SPECIAL FEATURES:
Email
Crazed right-wing gunman thwarted while trying to murder environmentalists
Byron Williams, an anti-government, anti-corporation ex-convict, was stopped and shot by police while on his way to shoot workers at the ACLU and Tides Foundation, an environmental foundation, in San Francisco.
Thu, Jul 22 2010 at 5:29 PM
Related Topics:
Photo: AP
Byron Williams wanted to start a revolution. His plan was to load up his car with weapons and ammunition and to drive to the San Francisco offices of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Tides Foundation, a nonprofit foundation that works to promote social and economic justice, health and sustainability, and human rights around the world. Once there he planned to shoot his way around the offices and hope that his action started a revolution of his peers.
Fortunately for the good people at the ACLU and the Tide Foundation, Williams is a terrible driver. He was stopped by police on his way to carry out his plan because he was speeding and driving erratically. Soon after he was stopped, Williams started a 12-minute gun battle with police using a 9mm handgun, a .308 caliber rifle, and a shotgun. Because Williams was wearing a bullet-resistant vest, he was only captured after police shot him in unprotected areas of his body.
Williams joins a growing list of conservative gunmen who have flown off the handle and gunned down people because of fears that the government is out to get them (or some equally delusional reason). Williams is only notable because his targets included environmentalists.
The Tides Foundation has been around since 1976 and funds numerous projects around the world, "accelerating positive social change through philanthropy". The foundation offers funding and organizational support and has given out more than $400 million to tens of thousands of nonprofit organizations since 2000. They make our world a better place.
But in the twisted mind of Byron Williams, fueled by the never-ending river of vitriol kicked out by the right-wing punditry, the people at the Tides Foundation and the ACLU were stormtroopers, waiting for the signal from President Obama to finally close the noose around the necks of good patriots like Williams and take away his Fox News, guns, and freedom to do whatever the damn he pleases.
I guess we shouldn't be surprised that things like this happen with all the Glenn Becks (the Tides Foundation is a favorite Beck target) and Rush Limbaughs of the world. When you combine guns with hate and ignorance, it's easy to get people like Byron Williams.
Are you on Twitter? Follow me (@sheagunther) there; I give good tweets.
And if you really like my writing, you can join my Facebook page.
The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions, MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.
You might also like:
Sign in with one of these accounts to add your comment.
EDITORS' PICKS
Advertisement
TODAY'S MOST POPULAR ON
- 13 natural remedies for the ant invasion
- Brooklyn's largest public housing development gets urban farm
- What a grocery store without bees looks like
- Too beautiful to be real? 16 surreal landscapes found on Earth
- 7 surprising things Pope Francis has done in his first 100 days
- 15 famous people who mysteriously disappeared
- Student science experiment finds plants won't grow near Wi-Fi router
- 9 habits that may do more harm than good
- 10 false facts most people think are true
- Best air-filtering houseplants, according to NASA
NEWSLETTER
Advertisement
Are you kidding me? Just look at all the left wing violence compared to this one crazy fool. You libs are off your rocker when you try and make it look like the conservatives are the violent ones.
Are you kidding me? Just look at all the left wing violence compared to this one crazy fool. You libs are off your rocker when you try and make it look like the conservatives are the violent ones.
"When you combine guns with hate and ignorance, it's easy to get people like Byron Williams." And when you combine a liberally educated, indoctrinated hack with a word processor, you get this stereo-typical drivel.