Stupid is as Stupid Does
The local Trump support group Drive for 45 was being slammed last week on KFOR in Oklahoma City. The story was that a meet up was arranged at a local restaurant parking lot without the owner's permission and a complaint was made to the police, leading to one hot head to make some ill advised statements on social media.
The meet up was in September with the black restaurant owners claiming the group blocked the entire parking lot and scared off customers leading the restaurant owner and the property owner to file a police report. According to the TV story:
“Later that day, a member of the group, Scott Albert Himes, posted, “Big O’s in Edmond is a disgrace. I will never eat here and I encourage others not to. F* these Mother F****.”
“Not only that, but according to an FBI search warrant, Himes also wrote in the ‘DriveFor45 Oklahoma’ Facebook group, “We need to blow up that disgraceful Big O’s BBQ. Called the cops for unlawful assembly.”
The first comment is still up on Himes' own Facebook page, the second comment is not. Himes appears to be a college student at OSU OK campus or was at one point but he isn't a young man, perhaps in his thirties? Perhaps going on the GI Bill? Has some fairly inflammatory posts but so do most of us regardless if we support Trump or oppose him.
Now according to the story Himes has offered to apologize to the restaurant owners and has said that he meant blowing up the Facebook page, a manner of speaking to suggest flooding it with negative reviews and complaints, rather than literally blowing up the restaurant.
That didn't deter the FBI that took the case seriously enough to file charges with the Oklahoma County District Attorney Office. Should this be taken to trial? Hardly unless there is some proof of preparation or absolute proof that Himes was wishing to intimidate the business owners or the property owner.
Like the Tea Party before it these new political groups are going to learn the hard way that the media is not your friend and neither are the hot heads and crazies that come flooding in with the normal folks. They will learn to police themselves one hopes and no doubt the liberal media will be combing over their Facebook posts looking for that one stupid blowhard with something to say that drives ratings and sells advertising.
I must admit that this group has a track record of being well meaning but somewhat naive. GOP committee woman Pam Pollard managed to worm her way inside the group despite her notorious history of being the ultimate RINO in the Oklahoma GOP. Finding out that conservatives have been fighting Pollard for over a decade and suffering from her betrayals of the Republican Party values didn't seem to wake them up that they need to be more discerning on who they allow into the perimeter.
