Fringe Groups Hail Austin Suicide Pilot as Hero

Not long after Joe Stack flew his plane into an Austin office building yesterday, the Internet began buzzing with newfound fans calling him a hero, inspired by the anti-government rant he left behind. “Finally, an American man took a stand against our tyrannical government,” posted the founder of one of at least two dozen Facebook groups praising Stack. The group attracted more than 200 followers before Facebook took it down.

Currently, the top Facebook page for Stack claims to agree with his “philosophy” but not his actions; it has 565 fans so far. Twitter, too, has been abuzz. “Joe Stack, you are a true American Hero and we need more of you,” tweeted one San Diego man. Austin libertarian radio host Alex Jones, meanwhile, has been peddling a different kind of crazy, saying the government staged Stack’s flight “to demonize the tea party movement.” (More Joe Stack stories.)