June 4, 2004

[Mr.Russian]

Many Russians do remember that day.

They say: "that's when our last American hero died." Video tribute (30.9 Mb)

[Sclass12]

I remember that.

[Sclass12]

Just a question: Why do many Russians remember that day?

[The Soup Nazi]

Too bad he didn't take down the UN building in New York.

[{YBBS}Sage]

I'm also wondering"

Why the hell do they call him a "hero?" Sounds like an insane whackjob to me. At least he didn't hurt anybody, but he went on a rampage that had no purpose behind it?

[Moz]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Heemeyer

"abnormal enlargement of the heart"

He is a true hero.

[LukeFF]

Originally Posted by Moz

He is a true hero.

How and why? Why is someone who goes on a destructive rampage and then commits suicide somehow a hero? Mentally unstable, yes; hero, hell, no!

[The Soup Nazi]

Because he was an honest man who got screwed over by corrupt town officials. All he wanted to do was run his muffler buisness, but they rezoned his area so that a concrete plant could set up right next to him and do anything they wanted regardless of what problems they'd be dumping on him. They were inconsiderate enough to deny him access to the sewage pipe he needed to stay in buisness. He petitioned the town council but they did nothing, so he had to sell his buisness, and in the 6 months time he had to vacate, he built the killdozer.

Now tell me, if its unjust, for a city to screw you over for interests of a bigger buisness without any compensation whatsoever. I think they got what they deserved, when the government pulls crap on you like this, and after being denied justice through peaceful means, I believe it is your duty as an American to revolt. Fighting back against the man is becoming more and more uncommon, but it has happened across America's history, from the American Revolution to the Battle of Athens, Tennessee (1946).

Unfortunately a lot of Americans these days are born with a sense of entitlement and feel they shouldn't have to fight to maintain their freedoms when Thomas Jefferson himself said that "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

[{YBBS}Sage]

Ahh, now that I know what he went through, yes, that was somewhat heroic. I'd have wanted to tear that goddamn plant down, too.

FYI: It's not all that uncommon to see auto repair buisnesses getting shafted these days. Unfortunately, a few rip-off artists made and maintain a bad name for the industry. I'm not terribly surprised that his town's city council screwed him over like that, since I saw the same happen to a repair shop when a road was modified. They straightened the road so horrible drivers would die less (learn to drive, dumbasses) and in doing so used Eminent Domain (Compulsory Purchase to much of the world) to buy his business out for the cost of the land and building (any business is worth more than the real estate it sits on...), but at slightly below market, as such purchases go. He couldn't afford to re-open at a new location because the cost of buying land, building a new shop and especially all the licensing involved (you need a mixture of local, county, state and federal crap, and practically need a lawyer to navigate it all for you) was about triple what he got from the state for his old shop.

[[CiA]Stiletto]

That's called "going out in style".

The government is not your friend.

[Capt.Marion]

Originally Posted by [CiA]Stiletto

That's called "going out in style".

amen

[LukeFF]

Originally Posted by Moz

He is a true hero.

He's no hero of mine.

[Sclass12]

If he had accidentally killed somebody, would you still consider him a hero?

[Moz]

Originally Posted by Sclass12

If he had accidentally killed somebody, would you still consider him a hero?

if superman accidentally killed somebody, would you still consider him gay, I mean a hero

[[CiA]Stiletto]

Originally Posted by Mikhail Kalashnikov

the question that still isnt answered, is why russians care so much about this guy who lived a few thousand miles away in colorado.

Because he rose up against the system? I dunno.

[{YBBS}Sage]

Originally Posted by Mikhail Kalashnikov

the question that still isnt answered, is why russians care so much about this guy who lived a few thousand miles away in colorado.

Either the Russians are busy being screwed over by the system, or are still stinging from being screwed over by the Soviet system.

Either way, that's one hell of a way to make a statement, too bad it didn't get as far as it should have in the US.

Going out in style, indeed.

[BuddyLee]

He needed an armored fuel tanker and a couple of support vehicles.

He showed restraint not killing the corrupt city officials before his rampage... Hero?... you bet you sweet aunt fanny.

[2ltben]

His position was admirable, his actions were not. The Knights of Labor arn't admired for Haymarket. Violence has only ever made things worse.

[[CiA]Stiletto]

Originally Posted by 2ltben

His position was admirable, his actions were not. The Knights of Labor arn't admired for Haymarket. Violence has only ever made things worse.

Notice that he didn't kill anyone, nor did he destroy anyone's private property. He went after his enemies, and them alone.

Beats someone going postal and just killing people who don't have anything to do with his troubles any day.

[2ltben]

Despite the great damage to property (13 buildings were destroyed, most requiring hundreds of thousands of dollars to be replaced), no one besides Heemeyer was injured; observers noted that Heemeyer appeared to go out of his way to avoid injury to bystanders

He didn't harm anyone, but he destroyed quite a bit of private property. Did he even accomplish what he wanted? He wasn't even trying to fight back, the man just built a SWAT ram, drove it into some buildings, and shot himself. He didn't organize protests, he didn't fight back legally, he built a tank.