Before armed demonstrators ate at a downtown Raleigh Subway on Saturday, May 9, the group of around 11 walked through town, drawing attention. A man carrying a pipe wrench approached a family after they asked the group to stay away from them. BY JULIA WALL
Before armed demonstrators ate at a downtown Raleigh Subway on Saturday, May 9, the group of around 11 walked through town, drawing attention. A man carrying a pipe wrench approached a family after they asked the group to stay away from them. BY JULIA WALL
Photos of members of an anti-government group carrying long guns, a pipe wrench, and an inert rocket launcher into a Subway restaurant in Raleigh went viral in May. Now, one of those people has been accused of trying to sell weapons to undercover federal agents.
Benjamin Ryan Teeter, 22, from Hampstead, NC, and Michael Robert Solomon, 30, from New Brighton, Minn., were arrested and charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist group.
“Michael Solomon and Benjamin Teeter proclaim themselves to be members of the Boogaloo Bois, a group that espouses a violent ideology and an objective to overthrow the government,” said U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald in a news release.
Solomon and Teeter appeared in U.S. District court on Friday via teleconference. They both were appointed federal defenders, according to the Associated Press.
“The term ‘Boogaloo’ itself references a supposedly impending second civil war in the United States and is associated with violent uprisings against the government,” the news release stated.
Solomon and Teeter said they were a part of a sub-group of Boogaloo Bois called the “Boojahideen,” according to an affidavit in the case.
According to the documents, the two men are accused of attempting to sell gun parts to Hamas, and expressing their desire to be “mercenaries” to earn money to support the Boogaloo Bois or Boojahideen movement.
The documents also state Teeter and Solomon discussed destroying a Northern Minnesota courthouse, killing U.S. politicians and inciting violence by attacking law enforcement and white supremacist group members at protests in Minneapolis.
The affidavit states that Teeter and Solomon also talked about raiding the headquarters of a white supremacist organization in North Carolina.
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The FBI began an investigation into the “Boogaloo Bois” in late May after protests broke out against the death of a Black man, George Floyd, at the hands of police in Minneapolis
A witness said Solomon was carrying firearms through residential Minneapolis neighborhoods and that “Solomon and Teeter possessed firearms and substantial quantities of ammunition,” the news release stated.
The affadavit quoted Solomon: “Here’s the thing. I want to take down twenty senators while they’re playing (expletive) baseball, right? I don’t want to blow up a courthouse. I want to murder a bunch of U.S. politicians. That’s the statement I want to make.”
Solomon and Teeter believed that an undercover FBI agent was a member of Hamas. In audio recordings, they said they shared anti-United States sentiment with Hamas, the affidavit stated.
They said they were willing to be mercenaries employed by Hamas and that they could make untraceable weapons, the news release stated. On July 30, they sold and negotiated a price for gun parts with a person they believed to be a senior member of Hamas — but who was actually an undercover FBI employee. Teeter and Solomon said they hoped the weapons would be used by Hamas to attack Israeli and U.S. soldiers, according to the news release.
A hearing for Teeter and Solomon is set for September 9 via video conference. They will be held by the United States Marshall until the hearing.
Once again right wing extremists showing how dangerous they are.
Your anger and ego will always reveal your true self.
Hamas? Sounds like Islamic terror to me. What will the left wingers do? They can't condemn white supremacists without implicating muslims. Quite the quandary.
(09-07-2020, 11:20 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: Hamas? Sounds like Islamic terror to me. What will the left wingers do? They can't condemn white supremacists without implicating muslims. Quite the quandary.
What will right wingers do? They can't be Pro-Israel without condemning the 2A supporters.
(09-07-2020, 11:20 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: Hamas? Sounds like Islamic terror to me. What will the left wingers do? They can't condemn white supremacists without implicating muslims. Quite the quandary.
Perhaps neo-cons will finally realize the middle east is an ultra-conservative paradise what with all the patriarchy, theocracy, brutal capital punishment, zeal for iron-fisted dictatorship, obsession with preserving the "purity" of women, and lack of gun control, welfare, abortion, and rights for homosexuals.
THEN the liberals will finally realize they aren't so keen on Islam!
(09-08-2020, 10:58 AM)Nately120 Wrote: Perhaps neo-cons will finally realize the middle east is an ultra-conservative paradise what with all the patriarchy, theocracy, brutal capital punishment, zeal for iron-fisted dictatorship, obsession with preserving the "purity" of women, and lack of gun control, welfare, abortion, and rights for homosexuals.
THEN the liberals will finally realize they aren't so keen on Islam!
I've said it before, but the left's blind defense of islam has always baffled me. The way it is practiced in much of the world is the most patriarchal, homophobic and illiberal ideology on the planet.
Oh, because some people need the obvious stated for them (not you btw), eff these two dudes and their plot. If they did what they are accused of then throw the book at them.
(09-08-2020, 11:03 AM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: I've said it before, but the left's blind defense of islam has always baffled me. The way it is practiced in much of the world is the most patriarchal, homophobic and illiberal ideology on the planet.
Oh, because some people need the obvious stated for them (not you btw), eff these two dudes and their plot. If they did what they are accused of then throw the book at them.
It's just an ultra hypocritical version of the enemy of my enemy is my friend, as far as my simple brain can see it. Muslims worship a "bad god" so they are barbaric and uncivilized to the self-serving neo-cons and their "good god" even though they petition our own government to clamp down on our liberties so we can be more like those barbaric people in that "shithole" desert.
They don't like 'em so the left goes to bat for them even though they embody and perpetuate the opposite of what they desire their own country to be. Seems like the ultimate head-scrather to me, but what do I know?
(09-08-2020, 11:03 AM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: I've said it before, but the left's blind defense of islam has always baffled me. The way it is practiced in much of the world is the most patriarchal, homophobic and illiberal ideology on the planet.
I know that this may be giving more credit to a lot of folks because they likely don't think this deeply about things, but here is my take on this. The defense of Islam and its practitioners is less about the religion itself and more about the individuals. Much of the criticism aimed at Islam from the right tends to be in an effort to paint a sizable part of the population with a very broad brush that is dipped in the worst of Islamic ideology. This results in prejudice and discrimination based on religion (and ethnicity for that matter). That is what a progressive leaning individual would really have a problem with.
Now, I have also been known to defend Islam the religion against attacks that misrepresent the religion because much like all religions there are those that corrupt the message within it. Islam has a different history than many other religions, though, and does have a very high level of extremist followers thanks to the influence of Saudi Arabia over the Middle East (among other things). It's very complicated.
"A great democracy has got to be progressive, or it will soon cease to be either great or a democracy..." - TR
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." - FDR
(09-08-2020, 11:17 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: I know that this may be giving more credit to a lot of folks because they likely don't think this deeply about things, but here is my take on this. The defense of Islam and its practitioners is less about the religion itself and more about the individuals. Much of the criticism aimed at Islam from the right tends to be in an effort to paint a sizable part of the population with a very broad brush that is dipped in the worst of Islamic ideology. This results in prejudice and discrimination based on religion (and ethnicity for that matter). That is what a progressive leaning individual would really have a problem with.
Now, I have also been known to defend Islam the religion against attacks that misrepresent the religion because much like all religions there are those that corrupt the message within it. Islam has a different history than many other religions, though, and does have a very high level of extremist followers thanks to the influence of Saudi Arabia over the Middle East (among other things). It's very complicated.
Let me point out that I agree with this and I'm obviously talking about the most superficial, knee-jerk of disagreement between the "yea vs nay" sides of things. I'll also point out I do consider the neo-cons to have more of a penchant for the surface-level "boo Islam" thinking than liberals have for the "yay Islam" side...but that has more to do with a basic rule of religion that often urges one to actively disbelieve in other religions in order to truly believe in his own.
(09-07-2020, 11:20 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: Hamas? Sounds like Islamic terror to me. What will the left wingers do? They can't condemn white supremacists without implicating muslims. Quite the quandary.
(09-08-2020, 11:17 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote:I've said it before, but the left's blind defense of islam has always baffled me. The way it is practiced in much of the world is the most patriarchal, homophobic and illiberal ideology on the planet.
I know that this may be giving more credit to a lot of folks because they likely don't think this deeply about things, but here is my take on this. The defense of Islam and its practitioners is less about the religion itself and more about the individuals. Much of the criticism aimed at Islam from the right tends to be in an effort to paint a sizable part of the population with a very broad brush that is dipped in the worst of Islamic ideology. This results in prejudice and discrimination based on religion (and ethnicity for that matter). That is what a progressive leaning individual would really have a problem with.
Now, I have also been known to defend Islam the religion against attacks that misrepresent the religion because much like all religions there are those that corrupt the message within it. Islam has a different history than many other religions, though, and does have a very high level of extremist followers thanks to the influence of Saudi Arabia over the Middle East (among other things). It's very complicated.
Well and concisely said, Bels. Right on both counts.
"Leftists" tend to defend individual rights as liberals have been doing for 300 years. Individuals first. Hence their resistance to any tendency to lump races, world religions and ethnic groups all into to one basket of easy villification. Illiberal rightists* take the actions of a small number of Islamists and, for political purposes, identify them with the whole of Islam. (I say "political purposes," but those tend to be grounded in a genuine xenophobia, fear of the "Other.") The identification is so tight, and framed outside liberal ethics, that defense of Muslims individual rights cannot be separated from a defense/affirmation of their religion. Hence "Leftists" defend Islam, the religion.
And as you say, the result of this is prejudice and active discrimination; and I would add, not only against Muslims, but also against people who "look" Muslim to those with little knowledge of other cultures and religions.
Leftists take it a step further, connecting discrimination against Muslims to a larger history of European colonialism, orientalism and capitalism. From that perspective religious differences between Muslim countries and "The West" diminish, displaced by concerns of economic and military domination of the periphery by the US and Europe. Leftists see neither religions nor political ideologies flowing directly from unchanging sacred texts. For them, right wing religious extremism in Muslim countries is analogous to the same in Western countries--different religious premises, but similar illiberal logic and goals--though more harshly conditioned by conflict, oppression, developmental conditions, and globalization. Xenophobia--they do it too! But no reason to think it any more built into Islam than the other great monotheisms.
*a note to my conservative friends in the Forum. Not all rightists are illiberal. Many US conservatives espouse and practice liberal ideals. The US was founded on liberalism and that continues to be the dominant ideology of both "liberals" and conservatives in the US.
There are thousands of Muslims fighting in the US military, servings as law enforcement officers
, firemen, and first responders. There are many of tjem that work for charitable organizations serving underprivileged communities.They have no more desire to convert anyone to their religion or take over this country than Christians. Yet because of the ignorance and bigotry in this country it is difficult for them to build a mosque without public protest and vandalism.
People who paint all Muslims as dangerous are just clueless.
(09-08-2020, 03:05 PM)fredtoast Wrote: There are thousands of Muslims fighting in the US military, servings as law enforcement officers
, firemen, and first responders. There are many of tjem that work for charitable organizations serving underprivileged communities.They have no more desire to convert anyone to their religion or take over this country than Christians. Yet because of the ignorance and bigotry in this country it is difficult for them to build a mosque without public protest and vandalism.
People who paint all Muslims as dangerous are just clueless.
Neo cons do have a rather fluid notion of when we are allowed to let a few bad apples ruin things for everything, that's for sure.
(09-08-2020, 02:54 PM)Dill Wrote: *a note to my conservative friends in the Forum. Not all rightists are illiberal. Many US conservatives espouse and practice liberal ideals. The US was founded on liberalism and that continues to be the dominant ideology of both "liberals" and conservatives in the US.
A note to my left leaning friends in the Forum. Not all leftists are liberal. Many US leftists do not espouse and practice liberal ideals. The US was founded on liberalism and that continues to be the dominant ideology of both "liberals" and conservatives in the US.
Just not the far left or far right. "Both sides do it" in 3, 2, 1...
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