Thread by @FreedomFriesInc

Thread: Current #WaukeshaAttack death toll rises from 5 to 6.

The first 5 victims were all adults, the 6th is a child. I think seated, elderly spectators couldn't get away fast like others could.

My thoughts below on possible motives:

apnews.com/article/milwau…

The far right extremist GQP side are pushing a racist narrative bc the defendant is Black. They falsely accuse opponents of playing down this attack bc the defendant is not white.

As one of their opponents, I'm not playing it down one bit. As usual for me, regardless of race.

The attacks in Waukesha, WI and Parkland, FL have some things in common (and other things not in common!)

Both defendants might have been stopped if authorities were more "tough on crime."

Both defendants have known political views.

Both are obviously severely mentally ill.

I doubt the Waukesha defendant could succeed if he pleads not guilty by reason of insanity. The bar for this in a murder case is very, very high. He might plead guilty like Cruz did. He might not. This could take a long time.

apnews.com/article/parkla…

Currently available evidence suggests these murders, attempted murders, injuries and attempted injuries were deliberately carried out by the defendant. Why do I claim his state of severe mental illness at the time is now obvious? Several reasons, incl. the way he was apprehended.

A sane person doesn't go knock on a random door to ask for help with an Uber, then act surprised when cops arrive, by saying "whoa whoa whoa!" He's lucky he wasn't shot dead on the spot, after lowering his arm as if to get a gun. Was it an act? Not totally sure, at this stage.

Other pieces of evidence from the attack itself point to mental illness - not as the sole cause - as a relevant factor. To prevent similar crimes, we need to understand all aspects of what he did. The fact is, future killers like Brooks & Cruz, are everywhere, enabled by others.

A particularly lengthy and serious rap sheet indicates this defendant was well known to law enforcement (and likely to psychiatric providers, too.)

His choice of target appears to have been political, at least in part. Remember the murder of Heather Heyer? It's relevant, IMO.

There's been a pattern of mass casualty events in the US & certain other countries involving politics, severe mental illness, and missed opportunities to prevent likely attacks by known individuals.

Overlaying this is the dichotomous reasoning deployed in stochastic terrorism.

Put simply, the far right and the far left accuse each other of the same things they deny about themselves.

The difference, though, is that only one of these sides carried out ongoing, brazen stochastic terrorism from the Oval Office itself. The GOP is now run by the far right.

So I had to end my support for the Republican party.

My support for the Democrats is conditional. I'll reconsider if one day they have an opponent that acts like it supports the rule of law and the US Constitution.

This could take a while. But it's better to face reality.

Every time you see the far right accuse those outside the maga cult of letting the Waukesha attack happen or contributing to it in some way, just remember their own track record over the past few years. The death toll (and other harm to the country because of them) is enormous.

My directory of related threads:

https://twitter.com/FreedomFriesInc/status/1463677553428754433

I may add to this thread, or start a new one. The themes here are similar to what's behind the rapidly escalating political violence in the US & elsewhere...

A recent thread I wrote about racial conflict in the US:

https://twitter.com/FreedomFriesInc/status/1446630739164864514

At the end of that thread I added the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. Today his killers were convicted. I have mixed feelings: He should be alive. But thank God some measure of justice was found.