School gunman Karl Pierson liked debate, running, but acted "weird" at times (Updated)

[TomCADem]

Source: CNN

Centennial, Colorado (CNN) -- To many of his neighbors, Colorado school gunman Karl Pierson was the wholesome boy next door who liked achievement and ran on the cross country team. He even worked on an Eagle Scout project two years ago.

To schoolmates, Pierson was known for his outspoken intelligence that served him well on the debate team. But at times, he acted "weird" and alienated peers with rants about communism and his aggressiveness to win every argument, they said.

One neighbor described him as bright but a social misfit whose peers ridiculed him. His mother had transferred him from another high school because of the mockery and altercations, the neighbor said.

* * *

"I did think he was a little weird, but I didn't think he was, like, bad weird," Stutz added. "He always kind of talked about how America was a communist country, how the government was, like, trying to take us over and stuff. I don't know, just some weird stuff that I didn't really pay close attention to, but nothing that alarmed me.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/14/us/colorado-school-gunman-karl-pierson/

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A lot of media outlets have been pushing the narrative that the shooter was communist without any direct quotes supporting this claim. This conclusion appears to be based on stories talking about his "rants about communism." Also, other stories have emerged that the shooter was upset at the debate coach who kicked him off the team because it ruined his chances to get in to the U.S. Air Force Academy:

http://guardianlv.com/2013/12/details-emerge-from-colorado-school-shooting/

Fellow students described Pierson as outspoken about politics, a gifted debater on the school’s team, and a member of the Arapahoe High School track team. He cultivated his speaking skills and sometimes debated teachers. He apparently had friends. Pierson’s character was reported by fellow students as “incredibly humble and down to earth….a little geeky but in a charming way.” Pierson was reportedly a target of bullying, but did not show other students that it bothered him. He aspired to enter the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Bottom line: You have a disturbed young man ranting about communism and how America was a communist country and how the government was trying to take us over and stuff who aspired to enter the U.S. Air Force. Yet, the MSM runs with the idea that the shooter was a communist even though he was complaining that our "communist" government was trying to take us over. Ted Cruz rants about communism all the time. Does that make him a communist?

[wercal]

1. It doesn't matter what his politics were-he had an agenda that included a grudge against one teacher

...but if you want to go down that road, walk very carefully:

http://www.heavy.com/news/2013/12/karl-pierson-arapahoe-high-school-shooter-colorado/

"Pierson's Facebook page, before it was taken down, was a window into the mind of the accused shooter. He wrote a lot about economics and politics, calling himself a "Keynesian" and jesting that neoclassic economic theory would not help fix the economy."

"The Republican Party: Health Care: Let 'em Die, Climate Change: Let 'em Die, Gun Violence: Let 'em Die, Women's Rights: Let 'em Die, More War: Let 'em Die. Is this really the side you want to be on? "

[TomCADem]

5. The Point Is He Liked.To Argue, Labels Changed...

...depending on context. Keynsian, socialism and communism are not the same thing and the U.S. Is definitely not communist. So, I would not accept the MSM narrative that the shooter was a leftist. What is clear is that the shooter was disturbed.

[wercal]

6. No the point is you should tread carefully, before starting a 'he hated communism meme'

From your own link:

"He was a weird kid," Davis said. "He's a self-proclaimed communist, just wears Soviet shirts all the time."

From your post:

"he was complaining that our "communist" government was trying to take us over."

Do you see how the two don't compute? Your statement relies on the quote from one classmate, named Stutz, who qualified his statement with 'I really didn't pay attention'. All other classmates, and quotes from his now defunct Facebook page show that he was most definitely not Joe McCarthy.


But as I said before, it doesn't matter anyway. Its possible (quite likely ctually) that his motives had absolutely nothing to do with politics. I don't know why people always have to project political motives into these tragedies. Seriously - if you've got to parse it down to the difference between Keynsian and communism when projecting his motives, it really time to give it a rest. I hope the girl recovers.

[TomCADem]

7. You have it backwards. The meme is that he is a commie

Do a casual google search and you will find hundreds of stories saying that he is a communist. Yet, I point out that it is not clear cut, and I am advancing a meme?

Please.

[wercal]

8. Your meme:

"he was complaining that our "communist" government was trying to take us over."

Knock yourself out....but tread carefully. I think it will backfire, and the entire notion of a meme in either direction is misguided, and bordering on disgusting.

[TomCADem]

10. That is from a CNN Article

...which I note is not consistent with the mems that he is a leftist pinko. I don't say he is right wing or left. Sorry if this was not clear, but I hope it is clear by now.

I think we actually agree that folks should not try to assign a political meaning to this. Again, I hope this clarifies my point once again. I thought my reference to the prevailing memes made this clear, but apparently not.

[iamthebandfanman]

2. weird how wingnuts

are always either planning on joining the armed forces, have been in the armed forces, or at least like to pretend they are a soldier ...
yet they hate the government.

dontcha think?

I poised that question to a friend of mine whos a libertarian and is in the navy.. don't recall getting an answer to 'if you hate , loathe, and fear the government so much.. whyd you decide to work for the violence based wing of the thing you fear and hate?'

[meegbear]

3. He supposedly described himself as a socialist ...

http://wonkette.com/536640/socialists-at-denver-post-cover-up-indisputable-fact-that-arapahoe-hs-shooter-was-socialist-just-like-them

[Lurks Often]

4. So essentially he flipped when the only thing that he cared about was taken away from

is how I read the article. I doubt he would have made it into the Air Force Academy and even if he did, I question if he would have been able to handle the pressure.

[tblue]

9. You never know who's gonna crack like this.

It's terrifying. There's no relevant political motive that I see. The kid was disturbed and heartbroken--and had access to firearms and ammo. A deadly mix that's way too common in this country.

Any news about the girl?

[maxsolomon]

12. I think you can identify commonalities

To predict who MIGHT crack like this.

My list starts like this:
1. male
2. owns a firearm

I'll let the FBI fill the rest in.

[maxsolomon]

11. I'd put the focus on his legal purchase of his weapons

Apparently he's 18, because he bought them on December 6th.

As soon as he was legally able to purchase a firearm to extract his revenge and act out his despair, he did.

He took advantage of the lack of parental supervision (just like Adam Lanza, mom went out of town on Family business) to strike, on December 13th. That's one week later.

Did Mom and Dad know that their legally adult son (who presumably lived at home) bought a shotgun?

What is so wrong with a waiting period of a month? What is so wrong with a notice to the owner of a household that a gun has been purchased using that address?