    please chill on the jokes about an anti-government anarchist nutjob being pissed that his wife got fired from a public school job

    Can we make fun of the union thug who offed himself?

    1. Quiet Desperation   14 years ago

      Yes. Yes you may.

  4. Derp   14 years ago

    Watch the other video, the one from farther away, and you will clearly see he did this for attention. He didn't really act as though he wanted to kill anyone, he just wanted to suicide-by-security guard. He pretends he's in an action movie, acting very theatrical, illustrates no knowledge of gun safety, almost shooting himself in the foot after he first discharges. Way to give people more excuses to be pro gun control....

    1. Red Rocks Rockin   14 years ago

      That's what I thought, too--he could have easily killed the woman who hit him from behind with her purse, and the shots he did fire were at point-blank range.

      1. Derp   14 years ago

        After he misses the first shot, he points the gun at the other people (After hilariously discharging it into the floor), but it looks like he's just trying to scare them. The first shot looks like a deliberate miss.

    2. IceTrey   14 years ago

      Actually it should make people more pro-carry. If everyone else in that room had had a gun this would have been over real quick.

  5. joshua corning   14 years ago

    who was running the camera?

    If i was him/her i would have gotten the fuck out of there instantly.

    Note: i have not seen the video...i assume it was not remotely operated or otherwise unmanned.

    1. SugarFree   14 years ago

      Sometimes a public access cameraman must recognize the duty he has to present the unvarnished truth to the four weird shut-ins and the one TV that was left on while a dead elderly woman is being eaten by her cats that make up the sum total of his audience.

      1. Episiarch   14 years ago

        A true American hero. Next on public access: Battlestar Galactica Forum!

        1. Brett L   14 years ago

          I think its been established that cameraman has to be no better than a distant 3rd in the intestinal fortitude race in this episode.

        2. Jim   14 years ago

          My wife did Kiss!

      2. Fuck Rand   14 years ago

        Something very sexual in all that.

      3. Ted S.   14 years ago

        I'm reminded of R. Budd Dwyer.

        If you want the video, you can get that, too.

    2. Red Rocks Rockin   14 years ago

      It was a reporter's camera that she happened to leave running--she wasn't in the room during the incident.

  6. Brian from Texas   14 years ago

    If Clay Duke's wife sucked half as much at her job as he did in his ability to aim a gun she deserved to get sacked.

    1. Brett L   14 years ago

      I said the same on the Morning Links. Must be a Texas thing. Growing up there, we had crazy guys who shot straight. the UT Tower guy, Lee Harvey Oswald, that dude who shot up the Lubys.

      1. Derp   14 years ago

        He intended to miss the first shot (I believe his actions on the video support this), and was not aiming in the subsequent shots. Still a total loser.

        1. Brian from Texas   14 years ago

          Well if his intention was suicide he should have just shot himself once in the head and not waste bullets.

    2. IceTrey   14 years ago

      Are you kidding? Hitting anything with a pistol from that distance is damn hard. Add in the effects of the stress he was under and it's not surprising he didn't hit anything. In Vietnam it took 50,000 M-16 rounds get one kill. Shooting someone isn't as easy as people think it is.

      1. In Time Of War   14 years ago

        Please, LEOs are hitting dogs at that distance every day, in low-light conditions while the dog scampers around in terror. This guy had it easy.

        1. CaptainSmartass   14 years ago

          To be fair, the LEOs usually Taze the dogs first.

      2. T   14 years ago

        Wait, what? Hitting something from less than 10 feet with a pistol is hard? No. Just no.

        Your Viet Nam statistic doesn't account for usage patterns. When you're doing things like lighting up an acre of rainforest from a gunship and hoping to hit something, rounds per casualty aren't real useful. Any war that includes tactics like the "Mad Minute" is going to have skewed numbers.

        1. IceTrey   14 years ago

          Go on Youtube. There's tons of video showing people missing from as little as 2 feet, cops included. A bullet is very small and you only have to miss by a millimeter.

          I've never heard of a Vietnam gunship mounting M-16's. My dad was Marine company commander along the DMZ during and after the Tet offensive. He had thousands of rounds shot at him and hundreds of artillery shells land nearby and he walked away with out a scratch.

          Shooting someone is not as easy as people think it is.

      3. JohnD   14 years ago

        Hitting something the size of a human at 10 ft is most definately NOT hard if you have had any marksmanship training at all. When I qualified with the .45 in 1964, the range distance was 35 ft (or 50 ft.. I forget which. But definately not 10 ft. ).

        1. JohnD   14 years ago

          Caveat : If someone is shooting back at you, all bets are off.

  7. Wind Rider   14 years ago

    Anybody heard from Warty snce this happened?

    1. Warty   14 years ago

      Dude, I'm a waaaay better shot than this dude, dude. Dude.

      1. rac   14 years ago

        Blindfolded I could do more damage.

        1. joshua corning   14 years ago

          You might want to consider the possibility that he actually did not want to kill any body but himself.

          One should note he did not miss on his last shot.

  8. Old Mexican   14 years ago

    Will Chris Matthews and Rachel Madow blame the Wachowski brothers for inciting violence?

    Don't wait standing up for this one!

    1. MNG   14 years ago

      Nahh, the blame goes to Alan Moore. Next he'll be inciting people to worship snake deities.

      1. grylliade   14 years ago

        If Alan Moore told me to worship a snake deity, I'd fucking worship a snake deity. Seriously, Death Himself is afraid of Alan Moore.

        1. joshua corning   14 years ago

          Honestly I want to punch the fucker in the face.

          Not because of his politics and I actually love most of his work.

          Simply because he is whiny little two faced bitch when it comes to his dealings with co-workers and the publishers he has worked for.

          I also find it hilarious that the ending of the Watchman movie was not only better then the comic book ending but was also far more plausible.

          On a side note did anyone else notice that Dr Manhattan really could not see into the future and that he simply used that lie to shield himself from those around him and the horrors he created.

      2. Anonymous Coward   14 years ago

        All it takes is one bad day...

  9. MNG   14 years ago

    Was he a fan of the crappy movie or the excellent graphic novel?

    1. Some Guy   14 years ago

      Why did that asshole have to go and ruin both?

    2. cynical   14 years ago

      Probably the movie. What a dick.

    3. affenkopf   14 years ago

      You mean the exellent comic?

      "That pompous phrase (graphic novel) was thought up by some idiot in the marketing department of DC. I prefer to call them Big Expensive Comics."
      ? Alan Moore

    4. affenkopf   14 years ago

      You mean the exellent comic?

      "That pompous phrase (graphic novel) was thought up by some idiot in the marketing department of DC. I prefer to call them Big Expensive Comics."
      ? Alan Moore

      1. Erm   14 years ago

        No, the graphic novel. See someone else's post above about him being a whiny bitch. See your quote for evidence of same.

        1. affenkopf   14 years ago

          Better a whiny bitch than a pretentious ass.

    5. joshua corning   14 years ago

      The watchman movie had a better ending then the watchman comic.

      Also like the Watchman, V was originally a limited series comic book.

  10. Rather   14 years ago

    I love that the guy was a massage therapist. I wonder if he was any good? I could use a good sports massage.

    1. James   14 years ago

      I know nothing about him, but around here a bunch of people who end up on unemployment are eligible for grants and student loans to go to community college. They study "career track" courses like massage therapy, medical billing, office management, and the like. They live off the money for about nine months, and then graduate the program along with dozens of other people who are all competing for the one or two jobs that might be available.

      When big layoffs and the crash of the lumber industry hit southwest Washington state, a bunch of people--mostly men in their forties and fifties--got certified in massage, being personal care assistants, early childhood education, only to find out that NOBODY wanted to be touched by them, or would allow them anywhere near the elderly or children. The ones with student loans had that debt added to every other financial problem they had.

      The ones who went into actual technical fields, such as auto repair, were at least able to find jobs appropriate to their age, gender, and overall appearance. Harsh sounding, I know, but reality is harsh at times.

      1. Anonymous Coward   14 years ago

        When big layoffs and the crash of the lumber industry hit southwest Washington state, a bunch of people--mostly men in their forties and fifties--got certified in massage, being personal care assistants, early childhood education, only to find out that NOBODY wanted to be touched by them, or would allow them anywhere near the elderly or children.

        Nobody wants to get rubbed down by a 40-year-old lumberjack? Who might have guessed that?

  11. FleeingCali   14 years ago

    How about the woman hitting him with the purse? She's got some cojones. If only she would have put something a bit heavier inside of it first.

    1. Mr Whipple   14 years ago

      Like a gun? But I guess in Florida, you need a conceal carry permit, to do that.

    2. Mr Whipple   14 years ago

      Like a gun? But I guess in Florida, you need a conceal carry permit, to do that.

      1. Derp   14 years ago

        I think it was one of those "Gun free zones". I guess they didn't put up enough signs?

      2. FleeingCali   14 years ago

        I was thinking 3 hole punch - it's an office so they gotta have one of those around right?

    3. Ice Nine   14 years ago

      >>"How about the woman hitting him with the purse? She's got some cojones."

      An extraordinarily courageous person. Her attempt to save her friends might have been inept but that does not detract one bit from the heroic nature of it. I find it somewhat annoying that they are making the big deal out of the superintendent - who indeed handled himself well - but discussing her actions rather matter of factly. She had a choice - he didn't.

      1. Some Guy   14 years ago

        Yes. This.

  12. Flex Nasty B.I.G.   14 years ago

    A lot of people have views like his. Their views are not very sophisticated (because they probably don't read political news 24/7) and they can't seem to pinpoint specific entities, but they have a sense that political and business elites are screwing the little guy, and they're full of rage over it.

    I can't say I disagree with that, however I really don't see shooting up a school board meeting as any sort of solution.

    1. Enough About Palin   14 years ago

      "but they have a sense that political and business elites are screwing the little guy, and they're full of rage over it."

      Such bullshit. My company donated (via it's employees and foundation)$5.4 million to the United Way this year.

      I started out poor in a single working mother family and am doing very well for myself.

      And as some here know I have spent years working with homeless youth and the only group of people screwing these kids over are the fucking cops.

      1. Enough About Palin   14 years ago

        And of course the chickenhawks and pimps.

      2. Mango Punch   14 years ago

        I can't say I disagree with that, however I really don't see shooting up a school board meeting as any sort of solution.

        Need: more charter schools.

      3. .   14 years ago

        ...and am doing very well for myself.

        Uh, got any spare change, dude?

    2. Bingo   14 years ago

      Yep. The comments on a lot of news aggregators and quite a few mainstream news sites do have a large number of people that feel screwed. This guy seems like he might have been left-leaning, but the confused anger seems to come in all political stripes.

      1. In Time Of War   14 years ago

        Now all we need is a charismatic leader to come along and give everyone simplistic answers to difficult questions and, oh, a common enemy that explains all their ills and failings might be useful...

        1. Brett L   14 years ago

          I feel like I've seen this episode before...

        2. Joseph Goebbels   14 years ago

          I know someone!

      2. JD   14 years ago

        The lone nuts who end up taking themselves out (this guy, the dude who crashed a plane into the Austin IRS building, the Discovery Channel shooter) seem to all have pretty confused beliefs about who is screwing them over. Usually there's something about governments and corporations conspiring to screw over the little guy (although they all seem to be educated and middle class).

        The random aggregation of beliefs tend to be helpful for political hacks of all stripes because they can always find something to point to that they say indicates the guy was part of the other end of the political spectrum.

    3. Brandybuck   14 years ago

      I'll give you 10 to 1 odds this guy was a 9/11 Troofer and listened to Alex Jones.

    4. West Texas   14 years ago

      I agree with this. And I will add that most of the people I have come across who have these views are generally older and not-so-successful in life and see those kinds of "the wealthy/big companies fuck the little guys!" argument as an easy excuse for their own lack of success.

      And I don't mean that in a condescending or heartless way, it's just a pattern that I have observed.

      A really big part of life - no matter how hard you work or how talented you may be - comes down to luck and it's hard for many people to accept that. If you define success as being a millionaire in a corner office (or whatever), you're very likely going to be disappointed someday when it doesn't happen.

    5. JohnD   14 years ago

      I really don't see shooting up a school board meeting as any sort of solution.

      Especially if you keep missing

  13. hmm   14 years ago

    FB page is long gone...

    1. the PTB   14 years ago

      Natch. Wouldn't want any of the other little people getting any ideas.

    2. Anonymous Coward   14 years ago

      Use the cache, Luke.

  14. hmm   14 years ago

    One must learn to Screen shot.

  15. Colin   14 years ago

    Must've forgotten his Guy Fawkes mask.

    And he's more than a month late.

    1. Derp   14 years ago

      November. I get it.

  16. Mr Whipple   14 years ago

    So, was this School Board meeting held in a "gun free zone"? I had just watched a video of NH ST Rep Jenn Coffey explaining how gun free zones create killing fields for mass murderers before reading this story for the first time. She was debating whether the NH State House should be made a gun free zone.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl2RWDrS-GI

    1. JD   14 years ago

      Any government meeting, as well as any school administration building, is statutorily off limits for carry in Florida.

  17. P Brooks   14 years ago

    Will Time rescind Zuckerberg's prize after learning Facebook didn't expunge this guy's radical anti-government rantings?

  18. Mike M.   14 years ago

    In addition to that website metanoia-films.org (whatever the hell that is), he also listed a bunch of other websites on his Facebook page as well, including indymedia.org, mediamatters.org, and "theprogressivemind.info".

    In other words, he was another fine example of the modern American so-called "progressive" (read: rabid far left wing lunatic).

  19. Michelle Obama   14 years ago

    First Lady on Child Nutrition: 'We Can't Just Leave It Up To The Parents'

    http://www.breitbart.tv/michel.....e-parents/

    1. She reminds me of someone else   14 years ago

      Being told what to do. Oh ya: "(and please chill on the jokes about an anti-government anarchist nutjob being pissed that his wife got fired from a public school job)"
      Holy shit! Nick Gillespie is Michelle Obama. Now we know he's hiding his tits under the jacket!

  20. Mike M.   14 years ago

    In addition to that website metanoia-films.org (whatever the hell that is), he also listed a bunch of other websites on his Facebook page as well, including the websites of IndyMedia, Media Matters, and "theprogressivemind.info".

    In other words, Duke was yet another classic example of the modern so-called "progressive" (rabid far left wing lunatic).

  21. Mike M.   14 years ago

    In addition to that website metanoia-films.org (whatever the hell that is), he also listed a bunch of other websites on his Facebook page as well, including the websites of IndyMedia, Media Matters, and "The Progressive Mind".

    In other words, Duke was yet another classic example of the modern so-called "progressive" (rabid far left wing lunatic).

    1. SFC B   14 years ago

      "In addition to that website metanoia-films.org (whatever the hell that is), he also listed a bunch of other websites on his Facebook page as well, including the websites of IndyMedia, Media Matters, and "The Progressive Mind".

      Clearly you haven't been paying attention. That he was using a gun means he MUST be a conservative, likely being direct by the sinister machinations of the Illuminati-esque Libertarians.

      1. Brandybuck   14 years ago

        And the Kochtopus...

    2. Jeffersonian   14 years ago

      Didn't he know you're supposed to let the government do the gun-pointing?

  22. Matthew   14 years ago

    I'm really impressed by how cool and brave the members of the school board acted.

    1. Mango Punch   14 years ago

      agreed. especially the guy who signed the pink slip... and the lady with the purse.

    2. Lyle   14 years ago

      Totally. May we all be so cool when we me our own armed crazies one day.

      1. R C Dean   14 years ago

        Very true. Although I'm planning to be armed, as well.

  23. realtoast   14 years ago

    I'm struck by the bravery and composure of these people. I'm not sure the lady with the purse made the right move; but it took huge balls to come back into that room and make an attempt to save everyone - after she was ostensibly scott-free and out the door and clearly outsized by the now-dead idiot. And, the board members staring down that idiot's weapon and talking calmly to him and buying time. Wow. This could have and in all probability would have ended much differently and horribly if but not for these peoples' composure.

    1. Xenocles   14 years ago

      Ginger's real problem was that her colleague was frozen in his chair rather than in a mental state to seize the initiative she created. I'm not saying that to judge the hostages but to emphasize the importance of staying mentally sharp; keeping ready to fight in any situation.

      I'm still not clear on what happened at the end. Did he miss a lot, or were they blanks? If they were blanks, how did he kill himself? My initial read is that this was supposed to be a suicide by cop.

      1. Bingo   14 years ago

        I'm pretty sure you can inflict a fatal wound with blanks even though they don't fire a projectile. I'm not sure if they were blanks or not, one of the reports said there were bullet holes near one of the board members, but you can hear the guy saying something along the lines of "see it was a cap gun, I knew this was suicide by cop".

        1. Episiarch   14 years ago

          That's how Jon-Erik Hexum died.

          1. Bingo   14 years ago

            That's a Darwin award for sure. Also, good grief:

            They say when a star dies, its light continues to shine
            across the universe for milleniums.
            Jon-Erik Hexum died in October of this year, but his light will continue to
            brighten our lives forever...and ever."

            1. Episiarch   14 years ago

              I actually remember seeing that on the screen after the episode, after going "where the hell is his character"? I asked my parents about it and my dad said "blanks have gunpowder too".

              1. rac   14 years ago

                And wadding.

            2. Fat Crack Ho   14 years ago

              "Milleniums"?

              Bet this written by the mainstream mediums.

        2. Derp   14 years ago

          They were not blanks. One of the board members suggested that, but the police say no blanks were used.

      2. Lyle   14 years ago

        I think the colleague was smart. When you don't have a gun, you don't chance a fight with the guy with the gun, unless you absolutely know what you're doing.

        Ginger needed a gun and not a purse. Nobody should do what she did. She's lucky. A 24 year old more or less tried the same thing at a Chevron convenience store about a month and go in Houston. Young black guy, recently out of prison, put a gun in the back of the lady at the front of the counter. 24 year old tried to help her, but without a gun. The young black guy with the gun simply turned around placed the gun against the 24 year old's stomach and fired. The 24 year old died minutes later. Woman was left unharmed though, as the guy ran away after shooting the 24 year old.

        Perhaps the 24 year old saved the woman's life by having the young black guy kill him instead... but it would have been better to have done nothing and call the cops with as much information on the guy as possible.

        1. R C Dean   14 years ago

          Perhaps the 24 year old saved the woman's life by having the young black guy kill him instead... but it would have been better to have done nothing

          I disagree. I think doing nothing to save your own skin while others are threatened is not necessarily the better thing to do.

          This, by the way, falls firmly in the category of doing nothing:

          call the cops with as much information on the guy as possible

          1. Lyle   14 years ago

            Nonsense. When you don't have a gun, you don't confront the person with the gun. You behave yourself, and chances are you live.

            ... and of course calling the cops is doing something, particularly the Houston cops who love to confront people on the streets be they villainous citizenry or angelic citizenry. I mean, wouldn't it be worse to not call them at all? I think so.

            Anyway, the 24 is dead now because he confronted the ex-con with the gun. Possibly a hero for taking the bullet for the woman, but the young black guy could have shot her at anytime and didn't... probably because she didn't make a move against him and just did what he said (he took her outside the store with him after shooting the 24 year old... then took off).

            Ginger offers us another good example. She accomplished nothing, and could have gotten herself killed for it.

            Not smart.

            1. Barely Suppressed Rage   14 years ago

              When you don't have a gun, you don't confront the person with the gun. You behave yourself, and chances are you live.

              There is a fair amount of evidence that this is not necessarily the case. If a guy is dedicate to shooting and killing you, he's going to do it, no matter how much you supplicate, cooperate, beg, plead, whatever. It really depends on the circumstances. In this case, the guy's behavior certainly appeared to indicate that he intended to kill some people and was ready to die himself. In fact, the reports say that he said something to the effect of "I won't be leaving here alive" or something like that.

              As for me, I was wondering why the board members were all just sitting there so calmly like bumps on a log while the guy pointed a gun at them.

              I like to think I would have jumped up and started throwing chairs at the guy. Unless you're a pretty well-trained shot with a handgun, which most people are not, it's pretty hard to hit a person who's moving around, even just a few feet away, and even harder when you're trying to dodge flying furniture.

              I think I'd rather take my chances fighting back - you never know; I might get lucky and hit him in the head or knock him down, or at least knock the gun out of his hand - rather than just sitting there like a beef cow waiting for the hammer to smack my forehead.

              Of course, it's easy for me to say that sitting here watching that video; I hope I'm never tested in this way and have to find out. But if tested, I hope I would do more than just sit there and say quietly, "please don't... please don't..."

              1. rac   14 years ago

                I would have a shotgun under the table for just this kind of eventuality. Of course, I believe that guns are not allowed in government buildings in FL. But my skin is more dear to me than the law.

            2. Xenocles   14 years ago

              "You behave yourself, and chances are you live."

              Or the guy gets tired of the situation and starts to go down the line capping people in their seats, which is what was beginning in this case. Or the nice terrorist flies your plane into a building while 150+ people sit in their seats afraid to bum-rush some guys with box-cutters. There's a nontrivial risk in assuming the hostage-taker isn't planning on killing everyone anyway.

        2. Xenocles   14 years ago

          I didn't say it wouldn't be without risk; I said that hostage had a good chance of succeeding. Guns are standoff weapons; there's a lot of opportunity for success when you are working hand-to-hand close-in against a person armed with a gun. What it takes is the mental training to look for the opportunity and to give you the confidence to exploit it.

          1. Lyle   14 years ago

            That's right... and did Ginger or the Board member have the physical and mental training to accomplish such a thing?

            Obviously not.

            1. Xenocles   14 years ago

              And like I said, that was her problem. She gambled that they were ready in addition to her gamble that her strike would disarm him. The real lesson learned here is that everyone should do the minimum to be ready to seize the initiative in that sort of situation.

              I admit that when I watched it for the first time, I hoped that she was going to pull an automatic out of her purse and put two in his hat. No such luck.

        3. Jim   14 years ago

          I'm sure I'll be called a PC bleeding-heart for pointing this out, but do the three mentions of the criminal's skin color add anything to your story, or are you just completely obsessed with race?

          1. Brian   14 years ago

            I was thinking the same thing. Simply referring to the gunman as asshole would have sufficed.

          2. Lyle   14 years ago

            Of course it does... cause he is a black guy. It's simply a fact. You have a problem with facts?

            1. Lyle   14 years ago

              ... and to further show that there is too much gun violence committed by black men.

              It is what it is, and hopefully one day it won't be a problem.

              1. Jim   14 years ago

                You can't have it both ways, Lyle. Your two comments contradict each other: is it an incidental fact, or is it a polemical device intended to make a point?

  24. Lyle   14 years ago

    Ginger Littleton needed a gun, not a purse. Ginger that was very, very stupid what you did. Lucky for you he wasn't THAT crazy.

  25. Xenocles   14 years ago

    I thought the circle-V was a vegan emblem.

    1. Barely Suppressed Rage   14 years ago

      I thought it was the "V" for the visitors, from that awful alien TV movie.

      1. Hey   14 years ago

        That was great TV back in the day. Of course, I was like 9.

  26. Lyle   14 years ago

    By the way, far crazies just offed a United States border agent along the peaceful Arizona border yesterday. Don't know what that is about, but I'm guessing Arizona and the Border Patrols might armor up, much like this Panama City School Board is about to do... or at least allow for Board members to come armed and ready to defend their lives.

    1. Lyle   14 years ago

      that would be "four" crazies. i didn't see a book until I was nine. rural South education. nearest book ten miles down a dirt road.

      1. smartass sob   14 years ago

        Yes, and no shoes either, right? 😉

        1. Lyle   14 years ago

          yes. and my daddy beat me. i'm a victim.

          1. Rather   14 years ago

            Hey Bubba, we don't need no fancy book learning. I already knows everything I needs to knows.

  27. Jay   14 years ago

    I do think it a miracle nobody was even hit, let alone killed.

    1. Jesus   14 years ago

      Yes, my life is so unfucking busy I said to myself "Hesus, you need to get a miracle done today. How about making a fat crazy guy a lousy shot". Next thing you know, I saved some school board members. How was your day yesterday?

    2. Derp   14 years ago

      Except that guy that got shot and then killed himself.

  28. generic Brand   14 years ago

    I like the shoutout about the TSA by the superintendent. Still sticking it to the man in spite of a scary situation.

  29. safasfsa   14 years ago

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  31. Hugh Akston   14 years ago

    This just confirms my opinion of people who use facebook.

    1. Rather   14 years ago

      I always google the name on Reason first 😉

  32. .   14 years ago

    please chill on the jokes about an anti-government anarchist nutjob

    No need, Nick. We all know that anarchists are peaceful hippies who never destroy property or act violently in any way whatsoever. And even when they do, The Man had it coming. Dude.

    1. Brian   14 years ago

      Tell that to Mckinley

  33. prolefeed   14 years ago

    This is example #443,990 of why it is a bad idea to disarm citizens and take away their Second Amendment rights in any context.

    It allows gunmen the comfort of knowing that most likely all of the law abiding citizens in the room are disarmed and can't fight back.

    1. Bingo   14 years ago

      Every shooting in recent memory has taken place in a "gun free zone". College campuses, public schools, military bases, I can't think of a single case that has occurred in a place where people are allowed to carry.

      I guess there was the one botched attempt at the fast food restaurant in Texas...

      1. Warty   14 years ago

        The case where the Hmong guy shot those hunters is the only one that comes to mind.

        1. Episiarch   14 years ago

          Well, there was that time that crazy, emotionless dude took out a whole police station.

          1. Warty   14 years ago

            With a gorgeous, gorgeous AR-18. I love the fuck out of my AR-180.

            1. Rather   14 years ago

              Make a mental note: Be nice to Warty

              1. rac   14 years ago

                Mental note: Always CC around Warty.

  34. Slut Bunwalla   14 years ago

    So this guy's going to be portrayed as a right-wing extremist angry about having a black president, right?

    1. Barely Suppressed Rage   14 years ago

      Of course. But there also is that unfortunate fact that he linked to Media Matters...

    2. smartass sob   14 years ago

      I seem to remember there were alot of left-wingers who weren't too happy about having a black president. If memory serves, they were Hillary supporters...and the original birthers.

  35. Fiscal Meth   14 years ago

    "...and please chill on the jokes about an anti-government anarchist nutjob being pissed that his wife got fired from a public school job"

    So a priest, a rabbi and an anti-government anarchist nutjob who was pissed that his wife got fired from a public school job walk into a bar....

    1. Reason Morality Squad   14 years ago

      Fiscal Meth, you are fined one credit for a violation of the Verbal Morality Statute

      1. M O Fan Club   14 years ago

        It's a 2 credit violation if you mention Mohamed.

  36. Double Dutch Politics   14 years ago

    My opinion piece on Clay Duke and the terrible event at the school board meeting in Florida yesterday. How unfortunately his story could become more common in this tough economic climate.

    http://www.doubledutchpolitics.....mic-times/

    1. Paul   14 years ago

      It's all Reagan's fault!

    2. Ted S.   14 years ago

      Are your posts written in a bizarre variation of Pig Latin?

  37. Tim T.   14 years ago

    His Facebook page has been removed- but here is a link to a screen recording of the page. -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jjRbMZVIbc

    1. Jim   14 years ago

      Did you view that before linking? Thanks for the image at around the 4 minute mark.

      1. AlmightyJB   14 years ago

        Yeah, could have done without seeing that. The info about his prior arrest was interesting. Pretty much confirms what we already knew. The guys was nothing more then a nutjob loser asswipe.

  38. richard40   14 years ago

    If this guy was a wacko conservative, the media would be playing this up for all its worth, talking about violent Tea Party rhetoric that needs to be repudiated, and probably also calling for gun control. Since he instead appears to be a leftie, it will be largely ignored. Fortunately, despite all the phony talk about violent rhetoric from the right, almost all of the real violence so far seems to come from the left.

    1. kennewick man   14 years ago

      the 3 inch spear head in my pelvic bone says that youtube video of that girl getting stomped on was pretty brutal.

    2. The Devil Inchoate   14 years ago

      I'm sure right now some NYT columnist is preparing a screed tying it to the Tea Party.

    3. Bucky   14 years ago

      ...i'm still haunted in nightmares by that horrible hag and that giant gavel...

  39. Preturbed   14 years ago

    Amazing, nobody comments about school boards. I do not condone for one minute what this nutjob did. But did anyone ever go to a school board meeting. I have been going for over a year and all these people do is practically make love to each other and fall all over themselves and never, ever allow anyone to have a different opinion. We just a a vote on a bond issue to build a swimming pool and they lost. Well, the other side called us regggressive. Who in the hell do these people think they are. They do what they want and they don't care or listen to anyone.

  40. Jim Walsh   14 years ago

    Forget about his politics and the righteousness (of lack thereof) of what he stood for; somebody should have shot that fat fuck...

  41. Jim Walsh   14 years ago

    Yes I know - he killed himself. Somebody should have shot him in the gut before he could turn his gun on himself, then stood over him as he was just about to check out, and said, "You're no martyr; you're just a pathetic piece of shit. Oh and by the way, your wife just called, and she's running off with your brother."

  42. Hotch   14 years ago

    I read most posts.... and saw a website "blog" I want to save.... That being said.....Kuddos to the board member who tried to get rid of the others and take it on his self. That would be me (hope never) and the lady with the purse would be ME!!! If I thought ( and we do not know what she "saw" behind him? )I think she did good..... not sure I would............

  43. Gail Hotchkiss   14 years ago

    AGREE with Preturbed!!!!!

  44. Gail Hotchkiss   14 years ago

    Jim that is mean

  45. Gail Hotchkiss   14 years ago

    a HUMAN is having life issues.... disturbed.......... so write them off ???? No fair. Are you perfect?

    1. Jim Walsh   14 years ago

      No, I'm not perfect. I also don't wave a gun in peoples' faces just to make a point. To write off his antics as an act of desperation and pain is an insult to the millions of people who face equally harsh tribulations every day with dignity and a resolve to survive and prosper. His suicide reeks of the ultimate temper tantrum: "well, I'll show you..." The only tragedy is that this guy needlessly threatened the lives of several people and probably went to his grave thinking he had done something heroic...

  46. Gail Hotchkiss   14 years ago

    facebook me

  47. Brian   14 years ago

    He should have just gone to Wendy's and forgot about the whole thing.

    Now he's dead and there are a lot of uneaten Wendy burgers.

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