Billiken Man: 8-13-2008

This was a tragic day for the Gwatney family and all of Arkansas. All kind and good things to the Gwatney family and to the innocent relatives of the killer's family. I don't want to ever find out, but the level of misery of the family of those killed and the family of the killer must be about the same.

At the risk of being tarred and feathered, I'd like to leave the grieving and kind word speaking to others closer to Little Rock and to Bill Gwatney. The reactions on the blog are worthy study for any anthropology class.

I'll admit the fury I feel due to the long miserable, deadly, Cheney-Bush roller coaster ride these last 8 years has given me a hair trigger. In times like these when the news report is that someone walked into the State Democratic Campaign Headquarters and killed the Chairman of the Party, the normal knee-jerk reaction would be to think it was a political murder. With all the hate flying from both sides, why wouldn't a wingnut go to the next level and empty his gun into someone he or she viewed as their political enemy?

Let's look at some of the 155 comments made on the blog yesterday, starting with my own:

Well.....the chickens are coming home to roost. At least some kind of chickens. No one dead would be a great thing....I'll wish in that direction. I just heard the news on NPR, they don't have anything new...just what's on here.

Posted by: Deathbyinches | August 13, 2008 01:08 PM

This reflected my instant fear that a wingnut had gone ballistic. The chickens I'm referring to are the chickens of hatred. I figured a wingnut had gotten one too many Obama is a Muslim emails and cracked up. As of the moment I'm typing this, we still don't know why Tim Johnson killed Bill Gwatney. It doesn't appear to be a politically motivated killing, but the facts aren't in yet. For the sake of our future, I hope it is determined to NOT be a political killing.

DBI seriously what the hell are you talking about? A touch more sensitivity would be a good thing.

If this is a pure hate crime against a Party official ( I just can't imagine it was targeted at Bill personally) then this is an enormous wake up call for people to stop spewing the garbage that "Democrats are destroying the country" because Fox News and Rush may think its entertaining but when you spew hate filled propaganda clearly some nut jobs take it very seriously.

God this is just absolutely horrible, I will definitely be praying for Chairman Gwatney

Posted by: Orval Eugene | August 13, 2008 01:17 PM

Orval doesn't get it before he gets it. First of all I was being sensitive like all get out! Then Orval gets around to coming at this senseless murder the way I was that very minute. We must always remember most people's first reaction to a crisis is to go ape-shit for a little while. Then Orval gets religion.

Right now, all we can do is PRAY.

As a Christian, I turn to the Holy Bible promises to all, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened, ask and you shall receive. I am asking God to restore Bill to fullness of health and to give the surgeons operating on Bill the skill. I am asking God to give us the strength to face the coming days.

If you are Muslim, Jewish, Bhuddist, whatever, I ask that you seek who you call God and ask for divine intervention.

Posted by: Drew Pritt | August 13, 2008 01:31 PM

Here is an example of the most common post on yesterday's thread. There is nothing wrong with what Drew wrote and I'm not making fun of him. But somewhere in here, in my opinion, are the roots of what made Barack Obama say on April 11, 2008, "it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion." I think when people get scared, they also cling to guns and religion. I observed some pretty sceptical people suddenly calling on God yesterday while the fur was flying. People do some pretty wild things if you scare them enough, the Republican Party banks on that little quirk in human behavior.

Farkelberry: First, the Dems already control Congress so you need to keep up on that. I know nothings changed since they took over so maybe that's why you said that. Second, can we focus our thoughts on Bill and his family first before we all start in on the political side of this? Sheesh.

Posted by: Inside | August 13, 2008 01:35 PM

Some people while they're praying keep to the Republican Talking Points. At this moment the Democrats control the House of Representatives. But in the US Senate we have 49 Republicans and 49 Democrats with 2 Independents. Bernie Sanders and Joe Lieberman are the 2 Independents and both say they caucus with the Democrats. However, Joe Lieberman is the Mark W. Pryor of Independents and he most usually votes with the Republicans, so ladies and germs we have a TIE! Gridlock, deadlock...not to mention 4 or 5 other Mark W. Pryor-ish DINOs who vote like Lieberman and throw the real balance of power in the Senate to the Republicans.

I thought for sure Drew Pritt would have been the shooter but I see he's commented here, so obviously he's not in custody. He's right here making it all about himself.

Posted by: Prouster | August 13, 2008 02:14 PM

Here we have Prouster being Prouster. He got his tax cuts, that's all he's worried about. Dead people just mean more food for him. His type were the first on the lifeboats on the Titanic too.

My prayers as well go out to Bill Gwatney and his family.

Posted by: Prouster | August 13, 2008 03:07 PM

Surprise surprise! I was too hard on Prouster. If you poke him with a stick he will "cling to guns or religion" with the best of them. This proves there might be hope for Prouster yet!

Bill Gwatney has died. I'm a republican, but this is just terrible. I feel for everyone that hurts because of this. The information on his death has not been released yet, but I know.

Posted by: mantastic | August 13, 2008 03:22 PM

Another surprise! While everyone else was running around like a Tyson chicken with its head cut off, one among us had a crystal ball. Either good inside info or a damn good guess. But how many times have we heard President Reagan was not injured in the shooting. Anwar Sadat was not injured in the shooting.

Finally:

Perhaps the worst aspect of this forum, barring the cowardly shooting itself, is those of you using this blog to call each other assholes, to try to put each other down and to prove each other wrong. What REALLY matters is that people are trying to save a man's life right now.

Yes. Perfect time to act like children when this man's family, friends and co-workers are terrified and probably in shock. How about redirecting your focus elsewhere? Like prayers, good thoughts, happy vibes- whatever works for you. Lay off with the name-calling and attempts to outwit each other for once. This is some one's life hanging on by a thread.

Posted by: JenJens | August 13, 2008 03:23 PM

Now.....I could have a John Edwards style affair with JenJens. I have a thing for women named Jennifer, and shortening it to JenJens just makes me Jell-O! But her reaction and many others on that thread were to drop and start praying. Don't talk. Don't bitch. Don't make a move. And if I call Prouster a Doo Doo Head it will jinx the chances of a man who was shot at point blank range 3 times. Just send good wishes....pray....pray real hard...think positive thoughts....bear down real hard and meditate so the vitim's blood will start coagulating, his wounds close up. If you pray hard enough maybe yesterday will back up and go away. Oh man I so wish it all worked that way!

Now here's my point, read and think carefully....people are different, some times being different is a bad thing, like going nuts and shooting people, but most of the time it is just a difference of how people are built. For reasons unknown to me, I lost the faith I once had in a higher power. I also lost the ability to believe if someone thinks nicely about me in Omaha or in the next chair, that that nice thought has any power. Therefore when Drew prays that God will guide the Surgeon's hands...a ? pops up in my head. 99% of the prayers I've prayed growing up went unanswered. I may be so literal that it was my lack of prayer success that killed my faith in a higher power. I just know I can't believe for a second in unseen powerful forces sent from our best wishes or prayers to other people in crisis. In fact, if I could produce my prayer record you'd know to start making burial plans if I'm praying for you. In that I AM a jinx.

Sadly after all the good thoughts, wishes and prayers by the people of Arkansas, yesterday in the end it was:

Good thoughts, wishes and prayers 0

Guns and bullets 2

I didn't make the world and I have as much control over it as you do. I want everyone on earth to live fabulously long, happy, peaceful lives. I want all humans to be equal at all times. I want the lust for power and riches to be replaced for the lust of caring and sharing. I want everyone to believe as they wish and live as they wish, causing no harm to others. I want everyone to mind their own damn business. I wish we chose our leaders by written tests instead of popularity contests that always produce a strutting winner and a slinking loser.

Like dogs in a pack, I wish no one ever joined any group, because groups are mostly good for looking down your nose at other groups. And in times of emergency I wish we'd use our brains and not revert to cave men and women believing the power within us or mystical powers of our unseen God(s), with our help caused the lunar eclipse. Trusting in Jesus/Allah/Buddha is comforting, but in government or schools or crises only the direct physical actions of a human can make any difference. And yesterday proved that unfortunately direct physical actions of a human or humans often are of no avail.

I wish we lived in a mystical world that worked like the Matrix movies....but we don't. It is always sweet (and Southern) to have good thoughts and wishes and if we'd have them the rest of the time when there is no crisis, the world would be a better place. Again, I am not making fun of anyone....oh, except Prouster, it's just interesting to study the typed-in behavior of everyone on the blog yesterday.

And since I can do nothing else, I do send nice wishes to the Gwatney & Johnson family, though they do them no good and only serve to make me feel 1/2 of 1% better. I hope (another pretty useless human thing) that all the facts of this murder come out just in case none of the facts can be used as a club to beat other people with. What a terrible day!

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Really....one would think by now I'd know how to make all the fonts equal size....I guess snot.

Posted by: Deathbyinches | August 14, 2008 12:37 PM

Billiken Man

Dedicated to the god of things as they ought to be.

8-13-2008

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