# This has to stop: extreme actions at political gathering **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 24, 2019, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927 "2019-11-24T19:15:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/281 "2019-11-27T16:53:20Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > It happens so rarely that it’s usually quite dependent on context. that’s not an answer to the question I asked. If you can explain the context of crazy that would be helpful. Either you find a screaming masked person blocking your path a potential threat or you don’t. > [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > But y’know what I wouldn’t do in most circumstances? _Escalate_. I wouldn’t try to run them over, provoke them, or get out of the car and try to beat the shit out of them. That’d be stupid, pointless, and only raise the odds that someone gets hurt. It’s this bizarre chest-fluffing “warrior” mentality that we really need to stop teaching to our cops that I just don’t get. what I wouldn’t do in ALL cases is wear a mask and scream at someone while blocking their path. That IS the escalation. As for the driver in the video he didn’t try to run him over. So he’s with you on that. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/282 "2019-11-27T16:55:13Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > OK, you admitted he appears crazy. Now explain how you were able to ascertain he was harmless? Because we just had a crazy person, \*\*a left wing wackjob, kill 8 people. \*\* His politics aren’t the issue but his mental state is. If you have a skill the rest of us don’t have then tell me how you know a person wearing a mask while blocking someone and yelling hat them is harmless. I would genuinely like to know. > > As for the 4500 lb battering ram the driver didn’t run over the masked person. He slowly inched a screaming masked loon back. He didn’t hurt him but used a minimal amount of force to back him up. It’s literally comparable to my personal example posted earlier of a large muscled man getting into my face. I shoulder butted him back. This was this minimum amount of force needed to maintain my safety because I had no way of knowing how fucked up the guy was. A search of recent killings of 8 people turned up nothing of a political bent. Link? The truck owner got in his truck _without interference_. All he had to do was drive away and call the police. The raving lunatic took no action until he was struck by the right wing vigilante. I can hyperbole as well as you can. ---
**Author:** ![margin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@margin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/margin)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/283 "2019-11-27T17:03:11Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I don’t know, how do you normally perceive a masked person yelling at you on a scale from one to ten? Less than zero. Seriously, you’re in a vehicle. _Drive the fuck away._ ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/284 "2019-11-27T17:04:33Z")
> [@margin](#): > > Less than zero. Seriously, you’re in a vehicle. _Drive the fuck away._ He’s blocking your forward movement. Explain how you know he isn’t armed given his erratic behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/285 "2019-11-27T17:08:38Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > He’s blocking your forward movement. Explain how you know he isn’t armed given his erratic behavior. Explain how we know you aren’t a blithering idiot. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/286 "2019-11-27T17:17:57Z")
It’s a given! ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/287 "2019-11-27T17:19:35Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > A search of recent killings of 8 people turned up nothing of a political bent. Link? sorry, 9, I left out his sister. [Link](https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/05/us/connor-betts-dayton-shooting-profile/index.html). Now explain why you think his political affiliation is important. > [@running\_coach](#): > > The truck owner got in his truck _without interference_. All he had to do was drive away and call the police. > The raving lunatic took no action until he was struck by the right wing vigilante. I can hyperbole as well as you can. I specifically said his politics weren’t the issue. I only inserted it as an example of the narrative of this thread. I missed the proof of the truck driver’s political affiliations and I haven’t tried to tar and feather the masked man as a liberal. It has no bearing on the issue even though it appears liberals are trying to make it political. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/288 "2019-11-27T17:20:53Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Explain how we know you aren’t a blithering idiot. Well for starters I haven’t been attacking posters with insults. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/289 "2019-11-27T17:20:57Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > He’s blocking your forward movement. Explain how you know he isn’t armed given his erratic behavior. Yeah, a True American wouldn’t use the (R)etreat position in the gear shift. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/290 "2019-11-27T17:26:29Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Because we just had a crazy person, a left wing wackjob, kill 8 people. His politics aren’t the issue but his mental state is. I saw the link you later provided. If his politics weren’t the issue _why did you outright lie about his political affiliation?_ ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/291 "2019-11-27T17:30:20Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Yeah, a True American wouldn’t use the (R)etreat position in the gear shift. Well most Americans know that a screaming masked man blocking them is acting irrationally… Nobody has answered the question as to how they are able to ascertain he is unarmed. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/292 "2019-11-27T17:32:28Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I saw the link you later provided. If his politics weren’t the issue _why did you outright lie about his political affiliation?_ what are you talking about? from my cite: In addition, a Twitter account that appears to belong to Betts retweeted extreme left-wing and anti-police posts, as well as tweets supporting Antifa, or anti-fascist, protesters. And the point is that he was a wack job. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/293 "2019-11-27T17:39:22Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > He slowly inched a screaming masked loon back. There is no evidence from the video that the footperson is screaming at the driver. Or that he is a “loon”. > [@Magiver](#): > > He didn’t hurt him but used a minimal amount of force to back him up. I disagree. The driver offered no warning to the footperson that he was about to advance his vehicle, such as through use of the horn. He got into his vehicle and immediately drove into the footperson. He gave footperson no opportunity to get out of the way. Instead, he pushed him with his vehicle at a speed such that the footperson could only walk backwards (i.e. not to the side), lest he get pushed over by the vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/294 "2019-11-27T17:43:59Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > what are you talking about? from my cite: In addition, a Twitter account that appears to belong to Betts retweeted extreme left-wing and anti-police posts, as well as tweets supporting Antifa, or anti-fascist, protesters. > > And the point is that he was a wack job. He was also very anti-immigrant. The point is that you thought you could slip one by, and you failed. If you _really_ just wanted to point out that he was a “wack job”, you could have just called him a “wack job”. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/295 "2019-11-27T17:52:39Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > He was also very anti-immigrant. > The point is that you thought you could slip one by, and you failed. If you _really_ just wanted to point out that he was a “wack job”, you could have just called him a “wack job”. Sorry no, he was an antifa supporter. Prior to the massacre he had recently shown up to confront the KKK when they were in town. He was absolutely a left winger. The whole point of listing it was to show how it looks when people in this thread inject politics into it. That just sailed over your head even when I specifically pointed out that politics wasn’t the issue. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/296 "2019-11-27T17:55:17Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Sorry no, he was an antifa supporter. Prior to the massacre he had recently shown up to confront the KKK when they were in town. He was absolutely a left winger. > > The whole point of listing it was to show how it looks when people in this thread inject politics into it. That just sailed over your head even when I specifically pointed out that politics wasn’t the issue. So…you are saying that right-wingers do not confront the KKK? ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/297 "2019-11-27T17:56:43Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > The whole point of listing it was to show how it looks when people in this thread inject politics into it. That just sailed over your head even when I specifically pointed out that politics wasn’t the issue. I remind you of the title of the thread: **[This has to stop: extreme actions at political gathering](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=885858)** ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/298 "2019-11-27T18:11:26Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > There is no evidence from the video that the footperson is screaming at the driver. Or that he is a “loon”. You can hear him in the video. And we’ll just have to disagree on his behavior. > [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > I disagree. The driver offered no warning to the footperson that he was about to advance his vehicle, such as through use of the horn. He got into his vehicle and immediately drove into the footperson. He gave footperson no opportunity to get out of the way. Instead, he pushed him with his vehicle at a speed such that the footperson could only walk backwards (i.e. not to the side), lest he get pushed over by the vehicle. He wasn’t rooted to the spot. The person had every opportunity to get out of the way. And he went to the side of the vehicle so clearly he wasn’t pushed over by it. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/299 "2019-11-27T18:27:05Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > You can hear him in the video. I disagree. I have listened to the video through studio-quality headphones. There is no compelling evidence that the low-audibility voices at the beginning of the video are coming from the footperson or the driver. > [@](#): > > And he went to the side of the vehicle so clearly he wasn’t pushed over by it. The reason footperson ended up at the side of the vehicle is because the vehicle is moving in a curve to the right, not because footperson was able to maneuver himself out of the way. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927/300 "2019-11-27T18:28:50Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > So…you are saying that right-wingers do not confront the KKK? No. Are you saying left wingers don’t object to illegal immigrants? the person in question posted against ICE agents and retweeted antifa material. His politics were to the left. But somehow you don’t have the capacity to understand it doesn’t matter and will argue this point for the sake of arguing. But by all means, continue to argue with someone who lives in the city it took place in and frequented the bar district he shot up. I’ve followed it closely because it literally struck close to home. I mentioned it to show you how pointless it is to the argument. And yet here you are, trying to prove a leftist wack job was really not a leftist. He was. it doesn’t matter. get over it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-has-to-stop-extreme-actions-at-political-gathering/843927.md?page=16)