Neo-Nazi to face trial in killing of former high school classmate Blaze Bernstein

Sam Woodward, former member of Atomwaffen Division, was arrested in 2018 for murder of gay, Jewish pre-med student

Six years after his arrest, a former member of the Atomwaffen Division will face trial in a southern California courtroom over the killing of his former high school classmate – a murder that rocketed the neo-Nazi group to international notoriety and highlighted the wave of violence by far-right American extremists during the presidency of Donald Trump.

Sam Woodward was arrested on 15 January 2018 and charged with the murder of Blaze Bernstein, a former fellow student at the Orange County School of the Arts. Bernstein, a gay and Jewish pre-med student, had been missing for a week before his body was discovered in a shallow grave.

On the night of 10 January 2018, the two men met at Borrego Park in the Orange county city of Lake Forest, according to Orange county sheriff’s reports. Bernstein was home from the University of Pennsylvania on winter break, and re-established contact with his former high school classmate through Tinder, where the two had previously connected.

Bernstein did not hide his identity as a gay man. Although Woodward was not open about his, while in high school he made passes at more than one of his male classmates, according to reporting in Mother Jones.

Bernstein’s body was found with 19 stab wounds. Investigators’ attention quickly turned to Woodward, the well-off son of an observant, conservative Catholic family from Newport Beach.

afraid_of_zombies,

conservative Catholic family from Newport Beach.

Why hasn’t the Pope condemned this action in Latin and English?

PatFussy,

This story reads kind of weird. At first they make it seem like it was some gay love affair gone wrong and it’s quickly spins to his connection on some website to travelling to meet with potential murderers in different states? All over the course of what 1 year? Strange

lath,

Not strange if the angle they’re going for is nazist manhunter squads.

Ghostalmedia,
@Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world avatar

Why do these “master race” assholes always look like they’re rocking an extra chromosome?

ThatWeirdGuy1001,
@ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world avatar

Same reason Republican women who support banning abortion will willingly get an abortion and say it’s not the same

sin_free_for_00_days,

We like to think that HB is the soul of nazi’s in California, but Newport, just across the river, has it’s share.

OlinOfTheHillPeople,

Isn’t that where Arrested Development takes place?

sin_free_for_00_days,

Beats me, I’ve never watched AD. It’s been on my list of shows to watch, just haven’t got around to it.

afraid_of_zombies,

It is worth watching. Beware of hop-ons.

zero_spelled_with_an_ecks,

What a piece of shit, but also does six years seem like a really long time between arrest and trial?

girlfreddy,
@girlfreddy@lemmy.ca avatar

Woodward’s trial has faced similar lengthy delays. Woodward has switched defense attorneys several times since 2018, and his defense team has repeatedly highlighted his Asperger’s diagnosis as justification for why he should be declared unfit for trial.

In 2021, the then newly elected Orange county district attorney, Todd Spitzer, called the then three year delay (partially due to the Covid-19 pandemic) in Woodward’s case “unreasonable”, but was unable to advance the case until last summer. Jury selection was started and swiftly abandoned in early March after Woodward threw a cup of water at the judge.

afraid_of_zombies,

and his defense team has repeatedly highlighted his Asperger’s diagnosis as justification for why he should be declared unfit for trial.

Oh that’s nice. Some ambulance chaser is defending a Nazi who killed a minority by claiming another minority isn’t capable of coherent thought. There is being a zealous advocate and then there is bigotry.

tsonfeir,
@tsonfeir@lemm.ee avatar

Totally off topic, and with respect for the dead, “Blaze Bernstein” sounds like a 90s action movie star.

jonne,

Even more off topic: they’re literally called Woodward and Bernstein, but instead of going after Nixon, one murdered the other.

afraid_of_zombies,

Plot twist: the one we call Woodward is a body double under deep cover since no one in the Nixon sinking ship ever released him from duty.

gregorum,

https://lemm.ee/pictrs/image/b292c70d-7acc-4aaf-b409-a1ff55686ef5.webp

Plague_Doctor,

And we’ll do it again! Wah-pow!

otp,

Sounds like the killer became a Neo-Nazi because he had to repress parts of his identity and couldn’t stand being something he was “supposed” to hate.

This is why we need to be intolerant of intolerance.

VubDapple,

If you can’t self-accept then you might self-attack. But why self-attack when you can project and scapegoat?

disguy_ovahea,

He may have been jealous of someone that was able to freely live as themself.

quindraco,

Right. Thoughtcrime laws would never be used to instead lock up all the Jews for being Jewish, right? No one would ever do that, if we just abolished the 1A to make everything great.

otp,

Thoughtcrime laws would never be used to instead lock up all the Jews for being Jewish, right?

That would be intolerance though

WamGams,

The person said we need to be intolerant of intolerance and you immediately jumped to targeting Jews as a reaction.

Why did you make that specific leap when nobody else here did, and what does it say about you that it doesn’t say about us?

quindraco,

Sure, let’s pretend you’re asking this in good faith.

Why did you make that specific leap when nobody else here did

  1. Neither you nor I have any idea how many people who read that comment made the same leap. Since you’ve asked me about leaping to conclusions based on available information, surely you can see how weird it is, in context, for you to leap to such a conclusion based on no evidence at all, as you and I have no access to the minds of anyone who read this thread, cast no votes, and moved on.
  2. Now, if you’re asking why I made that leap when you did not, you must also acknowledge that I have no access to your inner mind. I can discuss with you why and how I made my leap, but I simply am not privy to why you did not make the same leap I did.
  3. So reducing your question to the only one I can answer, which is “why did I make that specific leap”, it’s because I am a member of several minorities, including being ethnically Jewish, and I have both studied hiatory and lived my life, the circumstances of which wholly agree with each other: every time someone tries to set up a policy whereby people are punished purely for the ideas they have in their head, I get the short end of the stick, because I tend to have unpopular ideas in my head, and the people trying to punish ideas are trying to punish the unpopular ones.

what does it say about you that it doesn’t say about us?

  1. It could say many things, because people can disagree for many reasons. For example, a cis hetero white male neurotypical Christian who was born in the USA has, with high likelihood, gone his entire life not once being discriminated against based on the topic at hand. Of course he might not reach the same conclusion I have - he’s never known any differently. But this is one example of infinite - I could sit here all day trying to answer you and I would never be done, because people are all so different from each other. Perhaps I gave you the right answer for Adam, but Bob’s answer is that he was too tired to think seriously about it and hence reached no conclusions at all, and Carl’s answer is that he has utter faith in the government to always choose the right ideas to punish. And so on.
WamGams,

So you support intolerance because you are Jewish?

Yeah, I doubt that.

Evkob,
@Evkob@lemmy.ca avatar

Yes, being intolerant of homophobia that habitually results in murders such as the one we’re discussing is totally equivalent to being intolerant of people practising the Jewish faith peacefully!

quindraco,

Sure, we can use your logic and pick a religion that causes more murders - after all, without many Jews, there aren’t many Jewish murderers. Would you prefer we swap to Islam or Christianity?

And don’t think I missed you saying “peacefully”. The proposed idea is that we incarcerate “peaceful” homophobes. That’s the whole topic here, because we already incarcerate the violent ones.

Evkob,
@Evkob@lemmy.ca avatar

Hate and prejudice for a group of people cannot be peaceful, “peaceful homophobia” is an oxymoron.

PoliticalAgitator,

“I can imagine something bad” is a worthless counter argument. I can imagine a bad outcome for any situation that anybody has ever found themselves in.

But your imagination isn’t reality. There are so many steps between hate crime legislation and your fantasy land. Even the reality of the holocaust you’re alluding to had absolutely no resemblance to your racist-enabling gibberish here.

You really need to take a critical look at the people who taught you this shit.

iopq,

I agree. I can start with the Palestinian protestors who are anti-Semitic. Deport them all

otp,

Yeah, anti-Semitism is intolerant. But protesting against genocide is just being intolerant of intolerance.

iopq,

twitter.com/…/1777175437262643516

This guy is protesting Jews killing Jesus

otp,

Ok? I’m not sure what you’re getting at.

Intolerance is bad, except intolerance of intolerance. It’s a bit paradoxical, but not especially complicated (imo).

iopq,

That’s my point, look at how badly I’m downvoted here for being intolerant of intolerance

otp,

I think the problem is that your initial comment sounded like plain old intolerance.

“Deport them”…and what if they’re citizens?

Why bring up Palestine at all, as if it were some sort of gotcha?

There’s a genocide happening in the world, and people are protesting it. That’s a good thing to protest.

I’ve heard some of the chants, and they’re mostly stuff about freeing Palestine. Not about genociding back. Some protesters are marching with Jewish people who condemn the acts of Israel.

I’ve even seen plenty of individuals, shared graphics, etc. of people clarifying that they do not hate Jewish people, but they hate the Israeli government and its actions.

If you cherry-pick the people who are racist, then sure. But your comment almost makes it seem like you’re suggesting they’re the majority in those protests.

iopq,

I posted a video of a Muslim just talking about how Jews killed Jesus. This goes beyond Gaza, it’s anti-Semitism. These people hate the Jews and people are downvoting me for pointing it out

Glytch,

That guy in the video you posted certainly hates Jewish people, it’s not hard to find individuals full of hate. The problem (and the downvotes) comes when you make blanket statements talking about everyone in a particular ethnic group or religion such as “these people hate the Jews”. Just because you found one member of such a group who spews antisemitic vitriol doesn’t mean everyone in that group does the same.

For example I wouldn’t say that everyone you associate with is Islamophobic just because you are.

iopq,

I’m talking only about the anti-Semitic individuals.

Glytch,

Sure you were, bud.

otp,

I posted a video of a Muslim […]

These people hate the Jews

…lol

iopq,

These fake Palestinian supporters that are really anti-Semites, not all Muslims

otp,

Ok, so you shared a video of someone who is intolerant. We should be intolerant of that intolerance.

It doesn’t really have anything to do with the post, but I guess it’s good to find other examples? Lol

iopq,

My point was people here will give anti-semites a free pass if they happen to support a cause they also support

But it’s a huge mistake and will backfire

otp,

Which person here was giving anti-Semites a free pass? Lol

iopq,

It’s out on the streets where nobody confronts these people for celebrating deaths of Israelis, supporting Houthis who regularly execute LGBT people, supporting Iranian terrorism.

So many people think these allies on the Palestinian issue, but they are actually coopting the movement to spread absolute bullshit

otp,

You said “people here”.

“Out on the streets” is something very different.

It seems like you brought up a local (to yourself) issue that’s only tangentially related to the topic at hand so you could get up on your soapbox, and wondered why you were getting downvoted. You also did it in a way that made it sound like you were being intolerant of a group of people by brushing them with broad strokes.

iopq,

Not to myself, we see videos of these people “protesting” where they are cheering for terrorism, want to get rid of Israel completely, etc.

Yet I see nobody on the left protest their intolerance, only the liberals do

otp,

we see videos

“I” would be better to use. You can’t speak for everyone.

iopq,

I didn’t say we as in “you and I”

I said we as in “my girlfriend and I”

Madison420,

That’s not how free speech works dumb dumb.

iopq,

I defend their right to speak that they want to genocide Jews. I just ask their visas to be cancelled to let in non-hateful people. Visas are given on a voluntary basis, there’s no right to visit the US or Canada

Madison420,

Way to backtrack and hedge at the same time.

iopq,

I never said they should be charged with a crime, how am I backtracking? They have the right to say they that they advocate for Jewish genocide. But you have to face consequences for your actions.

Madison420,

Stop speaking your mind or I’ll have to deport you because I don’t like your opinion.

iopq,

That’s the point, we have to be intolerant of intolerance like anti-Semitism

But I’m a citizen so you can’t

Madison420,

So are they dude, where are you getting they aren’t citizens.

iopq,

Yes, the ones that are citizens you can’t deport. But we’re cool with deporting anti-Semitic people on visas then?

Madison420,

No. The Constitution protects citizen and non citizen alike or it wouldn’t be of use if it didn’t.

iopq,

What?

The entry into the country by visa is a privilege. It’s not a right of foreign citizens. You can be granted a visa and deported at the border if you don’t have a valid reason for entry into the country

Madison420,

Why are you insisting they’re not citizens.

And no you cannot be deported from this country for speech alone unless its unlawful threats towards someone like the president. Outside of that you can’t be deported for speech, its the literal definition of free speech. What you’re talking about is fascist shit.

iopq,

Okay, let’s settle for not approving their next visa application then? Having your visa application accepted is not a right

Madison420,

That’s. The. Same. Thing.

Move countries of you want fascism.

iopq,

So you’re not intolerant of intolerance, in fact you’re quite tolerant of anti-Semitism

Madison420,

I don’t like bigots and I don’t like fascists, read that how you please. Though I will point out that I haven’t made a single comment about anything semitic.

iopq,

Great, what do you suggest we do about bigots?

Madison420,

You specifically I would request you think before you speak.

iopq,

Never stopped anyone, not an actual solution

Madison420,

Amusing. Please note I haven’t actually mentioned semitism I’ve just mentioned how big of a fledgling fascist you seem to be.

iopq,

I’m asking for solutions here. The original post says we should be intolerant of intolerance. What do you propose? In general, doesn’t have to be anti-Semitism, could be anything like homophobia

Madison420,

You haven’t called me a homophobe, you’ve called me an anti semite.

iopq,

I did not call you an anti-semite

Madison420,

A liar as well, good job!

lemmy.world/comment/9252428

iopq,

Being tolerant of anti-semitism is not being anti-semitic

Madison420,

That’s not what you implied so we agree.

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