James Holmes Facebook fan page switches to salute Sikh temple shooter Wade Michael Page

Thus far, Facebook hasn't seen the creation of nearly as many pages saluting Wisconsin Sikh temple killer Wade Michael Page as was the case with James Holmes following the Aurora theater shooting. But one address exemplifies the fleeting attention span of those who live to shock online: It was previously...

By Michael Roberts

August 7, 2012

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Thus far, Facebook hasn't seen the creation of nearly as many pages saluting Wisconsin Sikh temple killer Wade Michael Page as was the case with James Holmes following the Aurora theater shooting. But one address exemplifies the fleeting attention span of those who live to shock online: It was previously a Holmes fan page, but it now pays tribute to Page, reportedly a racist musician originally from Colorado who turned homicidal.

The page features these images in the profile pic slot:

However, here's the previous profile photo: The page also includes a photo of Batman and the following description:

About

I love batman. I got mad because the movie sucked so I shot up some peeps. Lives in Aurora, Colorado Male

Fortunately, the page has received no likes as of this writing, and two other Facebook sites devoted to Page have collected just six likes and three likes, respectively. Likewise, Twitter isn't currently infested with fake Pages. The @wademichaelpage account has only 24 followers and mainly features retweets of news items about the killer.

Not that the Internet is free of Page material. The Associated Press reports that Page made some 250 posts to a skinhead site between 2010 and mid-2012, some of which seemed intent on recruiting new members to his cause -- a mission that some white supremacists seem to believe was hindered rather than helped by his actions on Sunday. The blog We Are Respectable Negroes posts what are described as reactions from one racist bulletin board. An example:

If this perp is some white neo-nazi idiot, like it sounds like, I'm going to be so f***ing po'd. Typical redneck idiot ruining everything we work for, and try to separate ourselves from. Now this will fuel more liberal bs on all fronts. We'll probably hear how he thought they were muslims and went on some rant. GOD DAMMIT. I'm sick of these god damn idiots ruining the reputation of our race.

Doesn't sound like this guy will be starting a Wade Michael Page Facebook tribute page.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

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