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Meet Walter Carl Abbott, Jr. He's the kind of Lou Dobbs-loving, manly-man Maryland construction worker who blames everything that's wrong in this country on illegal immigrants. In fact, he feels so strongly about illegal immigration that last year, he decided to send an email to Gov. Martin O'Malley about it. Unfortunately for Abbott, the email included this phrase: "If I ever get close enough to you I will [w]rap my hands around your throat and strangle the life from you." Whoops!
As you might have guessed, Abbott's email was an excellent way for him to end up arrested, convicted and serving two years probation for threatening a public official. But did you know that it was also a great way for him to get profiled by the Washington Times? Dig it:
Mr. Abbott maintains his innocence. He says he just has strong opinions.
He has been married 26 years and has two children, ages 26 and 21. He drives a GMC truck and listens to classic rock on the radio. A red, white and blue bandana hanging from his rearview mirror reads: "I love the U.S.A."
It's almost like the Times is daring us to ask the question: how could anyone with such a patriotic bandana be guilty of a crime? It's confusing to us, too.
The news peg of this story is that Abbott and his attorney, Arthur M. Frank, have filed an appeal arguing that the email was "constitutionally protected speech." You lawyers out there correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's not the way free speech actually works. What I'm more sure of is that the Washington Times appears to be willing to run stories about any old crazy person as long as there's an anti-immigrant angle.
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Washington Times is revamping into the Washington Teabag. Business Philosophy; "Nuts have money too! hell, Mein Kampf was a best seller”.
If only the Governor would pardon him and extradite him to DC, they'd have that whole hobo strangling problem relatively under control.
Maybe this feting of the crazies is a delicious byproduct resulting from the owner/management meltdown?
just another brick in the wall...
You better stay away from him, he'll rip your lungs out Jim ... uhh, I mean Martin!
You know who else who had "strong opinions," hated on immigrants, drove a pickup truck, and wore a patriotic bandanna? That's right. Hitler.
"How could anyone with such a patriotic bandana be guilty of a crime? It's confusing to us, too." Loved this soooo much.
"I lost my house and my drywall business in the 1990s because of this issue, and I was [upset] about not having any work. I would never hurt the man."
A few observations.
First, painting this guy as a "construction worker" is a bit misleading. He's a [former] construction business owner.
Second, he lost his drywall business in the 1990s? Ummnn, I'm pretty sure most of the 1990s witnessed a boom in home renovation-especially in this region. And if not the 1990s what the hell was this joker up to circa 2000-2004 when you couldn't find a free contractor in this town, regardless of immigration status? WHat's it take to restart the drywall business? A GMC Truck (he has one) and what, drywall?!?!
Sounds to me like he's not only a crackpot, but also a pretty crappy businessman and drywall layer to boot.
I was wondering about that too. My guess is that it's probably easier on his self-esteem to blame immigrants, or possibly bears, for the failure of his business, than it would be to admit he either repeatedly blew off jobs or tried to stick the drywall to the studs with used chewing gum.
The appeal will fail. The first amendment does not allow you to cry "fire" in a crowded theater - this is Con. Law 101. A corollary is that the second amendment doesn't allow you to wave a GUN!!!!! inside coffeehouses after a Junkpunching.
Well, their "moderate" editor-in-chief, John Solomon, recently resigned. Can't teach an old, bitter dog new tricks, I suppose.
But this piece, because I was under the impression that the no one actually reads the Washington Times. Are you telling me people do? How fascinating.
Drywall in the 90s? That was the sweetest era to pick up some folks w/o docs and get busy. What happened?