Release the full manifesto of the Covenant School shooter.

by Rod Williams, Nov. 8, 2023- By now, anyone reading this is already aware of the leaking of a portion of the Covent School shooter's manifesto. What was leaked were three pages of what is reported to be 20 journals.  The journals are said to be full of hatred for white people, and people of an above average socio-economic status. Here is a quote from the leaked pages:

"Kill those kids!!! Those Crackers going to fancy private schools with those fancy khakis and sports backpacks with their daddies mustangs and convertables… f*-you little s*ts I wish to shoot you… wanna kill all you little crackers !!!"

This leak confirms the motive of the shooter.  There had been reports from people who had seen the journals that the motive was clear and that this was a hate crime. However, the head of the TBI had said that the journals were less a manifesto than just ramblings of a crazy person and indicated no clear motive for the shootings. Others say what was released was selective and that the shooter simply hated almost everyone. 

There has been controversy over the release of the manifesto.  The police chief claims he can't release them because the release of the documents is held up in court. This is apparently not true.  The Covenant families had simply asked that the manifesto not be released until after the end of the school year, which ended on June 8th. 

In my view the full cache should be released. I think there is a motive in fighting release. Audrey Hale, the shooter, was a female who identified as male. I suspect that the politically correct do not want people to see transgenderism as a mental illness. They want to normalize gender dysphoria.  The more people talk about this tragedy, the more they are likely to examine the link between gender dysphoria and mental illness. I do not know if Hale was on hormone treatment or not, but if more light is shed on this case, we may learn that, and people may begin to question if hormone treatment contributes to mental illness.  I don't know if it does or not, but the questions should be asked. 

I also suspect that this shooting does not otherwise fit the narrative of modern liberal sensibilities. The victims of hate are supposed to be the marginalized, the less powerful, and the outcast of society. The privileged are not supposed to be victims of hate.  It is only supposed to flow one way. If the shooter had been a White, male, middle-class, Christian shooting up a Black or gay nightclub, there would be a clammer to release the hate-filled journals of the shooter. 

I don't doubt that the Covenant parents are grieving and will find continued attention to the shooting painful.  I am sure this is true for the victims of families in any case of a horrendous crime.  I would suspect that movies about the Holocaust are painful for the families of those who lost loved ones.  That does not justify banning movies about it.  The pain to the victims caused by reporting the details of the crime does not take precedence over freedom of the press and the public's right to know.  Several groups, including The Tennessean newspaper have sued the city for refusing to release the documents.  I hope they win. The full manifesto should be released. 

For more on this recent development, I recommend, TBI Chief Said Covenant Shooter’s Manifesto Showed No Clear Motive, Alleged Leaked Pages Show Otherwise published in The Conservative. Also, see link, link, and link. 

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This is sad and detestable, but is it a "Hate Crime?"

by Rod Williams, Sept. 10, 2023- Someone has been throwing anti-Semitic flyers in driveways in Sylvan Park and The Nations neighborhoods and maybe in other parts of town but people living in these two neighborhoods have been posting about in on the Nextdoor website. 

On this page, I have posted some of the pictures people posted on Nextdoor of what was left in their driveways. These flyers are detestable. I, like all decent people, absolutely condemn anti-Semitism. A lot of people commented and denounced it and expressed their disgust. Several called it a hate crime and a few responded and said, while is it disgusting, it is probably not a hate crime. Here is a sample of what people on Nextdoor are saying:

Denise Black of Charlotte Park: Please report this to the police. If you haven’t already, do not touch it with your hands. Take pictures of where you found it and if you don’t have a property camera, ask your neighbors if they do. Maybe they picked up the person or vehicle that left it. I’m sorry this has happened to you. It seems Sylvan Park has been a target for hatred lately. It’s such a same because I grew up in Sylvan Park. It was never like this.

Amy Martin writes, "People, complain to the mayor instead of each other and maybe something in happen."

Kristi Walker of The Gulch: I hope everyone is reporting this to MPD. Maybe someone has ring video of who is leaving this.

Kayleigh Clark of 12 South: Please report this to MNPD. They are currently investigating this as this is a hate crime.

Mary Spencer of South Green Hills: Why can the police not stop this? This is happening way to often. With all the security cameras someone must have pictures of who is doing this.

So, is it a hate crime? Below is what the Department of Justice says about Hate Crimes:

Hate

The term "hate" can be misleading. When used in a hate crime law, the word "hate" does not mean rage, anger, or general dislike. In this context “hate” means bias against people or groups with specific characteristics that are defined by the law.

At the federal level, hate crime laws include crimes committed on the basis of the victim’s perceived or actual race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability.

Most state hate crime laws include crimes committed on the basis of race, color, and religion; many also include crimes committed on the basis of sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and disability.

Crime

The "crime" in hate crime is often a violent crime, such as assault, murder, arson, vandalism, or threats to commit such crimes. It may also cover conspiring or asking another person to commit such crimes, even if the crime was never carried out.

Under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, people cannot be prosecuted simply for their beliefs. People may be offended or upset about beliefs that are untrue or based upon false stereotypes, but it is not a crime to express offensive beliefs, or to join with others who share such views. However, the First Amendment does not protect against committing a crime, just because the conduct is rooted in philosophical beliefs.

Why have hate crime laws?

Hate crimes have a broader effect than most other kinds of crime. Hate crime victims include not only the crime’s immediate target but also others like them. Hate crimes affect families, communities, and at times, the entire nation.

Why report hate crimes?

The Hate Crimes Reporting Gap is the significant disparity between hate crimes that actually occur and those reported to law enforcement. It is critical to report hate crimes not only to show support and get help for victims, but also to send a clear message that the community will not tolerate these kinds of crimes. Reporting hate crimes allows communities and law enforcement to fully understand the scope of the problem in a community and put resources toward preventing and addressing attacks based on bias and hate.

Experts estimate an average of 250,000 hate crimes were committed each year between 2004 and 2015 in the United States. The majority of these were not reported to law enforcement.

Terminology

Hate Crime: At the federal level, a crime motivated by bias against race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability.

Bias or Hate Incident: Acts of prejudice that are not crimes and do not involve violence, threats, or property damage.

So, what I think we have here is not a hate "crime," but a hate "incident." I would not botther reporting it to the police. 

It appears the leaving of these flyers in driveways is happening cities other than Nashville.  That does not mean it is a big operation. One person could go from town to town and do this. One person, or a small group, on a mission can make it appear it is a movement. 

In Palm Beech County Florida, a Maryland man was distributing these flyers and was arrested, not for a hate crime but for refusing to identify himself to police. "We can’t stop them from distributing; however, littering is littering. And we wanted to cite him for that. That’s not an arrestable offense. However, when he failed to identify himself so we could issue the citation, that is an arrestable offense," Atlantis Police Chief Robert Mangold told WPBF 25 News at the time of the arrest. 

I myself have a problem with the whole concept of hate crimes. Actions should be punished not thoughts. If someone commits vandalism and spray paints "BLM" on a property it should carry the same punishment and be investigated just as vigorously as if someone spray painted "KKK."  If someone kills you, you are just as dead if they scream, "give me your money," or they scream, "give me your money faggot." 

What happened in Sylvan Park and The Nations was littering. 

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