May 4, 2015

"One of the two gunmen in a Garland, Texas, attack on a cartoon contest featuring images of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed has been identified as Elton Simpson..."

"... a federal law enforcement source told CNN. The source said Simpson is thought to have sent a tweet before the attack with the hashtag #texasattack. 'May Allah accept us as mujahideen,' the tweet read in part."

Elton Simpson — sounds like the name of a character in a cartoon. I picture him looking like this:


But he looked like this.

69 comments:

gspencer said...

Much of the MSM is using this descriptor, “Elton Simpson, an Arizona man.”

"[A]n Arizona man."

That’s a nice touch. However I would have preferred more accuracy, “Elton Simpson, a devout Muslim.”

Lauderdale Vet said...

1st Amendment: 1
2nd Amendment: 1
Jihad: 0

James Pawlak said...

It appears that reports of Isamist violence are now so common as to be "Dog Bites Man" stories.

DanTheMan said...

Do we know the races of all involved? That's the most important fact...

clint said...

The winning drawing: here

Expertly answers the question of *why* such a contest would be held.

traditionalguy said...

He had a bad case of allah=o=phobia. He wanted to offer allah a big blood sacrifice for his sins.

Now why not kill lambs like the other middle eastern real religions do it? The answer is simply that want loot from the dead infidels.

Wince said...

He lived his life like a candle in the wind, never knowing who to cling to when the rain set in.

Etienne said...

I was watching PBS last night, and they were telling the story of the Kurdish women fighters.

I'm here to tell you that a man with a rifle is a fearful opponent, but a woman and a rifle - now that is just a nightmare.

The deal is, that a Muslim won't get his 72 virgins, and go straight to hell if he is killed by a woman. So these Kurdish women let it be known that they are in the fight, and it has been a battle changer.

Where once, the Muslims kept coming, falling dead by the hundreds, they all knew they had 72 virgins in the bag.

At Kobani though, they found the roads ended with huge numbers of Kurdish women fighting them back. Where they once did not fear death, this change had put an end to their free ride.

No Virgins, No War, it was the new chant, picked up by the Berkeley campus, and Hollywood.

Texas is looking for women security guards for their new Mohammed Art Contests. Pay is two ears from each victim, and $20 a week.

rhhardin said...

The media want to keep the attacks going. It's a narrative. Ratings. Money.

Hey, it's a business.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

gspencer said...

However I would have preferred more accuracy,...

Assuming he actually is an Arizona resident, what you're looking for is not more accuracy, but more relevance.

Anonymous said...

"Who designated the SPLC as a legitimate authority? They are a radical leftist group who targets patriots, vets and even GOP presidential candidates," she told CNN. "They have never named a jihadi group as a hate group."

SPLC does seem to have a set of criteria that isn't in synch with my world view...

MadisonMan said...

I'm not happy this whole thing occurred, but the end result is the best possible outcome once the whole thing was set in motion. Kudos to law enforcement for keeping the death toll low.

I wonder what kind of information Mr. Simpson's computers will reveal.

I find myself feeling sympathy for Elton Simpson's parents. You hope the best for your kids when you set them loose on society. What a nightmare for them.

damikesc said...

Nothing makes one say "Islam is a religion of peace" like its adherents randomly shooting up people in the name of Islam.

Tea Partiers have been called a hate group over WAY less than this.

"Who designated the SPLC as a legitimate authority? They are a radical leftist group who targets patriots, vets and even GOP presidential candidates," she told CNN. "They have never named a jihadi group as a hate group."

Ironically, SPLC have had people kill in their name before.

Just saying.

Michael K said...

SPLC is a scam run by a single lawyer. It has been dominated by theft for many years. Its only real enemy was the Klan which is a phantom.

alan markus said...

Organizers spent $30,000 on security (unarmed guards, metal detectors, and extra police). Managed to bring 2 terrorists out in the open so that they could get knocked off. $15,000 per terrorist eliminated is a pretty good ROI. I think we could learn something from this - maybe hold some events like this out in "bitter-clinger" country.

damikesc said...

Odds of the main narrative being "Why are they trying to antagonize people by being so disrepectful?" are what now?

Bobber Fleck said...

DanTheMan said: Do we know the races of all involved? That's the most important fact...

Please excuse my density Dan, but what is the intent of your comment?

Anonymous said...

Bobber Fleck said...
Please excuse my density Dan, but what is the intent of your comment?


I think it was sarcasm oriented toward the MSM, and their penchant for making all shootings by cops into racial events

Lewis Wetzel said...

Volokh.com in 2011 re Elton Simpson of Arizona:

Even assuming that Agent Hebert’s testimony was sufficiently authoritative to establish Somalia as a hotbed of international terrorism, the Government did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the Defendant’s discussions about traveling to Somalia were related to the political situation Agent Hebert described. It is true that the Defendant had expressed sympathy and admiration for individuals who “fight” non-Muslims as well as his belief in the establishment of Shariah law, all over the world including in Somalia. What precisely was meant by “fighting” whenever he discussed it, however, was not clear. Neither was what the Defendant meant when he stated he wanted to get to the “battlefield” in Somalia.

http://volokh.com/2011/03/18/partial-government-victory-partial-defeat-in-terrorism-false-statements-prosecution/

alan markus said...

Please excuse my density Dan, but what is the intent of your comment?

Every time a black gets killed by a policeman, it becomes a major news event.

MayBee said...

I find myself feeling sympathy for Elton Simpson's parents. You hope the best for your kids when you set them loose on society. What a nightmare for them.

MadMan- me too.

I remember when the congressional Republicans held an Islamic Extremism Hearing. The press and democrats denigrated or ignored it, saying it was hateful. It was in the relatively early days of the Obama administration, when he was wanting to use words to redefine terrorism as human catastrophe or whatever.

Anyway, two people who participated in that hearing were the fathers of the underwear bomber and the guy who shot two Reserves in Arkansas (an attack we don't hear much about because the admin tried to downplay it. It happened almost the same time Tiller was shot, which the Admin did want to discuss).

They spoke as parents of children who had gone awry, and wanted to help other parents and find a way to identify young men who were starting to head on this path. It was sad.

But nobody wanted to listen.

Etienne said...

I was just outside of Amarillo once, on my way to Frisco. There was a bunch of Cadillac's half-buried in the ground.

I had to pee real bad, so I actually urinated on one of them. It was then that I noticed another tourist squatting in the field and poking at something with a stick.

After I finished shaking, and zipped-up, I then noticed that this person in the field was hopping around waving its arms and screaming.

After a bit, this old Texan came up to me, and kind of laughed under his breath "We git dat buncha times a year out here. Danged turist thinkin they can tango with an anthill, findin them little critters have a mean bite."

I wiped the sweat from my head, and put my cap back on, and said "You think the kid will be all right after that?" The old man said, "Hell son, he wan't rit ta begin wit."

alan markus said...

A Drill Sargeant: didn't mean to kind of say the same thing - was a little slow on composing my comment, should have updated the comments before I submitted mine.

Big Mike said...

Someone tweeted that in Texas it's a mistake for terrorists to think they're not outgunned, even when they're just attacking an art show. Good point.

JSD said...

Nice grouping! Were those the Winchester Silver Tips?

God Bless Texas.

madAsHell said...

How can an art show provide 10's of thousands of dollars in security, and still make a buck?

Don't get me wrong. I think this worked out really well for the jihadis, but it strikes me as a strange set of circumstances.

Anonymous said...

happens to me all the time :)

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Coupe said...

I was just outside of Amarillo once...

I've been outside of Amarillo every day of my life.

madAsHell said...

Was Mr. Simpson employed?...or did he sell his EBT card for gas money?

Hagar said...

It should perhaps be pointed out the the Kurd women also are Muslims as is the U.A.E's lady F-16 pilot and squad commander.

Moneyrunner said...

Just part of life in the Age of Obama. Just don't make the mistake of calling the shooters Muslims. They are "lone wolves" committing workplace workplace violence.

Rusty said...

Nuthin to see here. Move along.

JackWayne said...

Keep up Ann. Most jihadi attacks on U.S. soil have been by black Muslim Americans.

Sebastian said...

"Arizona man" cartoon image turns out be wrong.

Black(ish) Muslim involved instead.

What are the odds?

Another PR stunt for the religion of peace gone awry.

MadisonMan said...

I've been outside of Amarillo every day of my life.

(laugh!)

Hey, me too!

robother said...

This event can be placed in the long history of draw contests in Texas, tests of speed and accuracy. I assume the $10,000 prize went to a Texas cop. (I'd like to imagine that he yelled "Draw, Mohammed!" before blazing away.)

mccullough said...

The usual suspects

MAJMike said...

Don't mess with Texas.

Don't ever assume that you will outgun a Texas art show.

ron winkleheimer said...

"Odds of the main narrative being "Why are they trying to antagonize people by being so disrepectful?" are what now?"

Yep, Gellar was on CNN and the host tried just that tack.

"Do you know any Muslims?"
"Free speech is great and all, but isn't this needlessly provocative?"
"No body disputes your right to free speech, but aren't you just a bigot who is causing needless problems?"

Those are paraphrases by the way.

Gellar did pretty well, but I would ask such interlocutors, since they are the ones who assume that Muslims are going to commit violence if someone offends them in some way, why are they not the bigots?

holdfast said...

@alan markus said...

You're not thinking efficiently. Instead of paying for security, collect fees from people eager for the chance to pop a jihadi. Or would that be against the rules as "hunting over bait"?

Todd said...

Ralph Hyatt said...

Gellar did pretty well, but I would ask such interlocutors, since they are the ones who assume that Muslims are going to commit violence if someone offends them in some way, why are they not the bigots?

5/4/15, 11:02 AM


Because apparently when the head of an actual liberal is at risk, it is perfectly acceptable to use group historical actions in gauging the probability of curtain future results (i.e. group profiling). The talking heads on TV want to keep theirs and so anything to keep them off of curtain lists is acceptable. Hard to be a famous TV talking head without a head or while in hiding.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

I'll just assume Sarah Palin's PAC put crosshairs over this event on a map online so we can blame this whole thing on the Right, right? Damn right-wing wackos, always thinking murderous Muslims are out to get 'em.

Birches said...

The winning drawing: here

Expertly answers the question of *why* such a contest would be held.


That was good.

Look, I understand the "idea" of being respectful towards religions. In 2012, Richard Dawkins tweeted out a youtube video that showed some things from one of my religious ceremonies that is about as disrespectful as one can get towards things that I hold very sacred. That video went viral. I found it in poor taste. Did anyone die over it though? No. If some crazy nuts went out and tried to kill Richard Dawkins for promoting the video or the nobody who made it? Well, I think even I would have welcomed the video being posted on every free thinking person's blog, website, fb feed, tv channel, etc. When violence is used to cut off speech, then it's no longer about good taste. It's about annihilating the heckler's veto. I wish more "tolerant" people would understand that.

Skeptical Voter said...

If you Google Elton Simpson's name you come up with a slightly different version of "Arizona man". A more accurate description is "would be Jihadi who happened to live in Arizona".

And as the story unfolds, it will be interesting to see what kind of weapons Elton brought to the party.

It's entirely possible that the New York Times will say that the leg wound of the security guard was the result of a wild bullet from the Garland police who shot these two nice young men from Arizona and wherever, down in the street like dogs. Mr. Simpson's background and previous attempts to go to Somalia so he could make jihad make that story improbable, but the New York Times is always out there pumping its narrative.

That's why I'm glad that our hostess takes on the dirty job of reading the New York Times. Most sentient human beings would say that that is too great a task to undertake. You can only swim in Baron Von Munchausen's pages for so long before your mind starts to grow numb.

damikesc said...

Look, I understand the "idea" of being respectful towards religions. In 2012, Richard Dawkins tweeted out a youtube video that showed some things from one of my religious ceremonies that is about as disrespectful as one can get towards things that I hold very sacred. That video went viral. I found it in poor taste. Did anyone die over it though? No. If some crazy nuts went out and tried to kill Richard Dawkins for promoting the video or the nobody who made it? Well, I think even I would have welcomed the video being posted on every free thinking person's blog, website, fb feed, tv channel, etc. When violence is used to cut off speech, then it's no longer about good taste. It's about annihilating the heckler's veto. I wish more "tolerant" people would understand that.

Hell, go back to Piss Christ.

Islam has never had anything as offensive as that done to them.

Yet Christians killed nobody. In fact, these same "Why would you antagonize them?" just LAUGHED when Christians mentioned that the piece was extremely offensive.

richard mcenroe said...

Alan Markus, hell you could turn a profit on the event selling slots on the guard force.

damikesc said...

As asked by Ace of Spades --- should Christians decide to start shooting up the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and their "Hunky Jesus" nonsense?

Isn't the new, EXPECTED response to religious mockery shooting and killing?

Scott M said...

Do we really want Westboro to start arming themselves?

Scott M said...

"Why are they trying to antagonize people by being so disrepectful?"

Isn't this just another way to telling a rape victim that she had it coming to her for dressing inappropriately?

Bruce Hayden said...

The ragheads and camel jockeys have little sympathy here from me. They either have to go back to their tents in the desert, or learn to deal with other religions respectfully. We have ISIS murdering Christians, en mass, Muslims throwing Christians overboard in the middle of the Mediterranean, Boko Harem abducting hundreds of Christian girls, thousands of British women getting raped by Muslim men, etc. Islam, a religion founded by conquest by the sword, has never been a religion of peace, but has always been a religion of intolerance and violent suppression of other religions.

So, I say to the Muslims here in the U.S., a primarily Christian nation, to come to terms with this facet of your religion. Expect to get your religion trashed, when you can't keep your co-religionists from trashing the religions of other, and from killing people solely because they aren't Muslim. You should get precisely as much respect for your religion in this country, as Muslims give to our religions.

So, if Mohammed cartoon contests bring out the jihaddis from hiding, so much the better. This is a heavily armed country (esp. in Red America), and Muslims are outnumbered 40 or 50 to 1 here. We can, and I suspect would like to, play whack-a-mole, with jihaddis in our midst for a long time into the future.

Sigivald said...

I'm here to tell you that a man with a rifle is a fearful opponent, but a woman and a rifle - now that is just a nightmare.

Especially if she's a Finn.

damikesc said...

The first suspect was a known jihadi. The FBI knew of him as did the CIA.

We are being demanded to sacrifice freedoms for protection --- but the Feds aren't providing protection.

They spy on me while some jihadist manages to elude their oversight?

Quaestor said...

Michael K. wrote: SPLC is a scam run by a single lawyer.

Not the Clinton Foundation, that's run by two lawyers. (and it's racist to point out that one of them has been disbarred) So there. Hmmph!

From the link: ...SPLC...spent 89 percent of its total income on fund-raising and administrative costs...

The Clinton Foundation (not a scam, you haters!) is much better than that. The Clinton Foundation only spends 85 percent on "fund-raising and administrative costs."

Quaestor said...

robother wrote: I'd like to imagine that he yelled "Draw, Mohammed!" before blazing away.

It's too bad I can't do better than stick figures because I have a perfect composition in mind that ridicules jihad and honors the Western mythos at the same time.

Both of those emissaries of the Religion of Peace were armed with Kalashnikovs (real full-auto assault rifles for all you panicky gun control types) and were wearing body armor. Our hero took them out with his service pistol singlehanded (in my imagination it was a Colt NMA .45 with ivory grips, but more likely an Austrian-made 9mm). The ISIS tweetmeister who was boasting in real time about those glorious martyrs went suddenly silent when the news of their quick and unceremonious dispatch Ranger-style spread. The moral? Don't mess with Texas.

MayBee said...

Probably the same people who loved the anti-Scientology HBO Documentary are hating on Geller.

sparrow said...

"Our hero took them out with his service pistol singlehanded"

Now that's gun control I can support.

mezzrow said...

I never thought I'd look at a purported cartoon of Elton John and think, "gee, that looks a lot like Glenn Reynolds holding a vintage cellphone."

I see what you did there, Althouse.

Props.

libertariansafetyguy said...

Do you know what they call shooting Terrorists in Texas? Sunday.

Michael K said...

"It should perhaps be pointed out the the Kurd women also are Muslims as is the U.A.E's lady F-16 pilot and squad commander."

The next time one of them goes after a cartoon contest, wake me up.

I just wonder why Elton's mother named him something odd like that. Why not Leroy, at least, for Crissake ? Orenthal ? Now that has some rhythm to it.

Lewis Wetzel said...

My local public radio affiliate began its story on the TX shootings by noting that Gellars's organization was labeled a hate group by Dees' Southern Poverty Law Center.
They couldn't quite hide the fact that Gellar hadn't been the one shooting people at random, but they tried.

traditionalguy said...

CNN talking heads are preaching that the free speech art exhibit "asked for it."

They want us all to Fear Allah.

MadisonMan said...

CNN talking heads are preaching that the free speech art exhibit "asked for it."

Blame the Victim!

I don't know they asked for it, necessarily (and I'd never put it that way, for God's sake) but they expected, maybe, that it might happen and took prudent steps to mitigate risk. Good on them!

YoungHegelian said...

My local public radio affiliate began its story on the TX shootings by noting that Gellars's organization was labeled a hate group by Dees' Southern Poverty Law Center.

This morning's Morning Edition on NPR said that Gellar's group was called a hate group by "some people".

Don't you just love it when the media sinks to the level of high school girls talkin' dirt on somebody in the girls' bathroom? "Some people" say.... And I'll bet Pam's boyfriend is an ugly nerd, too!

sane_voter said...

Fuck NPR. Too bad Elton didn't visit them first.

sane_voter said...

Fuck CNN too.

sane_voter said...

Fuck any and all Muslim apologists. I am in a fucking mood tonight.

Michael said...

The press believes, rightly it seems, that Muslims have very little self control. One expects this kind of "over reaction" by the adherents of a peaceful religion. Perfectly understandable.

On another note the joke is going around that the only thing left on the shelves of the Baltimore CVS were Father's Day cards. Cruel.

Quaestor said...

This morning's Morning Edition on NPR said that Gellar's group was called a hate group by "some people".

Which reflects more on "some people" and NPR generally than on Pam Geller. Being labelled a hate group just means the American Freedom Defense Initiative has the right enemies.

Paul Ciotti said...

When Jihadists announce that they will kill anyone who disrespects the Prophet, they are really trying to set limits to free speech in America. Under the circumstances the proper response of people who love the First Amendment is to challenge the Jihadists. And if they show up shooting, then they deserve whatever happens to them.