TV hosts remember alleged Lafayette gunman as anti-tax, anti-feminist ‘gadfly’

[brooklynite]

Source: Washington Post

John Russell Houser, the man police say opened fire inside a Lafayette, La., movie theater on Thursday night, had boasted in an online profile that he made dozens of appearances on television talk shows.

The hosts of those shows said Friday that Houser over-stated his role, but they do remember him as an argument-starting guest who was angry about high taxes and the growing power of women.

“I had him on strictly because he was entertaining,” said Calvin Floyd, the former host of the talk show “Rise and Shine” on WLTZ NBC 38 in Columbus, Ga. “He was radical, and when you’re looking for a person on a live show, taking calls, that’s what you want.”

On a LinkedIn profile, Houser claimed to have “guest hosted” the show at least “60 times.” According to Floyd, who has since retired from the station, Houser’s role was limited to call-ins and occasional debates on “15 or 20 episodes,” starting with a call about a fight he was having with the city’s water department. Sometimes, Houser – “pretty much a radical Republican,” in Floyd’s view – would be pitted against a local Democrat to tear into the issues of the day.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2015/07/24/tv-hosts-remember-alleged-lafayette-gunman-as-anti-tax-anti-feminist-gadfly/?postshare=7821437760547990

[SolutionisSolidarity]

1. MRA types hate Amy Schumer.

I wonder if that factored into his choice of victims.

[lark]

2. In other words, another rw extremist.

Of course, no one in the media will make that connection. He'll be a "lone wolf", couldn't be predicted, nothing we can do but kill him. No way we could have kept him from getting a gun.

[Sunlei]

3. “pretty much a radical Republican,” republicans built that.

[shenmue]

4. He was committed to a mental hospital in 2008

- according to CNN.

[blm]

9. and Republicans made sure he could still get guns…..

didn't they?

[Myrina]

5. Anyone else reminded of this?

I am continually reminded of Bill O'Reilly, Limbaugh & Glenn Beck ...

[underpants]

16. What an often overlooked great movie

[uhnope]

6. It's the talk shows again. Time to call out the MSCM for what it is.

This guy was a talk show "gadfly," encouraged and fostered by conservative media to spout hate-rants. And there has been a real increase in doomsaying by RW talk show hosts like Savage and Mark Levin and others lately--listening probably pushed him over the edge.

It's time to call out the mainstream conservative media (MSCM)--these talk shows are creating monsters that kill people.

[LuckyLib]

22. They gave him a platform and he began to feel

important. Mix in a few guns - recipe for RW disaster!

[Paladin]

7. Yeah, well. Thank God a guy like this could get his hands on a gun, right?

Is this a great country, or what?

[kydo]

8. A Radicalized Republican

So where and when was he radicalized? I like the term Radicalized Republican. Seems like the US has lots of them. I wonder if there is any form of treatment for them.

[blm]

11. I say rabid reactionaries. It's what the GOP wanted - Fascist elites and the rabid reactionaries

they have cultivated over the last 3 decades through 24/7 propaganda media in order to popularize their global fascist agenda.

What did you think GHWBush, Rev Moon and Rupert Murdoch had in mind back in the 80s and 90s when they were developing propaganda media machines and buying control of most US media markets?

[kydo]

14. Very true

But the irony of a Repug being radicalized fits better into the warped way of thinking that lot has. Every time a Muslim does something like this its because they were "radicalized." The fake news channel spends 23 of its 24 hours daily trying to figure out where, how and when a shooter became radicalized.

And in a sense this is what happened to this dude and the Roof guy, they were radicalized by right wing propaganda. Faux Noise, Limpballs and all their ilk have been radicalizing people since day one of their existence.

[Android3.14]

10. Ya think?

The GOP owns this one.

[Red1]

12. yeah, well

I remember during the nam war, monks setting themselves on fire...while the media
filmed it rather than try to put out the fire. Bastards...

[jalan48]

13. "Radical"? How about extreme Right Winger?

[kydo]

15. Isn't that the same thing?

So you think the fake news channel will spend the same amount of time talking about this radicalized republican and where he was radicalized as much as they did with the last shooter?

Or is the word "radicalized" solely reserved for people of Middle Eastern decent or Muslim?

[jalan48]

19. I don't think so at all.

I think the public has been conditioned to see the political spectrum from left to right. We constantly hear the words "far left" when the media refers to someone who is a Democrat. This guy was a "far right" Republican-that's what he is. Radical is rarely used these days except in terms of terrorism as you pointed out. If they want to call him a terrorist then radical works for me.

[apnu]

17. This guy is the literal embodiment of the war on women.

Thanks Republicans, your bullshit is killing people.

[6000eliot]

18. "Gadfly?" Did they call Frank Luntz to get that description?

[Bosonic]

20. Theater victims were popular student and outgoing artist

Theater victims were popular student and outgoing artist

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — One was a popular student studying to be a radiology technician, while the other was an outgoing artist who ran retail boutiques in two Louisiana cities.

The two people slain by a gunman who opened fire Thursday in a crowded Louisiana movie theater, Jillian Johnson and Mayci Breaux, had promising careers and the love of friends and family.

"They had a face, they had a name. They had a future. It wasn't to die in this theater," said Col. Michael Edmonson, head of Louisiana State Police.

As friends and family tried to make sense of the tragedy, they also shared memories of the two victims. Below are their stories.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/825ddfe3c10647d09e0ec9a290a1f497/theater-victims-were-popular-student-and-outgoing-artist

[Bluenorthwest]

21. Calvin Floyd is media scum, and he's downplaying the game he plays to earn his stack which is

divisive, hyperbolic and confrontational politics. On his Facebook page, he tries to get viewers excited about his pitting a real conservative against a 'libber' so his own personal side of things is seen in his choice of words.
His sort of show is the worst. He knew what he was legitimizing when he did it. Now he's going to pretend he did not promote and legitimize this man's views, but he did just exactly that and he did it for chump change and local market celebrity.

[restorefreedom]

23. as solutionissolidarity points out right away,

the choice of movie and therefore victims was likely no accident. amy schumer is an empowered, successful woman in charge of her sexuality and not afraid to be out there.

just the type that these losers hate.

[Blue_Tires]

24. "gadfly"? Is that what we're calling batshit teabagger nutbar extremists now?

[MsJaneFuzzyWuzzy]

25. John Russel Houser's TeaPartyNation.com personal profile page

http://www.teapartynation.com/profile/JohnRussellHouser

John Russell Houser is now a member of Tea Party Nation
Jun 20, 2013
John Russell Houser
Male
Phenix City, AL
United States

Knowing his misogyny and right-wing politics, it is hard to imagine otherwise than that he targeted young women attending a movie that chronicled and celebrated an independent young woman's life.

Mental illness, sure; inappropriate access to guns, yes. But hatred of women, undeniably.

Mental illness + guns do not make men kill women. Men kill women because they hate women, and their hatred is fuelled and legitimized all around us, including by the Tea Party and all its friends.

[Person 2713]

26. Putting haters on the air for entertainment

Radical republican spreading his gospel on the radio