Batshit Police Chief Forcibly Takes Over PA Town

[synthesis]

Seriously, just watch the Youtube video and tell me this doesn't seem like it's heading somewhere even worse. Sorry if this has been posted before.


MEDIA BLACKOUT: Militia is Holding Pennsylvania Town Hostage

By Eric Dolan, Randy Morris and David Warner


http://politicalblindspot.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Suspended-Gilberton-PA-Police-Chief-Mark-Kessler.jpg

Welcome to Gilberton, Pennsylvania, where men with loaded guns, propping up a suspended police chief accuse all other citizens of being “tyrants”. It is a place where men with Swastika tattoos claim the “other people” are the Nazis. What, didn’t you hear about this on CNN, Fox, MSNBC, or really anywhere else? Isn’t NPR even interesting in this story? For whatever the reason, no one is touching this. Perhaps the Federal government fears a stand off and doesn’t want this to snowball, or inspire other towns with similar demographics to go the same route. Whatever the reason, this is a true case of media blackout. Here’s what’s going on…


Gilberton, Pennsylvania is a small borough which is currently living under the constant threat of terroristic violence. Armed men block the entrance to public meetings. Public officials openly threaten every member of society who holds a different political view than they do, and councilmen are strip searched and arrested without cause if they don’t fall in line with prevailing opinions.


Anyone who tries to fire the Police Chief is be forced to live in fear of retaliation from a militia of armed terrorists. Pennsylvania police chief Mark Kessler is the head of a political organization which refers to itself as “The Constitution Security Force. (http://chiefkessler.com/)“ Kessler was recently given a thirty day suspension (http://wnep.com/2013/07/31/gilberton-police-chief-suspended/), for using police property as props in a video (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/07/23/pennsylvania-police-chief-fck-all-you-libtards-out-there-you-take-it-in-the-a/)where he threatens and insults “libtards,” otherwise known as people who hold political views which differ from his own.


Watch video, uploaded to YouTube, below:


x0Rc8L7ltFw


In a second video, Kessler can also be seen threatening the life of a federal government official, Secretary of State John Kerry (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QQW0RswpQ4).


On August 1st (http://www.theeverlastinggopstoppers.com/2013/08/pa-police-chief-kessler-warmed-real-ugly/#prettyPhoto), Kessler called on the militia to attend a meeting of the Gilberton Borough Council, where disciplinary actions against Kessler (for the videos) were being discussed. A State Police helicopter was called to the scene, as more than a hundred armed men and women arrived at the meeting, brandishing AR-15 assault rifles. Armed members of the microcosmic police state “militia” blocked the doors of the public building where the meeting was held, in order to prevent those who wished to speak from entering. According to the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-horwitz/the-town-the-militia-took_b_3694293.html), members of the group ”angrily confronted Michael Morrill of Keystone Progress, who delivered petition signatures from 20,000 Americans who want Kessler fired.”



http://politicalblindspot.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Police-Chief-Mark-Kessler-Screenshot.jpg (http://politicalblindspot.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Police-Chief-Mark-Kessler-Screenshot.jpg)



In an email Morrill explained, “I have been organizing for four decades. I have faced Klansmen in Kentucky, Ustase in Bosnia and police indiscriminately beating demonstrators in Italy. [Wednesday] night in Gilberton was more frightening than any of those situations.”


Due to mounting tensions and no doubt, concerns over increasing threats of violence from Kessler and his armed political faction, only a small number of residents were given the chance to speak during the meeting. Of those who did speak, however, many said that they themselves, or members of their families, are living in fear of Kessler and his militia.
You know why there’s not more residents here? The threats. That’s why. Because they’re afraid. They’re afraid they’re going to have their windows shot out.” – Lifelong Gilberton resident Rose McCarthy speaking about Police Chief Mark Kessler (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-horwitz/the-town-the-militia-took_b_3694293.html) and his supporters on July 31, 2013.
Others who were allowed to speak referred to Kessler as a “nut,” a liability and a detriment to the small community. Many who wanted to speak were prevented from doing so, either because they were blocked from entering the building or because they were too afraid of retaliation to come forward. On July 31, 2013, the borough’s insurance carrier (http://wnep.com/2013/08/01/police-chief-liability/) also contacted local officials, stating that they believe that Kessler may be a liability, as well.


While Chief Kessler and his armed followers may be able to delude some people into believing that they are ”exercising their First Amendment rights,” there is no doubt these militia members are aware that their actions and speech are causing many others who live in the borough of Gilberton to feel threatened, intimidated and terrorized. When armed men stand in doorways, with the direct intent of interfering with the rights of other members of society, when they seek to deny the rights of other persons to participate in open public meetings, when they verbally or physically threaten other citizens who hold opposing political views, when they interfere with the rights of others to speak freely about their fears and concerns, and most importantly, when they use their weapons as a way to intimidate public officials, and members of the general public, there should be no doubt these people are terrorists and need to be treated as such.


Whether the town of Gilberton, Pennsylvania can legally continue to employ someone who is causing members of the community to live in fear, is yet to be seen. Kessler’s position as Police Chief is one which comes with a great deal of power and one which requires a great deal of trust from the public. After viewing the videos he has posted on-line, it is hard to imagine that his outright hate for everyone who holds political views which are different from his own, does not interfere with his ability to perform his duties in a non-partisan manner. Kessler’s out of control behavior has already cost the town of Gilberton a great deal of money. In 2010 he illegally arrested a councilman and performed a strip search on him.


While Kessler’s own on-line videos are filled with profanity, in 2010 the police chief claimed that the councilman’s use of profanity in a complaint made to the mayor’s office, was cause for his arrest and strip search. No evidence for any alleged “crime” was ever produced. In fact, the same councilman later sued the borough over the incident. An out of court settlement was struck, in which the tax payers of Gilberton were forced to pay $15,000 plus court costs and attorney fees (http://republicanherald.com/news/gilberton-settles-councilman-s-lawsuit-1.1255366), in a case which the ACLU helped to bring against Kessler and two other Gilberton officials. This settlement was arrived at only after a judge ruled that the arrest was carried out as political retaliation.


The people of Gilberton borough are also rightfully concerned about Kessler’s irrational behavior. In 2011, while off duty, the police chief fired his weapon during a bar brawl, shooting himself in the hand by mistake. At the time of the incident, police and media reports show that the bar was “packed” with people. In a report from the Republican Herald (http://republicanherald.com/news/gilberton-police-chief-wounded-by-own-gun-during-bar-incident-1.1195323), published shortly after the incident first occurred, an officer under Kessler is quoted as saying: “He got mixed up. Why, at this point, is still under investigation.”


The town of Gilberton, Pennsylvania has a duty to protect all of it’s citizens first and foremost, and to ensure that all of it’s citizens are able to exercise their constitutional rights. Since Kessler also runs the police in Gilberton, who is there to arrest these militia members when they threaten and intimidate others citizens? Who is there to protect other members of society and ensure that their rights are being protected? How can citizens who hold political views that differ from those of Kessler and his group of gun-wielding bullies not feel terrorized in Gilberton? The Constitution Security Force web-site makes it clear that members will not hesitate to shoot people for expressing political views contradictory to their own.


Still, the mainstream corporate media seems to be sleeping on this story, for reasons which are as of yet unclear. Spread the word. It’s up to “we the people” to let our friends, families and neighbors know what is going on, when the media refuses to do their job.

link (http://politicalblindspot.org/media-blackout-militia-is-holding-pennsylvania-town-hostage/)

Is this being swept under the rug or just ignored?

[synthesis]

I did a search for this on Google News and all I seem to find are right-wing blogs applauding him for "exercising his Second Amendment rights" and shit like that.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/07/video-making_gilberton_police.html (http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/07/video-making_gilberton_police.html)

[Os Cangaceiros]

from his website:




I would like to thank everyone who has shown support during these troubled times,
as many of you know I was unjustly suspended by Gilberton Borough Officials , they tried to use any excuse possible, fact is I violated NO BOROUGH POLICY!
these dictators took it upon themselves to punish an AMERICAN exercising their constitutional rights!

leading the CHARGE FOR FULL TERMINATION during this unjust 30 day suspension is

( Vice President) Councilman Eric Boxer ( Democrat )

( President ) Councilman Daniel Malloy ( Democrat )


They all took an oath to their country, our CONSTITUTION, NOT TO ANY TITLE, OR OFFICE!


"FREEDOM ISN'T FREE"

I will sacrifice all I have defending my country, our constitution, OUR FREEDOMS


NEVER AGAIN WILL I BE RULED BY TYRANTS, DICTATORS, OR SCUM POLATICIANS

For I am jus one man who stood against many and said, NO MORE!

:lol:

[Zealot]

These wingnuts post their shit all over youtube, I'm pretty sure the government is well aware of them considering that they have access to our facebook accounts.

[Ace High]

Seriously though, why is this not being reported in the media? Absolutely shameful. I heard about this a couple days ago and I was shocked, that is insanity. How can the media not report on a hostile right wing group of militants holding a town in a local martial law?

[Sasha]

He seems desperate to pull a Waco...

[Os Cangaceiros]

Seriously though, why is this not being reported in the media? Absolutely shameful. I heard about this a couple days ago and I was shocked, that is insanity. How can the media not report on a hostile right wing group of militants holding a town in a local martial law?

Well the fact that the feds/DOJ haven't dropped the hammer down hard on his po dunk ass makes me question how grave the situation really is. The US federal government has never been one for subtlety when handling such situations.

[synthesis]

Holy shit:

QQW0RswpQ4

Watch it till the end, it's only 1:30. I don't understand how anyone, even right-wingers, can think this is appropriate behavior for someone in his position. Well, OK, I understand, but not in a good way.

AQakPtOQCJo

[Popular Front of Judea]

He was suspended 30 days without pay.

http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-gilberton-police-chief-council-20130731,0,7689619,full.story

Define "no reporting in the media":

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Pa-Police-Chief-Questions-Suspension-Over-Gun-Videos-218033311.html

[synthesis]

He was suspended 30 days without pay.

http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-gilberton-police-chief-council-20130731,0,7689619,full.story

Define "no reporting in the media":

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Pa-Police-Chief-Questions-Suspension-Over-Gun-Videos-218033311.html

I don't think you actually read the article. It's largely about how he refused to step down after being suspended.

[#FF0000]

He didn't "take over a town". His gang blocked the entrances to a public meeting.

Not that it isn't a huge deal in itself.

[synthesis]

He didn't "take over a town". His gang blocked the entrances to a public meeting.

Not that it isn't a huge deal in itself.

I agree that it's pretty easy to blow things like this out of proportion, and it's tempting to sensationalize it, but I don't know if that's the case here. The public meeting was the "main story," the lede, but what I infer from the townspeople's statements is that there seem to be many, much smaller stories that go unreported but nevertheless contribute to an atmosphere of fear in Gilberton.


You know why there’s not more residents here? The threats. That’s why. Because they’re afraid. They’re afraid they’re going to have their windows shot out. – Lifelong Gilberton resident Rose McCarthy speaking about Police Chief Mark Kessler and his supporters on July 31, 2013.

It seems obvious to me that there's more going on than just the town meeting. It's one thing to have a nutty right-wing militia with a strong presence in your town, but it's another when the leader of that militia is also the Chief of Police.

[Popular Front of Judea]

Uh yes I did read the article. He can contest it all he wants. As of now he is not the Chief of Police. I would wager that he is not returning to the position.


I don't think you actually read the article. It's largely about how he refused to step down after being suspended.

[Popular Front of Judea]

Oh and not only was he was the "Police Chief" -- he was the only police officer of the town of 800. For that he was paid $15.25 an hour.

Liberal sensationalism can be as annoying as reactionary sensationalism.

[#FF0000]

Oh and not only was he was the "Police Chief" -- he was the only police officer of the town of 800. For that he was paid $15.25 an hour.

Don't really understand what you're trying to say here.

Either way, whether it's accurate to say he "took over the town" or not, it's a little concerning that he managed to gather up a gang of 100 hicks with AR-15s to do his bidding like that.

That's in my neck of the woods, too. Huh.

[synthesis]

Uh yes I did read the article. He can contest it all he wants. As of now he is not the Chief of Police. I would wager that he is not returning to the position.

A cop who is suspended is still a cop. What happens after 30 days obviously remains to be seen; I just found it baffling that you seemed to cite the suspension (not termination!) as evidence that the article was blown out of proportion, when it was in fact a prominent feature.

[Popular Front of Judea]

He was suspended without pay. For the duration of the suspension he is not the police officer of the borough. The county is now handling whatever law enforcement needs the the borough of 800 has.

(PA residents: Can you explain what a borough exactly is?)

[synthesis]

Here's my summary of events: The violently right-wing Chief of Police of this town stops just short of saying he's going to shoot the Secretary of State, then when he gets suspended, he gets a hundred of his supporters to show up, armed to the teeth, at the seat of local government. Remember, that's a hundred people in a town of only 800.

Yes, that's the worst that's happened so far, but it's just as easy to interpret that as the degree to which the threat of force has influenced events in the town. I really think it's easy to underestimate how scary it would be to have to live in a place like that, especially if you're in vocal opposition. (Full disclosure: I'm seeking to justify the title of the thread here.)


He was suspended without pay. :rolleyes:

[Popular Front of Judea]

No argument about the impact of the supporters -- although in a region such as Schuylkill County you can assume everyone is armed. If they aren't carrying there is a rifle and/or shotgun in the truck. I grew up in rural Missouri, I doubt Pennsylvania is any different.




Here's my summary of events: The violently right-wing Chief of Police of this town stops just short of saying he's going to shoot the Secretary of State, then when he gets suspended, he gets a hundred of his supporters to show up, armed to the teeth, at the seat of local government. Remember, that's a hundred people in a town of only 800.

Yes, that's the worst that's happened so far, but it's just as easy to interpret that as the degree to which the threat of force has influenced events in the town. I really think it's easy to underestimate how scary it would be to have to live in a place like that, especially if you're in vocal opposition. (Full disclosure: I'm seeking to justify the title of the thread here.)

[Popular Front of Judea]

Here is an interesting fact about the borough where all this drama is occurring:

The coal-mining industry was thriving in 1910, and 5,401 people lived in Gilberton. The population was 867 at the 2000 census.
(Wikipedia)

So we are talking about a declining region, at the mercy of economic forces outside of it. Not surprising that some would seek answers in right-wing conspiracism.

[Wonton Carter]

Both parts of this story are available on The Raw Story, which is where I get a lot of my news. It's disgusting how fascist the right really is, all the while screaming how they're just "exercising their rights" and garbage like that.

[#FF0000]

(PA residents: Can you explain what a borough exactly is?)

It's basically the equivalent of a "town".


Remember, that's a hundred people in a town of only 800.

They were probably from some of the other cities/boroughs in the county, for what that's worth (not much but still)


It's disgusting how fascist the right really is, all the while screaming how they're just "exercising their rights" and garbage like that.

I like how Kessler goes a step further and insists he's all about defending the constitution. I don't remember if the article mentioned this (and I'm not about to look again cuz lazy) but Kessler's blackshirts here actually call themselves the "Constitution Security Force". I'd say it's doublespeak par excellence but I don't really know if it's doublespeak when the person talking it really believes it.

[synthesis]

I like how Kessler goes a step further and insists he's all about defending the constitution. I don't remember if the article mentioned this (and I'm not about to look again cuz lazy) but Kessler's blackshirts here actually call themselves the "Constitution Security Force". I'd say it's doublespeak par excellence but I don't really know if it's doublespeak when the person talking it really believes it.

The word "doublespeak" occurred to me as well. The funny thing is that nothing he has done here is really in opposition to the Constitution, in letter if not in spirit, which really demonstrates the ridiculousness of liberals' insistence that the Constitution is still a progressive document, at least outside of the context in which it was written.

Pretty much all the Youtube videos I've seen linked to his own blogs are right-wingers who actually insist this is all about defending the 2nd Amendment. Where were they when the government was targeting the Black Panthers? Ultimately the Constitution only matters insofar as they can use it for their purposes; some leftists appeal to it as well, but they should know better.

[Jimmie Higgins]

Define "no reporting in the media":

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Pa-Police-Chief-Questions-Suspension-Over-Gun-Videos-218033311.html

Well for the basic drama and sensationalism of the story alone, I would think that this sort of thing would be national news, not a few liberal sources and a local news report. Considering all the hot air that the national mainstream media put towards the possibility that a couple of members of the New Black Panthers might patrol polling places (FOX is still making racist hay on this) in a publicity stunt ostensibly to "protect" against black voter disenfrancizement, I'd say this is being way under reported.


Liberal sensationalism can be as annoying as reactionary sensationalism. Generally I agree, but I think this story is pretty sensational. It's not Athens police organizing with the Golden Dawn or anything (because it seems like it's a pretty remote and isolated thing, not some major fascist threat) but it does show some of the threat of fascists organizing and feeling emboldened.


Seriously though, why is this not being reported in the media? Absolutely shameful. I heard about this a couple days ago and I was shocked, that is insanity. How can the media not report on a hostile right wing group of militants holding a town in a local martial law? My guess is that it fits no mainstream narrative of police who are always of course perfect and impartial and mearly universally uphold the law of the land. Maybe it touches too raw of a nerve in exposing the blurred line between "official law" and 100 armed fascists.

[synthesis]

Well for the basic drama and sensationalism of the story alone, I would think that this sort of thing would be national news, not a few liberal sources and a local news report. Considering all the hot air that the national mainstream media put towards the possibility that a couple of members of the New Black Panthers might patrol polling places (FOX is still making racist hay on this) in a publicity stunt ostensibly to "protect" against black voter disenfrancizement, I'd say this is being way under reported.

Exactly. The problem with the media attention here isn't that this is not being reported at all - the local media seems to be treating it as a minor hiccup in the national dialogue about gun control - it's that this is, at the very least, a fucking crazy human interest piece that one would think the ratings-obsessed media might jump all over, even if completely bastardized so as to entertain their viewer base, and that's not even remotely the case.

A violent nutjob, who just happens to be Chief of Police, uses police property to publicly make death threats against specific individuals in the federal government. (Those guns he's shooting in the YouTube videos are the guns of the local police department, albeit guns he bought and supplied himself. Also, since when does a rural town of 800 people need cops with automatic weapons? They don't even have the Red Dawn narrative to fall back upon any more.) When he gets suspended for it - again, not terminated - his militia descends upon the town like a pack of vultures, one goon for every eight people living in Gilberton. Oh, and he has a history of blatantly using his authority against political opponents and getting away with it. At the risk of being a broken record, this is, at the very least, a juicy story, ripe for sensationalistic coverage.

But the situation in Gilberton probably won't get any significant attention from mainstream news outlets until the state or federal government is forced to intervene because of bad publicity - if at all - and even then it will be treated very gingerly for fear of being accused of "liberal bias."


Maybe it touches too raw of a nerve in exposing the blurred line between "official law" and 100 armed fascists.

Perfectly put.

[Ace High]

Well in light of all this, I have a question for you all.

Would you support government intervention to take these guys out? Why or why not?

[Bardo]

His rants in the videos boggle me the most. It's almost as if he only read the title of the UN weapons treaty before flipping his shit, without reading the rest.

[RedBen]

Well in light of all this, I have a question for you all.

Would you support government intervention to take these guys out? Why or why not?
good question. i'm not for a totalitarian gov but this kind of armed thuggery is unacceptable. if he is not violating laws "per se" then no, i hope people tired of this man would push him out of town. if he or his supporters have broken laws, RICO them motherfuckers.

[Popular Front of Judea]

Arrest a wacked small town constable ... for what exactly?


Well in light of all this, I have a question for you all.

Would you support government intervention to take these guys out? Why or why not?

[synthesis]

Well in light of all this, I have a question for you all.

Would you support government intervention to take these guys out? Why or why not?

I would argue that this question is fundamentally meaningless. What we want, and even what the "majority" wants, is irrelevant to the actual functioning of state machinery. I mean, pretty much everyone outside of D.C. hated the bank bailouts - the entire Occupy movement arose because of it, or at the very least it was the tipping point, and the Tea Party didn't like it either - but it didn't make a shred of difference. The question contains the implicit assumption not only that there is any actual democratic control over the state apparatus, but also that they even give two shreds of a Shanghai shit what we think about the decisions they make with it.

[Jimmie Higgins]

Well in light of all this, I have a question for you all.

Would you support government intervention to take these guys out? Why or why not?

I guess in a passive sense, I think it would be better for a reactionary who is flaunting the law and using his position to intimidate people to be held accountable by the government according to their own laws; ignoring something like that is de-facto governmental approval and would embolden fascists with a precident. In real situations where fascism is a threat you see this like in Greece where the police allow the Golden Dawn to get away with shit if not outright aid them. So if this guy could get away with this, then what's to stop a KKK militia from doing the same elsewhere?

But for a working class or radical strategy, no. I would hope that we could meet threats like this with counter-organizing and mobilizing an opposition. This would help organize people impacted, but it would also show a model for how this sort of thing can be met relying on ourselves. Also, because law enforcement typically goes easy on racist threats and so on, self-organization is really a more sure method of defending ourselves from the minutemen and militias and so on. Even if the state arrests fascists, it isn't necissarily demoralizing to the far right... Hitler wrote a book on that. Being chased off the streets by popular protests (or even armed workers when things get severe) is pretty demoralizing and will help keep them trolling on Youtube and off our streets.

[synthesis]

I guess in a passive sense, I think it would be better for a reactionary who is flaunting the law and using his position to intimidate people to be held accountable by the government according to their own laws; ignoring something like that is de-facto governmental approval and would embolden fascists with a precident. In real situations where fascism is a threat you see this like in Greece where the police allow the Golden Dawn to get away with shit if not outright aid them. So if this guy could get away with this, then what's to stop a KKK militia from doing the same elsewhere?

But for a working class or radical strategy, no. I would hope that we could meet threats like this with counter-organizing and mobilizing an opposition. This would help organize people impacted, but it would also show a model for how this sort of thing can be met relying on ourselves. Also, because law enforcement typically goes easy on racist threats and so on, self-organization is really a more sure method of defending ourselves from the minutemen and militias and so on. Even if the state arrests fascists, it isn't necissarily demoralizing to the far right... Hitler wrote a book on that. Being chased off the streets by popular protests (or even armed workers when things get severe) is pretty demoralizing and will help keep them trolling on Youtube and off our streets.

I'd add that even if the government decided to take meaningful action about this, they would be hobbled by the same problem you mentioned earlier, that Kessler cannot even be so much as denounced by the federal government without acknowledging the link between his militia and his position as top cop in the shop.

[Popular Front of Judea]

Anyone besides me find it interesting that Kessler is a former coal miner who is now working as a the town constable for 15.25 an hour?

Anyone?

How much you want to bet that black lung benefits and Social Security disability are major sources of income in the area?

People are left to twist in the wind and then good suburban liberals are outraged when they lash out inappropriately. Foul mouthed people with guns. Guns! Oh my!

[#FF0000]

Anyone besides me find it interesting that Kessler is a former coal miner who is now working as a the town constable for 15.25 an hour?

Anyone?

I don't care about a cop's sob story.


How much you want to bet that black lung benefits and Social Security disability are major sources of income in the area?
lmao this isn't the 18th century holy shit.


People are left to twist in the wind and then good suburban liberals are outraged when they lash out inappropriately. Foul mouthed people with guns. Guns! Oh my!1) dude's a cop
2) dude thinks everyone left of right is actively undermining America
3) dude's involved in a far right-wing militia
4) dude used that militia to block access to a public meeting and intimidate people who were speaking out against him because, surprise, having some paranoid lunatic as the only cop in the area is a shitty thing.

wish we had a time machine to bring us to 1923 so you could tell us bout how we're being suburban liberals re: the beer hall putsch or something.

ps i'm from the area.

[Ethics Gradient, Traitor For All Ages]

15.25 an hour is a pretty fuckin sweet gig in the rural parts of the midwest. Did the article say he has blacklung or something? Because you don't automatically get it just because you worked in a coal mine.

[Popular Front of Judea]

I don't particularly care about a cops sob story either. But I am trying to look at the situation objectively -- as one would expect Marxists not liberals to do. ""It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but, on the contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness."

Since you live in the area (Schuylkill county?) how do people support themselves? If they do not mine coal what do they do?

Hitler owed a lot more to the Depression than the beer haul putsch. Look at the election results before and after 1929. People will reach for anything and anyone at hand in a time of crisis.

FYI I was raised in rural Missouri. I know a little about rural right-wingers with guns, trust me.




I don't care about a cop's sob story.

lmao this isn't the 18th century holy shit.

1) dude's a cop
2) dude thinks everyone left of right is actively undermining America
3) dude's involved in a far right-wing militia
4) dude used that militia to block access to a public meeting and intimidate people who were speaking out against him because, surprise, having some paranoid lunatic as the only cop in the area is a shitty thing.

wish we had a time machine to bring us to 1923 so you could tell us bout how we're being suburban liberals re: the beer hall putsch or something.

ps i'm from the area.

[#FF0000]

People will reach for anything and anyone at hand in a time of crisis.

No kidding. Doesn't mean I'm going to have an ounce of sympathy for anyone who throws on jackboots in response to it.


Since you live in the area (Schuylkill county?) how do people support themselves? If they do not mine coal what do they do to support themselves?A lot of shitty temp work and retail. Whatever people can get, really. I don't know for certain but I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people were on social security, too.

And from what I'm hearing, it's apparently not that inaccurate to say Kessler and his blackshirts "run the city". They're apparently still around, still intimidating people.

[Popular Front of Judea]

Again sympathy is not being sought here. Understanding is. How strong is the UMWA in the area?

[synthesis]

Again sympathy is not being sought here. Understanding is.

In most cases I would agree with you, but not here; I think you're fundamentally misunderstanding the nature of the problem with this scenario. The issue isn't just that he's a right-wing militia nutjob - who are, yes, perfectly capable of being from working class origins - it's that he also occupies a position which has a complete monopoly on legitimate violence in the area.

I'd argue that the fact that he's not afraid to post videos containing death threats to John Kerry at the very least implies that he's also capable of intimidating his opponents locally.

[#FF0000]

How strong is the UMWA in the area?

There is hardly any union presence whatsoever. The only actual active unions I know of in NEPA are some carpenters and steelworker's unions. I don't think anyone in NEPA mines anymore, nor has there been any mining for many years.

[Popular Front of Judea]

Here's the latest on the story:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/07/pennsylvania-police-chief-mark-kesslers-lawyer-city-planning-kangaroo-court-against-my-client/

Notice this quote: "“I think he’s a great cop,” one resident, Margaret Dean, told reporters. “We have troubles down there and when we call, he always comes right over. I think all this is about is [the council] just want a part-time policeman.”

Is it possible that behind all the bluster is what is essentially a workplace dispute?

[synthesis]

Kessler was suspended after posting videos online (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/07/23/pennsylvania-police-chief-fck-all-you-libtards-out-there-you-take-it-in-the-a/) in which he shot machine guns while ranting about “libtards,” and accused Boxer (http://chiefkessler.com/) and other council members of setting him up to be fired immediately after his suspension. He also called one reporter a “communist c*cksucker” for reporting on the videos and insulted callers who questioned him on his radio show on July 29. (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/07/29/pennsylvania-police-chief-mark-kessler-insists-he-is-not-a-circus-clown-deranged-lunatic/)

Dude, did you watch the Youtube videos? He's fucking cuckoo. It's really hard for me to understand how you don't see the problem with this. And of course Kessler has supporters, that's how this all got started; the whole article is about his lawyer's defense of him, trying to get him his job back. I have to say, it really seems like you're picking and choosing aspects of these articles in order to minimize what's going on rather than looking at the whole picture. Working class people will sometimes turn to the far-right, yes, but they don't just get a free pass for it, especially not when they do shit like this, especially not when they're in a position of power, which means they're not working class any more, regardless of their income.

[#FF0000]

Is it possible that behind all the bluster is what is essentially a workplace dispute?

Kind of, sure. People don't want him at his job anymore because he's a violent lunatic who seems a-okay with using his power against people he disagrees with. He showed that by arresting and cavity searching a councilperson three years ago, and by bringing in a gang of blackshirts to intimidate people who are trying to speak out against him.

Why are you sympathetic to this person?

[Popular Front of Judea]

Let's start at the beginning. I have absolutely no sympathy for this person. I am not rationalizing his actions. He should have been fired apparently years ago. I have no truck with bullies.

All I have been saying is to put this small town dispute into context. We are talking about a psychopathic town constable here. Bull Connor he's not.

The larger issue is that I am tired of being trolled by the right wing. A wacko goes on Youtube and the liberal outrage machine kicks into overdrive yet again. There is a rush to Facebook to denounce the latest troll outrage. The right wing troll gets validated and the liberal outrage websites get those all important clicks. Rinse and repeat.

Looks like someone is finally asking the obvious question of where Kessler got the money to buy his arsenal on his modest income:

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/114217/mark-kessler-gilberton-police-chief-wages-war-keep-his-job#ally

[Popular Front of Judea]

That's the websites title, not mine. Glad to see someone finally asking the rather obvious question of where Kessler got the money for his arsenal, given his modest income.

Last week, out-of-towners flooded a council meeting in the 800-person community of Gilberton, in eastern Pennsylvania. Some carried signs that read “Impeach Obama, Mark Kessler for President” and “Legalize the Constitution.” Others just carried guns.

Police Chief Mark Kessler—who oversees only himself, the lone policeman in the borough of Gilberton—was facing disciplinary action for a series of ranting YouTube videos that went viral in mid-July. They show the bald, burly Kessler telling “all you libtards” to “take it in the ass,” then firing a series of weapons into the woods beyond the camera frame. In one video, he calls the paper clown he is using for target practice “crazy Nancy...the Speaker of the House.” In another, he stands before his perforated target and crows, "Here we go. That's gun control. Right in the face."

Realizing the council might suspend him, Kessler had put out a call on Facebook, summoning other gun rights enthusiasts and members of the “Constitutional Security Force,” a Second Amendment group he founded during the push for federal gun laws this winter, to support him at the council meeting. “I will not stand idle while tyrants attack the constitution,” he wrote. “If they want to fire the first shot let it begin right here in Schuylkill county ... Every militia, every csf member who can attend please do ... So come with your flags n your firearms.”

Over fifty people, including a few out-of-state militia members, heeded his call. They set up what gun control advocate Michael Morrill, of the statewide group Keystone Progress, called “a perimeter” around the council meeting, which took place in a room of the small town’s sewer plant (the only building the borough owns). The heavily-armed crowd clearly unnerved the few townspeople who showed up. “You know why there's not more residents here? The threats. That's why. Because they're afraid,” one lifelong resident told the Lehigh Valley Morning Call. “They're afraid they're going to have their windows shot out.” A man who lives just outside Gilberton called Kessler a “nut” and said his wife is afraid to stop in the borough. Kessler, for his part, told me his supporters were “very responsible, very respectful” and “just recognizing their constitutional right.” He said four were militia members, and the rest were “just American patriots.” At the end of the meeting, the council voted 5-1 to suspend Kessler for 30 days.

In the days since, the chief has only ramped up the vitriol online. “I am about to embark on a battle for which I will only meet head on, regardless of THE out come I refuse to be a political victim, a coward lead by tyrants, dictators or political hacks!” Kessler, an independent, wrote on his website, citing the council president and vice president, both Democrats. A few local officials and many more advocates across the state are insisting he be fired. But others say it’s a wonder that Kessler was suspended at all—that he proved too trigger-happy for one of the most gun-loving municipalities in America.

A Small-Town Police Chief Wages War to Keep His Job | New Republic (http://www.newrepublic.com/article/114217/mark-kessler-gilberton-police-chief-wages-war-keep-his-job)

[synthesis]

The problem isn't that he's a troll - Joe-the-Plumbers come and go - it's that he's both an out-of-control cop, with a marked history of brutality, and an outright fascist with a proportionately significant following.

On an unrelated note...



This January, Kessler drafted a resolution (http://wnep.com/2013/01/24/second-amendment-resolution-passed-in-gilberton/) “nullifying” any gun control legislation at the state and federal level that goes against the letter of the Second Amendment; it passed the Gilberton council unanimously. In the months since, towns across the country—and the entire state of Kansas (http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/04/18/17812099-pointless-nullification-in-kansas)—have passed similar laws, and Kessler told me he believes he deserves some of the credit. “I sent that far and wide,” he said. “That all started in Gilberton Borough. I have truly changed the course of history for our country.”

...

His cell phone number is prominently displayed on his website; the voicemail message says, “To leave a death threat, press one. Otherwise, press two.”


God, everything this guy does seems calculated to make him look like even more of a nut.

[#FF0000]

Looks like someone is finally asking the obvious question of where Kessler got the money to buy his arsenal on his modest income:

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/114217/mark-kessler-gilberton-police-chief-wages-war-keep-his-job#ally

"The mayor may have miscalculated, as her charge brought to light Gilberton’s disproportionately large arsenal. Kessler and the borough both say he purchased the firearms, including high-end assault rifles like an M-16 and an AR-15, with his own money, and donated them to the police department. (In Pennsylvania, an ordinary civilian can own an automatic weapon if it is registered, but a police officer can buy one for less, and pay fewer taxes on it.) But some have questioned how Kessler, who made only $24,000 a year, could have afforded such a stockpile, and news broke Monday that the borough solicitor has demanded an inventory (http://articles.mcall.com/2013-08-05/news/mc-gilberton-police-chief-guns-video-letter-20130805_1_borough-council-chief-kessler-borough-hall) of Kessler’s firearms—it seems no one knows how many there are—fueling suspicion that the taxpayers may have unwittingly borne some of the cost."

ahahahah holy shit. that would be excruciatingly typical if it turned out to be true.

Good link -- clears up a lot of questions I had, and confirmed my suspicion that most of his blackshirts were out-of-towners. Had no idea coal mining was still a thing in NEPA at all though. #wow #woah

[RedBen]

"The mayor may have miscalculated, as her charge brought to light Gilberton’s disproportionately large arsenal. Kessler and the borough both say he purchased the firearms, including high-end assault rifles like an M-16 and an AR-15, with his own money, and donated them to the police department. (In Pennsylvania, an ordinary civilian can own an automatic weapon if it is registered, but a police officer can buy one for less, and pay fewer taxes on it.) But some have questioned how Kessler, who made only $24,000 a year, could have afforded such a stockpile, and news broke Monday that the borough solicitor has demanded an inventory (http://articles.mcall.com/2013-08-05/news/mc-gilberton-police-chief-guns-video-letter-20130805_1_borough-council-chief-kessler-borough-hall) of Kessler’s firearms—it seems no one knows how many there are—fueling suspicion that the taxpayers may have unwittingly borne some of the cost."

ahahahah holy shit. that would be excruciatingly typical if it turned out to be true.

Good link -- clears up a lot of questions I had, and confirmed my suspicion that most of his blackshirts were out-of-towners. Had no idea coal mining was still a thing in NEPA at all though. #wow #woah
from my relatively few years of protesting/fighting it seems all racist/fascist gatherings are of a small band of nuts from far and wide, because most people who know these nuts know they're nuts... they need to invite the whole region to get a few people out in one place. i was seriously wondering how much other people(gasp, socialism!!!!) paid for(weapons)... ::edit ::

[adipocere]

T
God, everything this guy does seems calculated to make him look like even more of a nut.

I noticed that too, like the painfully obvious vocabulary errors and misspellings on his homepage. It's as if he's being deliberately illiterate. If you look at the links he's got posted...I mean the guy is a human cartoon.

If nothing else, Kessler is a great example of white privileged in America. Could you imagine if this guy and his pals were black? How about Muslim? Homeland Security would have already carpet bombed that town, blown his head off on Fox news and Congress would be passing anti-Sharia laws...

[synthesis]

I noticed that too, like the painfully obvious vocabulary errors and misspellings on his homepage. It's as if he's being deliberately illiterate. If you look at the links he's got posted...I mean the guy is a human cartoon.

If nothing else, Kessler is a great example of white privileged in America. Could you imagine if this guy and his pals were black? How about Muslim? Homeland Security would have already carpet bombed that town, blown his head off on Fox news and Congress would be passing anti-Sharia laws...

Yeah, it goes to show how ridiculous it is when these people try to present themselves as being victims or otherwise on the political "receiving end." News flash: if you live in the U.S. and you can get away with the kind of shit he does in the videos, such as threatening to kill high-level elected officials from a different political party, without being arrested or even fired from your government position, you're not being oppressed.

[#FF0000]

If nothing else, Kessler is a great example of white privileged in America. Could you imagine if this guy and his pals were black? How about Muslim? Homeland Security would have already carpet bombed that town, blown his head off on Fox news and Congress would be passing anti-Sharia laws...

The folks who are lionizing him would be making fun of him mercilessly, at the very least.

[Rafiq]

I believe that the revolutionary terror will be greatest in the U.S.

[Jimmie Higgins]

I believe that the revolutionary terror will be greatest in the U.S.
I think it would be impossible to accurately guess at what the balance of forces would be in a revolutionary crisis based on current situations... Especially when the biggest part of the equation, a meaningful and consious working class movement with a revolutionary wing has yet to develop on the scene.

However I think as workers and the oppressed start to get their shit together I would expect the question of self defense would quickly become a serious concern. Reactionaries in the 30s in the u.s. and later against the civil rights movement, didn't hesitate to begin to try and terrorize people once movements started to gain momentum.

[Rafiq]

I think it would be impossible to accurately guess at what the balance of forces would be in a revolutionary crisis based on current situations... Especially when the biggest part of the equation, a meaningful and consious working class movement with a revolutionary wing has yet to develop on the scene.

However I think as workers and the oppressed start to get their shit together I would expect the question of self defense would quickly become a serious concern. Reactionaries in the 30s in the u.s. and later against the civil rights movement, didn't hesitate to begin to try and terrorize people once movements started to gain momentum.

The terror will be the greatest not because I believe a great bulk of the proletariat will be counter revolutionaries, but because the entirety of the proletariat amounts to about two thirds of the american population. The remaining, of course, are the petite bourgeoisie, the most reactionary class within the confines of capitalist relations. Among the petite bourgeoisie do I include the police, which explains the natural alliance you see between cops and armed libertarian militias. The United States, among the Western world easily has the most influential and populous petite bourgeoisie as well as the most malicious and reactionary armed domestic wing of the state (the police).

[MarxSchmarx]

The terror will be the greatest not because I believe a great bulk of the proletariat will be counter revolutionaries, but because the entirety of the proletariat amounts to about two thirds of the american population. The remaining, of course, are the petite bourgeoisie, the most reactionary class within the confines of capitalist relations. Among the petite bourgeoisie do I include the police, which explains the natural alliance you see between cops and armed libertarian militias. The United States, among the Western world easily has the most influential and populous petite bourgeoisie as well as the most malicious and reactionary armed domestic wing of the state (the police).

I'm somewhat curious about your numbers. First, I think only about between 1/2 and 2/3 of working age Americans are employed at all.
http://money.cnn.com/2013/06/06/news/economy/employment-rate/index.html
a significant fraction of that is part-time, so a large share of working-age Americans, possibly a majority, are not even employed full time.

Michael Albert (of parecon fame) claims about 80% of the AMerican working population is "working class" in the sense that they have no real control over their work situation. This strikes me as about right and is pretty standard across most industrialized economies from what I understand. If anything America might have fewer small business owners because there are no protectionist policies like there are in parts of Europe that prohibit, e.g., large retailers being open on weekends and such. On the other hand, there may be nominally inflated numbers of self-employed americans, particularly of the "independent contractor" sort (e.g., many transportation workers) but I would be skeptical of those kinds of numbers.

The claim that 33% of AMericans is hopelessly reactionary is probably true ( believe this is approx. the number that "approved" of George W Bush), but I don't think it's because they are petite bourgeosie or cops (again, I could be wrong and would be interested to see the stats on this). I also wonder how many of those reactionaries are retired people.

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

The terror will be the greatest not because I believe a great bulk of the proletariat will be counter revolutionaries, but because the entirety of the proletariat amounts to about two thirds of the american population. The remaining, of course, are the petite bourgeoisie, the most reactionary class within the confines of capitalist relations. Among the petite bourgeoisie do I include the police, which explains the natural alliance you see between cops and armed libertarian militias. The United States, among the Western world easily has the most influential and populous petite bourgeoisie as well as the most malicious and reactionary armed domestic wing of the state (the police).

I agree that most police would naturally side with reactionaries, but their relation to the means of production is not that of the petit bourgeoisie.

Also, why is the petit bourgeoisie the most reactionary, as opposed to the bourgeoisie? The petit bourgeoisie actually has something to gain through revolution, which is the ability to have economic sustenance without the risk of losing their property and going out of business. It seems like the major capitalists would be more reactionary, as they literally have millions if not billions of dollars of assets to lose, whereas most small businessmen are plagued by the constant risk of going out of business.

Yeah most of the petit bourgeoisie people are reactionary, but that seems to be as much out of the social conditions as their necessary relationship to the economic means of production.

[Popular Front of Judea]

You can bet that what ever Kessler may say before or after, when the doors close and it's just Kessler, his attorney and the town council it will be all business. Since Kessler had a contract until 2015 I would assume that a buy-out will be part of the deal.

A new meeting date has been set to determine suspended Gilberton Police Chief Mark Kessler's employment.

It will take place at 10 a.m. on Sept. 19 at borough hall, according to Kessler's website. A press conference at the meeting, it said.

Kessler's 30-day suspension for firing the borough's guns in profanity-laced YouTube videos was set to expire on Aug. 31. But at a special meeting last Friday, council members voted to extend the suspension indefinitely until Kessler and his lawyer, Joseph Nahas, could meet with them behind closed doors.

Nahas said the two-day noticed borough council gave him didn't give him enough time to resolve a scheduling issue.

Borough officials could not be reached late Thursday afternoon to confirm the meeting.

Meeting set to determine suspended Gilberton Police Chief's employment | Morning Call (Allentown PA)
(http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-gilberton-police-chief-meeting-set-20130905,0,4755365.story)

[TaylorS]

This guy is almost litterally a Fascist, complete with a posse of blackshirts. :scared:

[TheGodlessUtopian]

.

[Trap Queen Voxxy]

Holy fucking shit, I live in Pennsylvania and I had no idea this was happening at all. I have not seen or heard anything about this till now, and I watch the local news station like euryday, wtf. Media black out indeed, like, seriously? Wtf? Someone just shoot this prick and get it over with.

Edit: after watching the video of this police chief I can say, with all confidence, he is your typical know-it-all I'm a fucking dick for no reason toolbag Pennsylvanian; I deal with these assholes on the daily, ugggh.

[RedBen]

This guy is almost litterally a Fascist, complete with a posse of blackshirts. :scared:
ain't no "almost" about it, who knows? maybe he'll get a spot on fox news or a spot in the nra... at this point i think he knows he is done, and trying to capitalize on his nutty "personality" i believe is contrived. he may be crazy but crazy like a fox. hell maybe he will land a contract with youtube reviewing guns and giving his opinion on politics. there is alot of money to be made being such a spectacle that people cannot turn away in the form of advertising and the what have you.

[#FF0000]

Edit: after watching the video of this police chief I can say, with all confidence, he is your typical know-it-all I'm a fucking dick for no reason toolbag Pennsylvanian; I deal with these assholes on the daily, ugggh.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who noticed this. holy shit hahaha

[Flying Purple People Eater]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who noticed this. holy shit hahaha

What's this all about? Are people from Pennsylvania often bigots or something?

[#FF0000]

What's this all about? Are people from Pennsylvania often bigots or something?

Just stupid and incredibly arrogant. Also drunk, bitter, and yeah, bigoted in some way or another. I used to think it was people in NEPA until I started seeing more of the state. Then I was wondering if it was just me.

[Trap Queen Voxxy]

Just stupid and incredibly arrogant. Also drunk, bitter, and yeah, bigoted in some way or another. I used to think it was people in NEPA until I started seeing more of the state. Then I was wondering if it was just me.

^Mhmm, think of it this way, if you try to drive into my city, you'll see approx. 15 anti-drinking and driving signs per 15 ft, lql, compound this with racism, general stupidity and like double F said, everyone is super bitter as fuck like they all we're high school quarterbacks that "could've went to state," or some shit bitter; we're super serious, it's real weird.

That's why the most shocking thing to me about this story isn't his politics or his reactionary confederate shirt or his language or anything, it's just like holy shit one of those assholes actually did it.

[#FF0000]

Yo drunk driving kills at least two or three high school kids every year where I grew up, and I still hear these old bitter perma-drunks complain about how hard the courts are on drunk drivers (p.s. they are not. someone hit my car doing 60 while I was stopped at a red light and their BAC was more than double over the limit. They paid a fine and got six months probation. Didn't even lose their license.)


That's why the most shocking thing to me about this story isn't his politics or his reactionary confederate shirt or his language or anything, it's just like holy shit one of those assholes actually did it.

lmbo exactly this.

[Red_Banner]

The OP's story is sensational BS.

I live within 30 miles near this place.

I would have heard something about it.

[#FF0000]

The OP's story is sensational BS.

I live within 30 miles near this place.

I would have heard something about it.

Yeah we established on the second or third page that no one "took over a town", but the cop did get a huge number of militia goons to blockade a public meeting, which is itself a pretty big deal.

[Trap Queen Voxxy]

Yo drunk driving kills at least two or three high school kids every year where I grew up, and I still hear these old bitter perma-drunks complain about how hard the courts are on drunk drivers (p.s. they are not. someone hit my car doing 60 while I was stopped at a red light and their BAC was more than double over the limit. They paid a fine and got six months probation. Didn't even lose their license.)

One of my friends whom is a native Gothamite got wasted, pissed off the wrong dude at a party who actually was bout it, bout it unlike him, he leaves, and literally drives his car into someones house. Like, front door, partial living room smashes into and gets a similar charge. Slap on the wrist I remember thinking. I was like mothafuckin zone 1 pieces of shit.

[#FF0000]

literally every person over 30 i have met in this state has a recent DUI on their record