Two Des Moines (Iowa) area policemen were tragically gunned down and killed in the early morning hours today in what appear to be two planned ambushes. A suspect taken into custody — Scott Michael Greene — appears to have a long, troubled and violent history. www.washingtonpost.com/...
Greene was recently escorted out of a Urbandale (Iowa) high school football game after he waved a confederate flag, and orally harassed African-American fans at the game. (He posted a video on utube of the incident heavy.com/...) He accused local officers of violating his rights, and of mugging and assault when escorted out of the game.
One of the officers killed was ambushed near Urbandale high school, where it is reported Greene’s daughter is a student.
Greene has a long history of assault, harassment, and legal problems. When arrested he was found wondering out in the country telling someone to call 911 because his ‘chronic medical condition’ was acting up. (the man could be suffering from mental illness; on the other hand he could be thinking up ways to throw up an insanity defense — which is almost universally unsuccessful)
Was he a ‘white supremacist’? Speculation of course, he hasn’t been legally charged as of this writing; there is much to be learned. But a fellow throwing up a confederate flag at black citizens during a high school football game is likely either pretty crazy, or pretty convinced of his righteousness.
Of interest, Iowa was the state with the largest proportion of it’s male population killed in the Civil War (over 13,000). There are several Medal of Honor award winners who captured the flag fellows like Greene flash. And the underground railroad was active in the state in the 1860s.
Also of interest is Iowa Rep Steve King, who flashes a confederate flag on his desk — apparently ignoring the history of the terrific toll that flag took on his state, and ignorant of the connotations of the ‘stars and bars’. www.dailykos.com/...