Oshkosh, WI man filmed threatening life of recall volunteers. (VIDEO)

[RandySF]

"On Tuesday afternoon (12/27/11) I set up to collect signatures in a middle school parking lot. There was no school in session, and it is a public school. I put out my signs, and pretty immediately a signer pulled in. I went to collect his signature. Another truck pulled in behind him. I headed over to it, and asked, "Would you like to sign the petition to recall Scott Walker?" I always ask this, as I don't want to assume anything. Right away this man asked me why I wanted to recall Walker. For me this is a red flag. Walker supporters want to waste your time. They think you come from out of state, and think you haven't a clue as to the damage Walker is doing to the state. And they act like you owe them an explanation. At that point I said, "Just one minute - I'll get back to you," so that I could finish up with the first guy.

Knowing the man in the truck was there to harass me, I went to my truck and got my video camera. I went to the first signer, and got the clipboard and put it away, so that it couldn't be destroyed. I started going the long way around his truck because I have learned not to walk in front of vehicles because people will try to run you over. I got half way around when I heard him say, "What are you doing?"

Carl: What are you doing?
Bob: I'm video taping you, sir.
Carl: You're really kind of a jerk, aren't you? Aren't you?
Bob: Okay, if you've got questions, the reason I'm doing this? (referring to Mr. Sosnoski's earlier question about his motivation to recall Walker).
Carl: Yeah, I do.
Bob: Okay, the reason I'm doing this is because I don't believe in Scott Walker.
Carl: What! That's not a reason! What's your reason?
Bob: I don't owe you any explanations, sir.
Carl: Well, then, you can't use this tape for anything, you know that.
Bob: I can too, sir. I feel like I'm being harassed.
Carl: You are being harassed. And pretty soon, you're going to be killed! Okay?

The man backed off and reached in his pocket. At that point, I didn't know if he had a knife or a gun. It was a phone. He called the city police and said I was harassing him.
I got into my own truck and locked the doors. I called 911. They told me to wait in the truck. In the meantime, Mr. Sosnoski was pacing around the vehicle. I didn't know if the window was going to get smashed or what the hell was going on. An officer came. He talked with him first, and came over to me. I went with him into his squad car so that he could view and better hear my video. That is where I saw the man's name, Carl Sosnoski. He is known around town, and owns the bar Players in Oshkosh.

When I asked the officer if I could get out of the squad car, he told me that he, too, supports Scott Walker. I said that I was sick of being harassed and said I wanted Mr. Sosnoski arrested. The officer said that Scott Walker supporters are getting their signs egged and are also getting harassed. I've always felt that the police are supposed to be non-partisan. I mean, I called for help and the help is on the side of the perpetrator. Even with the video evidence, the officer ended up giving Mr. Sosnoski the most minimal charge possible: a municipal city ordinance violation of disorderly conduct. If I had done what he did, I'd still be in jail."



http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/12/31/1050369/-Life-In-the-Age-of-Scott-Walker:-You-*Are*-Being-Harassed,-And-Pretty-Soon-Youre-Gonna-Be-Killed!?via=siderec

[Fire Walk With Me]

1. Guess who is on the right side of history? GO WISCONSIN! Recall Walker!

[KansDem]

2. A death threat turns into "disorderly conduct?"

How low this country has descended...

PS--No doubt the police officer supports Walker. He did after all exclude the police and firefighters' unions from his union busting activity...

[joshcryer]

3. Daily Kos? I was told here on DU that Daily Kos purged liberals.

What is this! Someone tell me how to think!

[napoleon_in_rags]

4. Marcus Aurelius:

Make for thyself a definition or description of the thing which is presented to thee, so as to see distinctly what kind of a thing it is in its substance, in its nudity, in its complete entirety, and tell thyself its proper name, and the names of the things of which it has been compounded, and into which it will be resolved.

What is the fundamental nature of this thing? It is an encounter with a man who attempts to intimidate through the threat of death. Why? Because death for him is the sum of all fears, the greatest of all threats. Why is death the greatest of all fears to him? Because of his total spiritual deficiency. Death for him is the portal to all fears, to entrance to endless torture.

But not for you. All people look at the world and see themselves reflected, so in a man's greatest threats you will always see his greatest fears. These people operate out of a fear of death. Not love, not compassion, not liberty, but total slavery to their masters in their fear of death. All you need to know about them is in this.

There is no position more doomed that a fearful war against the inevitable. That's why our most timeless principles of love and righteousness persist and overcome all tyranny presented to us.

Peace and Love
Nir

[Scuba]

5. Sad. One of the vols on my recall team had a very different experience with the cops....

... she was harassed while collecting signatures outside the local Post Office. The harasser demanded to know "why" and when she declined to engage him in debate, he refused to allow her to close the door to her truck. She eventually did manage to get it closed, then took the guy's pic.

Afterwards, she called the cops, told them what happened and that if he showed up again, she was calling 911.

The local police were very supportive and made it clear they're on her side of the political question, but that it didn't matter. Rights are rights. Harassment is harassment.

I don't know a single cop who still supports Walker, and I know more than a handful of cops.

Perhaps a civil suit is in order in the Oshkosh case?

[RBInMaine]

6. The guy should have been arrested for criminal threatening.