Update on the shooting at the recruitment centers

[GMDino]

I couldn't find the old post about it, and really this is more about the insane amount of paranoia that is out there right now and how it gets fed by the internet.

I read a story yesterday that said that Lt Cmdr. Timothy White, who allegedly used his personal firearm to shoot back and the the shooter was definitely facing charges.

I. Was. Dumbfounded.

This would only make sense in the world of the military where there are rules and you will follow them! But even THEN I couldn't understand it.

So I started tracing the story back and the only places I found it were on right wing "new" sites and blogs.

And they ALL referenced one place: Allen West's page. Where he wrote this:

In the posting on his website Saturday, West wrote:

Quote:“Ladies and gents, resulting from the text message I received yesterday, I can confirm that the United States Navy is bringing charges against Lt. Cmdr. Timothy White for illegally discharging a firearm on federal property.

“The text message asked if it would be possible for Lt. Cmdr. White to reach out to me. To wit I replied, ‘Affirmative.’”


Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2015/08/allen-west-navy-to-prosecute-chattanooga-hero/#JBqWFrpmqxxe0bWU.99

Page after page of google hits are being fed by one guy posting that he got one text from...somebody.

And when I took the time to point that out on one site people wanted to know where I got that from the story. So I posted the direct quote from the story they had "read".

Its fascinating and frightening how fast this kind of thing can spread and how many people are ready to take up arms to "defend their country" from "THEM"...whoever "THEY" are.

And he MAY be right. this MIGHT be a true story...but the mad rush to be first has led to an anonymous tweet being the main source for a story that had spread around the country and accepted as the god's truth.

And this is just one example. We've all seen Onion stories that were taken as truth and we all get emails from our crazy political friends telling us how the guberment is coming for us. Doesn't matter whether you are on the right or the left it happens.

We all need to take a deep breath and clear our heads or something really bad may happen. For real. Not just in the minds of the paranoid.

[GMDino]

Quick update: Apparently Mr. West was delusional. Again.

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/08/navy_denies_reports_sailor_wil.html

Quote:The U.S. Navy is denying reports that it will file charges against a naval officer who used a weapon to return fire against Chattanooga gunman Muhammad Abdulazeez during last month's deadly attack.

On Saturday, conservative commentator Allen B. West wrote a blog post saying sources had told him the Navy would bring charges against Lt. Cmdr Timothy White for illegally discharging a firearm on federal property. White and a Marine are believed to have fired their personal weapons during the July 16 attacks that killed four Marines and one sailor.

The Pentagon prohibits military personnel from carrying personal weapons while on duty.

"Flood the phone of (Secretary of the Navy) Ray Mabus and (Secretary of Defense Ash) Carter and ask them whose side they're on," West urged. "Demand the charges being brought against Lt.Cmdr White be immediately dropped. If those charges are not dropped, I will personally lead the charge to have Carter and Mabus removed from their positions."

West's story quickly spread online and commenters on the Navy's Facebook page expressed outrage over the idea of White facing charges.

The Navy quickly responded that the West allegations are false.

"Stories of Navy personnel being charged with an offense are not true. There is still a long way to go in reviewing the facts of this tragic incident, but at this time we can confirm no service member has been charged with an offense," the Navy said in a statement posted to social media.

Of course I'm sure Mr. West will spin this into HE caused a change of heart by bringing it to the public's attention.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(08-03-2015, 09:28 AM)GMDino Wrote: I couldn't find the old post about it, and really this is more about the insane amount of paranoia that is out there right now and how it gets fed by the internet.

I read a story yesterday that said that Lt Cmdr. Timothy White, who allegedly used his personal firearm to shoot back and the the shooter was definitely facing charges.

I. Was. Dumbfounded.

This would only make sense in the world of the military where there are rules and you will follow them!  But even THEN I couldn't understand it.

So I started tracing the story back and the only places I found it were on right wing "new" sites and blogs.

And they ALL referenced one place:  Allen West's page.  Where he wrote this:

In the posting on his website Saturday, West wrote:


Page after page of google hits are being fed by one guy posting that he got one text from...somebody.

And when I took the time to point that out on one site people wanted to know where I got that from the story.  So I posted the direct quote from the story they had "read".

Its fascinating and frightening how fast this kind of thing can spread and how many people are ready to take up arms to "defend their country" from "THEM"...whoever "THEY" are.

And he MAY be right.  this MIGHT be a true story...but the mad rush to be first has led to an anonymous tweet being the main source for a story that had spread around the country and accepted as the god's truth.

And this is just one example.  We've all seen Onion stories that were taken as truth and we all get emails from our crazy political friends telling us how the guberment is coming for us.  Doesn't matter whether you are on the right or the left it happens.

We all need to take a deep breath and clear our heads or something really bad may happen.  For real.  Not just in the minds of the paranoid.

......and folks wonder how the Nazis got an entire country to fall right in line.  Propaganda is a powerful tool.....

[*michaelsean*]

Never heard about it until now. You are what you despise.

[fredtoast]

(08-03-2015, 10:26 AM)Wyche Wrote: ......and folks wonder how the Nazis got an entire country to fall right in line.  Propaganda is a powerful tool.....

At the time of the '04 Presidential election a large majority of U S citizens thought Saddam Hussein was directly involved in the 9/11 attacks.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(08-03-2015, 10:37 AM)fredtoast Wrote: At the time of the '04 Presidential election a large majority of U S citizens thought Saddam Hussein was directly involved in the 9/11 attacks.

I know.....it's pretty sad, people just don't question anything these days.  Maybe I question too much, but I am the forever cynic.....

[*bfine32*]

It seems Jim Webb also backed this assumption:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/08/03/navy-official-not-ruling-out-charging-service-member-who-fired-on-chattanooga/?intcmp=hpbt4

He probably doesn't know much about the Navy though.

[GMDino]

(08-03-2015, 10:59 PM)bfine32 Wrote: It seems Jim Webb also backed this assumption:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/08/03/navy-official-not-ruling-out-charging-service-member-who-fired-on-chattanooga/?intcmp=hpbt4

He probably doesn't know much about the Navy though.

Probably not since the Navy said there are no charges filed.  You know....like it says in the second post.

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/08/navy_denies_reports_sailor_wil.html

Quote: Wrote:The U.S. Navy is denying reports that it will file charges against a naval officer who used a weapon to return fire against Chattanooga gunman Muhammad Abdulazeez during last month's deadly attack.

On Saturday, conservative commentator Allen B. West wrote a blog post saying sources had told him the Navy would bring charges against Lt. Cmdr Timothy White for illegally discharging a firearm on federal property. White and a Marine are believed to have fired their personal weapons during the July 16 attacks that killed four Marines and one sailor.

The Pentagon prohibits military personnel from carrying personal weapons while on duty.

"Flood the phone of (Secretary of the Navy) Ray Mabus and (Secretary of Defense Ash) Carter and ask them whose side they're on," West urged. "Demand the charges being brought against Lt.Cmdr White be immediately dropped. If those charges are not dropped, I will personally lead the charge to have Carter and Mabus removed from their positions."

West's story quickly spread online and commenters on the Navy's Facebook page expressed outrage over the idea of White facing charges.

The Navy quickly responded that the West allegations are false.

"Stories of Navy personnel being charged with an offense are not true. There is still a long way to go in reviewing the facts of this tragic incident, but at this time we can confirm no service member has been charged with an offense," the Navy said in a statement posted to social media.

[*bfine32*]

(08-04-2015, 12:07 AM)GMDino Wrote: Probably not since the Navy said there are no charges filed.  You know....like it says in the second post.

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/08/navy_denies_reports_sailor_wil.html

Good work at posting the same link again. So we can agree that your assumption in the OP that Allen West is the only person to suggest this is being contemplated is incorrect. It is also being referenced by the former Secretary of the Navy.

[GMDino]

(08-04-2015, 12:57 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Good work at posting the same link again. So we can agree that your assumption in the OP that Allen West is the only person to suggest this is being contemplated is incorrect. It is also being referenced by the former Secretary of the Navy.

Okay...you can't read.  

(08-03-2015, 09:28 AM)GMDino Wrote: I couldn't find the old post about it, and really this is more about the insane amount of paranoia that is out there right now and how it gets fed by the internet.

I read a story yesterday that said that Lt Cmdr. Timothy White, who allegedly used his personal firearm to shoot back and the the shooter was definitely facing charges.

I. Was. Dumbfounded.

This would only make sense in the world of the military where there are rules and you will follow them!  But even THEN I couldn't understand it.

So I started tracing the story back and the only places I found it were on right wing "new" sites and blogs.

And they ALL referenced one place:  Allen West's page.  Where he wrote this:

...

Page after page of google hits are being fed by one guy posting that he got one text from...somebody.

And when I took the time to point that out on one site people wanted to know where I got that from the story.  So I posted the direct quote from the story they had "read".

Its fascinating and frightening how fast this kind of thing can spread and how many people are ready to take up arms to "defend their country" from "THEM"...whoever "THEY" are.

And he MAY be right.  this MIGHT be a true story...but the mad rush to be first has led to an anonymous tweet being the main source for a story that had spread around the country and accepted as the god's truth.

And this is just one example.  We've all seen Onion stories that were taken as truth and we all get emails from our crazy political friends telling us how the guberment is coming for us.  Doesn't matter whether you are on the right or the left it happens.

We all need to take a deep breath and clear our heads or something really bad may happen.  For real.  Not just in the minds of the paranoid.

None of the stories referenced cited Webb.

So while Webb mentioned it too (later) that was not the gist of this post, but rather how one person says it and the internet runs with it as gospel truth.  the fact that someone else also said it later (and was wrong too) has no bearing on the point of the post.  None.

But you knew that.

You just have been proven wrong so many times over the past few fays you're like a boxer who should have stayed on the stool but comes out swinging wildly hoping to hit something...anything...to stay in the fight.