TN church shooter: 'Know This If Nothing Else: This Was A Hate Crime'

[ccharles000]

by: Pam Spaulding
Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 13:00:00 PM EST

Back in July of last year, Jim Adkisson, 58, opened fire with a shotgun during an event at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, where more than 200 people were attending a performance of "Annie"). It was also later learned that the Knoxville congregation had also recently put up a sign to publicly welcome LGBTs to worship.
When law enforcement officials searched Adkisson's home, they found "Liberalism is a Mental Health Disorder" by radio talk show host Michael Savage, "Let Freedom Ring" by talk show host Sean Hannity, and "The O'Reilly Factor," by television talk show host Bill O'Reilly.

Fast forward to Feb. 8, 2009 -- Adkisson has been sentenced to life behind bars for the deaths of Greg McKendry and Linda Kraeger. As many speculated at the time, the influence of the right-wing bile surely had to influence Adkisson. His four-page manifesto not only made clear that he wanted to kill liberals -- it called for the right-wing to rise up and commit violence. Sara Robinson at Orcinus:

But yesterday, Adkisson told us himself -- in his own words -- just how central right-wing eliminationism was in driving him to his shooting spree. Shortly after he was sentenced yesterday, he released a four-page handwritten "manifesto" -- which he'd intended to be his suicide note -- to the Knoxville News (the full .pdf can be downloaded here). In it, he unleashes the full measure of his hatred for liberals -- and encourages other would-be right-wing warriors to take up arms and follow him into battle.
Some choice excerpts:

"Know this if nothing else: This was a hate crime. I hate the damn left-wing liberals. There is a vast left-wing conspiracy in this country & these liberals are working together to attack every decent & honorable institution in the nation, trying to turn this country into a communist state. Shame on them....
"This was a symbolic killing. Who I wanted to kill was every Democrat in the Senate & House, the 100 people in Bernard Goldberg's book. I'd like to kill everyone in the mainstream media. But I know those people were inaccessible to me. I couldn't get to the generals & high ranking officers of the Marxist movement so I went after the foot soldiers, the chickenshit liberals that vote in these traitorous people. Someone had to get the ball rolling. I volunteered. I hope others do the same. It's the only way we can rid America of this cancerous pestilence."

"I thought I'd do something good for this Country Kill Democrats til the cops kill me....Liberals are a pest like termites. Millions of them Each little bite contributes to the downfall of this great nation. The only way we can rid ourselves of this evil is to kill them in the streets. Kill them where they gather. I'd like to encourage other like minded people to do what I've done. If life aint worth living anymore don't just kill yourself. do something for your Country before you go. Go Kill Liberals.


http://www.pamshouseblend.com

[angrycarpenter]

1. suicide by police shooting.

I read his note. I sensed an underlying desperation in a lonely, bitter, disturbed man who wanted to die and was too stubborn to just put the gun to his own head. It is tragic that if liberals had the far reaching power that he thought they had, he would have had a job or at least help with his predicament and mental health care for his paranoia.

[Siwsan]

2. This chills me, deep to the bone

Have any of those "authors", whose books were mentioned by this nut case, said ANYTHING to disavow what this man did? Have any republicans spoken out??

[Horse with no Name]

4. this is what "those authors" foment and cultivate"

It isn't unintentional.

[Horse with no Name]

3. This is the problem with the RW hate machine

It appeals to the folks that are already mentally delusional and feeds that delusion by giving them someone to hate.
Funny thing is in people like this, had they been fed "libral radio" like they were fed hate radio--they could very well be someone who you could count on to advocate for the little guy.
This is precisely why people like Rush, Hannity, et al need to be eradicated as the sole source of information. They spread and cultivate hate. You might as well list them as co-conspirators in this mass murder.

[ccharles000]

5. kick

[Tangerine LaBamba]

6. That appellation, "hate crime,"

has always confounded me.

In my experience, all crimes are either crimes of desperation - larceny, embezzlement - or crimes of hate - deeply disturbed individuals acting out.

It's just inane - "hate crimes."

Where are the "love crimes"? Or even the "like crimes"?

Murders are always hate crimes.

[rosesaylavee]

7. Since this happened, our UU church has a much stricter

entrance and exit policy - more locked doors, etc. Was kind of hoping that that would abate over time and things would go back as it used to be. Guess not anytime soon.