Sam Woodward, former member of Atomwaffen Division, was arrested in 2018 for murder of gay, Jewish pre-med student

Six years after his arrest, a former member of the Atomwaffen Division will face trial in a southern California courtroom over the killing of his former high school classmate – a murder that rocketed the neo-Nazi group to international notoriety and highlighted the wave of violence by far-right American extremists during the presidency of Donald Trump.

Sam Woodward was arrested on 15 January 2018 and charged with the murder of Blaze Bernstein, a former fellow student at the Orange County School of the Arts. Bernstein, a gay and Jewish pre-med student, had been missing for a week before his body was discovered in a shallow grave.

On the night of 10 January 2018, the two men met at Borrego Park in the Orange county city of Lake Forest, according to Orange county sheriff’s reports. Bernstein was home from the University of Pennsylvania on winter break, and re-established contact with his former high school classmate through Tinder, where the two had previously connected.

Bernstein did not hide his identity as a gay man. Although Woodward was not open about his, while in high school he made passes at more than one of his male classmates, according to reporting in Mother Jones.

Bernstein’s body was found with 19 stab wounds. Investigators’ attention quickly turned to Woodward, the well-off son of an observant, conservative Catholic family from Newport Beach.

  • @iopq
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    -467 months ago

    I agree. I can start with the Palestinian protestors who are anti-Semitic. Deport them all

    • @[email protected]
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      257 months ago

      Yeah, anti-Semitism is intolerant. But protesting against genocide is just being intolerant of intolerance.

        • @[email protected]
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          87 months ago

          Ok? I’m not sure what you’re getting at.

          Intolerance is bad, except intolerance of intolerance. It’s a bit paradoxical, but not especially complicated (imo).

          • @iopq
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            -127 months ago

            That’s my point, look at how badly I’m downvoted here for being intolerant of intolerance

            • @[email protected]
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              77 months ago

              I think the problem is that your initial comment sounded like plain old intolerance.

              “Deport them”…and what if they’re citizens?

              Why bring up Palestine at all, as if it were some sort of gotcha?

              There’s a genocide happening in the world, and people are protesting it. That’s a good thing to protest.

              I’ve heard some of the chants, and they’re mostly stuff about freeing Palestine. Not about genociding back. Some protesters are marching with Jewish people who condemn the acts of Israel.

              I’ve even seen plenty of individuals, shared graphics, etc. of people clarifying that they do not hate Jewish people, but they hate the Israeli government and its actions.

              If you cherry-pick the people who are racist, then sure. But your comment almost makes it seem like you’re suggesting they’re the majority in those protests.

              • @iopq
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                -67 months ago

                I posted a video of a Muslim just talking about how Jews killed Jesus. This goes beyond Gaza, it’s anti-Semitism. These people hate the Jews and people are downvoting me for pointing it out

                • @Glytch
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                  37 months ago

                  That guy in the video you posted certainly hates Jewish people, it’s not hard to find individuals full of hate. The problem (and the downvotes) comes when you make blanket statements talking about everyone in a particular ethnic group or religion such as “these people hate the Jews”. Just because you found one member of such a group who spews antisemitic vitriol doesn’t mean everyone in that group does the same.

                  For example I wouldn’t say that everyone you associate with is Islamophobic just because you are.

                  • @iopq
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                    7 months ago

                    I’m talking only about the anti-Semitic individuals.

                  • @iopq
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                    07 months ago

                    These fake Palestinian supporters that are really anti-Semites, not all Muslims

    • @Madison420
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      97 months ago

      That’s not how free speech works dumb dumb.

      • @iopq
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        7 months ago

        I defend their right to speak that they want to genocide Jews. I just ask their visas to be cancelled to let in non-hateful people. Visas are given on a voluntary basis, there’s no right to visit the US or Canada

        • @Madison420
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          87 months ago

          Way to backtrack and hedge at the same time.

          • @iopq
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            -117 months ago

            I never said they should be charged with a crime, how am I backtracking? They have the right to say they that they advocate for Jewish genocide. But you have to face consequences for your actions.

            • @Madison420
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              37 months ago

              Stop speaking your mind or I’ll have to deport you because I don’t like your opinion.

              • @iopq
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                -67 months ago

                That’s the point, we have to be intolerant of intolerance like anti-Semitism

                But I’m a citizen so you can’t

                • @Madison420
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                  27 months ago

                  So are they dude, where are you getting they aren’t citizens.

                  • @iopq
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                    -37 months ago

                    Yes, the ones that are citizens you can’t deport. But we’re cool with deporting anti-Semitic people on visas then?