| This smells awfully fishy.
Ball refuses to be intimidated by dead goat
Photo from Ball's office.
State Assemblyman Greg Ball, R-Patterson, said this afternoon that he won't be intimidated because someone dumped a dead goat outside his Putnam Lake home Wednesday night.
State police are investigating but declined to release much information, citing the open case.
"Whether this crime was perpetrated by gang members, or some sick local individual, I will not be cowed by threats, and I condemn this kind of heinous violent behavior towards animals," Ball said. "I want my constituents to know that I will continue my efforts to stand up every day for justice, and the people of the Hudson Valley."
A note written on cardboard in a combination of Spanish and English was tied around the goat's neck. The sign made reference to Ball and was signed MS-13, which Ball said refers to Mara Salvatrucha, a notorious Central American gang that he says is operating in the Village of Brewster, even though police have never found credible evidence of the gang.
Am I the only one who's Morton Downey Jr bells are ringing off the hook here? Given Assemblyman Ball's history (see here as well), color me a bit suspicious. First, would a Latino street gang even know who Greg Ball was? If so, would they feel threatened by him? Ball has made stoking anti immigrant anger a cornerstone of his political career, but would a criminal street gang like MS-13 have even noticed? Would they even care of they did? Would they go so far as to try to intimidate him by dumping a dead goat at his house? Would they even know where he lived? Would the "threat" be in "broken Spanish" or a language Ball could actually read? Does any of this sound plausible to you?
I'm sorry, this just smells really bad. I sincerely hope I am wrong about this, but this whole thing looks like a rather lame inside job, a pathetic attempt to gain sympathy and anti-immigrant cred as he gears up to make a run against John Hall in NY-19.
I, for one, just ain't buying it. |
