The Fans Speak Out on Johnny Bonta

On Topix winnemuccamomma informed me:

You really need to stop spreading half-truths... 

You ARE a hate crime waiting to happen. 

Perhaps you might want to wait for the truth to be exposed, especially since the wife finally confessed as to some realities? And that this is really all about 2 white boys who have been fighting for years and it just got out of control? 

That the WHITE boy in Bontas car was the one who got this mess started?(Yes, I said "white boy" in the indians car... duh!!!!) 

Or maybe the fact that the Bontas admitted that THEY were the ones who stalked the boys? 

You are a yellow journalist. The supreme court already ruled you a fool. Stop proving them right!

Alas, I have never been ruled a fool by the Supreme Court. Only lesser luminaries have spoken up - and in 20 years of online activity, I've been found guilty by some of the dimmest bulbs out there.  Through it all I have remembered the sage advice of William Blake, who said "Listen to the fool's reproach! it is a kingly title!"  In that spirit, I must thank winnemuccamomma for crowning me with her thoughts, spittle-flecked and ungrammatical though they are.  May she be yet another in my collection of very dull gems.

I erred in identifying Leo Mayfield as Josh Janiszewski. I corrected that error on Topix and repeat that correction here.  If I have made any other factual misstatements, please do bring them to my attention.  I am not a journalist (yellow or otherwise), just a freelance nonfiction writer, but I will do my best to rectify my mistakes.  In the meantime please make sure that any "half truths" you see involve a deficiency in my posting and not your wit.

If the fool's reproach is a kingly title, the fool's praise is a vile stain.  Jake Cassell's family would do well to distance themselves from the people making remarks about "Injuns," "fire water" etc.  As it stands, the Bonta claim that this was a race-related attack orchestrated by testosterone-charged thugs looks increasingly credible.  It also makes Fernley look like a David Lynch remake of Dallas with meth labs taking the place of the oil industry.  You can click on the link if you don't know who David Lynch is: I have no doubt you are already familiar with meth labs.

As far as hate crimes waiting to happen: threats against the people involved - or against their families, friends or random strangers of similar skin tone - are unacceptable in a civilized society.  Anyone acting out like this should be punished harshly and I would gladly assist in their prosecution, no matter whose side they claim to represent.

On Thursday, July 14, Lisa Bonta posted on the Justice for Johnny Bonta and his Family Facebook group:

We have the lyon co sheriffs driving past our house 3-4 times daily. they claim that we have had threats made against us but wont elaborate. The FBI made some threats to my daughter today about ruining her nursing career if she doesnt wise up and tell them what they want to hear. 

The FBI told my daughter that she was a liar and that they have researched her background and see that she graduated at 16 and attended TmCC for a short time. My daughter just graduated at 20 years old as a Med Assistant and plans to go to Nursing school. The FBI told her that it would be unfortunate for her to have a big black mark on her clean record for not cooperating with them.

When I questioned the FBI about who was investigating Lyon Co. Sherriffs they told me that internal affairs in Lyon Co would be doing that. I am calling the Justice Dept tommorrow because I feel this would be a biased investigation.

So while Lisa appears to be expressing some skepticism about the investigators and their motivations, there is no sign that she, or anyone else, has "confessed" to anything.  

The events leading up to the fight are in question. There seems to be near-universal agreement that Johnny Bonta was badly injured after the conflict. Even Dee Cassell, Jake Cassell's mother, said:

Cause they all agreed the EMT's needed to go check out the Bontas, even though blood was running down his face. He refused treatment.
***
Cause Jacob refused 1st aid, everyone thought the Bontas should be looked at 1st. That's where my familys heart comes from.

Yet Johnny Bonta was denied treatment for six days, even when tribal doctors tried to visit him.  That is a serious breach of duty and a human rights violation by the Lyon County Sheriff's Department.  Whatever his role in that May 24 fight, he had a right to necessary health care.  This helps reinforce the impression that Lyon County law enforcement would embarrass Sheriff Joe Arpaio and, again, gives credence to the Bontas' claims.

If you would like to say anything more, feel free to pound your stubby little fingers on your keyboard. I'm always happy to answer intelligent questions and even happier to mock stupid ones.