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I-580 Shooter's Targets: ACLU And Tides Foundation

July 2010: An agitated right-winger and convict named Byron Williams loads up on weapons and drives to the Bay Area intent on attacking the offices of the Tides Foundation and the ACLU, but is intercepted by state patrolmen and engages them in a shootout and armed standoff in which two officers and Williams are wounded.

Here's a rather disturbing update on Byron Williams, the liberal-hating, parolee right-wing crazy guy who opened fire on the CHP last weekend.

Via KGO:

Court documents released Tuesday say Williams told investigators he intended to start a revolution by traveling to San Francisco to kill people at the ACLU and the Tides Foundation, an organization that says it promotes economic justice.

"His plan was to go there and wait until it opens up in the morning; our investigators brought up to him that those organizations are probably closed on Sundays and he said he was going to wait until they opened up," Oakland Police Department spokesperson Jeff Thomason said.

Armed to the teeth, and as a third-striker, not particularly concerned with his fate, too:

When the officers tried to contact Williams, a 12-minute-long gun battle ensued. Williams, armed with three guns, including a .308-caliber rifle that can penetrate ballistic body armor and vehicles, eventually surrendered and exited the vehicle.

Williams was arraigned in Alameda County Superior Court Tuesday on four counts of attempted murder of a peace officer and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He received enhancements for wearing body armor. [Read more]

The Tides Foundation is George Soros' philanthropic charity, and the ACLU is, well, the ACLU. I wonder, what would cause an unstable, bitter angry man to target the ACLU and the Tides Foundation? I wonder...

Here are some recent headlines from top right wing sites. I won't link them or quote them, but let's see what they say.

  • July 19, 2010: FoxNation: Soros-Funded Group Wants Feds to Probe Talk Radio
  • July 21, 2010: Big Journalism: There You Go Again: Soros Comes to America
  • June 23, 2010: Soros Says Germany Could Cause Euro Collapse - FOXBusiness.com
  • June 22, 2010: 'Glenn Beck:' Soros Poised to Profit? - Glenn Beck - FOXNews.com
  • July 6, 2010: Oliver Stone Lunches With George Soros | The FOX

Why does the right wing, and particularly Fox, hate Soros so much? As far as I can tell, there's no rational explanation. I did, however, find an irrational explanation on a weird, off-the-beaten path right wing blog.

Here's a summary: George Soros is a foreigner who came from a "socialist country", allegedly supports organizations promoting child molestation (he doesn't), supported the Solidarity movement in Poland (he did), and donated money toward George Bush's 2004 defeat (he did, but so did a lot of people).

Mostly, it's irrational ginned up stupid fear of absolutely nothing. His name isn't Koch, therefore he is evil. That's as rational as anything.

More baffling, actually, is the ACLU. For all of those liberty lovers, the ACLU should be their very, very best friend, because the ACLU loves the constitution just as much as any true teabagger. So why do they hate the ACLU?

Here are some headlines:

  • July 20, 2010: ACLU Wants Prayer Banner Expelled « FOX News Radio
  • July 19, 2010: Black Hills Fox - ACLU warns of travel to Arizona
  • September 10, 2009: Raw Story » Fox guest: ACLU defense teams should be jailed
  • July 20, 2010: Judge OKs Lying About Military Service - Fox News, blaming the ACLU for bringing the lawsuit
  • July 19, 2010: Beck: Does Presidential Assassination Program Exist? (Beck alleges the President could even assassinate the ACLU)

Not a week goes by without at least three stories about the ACLU threatening the frightened viewer's freedom and liberty. Penis pumps for illegals? Fox News blames the ACLU. American Taliban lawyer going after Arizona's immigration law? Blame the ACLU. Tourism down in Arizona? Blame the ACLU.

This is how these wingers operate. They make bogeymen out of anyone and any organization that doesn't fall into lockstep with their thinking. And they just don't care when some deranged fool takes their bloviation seriously, loads up the truck, puts on the body armor, and sets out on a mission to 'start a revolution'.

And if he couldn't start a revolution, well hey, he can shoot at some cops instead.

It ought to be criminal. There was a time where it was. Now it seems anyone can say anything and get away with it.

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