Bismarck Artist Shouldn’t Glorify an Alleged Rapist

August 31, 2020 T. Arthur Mason National
(Photo via Facebook.)

Bismarck wet plate artist Shane Balkowitsch is no stranger to controversy. According to his own website, Balkowitsch believes that:

“Art can be a weapon for change and we artists have the ability to wield it at will.”

As someone who is “against fracking, against oil”, he supported the sometimes violent protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016. You might recall his effort to “immortalize” teenage Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg— with a mural in downtown Bismarck. That idea was ultimately scrapped before a location was found for it in Fargo.

When we published articles critical of Balkowitsch and his work back in February, he wasn’t too thrilled about it. This was especially true when we pointed out how silly it was to portray Donald Trump as some sort of cross-dressing Nazi, while wearing a t-shirt with an actual Nazi on it himself.

In the aftermath, Balkowitsch literally put out a bounty of sorts on social media in an effort to dox Minuteman staff. And as a result, he and his online toadies rendered accusations towards someone who had absolutely nothing to do with the blog’s efforts.

Balkowitsch’s most recent attempt at wielding his “weapon for change” centers around the August 23rd shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin. You can see it in Balkowitsch’s social media post below:

It’s worth noting that Kenosha Police Department doesn’t have body cameras. So, with limited video footage from a cell phone, facts relating to the case weren’t exactly plentiful. But that didn’t stop leftist mobs from descending on Kenosha, in the aftermath of the shooting, to wreak havoc on the innocent. Nor did it stop spoiled professional athletes from shutting down their leagues.

Among the things we know now is that back in July Jacob Blake was charged with third-degree sexual assault, misdemeanor trespassing, and disorderly conduct stemming from an incident with his ex-girlfriend. Apparently the same ex-girlfriend who called police on August 23rd. The allegations are pretty nasty.

The alleged victim’s aunt has been speaking out on social media about the situation. But apparently that’s got her account suspended by Twitter. You can see some of her posts below (Warning: Language).

It’s true that Jacob Blake has not had his day in court for the aforementioned charges. Nor has the investigation into his shooting been completed. But that’s the point.

For some people though, facts don’t matter. Like the leftist mob that descended on Kenosha in the aftermath of the shooting — and the professional athletes who boycotted — Shane Balkowitsch has an agenda. And there’s simply no time to risk letting facts get in the way of that.

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EXTRA — Information released in the aftermath of the shooting:

  • On August 23rd, police responded to a call from Blake’s ex-girlfriend saying he “was present and was not supposed to be on the premises.”
  • Officers attempted to arrest Blake, but he resisted.
  • A Wisconsin DOJ statement says that law enforcement “deployed a taser to attempt to stop Mr. Blake, however the taser was not successful”.
  • Blake “walked around his vehicle, opened the driver’s side door, and leaned forward” into the vehicle after resisting arrest.
  • At this point, an officer fired seven rounds towards the back of Jacob Blake.
  • Blake is alive, but not expected to walk again.
  • After the incident, “Mr. Blake admitted that he had a knife in his possession.”
  • No other weapons were found in the vehicle.

Sources:

  1. http://sharoncol.balkowitsch.com/wetplate.htm
  2. https://theminutemanblog.com/2020/02/12/idea-for-greta-thunberg-mural-in-downtown-bismarck-scrapped/
  3. https://www.inforum.com/news/4953523-Fargo-business-welcomes-controversial-mural-of-climate-activist-Greta-Thunberg
  4. https://theminutemanblog.com/tag/greta-thunberg/
  5. http://sharoncol.balkowitsch.com/wetplate780.jpg
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0DSTV7XT1E&bpctr=1598925137
  7. https://wcca.wicourts.gov/caseDetail.html?caseNo=2020CF000736&countyNo=30&index=0&mode=details&_ga=2.73454356.709057279.1598671016-1492491321.1598671016
  8. https://www.theblaze.com/news/the-sexual-assault-criminal-complaint-against-jacob-blake-is-released-in-its-entirety-and-its-bad-news
  9. https://archive.is/YcYRU
  10. https://www.doj.state.wi.us/news-releases/update-kenosha-officer-involved-shooting-0
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About T. Arthur Mason 883 Articles
T. Arthur Mason is a native North Dakotan who has spent nearly all of his life in the Peace Garden State. As the third of four children in Western North Dakota, Mason grew to appreciate family and the outdoors. Some of his fondest memories are annual deer hunts with family and friends. In his early teenage years, faith became a central part of T. Arthur Mason's life. He and the majority of his family attend church together on a weekly basis and find this a fulfilling aspect of their lives. Through the influence of his father, T. Arthur Mason became intrigued with politics. As a boy, he attended political events with his father and enjoyed the friendships that resulted as a byproduct of those political associations. As Mason grew older, he became convinced that the quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson was true, "That government is best which governs least." Today, T. Arthur Mason enjoys time with his wife and children, an occasional hunt, and an increasingly active life on the political scene. This blog is the fulfillment of a dream to design a web site in the realm of politics and to advocate for the principles of Liberty and constitutionally limited government. On behalf of all those that contribute to The Minuteman, we hope you enjoy your time on the site and will share the message with others.

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