Windows & Doors

James W. von Brunn Identified as Holocaust Museum Shooter

Wednesday June 10, 2009

Categories: News, Pop Culture

James W. von Brunn is not only a bitter old white supremacist; he is also a member of Mensa and a decorated veteran who served as a PT boat captain during World War II. These facts will raise at least two different and equally important issues.

First, the identity of the shooter in today's attack will no doubt frustrate the hate-filled and fear-driven voices which have filled the internet this afternoon, voices which were already explaining how we could "know" that this was the work of Muslims. Some went so far as to blame President Obama and his speech in Cairo for inviting such an attack by Muslims empowered to take revenge on America and upon Jews. I wish I was kidding or even exaggerating, but I am not.

Second, this will unsettle all those who blithely assume that ethnic, religious or racial hatred is the domain strictly of stupid or unaccomplished people. While contrary to fifty years ago, the social acceptability of expressing such hatreds tends to limit itself to the lower echelons of society, the challenge is present at all levels of our culture. To be sure, it is nowhere near as common as it once was, but neither is it something to be ignored.

Ultimately though, this seems to be the work of one man, albeit one steeped in a culture of hate and a network of people who shared his hate. What that means is that the attack, as a real threat, should not loom too largely in our consciousness, but addressing the challenges we face when hate defines any part of our community, should.

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Comments
Robert
June 11, 2009 2:04 PM

It's amazing to me how many people in the United States believe they are persecuted, and in my experience as one just one American, it seems to cut across religious boundaries. The general theme seems to be that everyone is not only supposed to give the indignant everything they want, everyone is supposed to be their cheering section, too. Of course, when you have been getting those social security checks from the ZOG that persecutes you for twenty-five years and sitting around with nothing to do but cultivate your resentment, chances are you can't be reached.

I have to believe von Brunn is profoundly disturbed. I'm not willing to excuse him.

linda t.
June 11, 2009 8:44 PM

as a jew that's been picked on and beaten up...for being jewish, this man doesn't surprise me...at all. i have so many sad stories to tell you that would shock you and you would find them difficult to believe, but i promise you they are real . what does scare me is that this man has been trying to enter government buildings and meetings with guns and knives before he was successful. yes, he did prison time, but apparently not enough -- i feel so bad for the guard and his family and friends. he should go to prison for the rest of his life. i have thought up some wonderful changes that should be made that would reduce GREATLY reduce the cost of having all these prisoners No.1. if they don't grow it and raise it then they don't wear it, or eat it. there are hundreds of acres around prisons. it's disgusting they do not grow their own vegetables or raise their own chickens and pigs and cows. no. 2. no more weightlifting or tv watching. all their energy should be toward farming. from sun up to sun down everyone that can should be putting all their energy toward farming. canning should be mandatory. lots of vegetables grown means lots of vegetable that can be frozen and canned for the winter when the gardens are resting for the spring planting. the money saved would be huge --- HUGE !! even old convicts like this scumbag should be made to farm and work --- or he should not be served food. they should make the choice - either you work and earn your food or you will not eat. i wish i was not the only person to feel this way.

DrDeb
June 11, 2009 9:38 PM

Did anyone else notice that this tragedy took place only a few weeks after the Westboro Baptist Church from Kansas went to DC and picketed at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum? They were handing out fliers proclaiming, "Jews killed the Lord Jesus."

That was the first thing that came to my mind when I heard about the shooting.

Your Name
June 12, 2009 10:37 AM

To even remotely suggest after all the documentation, visual proff by soldiers who liberated the camps, the millions of surviors, the millions of bodies and studies done over the decades since the the liberation you are totally ignorant. It is no "lie" or "Propaganda" when survivors, not just Jew, but ALL living survivors have numbers tattooed on them as a daily reminder of the horror they survived.

I personally know several survivors of the Holocaust. And they are not ALL Jews.This is NOT just a Jewish "thing". This was the systematic elimination of Jews, Gays, Gypsies, Black, anyone against Hitler and more.

Annis, to suggest the museums are propaganda is an insult to those to were killed, mutilated, experimented on and left to live with the horror they were subjected to against their will.

There is a difference between what happened not just in Germany, but Poland, Russia, France, Spain, and other countries and what is happening in Israel. The fight there is about land. Not because of what religion they practice, color of their skin, but for a homeland of their own.

It is postings such as yours that perpetuate hate. No one has denied researching what happened in Germany or elsewhere during WWII. One day your words will come back to haunt you and you will learn the vicious truth.

Joseph C. Moore, Cpo USN Ret.
June 12, 2009 11:34 AM

Reply to Linda T for her posting yesterday (june 11). Bravo, Linda! You have articulated in a direct, easy to understand manner, the way our prison systems SHOULD be RUN. We spend a fortune on every prisoner to give them amenities they do not deserve. Reform of the prison system is needed immediately.

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brad.jpg Author, radio and TV talk show host, and President of CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, Brad Hirschfield is the author of You Don’t Have To Be Wrong For Me To Be Right: Finding Faith Without Fanaticism. Listed as one of the nation’s 50 most influential rabbis in Newsweek, and a regular commentator on Court TV, he is the creator of the popular series, Building Bridges, airing on Bridges TV, and the co-host of the weekly radio show, Hirschfield and Kula.

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