Sunday Open Thread [11.6.11]

Filed in National by on November 6, 2011

Your daily open thread.

Quote of the Day:

“It’s embarrassing … you try to overthrow the government and you wind up on the Best Seller’s List.” – Abbie Hoffman, author of Steal this Book

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Comments (13)

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  1. puck says:

    Another group gathered quietly yesterday unnoticed on a terrible anniversary for Wilmington, the Wilmington PD, and the Attorney General:

    About 60 members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club roared into Wilmington’s Hilltop neighborhood Sunday — each carrying a single rose.

    The members delivered the flowers to the steps of a home in the 1400 block of W. Sixth St., where five years ago Sunday one of their members, Derek J. Hale, was shot to death by a Wilmington police officer during an investigation of the motorcycle club. The officer, Lt. William Browne, was cleared of any wrongdoing.

  2. anon says:

    How was that unnoticed if the newspaper was there to cover it??

  3. puck says:

    Poetic license. You didn’t hear anything about it yesterday, did you? But you heard about lots of other stuff going on in Wilmington.

  4. socialistic ben says:

    Pagan’s motercycle “club”. Let’s also hold memorials for every Blood and Cryp that gets shot. Maybe the Zeta’s who died “in the line of duty” need a holiday.

  5. puck says:

    Ben… read this whole thing and tell me if you still feel the same way.

  6. socialistic ben says:

    Puck, im familiar with the incident. I think it is a case f injustice and extreme police brutality, but Im also familiar with what the Pagans are. Another type of “1%ers”
    Even though Mr Hale seems to have had a law-abiding past, it’s not like he didnt know what group he was associating with. People get to choose very little in this world, but associates are definitely one of them and becoming a member is a endorsement of all the violent things that group stands for. We aren’t talking about (for example) the Motorcycle Veterans club.

  7. skippertee says:

    He also CHOSE to volunteer and associate with the Marines and served TWO tours in IRAQ!
    I’m not sure,to this day, if he wasn’t an undercover agent for the ATF. I never got a response from my FOI request.
    My research showed he was a “wimpy” Pagan.
    For instance, he drank only root-beer in the bars.
    His associates were highly suspicious of him.

  8. puck says:

    “im familiar with the incident. I think it is a case f injustice and extreme police brutality”

    OK. You can stop there. The rest of it is just rationalization.

  9. socialistic ben says:

    Skip, i remember this being a pretty emotional debate for you last year, so dont want to get into it again. If the facts show one day what you are alleging, than i will have a very different opinion on the matter and will be happy to eat some crow for it. Until then, I stand by my statement that this was unfortunate at every level and that gangs are gangs. Well established well known gangs have their reputations for a reason. Very little separates them from terrorist organizations.

  10. pandora says:

    Guess this comment deserves an oh my! as well. For someone claiming to not want to get into this again you sure are waving a red flag. You might want to duck…

  11. skippertee says:

    I could care less about the reputations of his associates of the moment.
    I wanted justice for Derek as a MARINE.
    His current associates was no reason for anyone to be murdered by a romping,stomping bunch of GOONS under the UMBRELLA of LAW!
    Now BROWNE, the assassin, is a FUCKING MAJOR leading the DRUG war in Wilmington while Derek lies cold in the grave.
    And GOOD LUCK, BROWNIE!

  12. socialistic ben says:

    ok fine. my problem was with the “un acknowledged” event of gang members gang members convening for a memorial service. Where was the group of law-abiding people going to pay tribute?

    Sure, im a fascist ass hole for having a pre conceived notion about a group who is involved in organized crime and, like most gangs are heavily rumored to have a “rape to join” policy… related to that…. how “initiated” WAS Hale anyway?
    Where is your rage for victims of the Pagans, or any gang for that matter?

  13. skippertee says:

    The colonel and I paid tribute to Derek by protesting in front of the WPD and the “City”building on past 11/6’s.
    The NJ ignored our efforts.
    I am almost positive he wasn’t a FULL member, but I don’t communicate with any Pagans.
    Pagans and other outlaw M/C gangs are, to me, a bunch of punks and degenerates.
    Their singular motto should read: “You hold ’em, I’ll kick ’em”.
    I have the utmost sympathy and rage for the victims of crimes whether perpetrated on them by a bunch of bikers or BANKERS!