Okay, stop trying to make this guy out as some kind of hero.

For the record, should anyone not have access to the internet, Bill Gwatney is NOT black.

It is still unproven that the shooter, Timothy Johnson, was a redneck. Police found guns in his home. They also found a computer. A computer, for God's sake! We all know that anyone who owns one of those devil boxes is an ignorant, bigoted redneck. Aint that right, SPM?

He's not?!? OMG! I've been seriously misinformed. I was just going by those who thought he did it because he hated Obama. But you're right. I was assuming, but then again, maybe the guy just didn't like big ears. Or, as SPM has suggested, this might be JUST like that homophobic guy in Tennessee to maybe, uh...ummm...we're saying Bill Gwatney was gay? What? Now I'm confused.

Wait a minute! What if Bill Gwatney was a gay black guy with big ears? Would that satisfy the theories of blatant racist, homophobic, dumbophobic redneckism?

This topic contains more wild speculation, exaggeration and misinformation than ten episodes of 'Sean Hannity's America.'

The motive is unknown, and in fact may never be known. It doesn't matter if Gwatney was gay or black or militant or neocon or transgendered, he was a victim of this guy's gun.

Those who remember the Harvey Milk killing in San Fransisco will understand that any extreme, undeserved action against a particular "category" of person (black, gay, short, old, etc.) will, in America at least, cause a backlash which benefits the intended class of victims.

Speaking of unintended consequences, those who remember the Harvey Milk killing will also remember that whole fiasco led to Nancy Pelosi being Speaker of the House. Who knew?

I see what you did there. If the gun did the victimizing, then Johnson had little or nothing to do with it and there is no further need to discuss his motive or him at all.



True that.

Discuss it all you like. My point is, until we know something about his motivation from a reliable source, it's all hot air.

There still isn't much info. The latest is that he had scrawled some angry and profane grafitti on the wall of a building where he was employed, and that this behavior was out of character for him.

His home yielded sixteen guns, some anti-depressent meds, and a last will and testament made out the day he shot Gwatney.

Neighbors said he was "blunt" but usually had something good to say.

The latest article: http://tinyurl.com/5kmcfc

No having a computer does'nt make him a redneck, but hating Liberals,Gays,Blacks,Whites,Hispanics,etc., and going out to kill those people does.

These type of people don't even like themselves, so why would they care about you?

Since you, yourself, said in another thread that everyone has their prejudices, I should like to point out that "rednecks" are also distinguished by a sense of honor and social structure within their society. They value self-reliance and exhibit a sense of community that evidences itself in individuals going out of their way to easy the path of their neighbors who have come upon misfortune. Another way of saying "rednecks" don't contribute to the community chest; they cook up casseroles, gather up clothes and whatnot, and deliver them personally to those in need. They have, not just extended families, but an expanded sense of family. If the phrase "It takes a village," in the original sense of phrase, can be applied to anyone, it most definitely applies to "rednecks."

In short, "rednecks" are the people you tend to find living in small towns. Not just small towns in the South, but small towns. Trust me, you'll find plenty of "rednecks" in Massachusetts, Vermont, Oregon, California, and Minnesota if you just care to look. "Redneck" isn't geographical, it's sociological. And while the term is a pejorative, it is often applied to people who, along with their shortcomings, display a great many admirable qualities, too.