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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 19871
[Crime]
Date Posted:
7/28/2008
5:59:47 pm EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 5,645
RSS: 11,214
Comments: 24
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Police: Man Shot Churchgoers Over Liberal Views
Author: Duncan Mansfield, AP Source: Google
Title: POLICE: MAN SHOT CHURCHGOERS OVER LIBERAL VIEWS
An unemployed man accused of opening fire with a shotgun and killing two people at a Unitarian Universalist church apparently targeted the congregation out of hatred for its support of liberal social policies, police said Monday.
Knoxville Police Chief Sterling Owen IV said a signed, four-page letter written by Jim D. Adkisson, 58, was found in his small SUV in the church parking lot after gunfire interrupted a children's performance based on the musical "Annie" Sunday morning. Seven people also were injured in the melee.
The shooting started as about 200 people watched the show put on by 25 children. Witnesses said some of the church members wrestled the suspect to the ground after he pulled a shotgun from a guitar case and fired three times.
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Community Thoughts: There are 24 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Gag... | Jul 30th. at 3:41:40 pm EDT
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Azuris-Raen (Austin, Texas) - Email Me
this sickens me to the core. I still can't believe that anyone would do something this horrible, especially to people who would probably have helped him if this event have never transpired.
Never bite the hand that would feed you, many animals understand this. I'm surprised he couldn't.
If you hate your Deity and your life that much, you should Them; and not the business end of A 12-gauge shotgun.
My condolances to those who have died and A speedy painless recovery to those who suffered pain and anguish.
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| It's Just Sad | Jul 30th. at 1:47:26 pm EDT
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Katmandu (elba, Alabama) - Email Me
that anyone would feel compelled to do such a crime. Were these people directly bothering this guy? Most likely not. And let us not forget the ones left behind that mourn or will have secure-ness issues for a long time.
What is also sad to me is that it's in Tennessee. That state, like Alabama, already has a reputation of being all "Guns-n-God" without some wacko going and shooting up a Universalist Church just because he didn't like their "liberalism".
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| I Have A Joke | Jul 30th. at 1:40:38 pm EDT
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Mars (brooklyn, New York) - Email Me
here's some levity to try to ease the pain of this terrible tragedy.
Q: What do you get when you cross a Unitarian Universalist with a Jehovah's Witness?
A: A person who rings your doorbell . . .
for no particular reason!
hahahahahaha
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| Right | Jul 30th. at 12:57:30 am EDT
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Feathercloak (Grand Junction, Colorado) - Email Me
We should all be armed. That is what will make us safe. I believe in the right to bear arms, but to imply that if someone was armed in this situation they would all be safer?
I think they did just fine without firearms.
A bunch of people rushing you and beating the crap out of you will usually do the trick even if the agressor is armed. Unless they have an automatic weapon they will probably only get a couple shots off before they are thrown down.
This is exactly what we need to do folks, don't give in to fear and stand up to these nut jobs. The less passive we are in these situations the better it will be.
Although if these kinds of attacks increase, I could see folks wearing firearms to Church. Nutters beware, the peaceful progressives will get ya if you try to kill them. Period. Especially if you mess with their kids.
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| Abouslity Sicking | Jul 29th. at 7:45:15 pm EDT
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Ander s. Drake (hays, Kansas) - Email Me
I have been watching news from this event unfold for the last two days and I’ve rarely seen a more senseless act of violence. The way I see it this guy is the, fruit of the tree, of some very bias religious theology. He may not like going to church but he seems to have pick up some of the tenets of religious hatred. My interpretation of the facts displayed so far is that this man likely had a problem with the more liberal versions of Christian dominations. He may have in fact been Christian but simply felt that his bias beliefs were more superior to others. I believe this is true because not all Christians like each other, many fight amongst themselves. “Adkisson was a loner who hates "blacks, gays and anyone different from him," longtime acquaintance Carol Smallwood of Alice, Texas, told the Knoxville News Sentinel.” (By BETH RUCKER, Associated Press Writer Tue Jul 29, 1:45 PM ET,) The fact of the matter is that many ultra conservative Christians twist the facts around to make others appear to be causing problems, in order to distort the facts, taking the spotlight off their unethical actions. These people were attack for promoting tolerance and acceptance that hateful bias people can not stand. The fact of the matter is that our country is in a state of economic depression and we need to look to our political leaders, if any one is to blame for the lack of jobs.
These kind caring people who would accept almost any one for who they are, were violently attack with out cause. In the face of death they acted bravely and with reason. Guns do not belong in any church or sacred place for any reason. Only the worst hate mongers would in any way support this attack.
May the goddess heal those harmed in this attack.
Blessed be
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| Wait A Minute.... | Jul 29th. at 6:36:50 pm EDT
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Friday Scott (Middleton, Wisconsin) - Email Me
Did I just hear someone come on a Pagan board and blame the people who took a guy down* who brought eighty rounds of ammunition to kill them and their kidss, and only got three shots off..... For not being conservative Christians ready to blow someone away that quick.... In church?
In what world does that make sense?
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| It Hits Home | Jul 29th. at 6:24:24 pm EDT
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Dana Corby (Anderson Island, Washington) - Email Me
A sister in a Druid order I belong to is a member of that UU congregation, and was there that day. She's seriously shook up.
Per another member of our order, the Chattanooga Pagan community is offering material help & support, so if any of you from that area want to help out, that's who to go through.
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| Ugh. | Jul 29th. at 5:56:07 pm EDT
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Elistra (Lexington, Kentucky) - Email Me
Ok, let me get this straight....
He was a working class white guy who had lost his job as a trucker, and was fired up over "liberals". Doesn't he understand that liberal policies are the **only hope** the working class has of not being forced into penury by those who already have far more than they know what to do with?
Why are these people even allowed to breathe, let alone vote? :P
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| Maybe .... | Jul 29th. at 5:35:33 pm EDT
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Mars (brooklyn, New York) - Email Me
he probably went after a liberal congregation because he figured nobody in the audience would be carrying a firearm. good people have no business carrying guns, according to liberal dogma. a couple of months i remember some nut going into a more traditional Christian church with a gun, and somebody in the more traditional congregation took him out with sidearm, as i recall.
It's like, if there's a school with a sign on it that says "NO ONE IN THIS SCHOOL IS PERMITTED TO CARRY FIREARMS", and next door is a school with a sign on it that says "NOTICE: PARENTS, TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS IN THIS SCHOOL MAY POSSESS FIREARMS", and you've got a grudge against the world and are looking to go out with a bang and take as many people with you as you can, which one do you go in and shoot up? The school were everyone is disarmed, or the one where you may get shot and fast? If you have to think about this one, you have a serious thinking disorder.
he probably thought they were easy pickin's. They actually did good to disarm him as quickly as they did when he went to reload, but had he been better armed, this might have been more difficult. A conservative Christian in the audience with a sidearm would have been a good thing.
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| Twisted Ideology.... | Jul 29th. at 4:52:50 pm EDT
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Friday Scott (Middleton, Wisconsin) - Email Me
Where 'liberals' are keeping the poor, entitled-to-buy-a gun-and-shoot-up a kid's play from ....getting food stamps?
Anyone seeing the irony here?
If he had 'issues with Christianity,' why did he go to a church to shoot 'the people who support liberals' and are widely-derided by Christians for ...not being Christian?
Of course the resident Christian conservative here wants to turn things backwards, but his motivations were clear. His attitudes were clear. Who taught him to blame 'liberals' for the predicaments a conservative administration put him in, ...are clear. His planning was clear.
All the Christian conservatives out there half-applauding the murderous rampage and half trying to deflect the 'blame' onto the production of 'Annie' the man thought he ought to bring seventy-nine shotgun shells to, make it clear what the man's motives were.
The man was an O'Reilly dittohead. I thought he was supposed to dwell in the 'no-spin zone.'
Now, it's not the case in all places, but the UU has been kind to Pagans, if not inclusive in many. I think it's time to quietly get out and show our support,
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| UUS | Jul 29th. at 2:04:55 pm EDT
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Riona Twilight (Spearfish, South Dakota) - Email Me
I've noticed several comments here, and across the wider Web, pointing out that one of the peopled killed in this rampant stupidity was "not of the congregation". In a UU church often half the people in attendance for a service are "not of the congregation".
As my lay minister said last Sunday, many people that attend our local UU Service every Sunday never get to that point - becoming a Member. They don't feel its needed, nor does our local branch to be honest. If you show up and want to hear what the presentation is for that week, be welcome, expect the minister to hug you, and grab a cup of coffee.
The thing I focus on is the fact that somebody walked into a UU church and opened fire. UUs responded the way they respond to anything (comittee jokes aside) and did what they had to do.
I am not suprised to find that the UUA has set up a fund for the church already... We take care of our own, since our own spans the entire human race.
For more info on the UUA and its principles:
Find More info -- HERE
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| How Sad | Jul 29th. at 12:28:58 pm EDT
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Errapel (Lowestoft, England) - Email Me
How utterly tragic that two people lost their lives and others were hurt by this man.
But I find the story in some ways rather reasuring about human nature, you the man who died died trying to shield the others? And the fact that several members risked their lives rushing the gunman so that they could stop him shooting?
Bravery that should be celebrated, and loss that should be comemerated.
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| Oh Please... | Jul 29th. at 12:06:13 pm EDT
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Amtehuti (Queens, New York) - Email Me
What happened here was horrific no matter what. One of the men killed stood in front of the gunman to block him from reaching other parishioners. Some people weren't even part of the damn congregation. It's clear, from the note that he left behind, that he did blame what he called liberals for his lack of employment. No one called him a fundie, and no one said Christianity made him do it. He hated Christianity, too. But the UU church was originally an ultra-liberal Christian denomination, so I would believe that's why it was targeted.
I'm shocked at the words I've seen on some websites, how some people almost praise the gunman because this is a "Satanic" religion. They go so far as to blame the parishioners b/c, if they weren't so evil, they wouldn't have been shot at. I'm not surprised fundies are twisting this to their advantage. They're stupid enough to ignore the fact that he hated them as much as he hated these people. But no one credits those idiots for an overabundance of intelligence.
As for me, I have been considering joining a UU congregation for a while, and the outpouring of love and support I have seen on the memorial site created by the church was inspiring. Many asked for the gunman to be forgiven. I find that amazing, and at least for me it has pushed me to finally join. I know many others that are now interested in the religion because of what has happened, so at least some good can come from this.
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| A SHame | Jul 29th. at 11:16:17 am EDT
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paganSubmissive (Merced, California) - Email Me
It is a shame that with people dead, and others in critical condition, that all the media seems to focus on is the religious side of things. Did he have mental problems? Most likely. Did he have issues with a specific person at that Church? Dont know. Was there anything other than the so called "Liberal policies" of the Church that may have focused himto attack them? I guess we will never know.
I feel sorry for the famlies affected by this. Especially the children who worked so hard on their play, just to have their big day ruined by a gun-toting psychopath. I hope the Church offers them conseling.
And perhaps, forgiveness to the man who committed this attrocity? THAT would reach out to more people than any soup kitchen or rally. Think on it.
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| Blaming One's Evils On The World... | Jul 29th. at 9:34:51 am EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
It sounds to me like a guy who wasn'y happy because his own life was in a shambles. He was probably turned down for employment a couple of times and believed the old hype that "gays and blacks" were somehow responsible for his own failings.
Worse, he didn't like where the world was going -so he decided to punish someone for it, he didn't care whom. He just intended to leave his bloody mark where he could before he self- destructed. The fact that he chose a church indicated that he wasn't happy with his religion either.
Maybe they can do something with him or maybe not, since it's a little late now.
My condolences to those who were attacked...
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