Updates from Lisa Bonta

While there has been little public progress in the Johnny Bonta case, things continue moving slowly but steadily forward behind the scenes. Lisa Bonta and several other interested parties organized a community meeting at the Reno Sparks Indian Colony Gym on Saturday, August 13.  In Ms. Bonta's words:

Our community meeting went well yesterday. We counted over 100 present. Lonnie Feemster of the NAACP and Mario Delacruz from PLAN were in attendance. I sent personal invitations to the mayors of Fernley,  Fallon, Yerington, Lovelock, Reno and Sparks, then followed up with phone calls. All declined. Letters were sent to each law enforcement agency and the FBI who also declined. We were fortunate enough to have people travel from California to support us

We had a phone conference with Dennis Banks. We also had a phone conference with Corine Fairbanks from AIM in southern California. The people got the impression that our police and elected officials condone racial violence. We plan to form a northern Nevada chapter of AIM and proceed in whatever it takes to show the government that WE WILL NOT CONDONE RACIAL VIOLENCE IN ANY FORM! If they choose not to meet with us then we will meet them in a peaceful demonstration in Fernley NV.

I will keep you posted on events as they develop. While the circumstances of the original fight remain unclear,  it appears obvious that a growing number of people on and around the Reno Sparks Indian Colony are concerned about racist violence and police complicity in the region.  It appears equally obvious that, at present, the political and law enforcement powers that be in the surrounding counties are uninterested in addressing their concerns.

Burning Man, Boycotts and Fernley, Nevada: the Sequel (but wait, there's more!)

While the Bonta incident has inspired some to threaten bodily harm, it has inspired others to talk about it at length. (I plead guilty as charged).  Some of the more interesting discussion has come on yet another Facebook page, "I Will Not Spend One Cent In Lyon County On My Way To Burning Man 2011." This event was founded by concerned Burner Jeremy Turner to raise awareness among people attending the world's most (in)famous Temporary Autonomous Zone.

A few participants continue to express concern about the ethics of a boycott.  As Burner Barbara Fried said:

Opinion: I was c. #200 on the Johnny Bonta FB page & completely support justice being done. However, I must believe that not every non-Native person/ storekeeper in Fernley is a racist hater, & that some are disgusted at persons & events. Unfortunately/ fortunately, people are not made to wear identifying badges... From study of history, I will not boycott, mistreat or shun all individuals who live in a place based upon the actions/ beliefs of a few people (incl. the authorities). That is stereotyping, & it is part of what Natives & other ethnicities have been fighting against for millennia. My .02. Perhaps some of the shopkeepers of Fernley will bravely put up signs to show their position/ support for equality/ justice/ fairness... for both the Burners/ visitors & for the whole town to see. That would be something. Shalom.

While I appreciate Ms. Fried's sincerity, I might note that there is a considerable difference between losing business from a few thousand Burners and being refused medical treatment for six days.  There is a considerable difference between the experience of Natives dealing with poverty, racism, and unemployment on the reservation and people with the disposable income to go on a week-long pilgrimage.  There is also a considerable difference between advocating a boycott and making terroristic threats: nobody is talking about bombing Lyon County shops or attacking random Lyon County civilians.  As I pointed out in an earlier post, a boycott is a legal and frequently effective method of encouraging change.  We might disagree on whether they are warranted in this particular instance, but we cannot argue that they work.

Ms. Fried suggests an alternative, recommending that shopkeepers in Fernley put up signs showing their support and that Burners patronize their stores.  Assuming at least some people in Lyon County were on board with this, it might well be a more productive way of attacking the issue.  No matter how good the intentions, a Burner boycott would be a largely symbolic gesture. It might cost a few businesses in Lyon County some revenue: I doubt very much that it is going to drive anybody in Lyon County to bankruptcy.  Encouraging people in the county to support tolerance and speak out against racism is likely to reap more long-term reward than punitive measures: a carrot may well be more effective in this case than a stick.

Another Burner, Sarah Nocktonick, mentioned another recent attack on a 24 year-old Navajo mother:

Rather than punish the entire town for the acts of a few disturbed individuals, let's all donate a little bit to Patty Dawson and her family who is without health insurance. Those who wish to help may contribute at any Wells Fargo Bank, to the Patty Dawson One Love Fund.

This is another worthy cause, one which might have passed largely unnoticed had it not been for the public attention garnered by this earlier incident. However this drama plays out for all the participants, it has brought awareness to long-simmering resentments in the southwestern United States.

As with all things Burning Man-related, we've also had a few naysayers. Zack Levitt said:

No need to hold a town hostage because the cops suck.

***

Kenaz, I am straightforward, I am not worried about it. If I need gas I will buy it, If I need something I will get it at the most convenient place. People get the crap beat out of them all the time and all over the place. Might as well boycott the whole country. My truck was broken into the other night, I am not boycotting my police because they did not show up. Though next time, I will make sure I hear it and am more prepared.

The first thing I note is that Mr. Levitt is so unconcerned about this incident that he felt the need to post about it, then provide a follow-up which further explained his lack of motivation.  I am apathetic about many things. I've never felt the need to go to forums dedicated to 4-H elections, chess club political shenanigans, Balkan languages, etc. and announce, then justify, my disinterest. There are plenty of political causes supported on Burning Man forums, ranging from heroic to hare-brained.  Why did Mr. Levitt feel this one was particularly worthy of being not just ignored but called out?

The second is that I can come up with several possible interpretations of Mr. Levitt's stance, neither of them particularly flattering.  One is that he is a nihilist, and has decided to focus his efforts on partying as we float inevitably toward the iceberg.  Another is that he has little concern for Johnny Bonta and the Lyon County Sheriff's Department because he assumes his skin and class privilege will protect him from law enforcement's worst abuses. Mr. Levitt's worldview may well be deeper than I have imagined: if so, I'd be interested in hearing more about it.

During the course of this discussion I noted that I've always found that the Burner community is, with a few exceptions, more committed to looking politically involved and concerned than with actually accomplishing anything. This is not entirely fair for a number of reasons.  For starters, Burning Man was never intended to be a statement for any particular cause, no matter how noble it may be.  As a TAZ, it is by definition nebulous. Some come to raise political consciousness; some come to make art; some come to take illegal substances and stare at sun-baked jahoobies. (Not that any of these are mutually exclusive, mind you).  Trying to corral 50,000 Burners into a single ideology is likely to work about as well as André Breton's efforts to hitch Surrealism to the Stalinist cause.

More to the point, this sort of criticism suggests that earlier sociopolitical movements were populated entirely by zealous devotees.  For every wild-eyed Abolitionist preaching the horrors of slavery, there were several hundred who went to meetings hoping they might meet a young lady who was into Free Love.  Radical hippie activists were surrounded by people who were in it for the weed and the social benefits (particularly regular access to weed). Nevertheless the ideas espoused by Abolitionists and Hippies had an enormous impact on public policy and American history. Biographers and scholars tend to focus on lone fanatics and wild-eyed radicals:  in doing so, they often minimize the effect of shallow and fashionable beliefs.  When the populace comes to accept "fringe" ideas as forward-thinking and progressive, the war has already been won: all that remains is cleanup and removal of the reactionary old guard.

Violence, Scapegoats, Symbols and Reality

Many of the details in l'affaire Bonta remain unclear.  This has not stopped many, on both sides of the fight, from expressing strong opinions on the subject.  On Facebook's "Justice for Johnny Bonta and Family" page Dee Cassell, mother of Jacob Cassell, claims:

They made our family to be hated "the point of this page" We receive death threats & horribl private messages every day. Today, I came home from the lake after a day with my multi-cultural grandchildren & found a hate message - hand delivered to my mailbox. I had a Mexican & Native grandaughter with me. Some psycho came o my property because of this page. This page needs to make it VERY clear what it is about then                                     

The group's moderator was likely on sound legal ground when he replied "It is not my fault that your family is receiving threats, nor is it my responsibility. [R]eport it to the appropriate authorities."  And in my experience posters wishing Jacob and Josh dead, asking for their addresses, commenting about baseball bats and boot parties, etc. have quickly and loudly been condemned by the vast majority of participants on "Justice."

That being said, there have been more than a few such posts to be condemned: on other forums the vitriol has become even harsher. There have been phone calls to Joshua Janiszewski's employer demanding that he and supporter/family member Leo Mayfield be fired:  people (OK, furries) have contacted their commanding officers in the Reserves.  And so I am inclined to believe Mrs. Cassell is receiving threats from people who have been riled up by coverage of this story.

It should go without saying that this kind of happy horseshit is unacceptable.  It should also go without saying that one should urinate or defecate only in receptacles specifically reserved for that purpose.  Yet reminder signs to that effect are posted throughout New York's Port Authority bus terminal - and are regularly ignored.  So despite history's example here is my attempt at a warning sign:

It is not OK to threaten the people involved in this case with mayhem or death. I don't care whose account of the fight you believe.  I don't care if Dee Cassell dances around in a swastika-studded leather bikini like Cosima Wagner in Ken Russell's Mahler while Jacob and Joshua sing "Deutschland über alles" in time with her gyrations.  They don't deserve bullets in the head, beatings with baseball bats or any of the other nasty scenarios wished upon them.  We all need to watch our rhetoric here: the point is to protest violence, not perpetuate it.

Many of us (yrs. truly included) have been a bit harsh on the friends and family members who came in to support Jake and Josh.  Many certainly could have been a bit more... diplomatic.  On the other hand, if my mother were receiving hateful, profane and threatening e-mails, letters and phone calls, I might not be feeling all that level-headed either.  Whether or not we agree, let's try to understand where everyone else is coming from.

At this point the primary issue appears to be the Lyon County Sheriff's Department. Numerous questions  remain about the way this incident was handled.  Why was Johnny Bonta denied medical treatment for six days after he was arrested for a bounced $357 check? Why does his car presently show damage in the towing yard that it did not show at the time of the accident? Did the LCSD forge an incriminating statement from an illiterate person to cover up for the son of a former deputy?  And is there a history of violence against Indians, Mexicans and random strangers in Fernley - violence which is tolerated and even encouraged by local police?

Answering those questions will be a lengthy process, one which might step on well-connected toes and bring up ugly, uncomfortable issues. Throwing Cassell and Janiszewsi to the wolves might well distract attention and help foster that all-important illusion that Something Is Being Done. No need for inconvenient investigations into local law enforcement: we locked up those racist punks and that shows our commitment to diversity and tolerance.  No need to question our own entitlement or ask what we've done to improve conditions on America's reservations: we sent an obscene .jpeg to some 20-year old kid's mother in a crushing strike against racism.  It's a Debordian Spectacle that helps satisfy the masses, but one which accomplishes precisely nothing toward healing a community's wounds or finding the truth.

The Situation to Date on Johnny Bonta

Since the May 24 incident in which Johnny Bonta was beaten by two white teenagers in Fernley, Nevada, few mainstream media outlets have picked up the story.  (One notable exception is Al Jazeera, which included a quote from one of my earlier posts).  However, discussion continues throughout the online world and appears to have attracted the attention of some very influential backers. On Sunday Lisa Bonta posted:

This is an update to all of the brothers and sisters who have shown us so much love and support! We are being represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Thank the Creator for them. Johnny is continuing physical therapy on his knee and has injections in his knee. Last week Johnny had an upper and lower scoping and is awaiting the decision for surgery on his nose. Shane is having an mri on his elbow. Alyssa and myself are seeking therapy for post traumatic stress. Thanks to everyone who has donated it has made our lives unexplainably better. Thank you and we will keep u updated. In a couple of weeks we will be holding a community action meeting.

Meanwhile, supporters of alleged assailants Jacob Cassell and Joshua Janiszewski continue to speak up vociferously on their behalf.  The major narrative thread which underlies all of these defenses is that race had nothing to do with this incident at all.  The only racists here are the Bontas and their supporters: they started this fight and then cried "wolf" to defame innocent white boys and hard-working law enforcement officials who are now being threatened with violence and even death. One Cassell supporter claims to have had negative experience with Bonta which proves that the accused were innocent.  In a communication to me he explained:

So, sometime ago, I spent 3 months in Chuchill County jail with Johnny. I ask about the deputy shooting because that's what he bragged about being in jail for. You don't go to prison for 'something about a beer run' Prison is reserved for felons.

He was very intimidating to everyone. Acted like he was some gangster Indian. Took what he wanted, and bullied people around. He pulled the race card when he wasn't given the treatment he thought he deserved. 'It's because I'm Indian, isn't it??' No, no one gets special treatment in jail.

I was a pretty skinny guy back then, compared to know. About 180, to his probably 230. he was very threatening all the time. I stayed out of his way, as did most everyone else.

Probably because no one really cared, and wanted to bother with him.

One morning, after getting our food, he walked right into my cell, grabbed my food and walked out, turning to me and saying 'what are you going to do about it white boy' I walked into his cell, took back my food and started leaving. He punched me. And to the surprise of myself, and everyone else in jail, I beat his ass. His blood was everywhere.. mainly from his nose, and mouth. His face was black and blue, with a grapefruit sized lump over his eye.

For the next 3 or 4 days, he didn't leave his bunk, and wouldn't look at anyone. When he finally came out, he never spoke to anyone. I was only there for about 2 more weeks, and during that time, he quietly sat in the corner minding his own business. The jailers all commented that they were not surprised that someone finally called him on his BS. He didn't cry out for medical help, or claim it was a hate crime. He realized that he had mouthed off too much, and finally got called on it.

So, I know Johnny's character and attitude. And the more I read, and see comments about this incident, it appears to be a long standing feud between two white boys, one from each family, and threatening looks where exchanged, and it escalated to a fight. Johnny is very quick to puff up, and try to start something. And it would seem very like him to have instigated this fight.

It was not a hate crime. it was a mutual fight, that resulted in him getting his ass beat, so now he's crying hate crime for revenge.

I have no idea how much of this claim, if any, is true: Churchill County does not make its court or jail records available online. However, I do note that it carries the usual resentment about Indians crying for "special privileges" and suggests that they only do so when they lose the battles they start.  Neither does it answer several inconvenient questions, like "Why, if this was a 'mutual fight,' were statements not taken from both sides?" and "Why was Johnny Bonta denied medical attention for six days?" As I noted in an earlier entry about Chris Brown, the crime committed is less unforgivable than calling attention to racism aka "playing the race card."

Other defenders have pointed out that both Cassell and Janiszewski have Indian and other nonwhite friends. This supposedly proves that they could not be racists and that Bonta and his son-in-law started the whole thing.  NYPD officer Justin Volpe, who sodomized Haitian immigrant Abner Louima with a broomstick in a notorious 1997 incident, had a devoted black girlfriend. Many of the Long Island teens who engaged in "beaner hopping" and murdered an Ecuadorean immigrant in 2008 had black and Hispanic friends.  It is still unclear as to how this fight started: it is clear that one may have friends and lovers of color and yet still engage in brutal racist attacks.

The resolution of this case is likely to take months, possibly years.  In the meantime ill feeling toward Indians persists throughout the southwestern United States.  On July 20 Paul Beebe and Jesse Sanford of Farmington, New Mexico pleaded guilty to beating a developmentally disabled 22-year old Navajo man, drawing racially and sexually insulting pictures on him, and branding him with a swastika in exchange for a sentence of up to 8 1/2 years.  On June 14 Patty Dawson, a Navajo/Apache woman, was driven off the road and beaten unconscious by three skinheads.  Meanwhile, a new poster has claimed on several forums that there was another skinhead attack in Fernley, this one in the town park.

According to this story, the Lyon County Sheriff's Department allegedly did nothing to arrest or hinder the swastika-tattooed gentleman who beat a 19-year old Indian and told him to "go back to his own country."  (Presumably he is a bigot with a strong sense of irony).  I have received e-mail from the person who has posted this, and who claims that a security camera in the park supports his story.  I will keep you posted on this as further events develop.

Boycotts, Burning Man and Fernley, Nevada

From a post to the New York Burning Man List:

Here are my posts to date on the topic. The first one was originally posted to this list in full. Johnny Bonta: the Story So Far was an attempt to compile the facts we have to date. The second post was my response to a critic (and likely friend of the assailants) - The Fans Speak Out on Johnny Bonta. I've also been following the Facebook debate about spending money in Fernley and a potential Burner boycott against Fernley.

Boycotts were one of the most important weapons in the arsenal of the Civil Rights movement. (Do a little research on the Montgomery and Alabama boycotts, just for starters). Boycotts have certainly been abused - before someone else Godwins the thread, I'll bring up a certain 20th century political thinker whose followers encouraged people to boycott Jew-owned shops. They definitely cause pain to people who were not directly involved in the attack, maybe even people who are sympathetic to your cause. They can increase resentment and further divisions between communities. But they are also a very effective tool which have goaded many recalcitrant leaders into making unpopular changes.

One poster on this list mentioned his friend who lived in a nearby community but owned a business in Fernley. Because of this, said friend was unable to vote in local elections and hence had no say in what the sheriff's department. The OP sadly underestimates his friend. His friend can support to candidates who work for positive change in Fernley. He can show up at public meetings and explain how this boycott is hurting his business. He has window space for political posters and commercial space that can be used for political meetings. Vote or no vote, he is a powerful force on the ground in the community - and a boycott gives him real incentive to use that power.

You can debate whether or not a boycott is warranted in this instance. You cannot debate that boycotts have changed the course of much of 20th century American history.

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.

Johnny Bonta: The Story So Far

Since my earlier post about the recent Johnny Bonta incident in Fernley, Nevada, the incident has attracted increasing attention in the blogosphere, with mentions in Forbes, Raw Story and the Daily Kos.  (Credit is due to Brenda Norrell of Censored News, who broke this story a month before it went viral and whose work has all too often been cut-and-pasted without attribution). Many Burners who will be passing through Lyon County on their way to the Playa have vowed to boycott Fernley businesses: others feel a boycott would just punish innocents and be counter to the Burning Man spirit of peace, love and general tolerance.

As public outrage mounts, it is likely that many who have chimed in online will want to edit or erase their comments.  Hence, I have started saving screen captures against that eventuality.  The comments from Leo Mayfield, brother of alleged assailant Joshua Ryan Mayfield Janiszewski, can be found here.  I have also saved copies of these comments from a woman claiming to be Dee Cassell, the mother of purported "skinhead" Jacob Cassell.

I am truly trying to stay out of this until the investigation is done - I won't comment on the fight just want to clarify for myself. I asked "who has blood" on fb cause I wanted to know which boy was hurt & wanted them to come to my house house for 1st aid. Why? 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. As far as losing their car, it was towed cause of no insurance,no registration & it wouldn't start after hitting the other car. TY! 

I am trying to refrain from commenting until after the investigation but I will also clarify myself. I posted on fb "who got blood" cause I wanted to know which boy was hurt & who needed to come to my house for 1st aid. Why? Cause Jacob refused 1st aid, everyone thought the Bontas should be looked at 1st. That's where my familys heart comes from. And the Bontas car was towed because of no insurance, no registration and it wouldn't start again after it hit the other car. There was also only 1 Native present - Bontas wife, step-daughter and son-in-law are all white. And Shane - shame on you - sorry you lost your parents!

If this is indeed Dee Cassell and she is providing an accurate description of the events, this suggests that even Cassell, Janiszewski and Unidentified Young White Male #3 felt that Bonta needed medical attention after the fight.  Jacob, in fact, was so concerned about Bonta's welfare that he refused aid. Yet the Lyon County Sheriff's Office refused him access to medical attention for six days, even turning away what one jail guard disparagingly called "his Indian doctor" from the reservation.

And as an added twist to this drama, here's a December 7, 1997 article in the Las Vegas Sun which has Dee Cassell booked on 17 counts of embezzlement involving a total of $187,817 and three counts of fraudulent use of a credit card involving a total of $29,360. Because of her husband's role on the sheriff's department, the Nevada Division of Investigations was called in.  It is unclear how this was resolved, as Lyon County's court records do not appear to be accessible online.  But it is interesting to note that, despite many claims to the contrary, I could find no prior or current arrest records for Johnny Bonta.

Johnny Bonta and Hate Crimes in Fernley, Nevada

On May 24, Paiute Indian Johnny Bonta and his family were involved in a confrontation with several young white men in Fernley, Nevada.  Accounts differ as to what happened next: the Bontas claim they were attacked without provocation by the men, who called them "niggers" and "river monsters" while beating them with baseball bats.  Then, when police arrived, they took statements from the young white men (one of whom, Josh Cassell, purportedly bragged “You hear those cops coming? They’re not going to help you. My daddy is a cop in this town, and nothing is going to happen to me. You fucking niggers are going to jail.”), then took a badly injured Johnny Bonta off to jail, where he was held for six days and refused medical treatment.

For their part, the white assailants claim that Bonta and his family started the confrontation, and they were just defending themselves.  The Lyon County Sheriff's Department (where Cassell's father formerly worked) has said “The allegations made to say we have not investigated this properly are just not true,” and described the accounts of the incident given on the Indian Country Today website as “awfully one-sided and without merit.” The FBI is now investigating the incident, and may be examining security tape taken outside the convenience store where the confrontation began and blood stains at the site of the actual fight.  They are remaining quiet until such time as their investigations are complete, and rightly so.  But meanwhile some of the friends and acquaintances of the white assailants and their supporters have chimed in.

"Leo Mayfield", (assailant Joshua Janiszewski's brother) weighed in on Facebook's "Justice for Johnny Bonta and Family" page with these thoughts:

k well until you people learn to spell im just gonna laugh at you. just like everyone else is gonna laugh when that fat retard johnny bonta is going to go to jail again for being such a pussy, making up lies about some white boys because his fat ass got whoopped. tell him ill see him. get stomped you punk ass indians. This is why your country got took, because your morons. plain and simple. Cant wait to see you pussies cry some more.

Monica Cassell, attacker Josh Cassell's sister-in-law, commented in response to a story in the Reno Gazette-Journal:

This comment is for iammoe and anyone else that wants to talk about the cassell family. I am jacob cassell's sister-in-law i am proud to call him my brother! Let me clue you all in on something dont you dare slander the cassell name and not know us lets start with his dad the retired deputy officer shall we. He threw his other son in jail when he caught him partying in highschool so no he is not corrupt he is far from being a corrupt law officer and another thing he is a grandpa to 3 grand children who are half native american and he loves all of his grand children very much so how dare you pass judgment on our family we are a very diverse family and we are a strong united family.

Next i would just like to say that jacob is an awesome brother and uncle he loves my children and the rest of his neices and nephews very much no matter what their skin color is. Second i would just like to say how about i cry hate crime on my family for bonta seeking my brother jacob and his friend out to fight with them. I am so sick of every time a white person has conflicts with a different color of skin everyone cries hate crime but us white people cant cry hate crime on anyone else. This is so out of control there was never a hate crime commited just bonta looking for a fight and finding one after he ran into my brother-in-laws car and then smashed his window out. But the native american community forgot to tell that right plus did u catch the part when they said they were bragging about hitting a tongan so tell me how they called bonta these racial slurrs for indians but thaught it was a tongan. Their story is a bunch of bs and another bit of info bonta was arrested because he had a warrant so justice was served just like when white people have warrants.

Meanwhile, several people who did not claim to be related to the Cassell family weighed in with their thoughts. One user appears to be familiar with Mr. Bonta's criminal record.  It is unclear whether he served time with Bonta or if he is involved in law enforcement and trying to come to the aid of the Lyon County Sheriff's department:

What was it called back in 95 when Johnny Bonta was in Churchill County jail walking around intimidating everyone else because he was a big bad, gangster indian?
Of course, he wasn't doing much of that after getting a beat down by a skinny white boy after stealing the white boy's lunch.
This loser is far from an innocent. Walk around all tough and gangster and someone is bound to call you on it.

User "Naked Truth" noted "Minorities process a powerful weapon. If they don't like the hand they dealt then they can always play the race card. Wrong or right they don't hesitate to use it." while user "TheWord" summed up her opinion more succinctly:

Its good to see the "don't snitch" campaign that is so rampant in the Afro-American community is alive and well in the Injun community as well!! The Bonta side is not talking but yet they have their Injun reps trying to prosecute this in the media. Uhh, newsflash to the Reno/Sparks Injun Colony: We conquered you guys in the 1800s and you live by our rules. After you get our federal money, hit the quick stop for fire water head on over to the sweat lodge and don't let us hear from you again.

While Lyon County Sheriff's department has stated that they do not have evidence linking the assailants to any skinhead or racist groups,  it is telling that Janiszewski purportedly bragged on his Facebook page, "Just laid the fists and boots to some 6′ 5” tongan dude."  I've heard the term "laid the boots" from quite a few Skins in my day, and can't recall hearing it from anyone else.  (I should add that most Skinheads are not racists, but given the situation you can understand why it might be worth exploring his affiliations).

Another Native American said:

Johnny and Lisa,I to have been attacked by Jacob,Josh and others of there group,7 of them at one time. Though they did`nt win with me, they beat my freind pretty bad.My encounter with them was not racialy motivated(I`m white)just opportunistic thuggism, but I do know they have beat other natives because of race.And one was mentally handicapped.I to was taken to jail,and no I did`nt have any warrants,lots of wittnesses that they started everything. The deputy did`nt even care. At the LCSO jail I filled out a report that was never investagated,I believe becuase of who Jacobs daddy is.I know these thugs have been doing this for years in Fernley and so does the sheriff. Though I hope our paths cross again some day it sounds like they have bigger people looking for them.And what a disgrace they call themselves “Army Reservse”.One day they`ll choose the wrong person to mess with and karma will pay it`s due.

It should be easy enough to find the records of this victim's arrest and the incident described.  Should other witnesses come forward it would suggest that Cassell and his friends have a habit of racially motivated attacks that are ignored or even encouraged by Lyon County law enforcement.  As it stands, it is pretty clear that there are some serious underlying racial issues and anti-Native sentiment in Fernley, Nevada. Let us hope that justice is done in this situation and that these festering wounds finally begin to heal.