By David Futrelle
On Gab — the “free speech” social media site that has become something of a haven for the internet’s worst people — some of the regulars have come up with a rather inventive explanation for the Parkland, Florida school shooting yesterday that left 17 dead. It’s all the fault of the Jews.
Never mind that an explicitly fascist group claims the accused shooter, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, as a member, and says he participated in their paramilitary training exercises. As some of the best minds on Gab see it, Cruz is actually the puppet of a vast Jewish conspiracy — and probably a Jew himself.
Their evidence? The fact that Cruz is such a well-known Jewish surname.
Wait, what?
While Cruz isn’t probably the first surname one thinks of when one thinks about Jewish surnames, there were some Spanish Jews who adopted the name to hide their Jewishness from the authorities … during the Spanish Inquisition. 500 years ago.
That of course isn’t proof that Cruz himself was Jewish.
Also, he was adopted.
But more than a few on Gab have something of a vested interest in trying to blame yesterday’s horrific carnage on a Jew or the Jews. See if you can figure out what the hidden agenda is as you scroll through these lightly censored comments from a fellow who calls himself DrGasChamber.
A Gabber called stevec, meanwhile, isn’t completely sure there even was a shooting yesterday. But whatever happened, he’s pretty sure Jews are to blame.
One commenter, the not-so-accurately named @NameTheJew, even made a little meme.
And no, there is no evidence that Elliot Rodger — that’s him on the left — was Jewish either.
Needless to say, not everyone on Gab blames the Jews for whatever they think happened in Parkland Florida yesterday. A fellow called Pho Chan, for example, had a rather different take on the Jewish Question.
Lovely.
For more on Nikolas Cruz, a possible incel who has been hailed by incels online as an Elliot Rodger style hero, see my post yesterday.
FWIW, I thought it was worth reporting, though the post is less reporting than pointing at and going jeez dudes you’re really kind of reaching (even by nazi standards) to make this one all about the evil Jews.
Is anyone else watching curling? I think I like curling. Though when I yell “hurry hard” at the cats they just look at me funny.
Not me. I’m proofreading — or at least, I should be. Hello to your kitties! I’ve missed hearing about them.
Back to proofreading.
FWIW, I think that abars01 was using a common expression instead of actually questioning David’s choice of topic.
God, if I’d known a two sentence post would lead to all this… No more posts about this from me. Like I said, it’s turning/has already turned into a flame war.
The republicans have finally realised that maybe the CDC should be allowed to research gun violence.
It’s complete deflection from, you know, doing anything, but it’s an admission there is a problem at least.
Curling is … lawn bowling except on ice and with brooms, right? ::runs away::
::sneaks back:: and isn’t Men With Brooms the greatest title for a film involving curling? ::sneaks out again::
We have a similar sport to Curling in the Alps. We need way less equipment for that…
Abars01,
No, but when someone points out a problem with your choice of words (or the apparent meaning behind them) , you can take it on board, rather than doubling down, and issuing a nonpology.
That’s another piece of feedback for you.
In related news:
Some 14 year old dolt posts that he could beat the casualty figures from the Florida shooting on snapchat.
Instant arrest, detained, felony charge.
WWTH:
It makes perfect sense as a deflection tactic, though.
@David: I like curling. It’s fuckin’ METAL.
@PeeVee,
Please take care and hold on, sweetheart ?
If I see one more tweet about mentally ill people being violent, I’ll… go sit my mentally ill self down in a corner ?
Speaking of people rushing to lay blame, I know some Mammotheers have already mentioned Infowars, but one of their “reporters” has really gone the distance trying to pin blame on a leftie – to the extent that they visually ID’d the wrong person as the shooter (a young guy from New Hampshire, named and all. I hope he sues them).
Respectable Lawyer on Twitter has done an excellent piece-by-piece take-down.
@ PeeVee
yeah, that. all of it. hugs if you want them
hatred is not a mental illness
bigotry is not a mental illness
entitlement is not a mental illness
@ the people who are SUPPOSED to be governing, we know you aren’t going to do anything about the guns, because, y’know, it’s not guns, it’s “mental illness”… SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS?????
yeah… we know, you’re not going to do anything about that, either
Before it hit international news reports I saw a tweet from a scared kid inside the school as the shooting was happening. He was terrified and locked in classroom with other students, hiding from the shooter. People were replying to his tweets to let him know what was happening outside.
How anyone can see the footage and these tweets, from people actually there, and say ‘false flag’/didn’t happen/probably not that bad etc. has the emotional development of a stone.
Actually, that’s an insult to all lithic formations, I know some very emotionally intelligent and empathic rocks.
Also adding to the irritation at the ‘mental illness’ blame. Especially since this dude clearly has a violent history. He’s an entitled brat, not mentally ill.
Also, Hi David, glad you’re back! Hope you’re feeling better.
Also saw someone note this morning that the student body is something like 40% Jewish, which given the shooter’s affilations, makes it far more likely to be an anti-Semitic attack (at least in part – don’t know if he targeted specific individuals once he began firing) than a “false flag.”
My spouse has struggled with quite severe mental health problems since before I met him, and he’s far more likely to be the one trying to protect people — years ago when he worked in daycare, he had to keep a bunch of kids and several parents calm during a lockdown (fortunately the “shooter” in that case turned out to be three kids with a marble slingshot).
Men with Brooms is a fun movie that helped me appreciate curling. Though they shouldn’t have repeated that silly claim about being able to see the Great China Wall from space.
Regarding the anti-Semitism described in this post … yeah. If he were dark-skinned, they would’ve called him a Muslim or a [slur for African-American] or whatever. Anything to deny that this person qualified for membership in their group.
Mish,
You follow Respectable Lawyer, too? We follow the best people. ?
Thank you.
Weird Eddie, thank you, also.
re: “false flag”… hey, we need proof
Categories of proof:
1) “… somebody somewhere saw a Craig’s List ad” (from the George Soros fantasies)
2) “… how else do you explain the shadow in this picture?” (from the Sandy Hook was faked fantasy)
3) “… everybody knows buildings don’t collapse like that” (from the 9-11 was an inside job fantasy)
4) “… the reflections in the face shields don’t look right” (from the We never went to the moon fantasy)
note: “… everybody knows” can be used to prove anything, just as “… nuh-uh” can be used to disprove anything
… Right-Wing Logic: helping 5-year-olds explain how the window in the front room got broken for DECADES!!!!
Today I learned
Valentine’s Day is a “Christian festival”
Cruz is “A Jewish name”
and there is no depths to which white supremacist racists won’t sink… but that I knew.
Preach it, PeeVee. Can’t help but think of that scene in The Green Mile where Percy deliberately keeps the sponge dry and once he is sickened by the horror he’s unleashed and turns around, Tom Hanks grabs him by the neck and says “You watch, you son of a b*tch!”
I realize it might be wishful thinking, but this might actually be the event that forces a change. The six-year-olds at Sandy Hook didn’t have smartphones. Pulse was too dark. Vegas shooting was too open. But media-savvy teenagers who recorded this event sending their videos and pictures and sound to other media-savvy teenagers across the nation and inundating lawmakers just might crack that NRA money barrier.
It’s all I can hope….
@Bluecat,
Ash Wednesday, the start of the 40-day Lent period leading up to Easter, fell on Valentine Day this year. That’s what the Nazi dude was referring to.
Don’t know how many of the Protestant Christian sects follow Lent, though, if any. I was under the impression that only Roman Catholics – and maybe the various Orthodox churches – celebrated it at all. And since in this country the only True Christians(c)(tm) are Protestant, well, not sure how any of this is ‘a strike’ against them.
ETA: Or maybe the Nazi tweeter really does see Valentines Day as a primarily Christian holiday. Weirder beliefs have existed.
Thanks, all. I’m still so pissed.
When the Onion makes more sense:
https://www.theonion.com/it-s-an-honor-to-continue-being-valued-over-countless-h-1819585030
Re: St. Valentines Day:
Valentine’s Day, also called Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine,[1] is celebrated annually on February 14. Originating as a Western Christianfeast day honoring one or two early saints named Valentinus, Valentine’s Day is recognized as a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance and romantic love in many regions around the world, although it’s not a public holiday in any country. – Wiki
Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Valentine’s Day. It changes yearly.
@WWTH @abars01
” But if you’re really this determined to attempt to gaslight me into accepting that I’m just somehow taking you as rude, I’ll dig the receipts up.”
A. Abars actually pissed me off in the other thread stating that they thought David was dead/terminally ill, (when David’s been ou and about over the past several months), so WWTH you aren’t the only one who finds abar’s statements initially offputting.
B. With that being said, “I didn’t mean it like that” (which is what I got out if abar’s response) is not gaslighting. No-one but abars knows what they meant. It is possible for two people to look at the same statement, and see two totally different things. Disagreeing obviously is not gaslighting.
C. In conclusion, you BOTH are right. Let’s sing kumbuya.
RE: Is the school shooter mentally ill, or an entitled brat?
In this case he’s BOTH. Not all school shooters are mentally ill, but this one is.
The point should be is that his mental illness is about as relevent as his brown hair. He CHOSE to be violent.
Everyone has their own crosses to bear, “mentally ill” or not. Maybe people with a mental illness may have heavier crosses to bear, but they still CHOOSE how to deal with them. Someone with a heavy cross could CHOOSE to deal with their pain with dignity, while someone with a light cross could CHOOSE to deal with it like an entitled brat. It all comes down to character.
TL;DR
Mental illness doesn’t give someone a bad character, and mental health doesn’t give someone a good one. And vice-versa.
I learned that Saint Valentine is saint of epilepsy and plague – well someone on Twitter said this, so it definately is true ?