In rural WA, a 'constitutional sheriff' and his growing posse provoke controversy

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

On a Tuesday evening in early July, Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer sat at the head of a small conference room along with about a dozen members of his posse.

One — a young wildland firefighter — was affectionately called “the big man.” Another was a gun dealer in his early 80s. They were there to discuss their annual role in supporting wildfire evacuations in a building Songer’s department shares with a senior center in White Salmon, a town of roughly 2,500 in south-central Washington and the stronghold of the county’s Democratic Party.

“We’re in the lion’s den,” quipped Anthony Rizzi, a captain in the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Posse who was seated to the sheriff’s right.

Rizzi wore his badge and posse uniform, which bears a strong resemblance to those of sheriff’s deputies. But he is not a sworn deputy, nor has he gone through Washington’s law enforcement academy. He is a member of Songer’s growing volunteer posse — whose membership now stands at nearly 170, or almost 10 times the number of deputies on the county payroll. The average posse member is in their mid-60s, and the largest share are ranchers and farmers.

The posse is accountable to Songer alone: Washington law allows for such volunteer posses but provides almost no guidelines for them, nor does any state agency oversee the training or discipline of their members.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/10/12/in-rural-wa-a-constitutional-sheriff-and-his-growing-posse-provoke-controversy/

[cilla4progress]

1. Ugh. I'm in rural WA

and familiar with these types.

We have a very active cult here now in Wenatchee. They have infiltrated local government, public utilities, school boards.

https://dominickb.substack.com/?utm_campaign=pub&utm_medium=web

[bottomofthehill]

2. So basically it is the sheriffs untrained militia.

[Runningdawg]

4. NOT untrained. Underestimating the enemy is how you end up snuffed.

These guys are not untrained. They got a gun before their first tooth. They killed their first animal in grade school. They trained with the young men's militia at their churches, they joined ROTC in HS, were probably Eagle Scouts and joined the military fresh out of high school. By the time they are back some man in their family or church will have a nice job lined up for them and one of their aunties will have picked out a wife.
Guess how I know? Because in my family, generations of OK Democrats, that's how the boys were raised.
No different from the GOP boys down the road and not much different from girls.

I'm a girl, I could shoot and dress a rabbit by the time I was 8-9. At 16 I was proficient in pistol, rifle, shotgun, black powder, bow and cross bow and
had a deer and turkey in the freezer. Every male served, 2 aunts retired from the military.

[bottomofthehill]

5. If you read the article, you will find that most have no Law Enforcement training

Any boob can learn to shoot a gun, my 14 year old son was a better shot than most of the people at the NRA range. That does not make him ready to be a sheriff. This opens the county up to massive liability. If they think it is expensive to put cops on the streets wait until they have to pay off a wrongful death suit from those acting under the color of rhe county with no training.

[MayReasonRule]

7. These Folks Purport To Have Sovereignty Above The Federal And State Government

That's 100% delusional incoherence.

There's not a shred of reason in their arguments for that aspect of what they're doing.

The article goes into a fair amount of depth pointing out that these individuals bring enormous liability upon themselves and the county.

They do not even have the most rudimentary training in law enforcement.

This is a powder-keg waiting to explode.

[Runningdawg]

3. Google OK sheriffs. They have been planning for the purge since they were told to wear a mask.

My husband works in public utilities. He's had a gun pulled on him more than once and he had to play it off like he was "on the team". Fuck Biden, Trump all the way!!
Last guy said to my husband - this is Osage county, more bodies buried here than in all the states cemetery's. Announce yourself before you step on my property again.
Some of you might recognize Osage county from Kilers of The Flower Moon. Hubby and I have roots there generations back. That movie barely touched on the corruption, still ongoing. Unless I stick to the Rez, I make sure I'm out of that county before dark.

[MayReasonRule]

6. And This County Is Considered A Democratic Stronghold???

Wow

Just wow.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

8. Eastern Washington is the red part of the state

The Puget Sound region, where most people live, is blue.

[MayReasonRule]

9. White Salmon Is A City In Klickitat County, Washington Which According To The Article...

On a Tuesday evening in early July, Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer sat at the head of a small conference room along with about a dozen members of his posse.

One — a young wildland firefighter — was affectionately called “the big man.” Another was a gun dealer in his early 80s. They were there to discuss their annual role in supporting wildfire evacuations in a building Songer’s department shares with a senior center in White Salmon, a town of roughly 2,500 in south-central Washington and the stronghold of the county’s Democratic Party.

I'm in Louisiana so I'm just going by what I read in this particular article.

[MayReasonRule]

10. This is called a mafia.

Last edited Mon Oct 14, 2024, 03:59 PM - Edit history (1)

This is called a mafia.

It's the same reason I eyeroll arguments that we should just abolish the police and replace it with "neighborhood community" groups.

Yeah that's just called a fucking mafia.

Oh, Megan says Timothy raped her?

We tried to talk to Timothy but it seems he fell out of his third story window right before we got there, darn!

Oh, Megan has since admitted she wasn't truthful?

Remember when Joe Arpaio in Phoenix AZ had a posse to protect schools made up of domestic violence convicts and sex offenders.

https://www.salon.com/2013/02/13/joe_arpaio_hired_a_convicted_child_sex_criminal_for_armed_school_%E2%80%9Cposse%E2%80%9D/

Unaccountable law enforcement is a problem regardless of their qualifications.

Worse than that... it also seems to attract the usual suspects.