Explained: Jared Loughner’s Grammar Obsession (far-right tax-resister movement.)

[Poboy]

Explained: Jared Loughner’s Grammar Obsession
The alleged shooter’s statements closely echo the teachings of a popular far-right tax-resister movement.
— By Justine Sharrock

Tue Jan. 11, 2011 12:48 PM PST

What was going on in Jared Loughner's mind? Based on his online rantings, the man who allegedly emptied a 31-round clip into Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and dozens of bystanders Saturday was preoccupied with theories on a massive government fraud. Many of his seemingly random statements—on "grammar," "the ratifications," "the new currency," and more—echo the teachings of the "sovereign citizen" movement, a right-wing school of thought alleging that Americans have been surreptitiously stripped of their God-given rights.

These are not random parallels, as I discovered in reviewing Loughner's YouTube videos. In multiple instances, he uses the precise talking points sovereign-citizen theorists teach via a thriving cottage industry of books, websites, bogus legal companies, and seminars; one popular theorist, David Wynn Miller, told the New York Times that Loughner has "probably been on my website." (It's important to note that the sovereign-citizen movement is a philosophy, not an organized movement; Loughner's interest in its teachings doesn't implicate any individuals or organizations in his actions.) A few cases in point, taken from a video Loughner posted on December 15, 2010.

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http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/01/sovereign-citizens-jared-lee-loughner

[madrchsod]

1. i have a brother in law who believes this shit...

in fact he thinks the government is "watching" him....good thing he does`t own a gun.

[SaveAmerica]

9. That you know of

[Lint Head]

2. Looks like you nailed it.

[The Magistrate]

3. And 'Sovereign Citizens', Sir, Shoot....

[kestrel91316]

4. Most RW talking points sound like the workings of a deranged person's mind anyway......

[Maine_Nurse]

5. huh?

And in another documented disciplinary incident in college, Loughner objected to calling the number represented by the symbol "6" as six. He referred to it as eighteen. Is there a far-right anti-math group out there that directed him to that? I wish people would stop reaching (BOTH sides are doing it) for things that are meaningless. This man was profoundly disturbed and there is no logic to his actions. Sometimes 2+2 is 5 in the human mind and there just are no explanations that would make sense to "normal" people.

[immoderate]

11. What if you tell a paranoid the government is his enemy?

Ho harm? What if he then shoots his congressman? Still off the hook?

Just because he's ill doesn't mean he won't respond to stimuli.

--imm

[Maine_Nurse]

13. but

but he was just personally mad at her. He didn't need anyone to tell him anything and may not have even been aware of any such thing. A chipmunk could have told him to kill her and everyone else in sight.

[The Magistrate]

14. You Have No Idea If That Is All That Operated, Sir

You have no idea what led him to beard her in the first place, no idea what if anything about the incident truly rankled, no idea how or why she came to stand for evil government in his mind. You seem to be on a mission to excuse the violent, radical right of any responsibility for poisoning the atmosphere to the point that 'lone wolf' assassins, necessarily afflicted mentally to some degree or other, pop up in increasing numbers, targeting liberals and Democrats. This colors every comment you have made on the subject.

[HuckleB]

17. Something's very odd here.

The poster from Maine is a newbie who has spent all 20 of his/her posts trying to push the meme that Loughner acted as he did because he was "insane," and there is no way that politics played any role in his motivation.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[immoderate]

21. No doubt a concerned mental health professional.

Glad to see they're on patrol. ;)

--imm

[progressivebydesign]

26. thank you... i had that "nurse" hijack my thread yesterday

with rw talking points. just sayin'

[progressivebydesign]

25. oh no.. not you again.

are you going to run up every thread again today with your theories?

[librechik]

6. that's impossible, because he's a screaming leftie

:sarcasm: right?

[Pathwalker]

7. AND can only be used as evidence of mental illness BUT

not of any political leanings whatsoever. No way, Nuh -uh. Right?

[seabeyond]

24. no, no.... he is totally Apolitical. no interest whatsoever in politics. a HS friend said so

didnt you hear.

[stray cat]

8. one born every minute

[montanto]

10. "Never talk to the cops"

The title of their video explaining what to do if you get busted. Last I heard, this guy hadn't said a word.

[emulatorloo]

12. Oh, my.

Thanks for posting.

[Poboy]

16. You're welcome.

I first heard about this article on Cenk's show.

[rox63]

15. OK, that settles it - He's both a RWer and insane

Or is that just redundant?

[WillyT]

18. HUGE K & R !!!

:kick:

[KamaAina]

19. Shhhhhh! Jon Stewart just got everyone to calm down

and accept that this was another regrettable crazed-gunman incident with no connection whatsoever to the RW hate machine. :sarcasm:

[HuckleB]

20. +1

[Poboy]

22. Jon Stewart is the guy who praises Chris Wallace and FOX, correct?

[KamaAina]

23. Well, he does have a Tweety-style mancrush on Wallace

:eyes:

but he holds the rest of Faux up to the ridicule it so richly deserves like no one else -- not even Colbert.

[emulatorloo]

27. Don't know if this does anything, but I am going to kick it!

EOM

[Poboy]

28. Thank you.

[Omerrrta]

29. kick -nt

nt

[TwilightGardener]

30. Wow...like a whole mess of Dale Gribbles.

[Omerrrta]

31. kick

he doesnt seem quite as crazy once I figured out what he was rambling about.