Bill Gwatney, chairman of the Arkansas Democratic party, was shot and critically wounded in his office in Little Rock Arkansas, shortly before the timestamp on this post.

After bursting into Gwatney's office after unsuccessfully requesting to speak with him, the single gunman fired three close-range shots at Gwatney and drove away. The gunman was apprehended by police after being shot during a lengthy chase.

Gwatney is reported to be in critical condition.

Motive for the shooting is still unreported.

Speculation on motives?

I think it's pretty clear. Chairman of the Arkansas Democratic party gets gunned down by nut job, redneck, Obama hater. Apparently Gwatney(could have some fun with that name) was a lot more approachable than Obama.

News reports now say Gwatney has died from his wounds, as did the shooter who was shot and killed by police after a car chase that ended several miles South of Little Rock.

Bill Gwatney was famous throughout the state, not necessarily for his political work (he was also a Senator in the state legislature) but because he was an owner of several auto dealerships in central Arkansas who did his own TV ads. He's best remembered for his annual "Gwatzilla Sale." And yes, the ad campaign featured a huge, inflatable Gozilla balloon.


What do you want to bet the shooter didn't do it because he hated Barack Obama, but because he had it in for Bill Gwatney for whatever reason?

This is just as bad as the Anti-Gay and Liberal Redneck that shot up the church in Tennessee.

It's time we do something about these idiots that don't know how to live in a Democratic society and feel the need to kill others who don't agree with them or their point of view..

Whoa! It's premature to make assumptions about the motive for this killing.

You are placing a political motive on the killer. It's very a viable theory.

It's equally as likely that he believed Bill Gwatney was a secret agent for the powerful and evil Manitoba mob, using his position to establish new territory for the mob's kidnapping and coerced prostitution ring which they were planning on doing across the street from the killer's home for the purpose of enslaving and defiling the shooter's mother, sisters, grandma, slender cousin Andrew for some reason, and even himself for knowing the Awful Truth. He had to do it because they wouldn't let him alone with all those blatant messages encoded in the newspaper headlines and the television shows, and people following him and disappearing and noises in the closet and oh god oh god the pain in his head won't let him sleep, he needs sleep, if he could only sleep, he could sleep if that bastard Gwatney was dead.

Like that. Or, y'know, maybe he hated the blacks?

Or...it could have been that after being a "Ford" man all his life, this guy decided to take advantage of the low interest financing and customer cash rebates on a new 2008 Chevy Silverado Crew Cab 4x4 pickup from Gwatney Chevrolet, 1301 T P White Dr. in Jacksonville. But the truck had a few problems with the air conditioner so he took it back to the dealership.

However, upon an inspection which included bringing the service manager in on the problem, the truth eventually came out and it was revealed that the gunman had first taken his new truck to a "shade tree" mechanic a half mile from his house to fix the air conditioner because he was from Conway, about 50 minutes way from Jacksonville and he didn't want to drive all that way back to Gwatney Chevrolet.

But the shade tree mechanic completely destroyed the air conditioner so when the guy eventually took his new Silverado back to the dealership he was told that his warranty had been voided as far as the air conditioner was concerned.

As you can imagine this guy was really upset (due partly to his own embarrassment at being so stupid in the first place as to not take his truck back to the dealer in the first place) so he tried to bluster his way back into getting the work done under warranty which eventually went all the way up the chain of command to the manager of the dealership who apologized but said there wasn't anything he could do about the warranty but they'd be glad to fix his truck and even throw in a free hand washing if he wanted to pull his truck around to the service door. The gunman said $#&*^ you and the horse you road in on.

Still furious, the guy in the Silverado with the non-functioning air condition started driving back to Conway, going through North Little Rock he happened to see Bill Gwatney who was on his way to the Democratic headquarters. So he started tailing Gwatney on Interstate 30, across the Arkansas River bridge into Little Rock where he parked outside the building, then sat in his truck stewing over how Gwatney Chrevolet had screwed him, and there was that bastard Bill Gwatney going into the building right now.

Well, you know the rest of the story. Gwatney died later at the hospital and the dissatisfied owner of the new 2008 Chevy Silverado 4x4 Crew Cab pickup died after leading the cops on a chase down Highway 167 South toward Fordyce that ended in a hail of bullets just outside Sheridan, Arkansas.

Like that. Or, y'know, maybe he just hated the blacks, which is why he shot Bill Gwatney. Because Gwatney is black.

Or maybe the killer watched Fox News and took what Hannity said regarding "American Haters" seriously (American Haters - euphemism for liberal).

Eh, I like SPM's theory better.

The shooter's dead,
The point it moot
We'll never know
What it's aboot. (Canadian version)

Or maybe he watched MSNBC and took Chris Matthews' suggestions that all Southerns are ignorant rednecks and thought he reduce the number by one.

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.

Rednecks in Tulare and Fresno Counties hand pic many of the fruit and veggies SPM eats.. All while laboring away in sweltering 110+ temps... Once in awhile a little respite to the ocean cools them off and gives them joy. This is why I am not signing up (with liberals) to protect the snowy plower...

Does anyone else see the delightful irony in SPM's post?

I guess it depends on what SPM wants to "do" about those idiots.

Ray, the definition of "redneck" you use takes it to mean "country people" or "farmers" or "people who live in rural areas"

But that was never the definition of "redneck" that I, as a northerner, grew up with.

To me, the term was always used to define an ignorant, bigoted, 'Bull Connor' type of southerner, not every southerner by any means. And by extension there were Yankee rednecks as well, it was first identified by locale and behavior, then by behavior alone.

So perhaps some of the problem is how we define the terms.

And that's why it took me so long to get used to Jeff Foxworthy's humor.

I would maintain some of the problem is how some of us traditionally view people who live in the South. But of course, your mileage may vary.

Many southerners I know define rednecks as those I consider Appalachian - Americans...

LM, You of all people should know what to do with them.

You have to shine light on ignorance and stupidity, some of these people don't even know they're being ignorant ( Just like the women in that cult you support) we have to teach them and show them how we live in a decent society.

Education is key along with the knowledge that the full force of the law will be applied if they continue to act in this manner, unless you like innocent people being killed?

Hey Lawmage! How about the gut-busting irony of THIS one? Oh my sides!

Actually, Ray, its was another i-word of which I was thinking...

Yes Dax, it comes down to definitions. Ray is correct about the original definition. When you live in rural areas or farm you tend to work outdoors and get your neck sunburned to a nice shade of red on a regular basis. The word got twisted about as much as the word gay so your definition is also correct these days.