Rocks and Cows Facebook page member shared a troll post about Ilhan Omar's son "John." pic.twitter.com/wCwOBiCx7g
— Sally Jo Sorensen (@sallyjos) August 5, 2020
While Neiman Labs published an article last August declaring "[l]abeling satire as such . . . [as] the most effective way we know of to prevent people from taking satirical content as fact," many commenters on a recent post to the Rocks and Cows North Facebook group missed the difference.
Members lack of understanding of satire led to comments on a Bust A Troll article FBI Arrests Omar’s Son Attempting To Destroy Statue Of Christ, posted to the site on August 2 by member Alissa Knopps, to call for violence against Ilhan Omar and her son "John."
Here's the article:
Harry Helmet Satire for Islamaphobes
Lawless thugs have been taking down statues that mark our history all over America. They started with ones that they found to be “racially insensitive,” but have since moved on to any image that commemorates our history.
In response to this, President Trump introduced a crime bill that would severely punish anyone caught vandalizing these structures. Mandatory 10-year sentences have been brought in to discourage any more of this troublemaking behavior.
Now, in Minnesota, the first arrests have been made which would see this sentencing be applied. Several antifas were caught in the act as they attempted to destroy the statue of Jesus Christ in Kal Ren park in the small town of Alderron.
Twelve have been arrested in total and there is one very notable name among them –John Omar, son of Democrat Representative Ilhan Omar, has been taken into custody and awaits his first court appearance.
Special agent Joe Barron of the FBI gave a statement with regard to this high profile arrest:
“In a recent bust of Antifa fascists as they attempted to destroy a historic monument to Christ, it was discovered that the son of Minnesota representative Omar was amongst those arrested. John Omar appeared to be leading the charge in this destruction and has been named as the ringleader.
Omar’s family and his mother’s position will have no effect on his treatment. Mr. Omar will be given the same consideration as every other Antifa we arrested today or will in the future. These arrests are a victory for America.“
It seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Ilhan Omar‘s anti-American sentiment has been passed onto her child who is showing it through these criminal acts. It seems likely that a connection to his mother may be uncovered, ridding us of them both, but probably not, as this is a work of fiction.
BustaTroll.org is a subsidiary of the “America’s Last Line of Defense” network of parody, satire, and tomfoolery, or as Snopes called it before they lost their war on satire: Junk NewsBefore you complain and decide satire is synonymous with “comedy”:Everything on this website is fiction. It is not a lie and it is not fake news because it is not real. If you believe that it is real, you should have your head examined. Any similarities between this site’s pure fantasy and actual people, places, and events are purely coincidental and all images should be considered altered and satirical. See above if you’re still having an issue with that satire thing."Taters” are the conservative fans of America’s Last Line of Defense. They are fragile, frightened, mostly older caucasian Americans. They believe nearly anything. While we go out of our way to educate them that not everything they agree with is true, they are still old, typically ignorant, and again — very afraid of everything.
Our mission is to do our best to show them the light, through shame if necessary, and to have a good time doing it, because…old and afraid or not, these people are responsible for the patriarchy we’re railing so hard against. They don’t understand logic and they couldn’t care less about reason. Facts are irrelevant. BUT…they do understand shame.
Gordon Broske Hang him and lite him on fire like Muslims doLavonne Bode Hang this DISCUSTING little piece of crap
Jerry Agnes Hang him
Gene Anderson Death sentence
Kurt Lauderbaugh Jail and become bubba's bitch
Chuck Kunkel Hang em both, burn em alive, anything goes
They seem Minnesota Nice, if challenged by literary conventions.
About the Group
The administrators of the group, created on July 23, 2020, are Jess, David and Brent. The Grand Forks Herald reported in 2014 that Jess's parents had struggled in the field tiling business when their partner James Dwire got into trouble over those Jerusalem artichokes.
The Facebook group gained attention on Twitter in July when Minnesota House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt tweeted an image of its billboard:
Hmmm. pic.twitter.com/FkuORnKAK0
— Kurt Daudt (@kdaudt) July 25, 2020
Two days later, the Fargo Forum's Matt Henson reported in Group fundraising to dot Minnesota with controversial, anti-Walz signs:
The billboard along Highway 2 on the west side of Fosston was up for just a day, but the message was loud and clear.
That's why Shelly Nicklason of Remer pulled over on her way to a camping trip with her grandkids.
"We had to stop and see the sign," she said. "I was ready to take a picture. I even charged my phone," she said with a laugh. Nicklason said she was "bummed" to learn that the sign had been taken down.
The billboard depicts a person contorted with their head up their ... posterior. The wording of the billboard takes aim at how Gov. Walz has taken a one-size-fits-all approach in his coronavirus response.
"I laughed; it reflected my opinion," said Chad Hassel of Winger.
"In all honesty it was kind of crass, but I can understand the frustration," Nicklason said.
The billboard was sponsored by the Facebook group Rocks and Cows of the North, in reference to a comment the governor made during his campaign that northern Minnesota tends to be more Republican.
The group said a local small-town sign company put it up for them July 24. However, the company decided to take it down the next day when a major buyer threatened to stop advertising. The group feels that buyer, not the sign company, is trying to silence their First Amendment rights with cash.
"Everything offends people these days. You sneeze in the wrong place and everyone looks at you like you just gave them COVID," Hassel said.
However, now a bigger billboard company with statewide advertising is taking over the campaign. Franklin Outdoor, located in the suburbs of Minneapolis, has agreed to plaster the image on billboards and signs across the state as money is raised to pay for them.
Rocks and Cows of the North declined an interview but said, "The intent of the group is to awaken the silent majority."
"We've got to speak up. Somebody has to take the reins of this and say this is enough," Hassel said.
As Nicklason gets ready to hit the road again, she'll be keeping an eye out for one of the billboards. One has just been put up Monday, July 27, in St. Cloud.
KVRR radio reported more about the removal of the Fosston billboard in Anti-Walz Billboard Controversy in Fosston, Minnesota.
The origin of the "Rocks and Cows" phrase is described in a 98.1 New Country article, Seeing #RocksAndCows Billboards? Here is What They Mean. The post reports on an earlier text-only billboard campaign to recall Walz mounted by the conservative group Action 4 Liberty .
Image: Screengrab from the Rocks and Cows. Note: Our editing software is experiencing issues uploading posts. The embedded tweet is a work around.
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