Re: OT - 2 explosions at finish line of Boston Marathon
I dont understand why "Saudi National" has to be attached to a person of interest. Seems like a move to instill fear by association. Everything i heard said he was only a PoI and was cooperating. A PoI that early or even this early really shouldnt be assumed guilty of anything and i believe has been falsely reported as a suspect as opposed to PoI.
Its entirely too early to jump to any conclusions. we have no idea if its foreign or domestic at this point. I think Moose brings up a great point. In this moment of fear, people will jump to conclusions and their own inner fears. since 9/11, like it or not, a lot of people assume terrorist acts are from the middle east first until theyre proven otherwise. Im sure the police could be guilty of the same with this PoI.
Re: OT - 2 explosions at finish line of Boston Marathon
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Originally Posted by
RavenScallywag
It's apparently human nature now to use people's own prejudices/leanings to determine who "likely" is behind the attack. Like I said earlier, I know someone on FB who kept posting (then deleting because people were railing on him) about how he was CERTAIN this was a right-wing group coming out on Tax Day to make a big statement, and how all the mid-April attacks always seem to be centered on these right wingers.
in all honesty, its possible. I dont think theres anything to support it other than the fact that we know nothing, so anything is possible. with as much hatred as ive seen from both sides towards the other its not really far fetched. whether over guns, taxes, or any other political stance. one nut job alone or a group together its quite possible that somebody was driven over the edge to "make a stand". thinking its possible and claiming to be certain and "knowing" are two different things though.
Re: OT - 2 explosions at finish line of Boston Marathon
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Originally Posted by
RavenScallywag
So for anyone out there who does run these type of races...
Would you encourage your family to attend the next one? Will this keep your from running anymore of them?
I usually just run smaller races, but I loved my half marathon in D.C. and was planning to tackle both the Baltimore and Frederick ones next year. I'm still thinking I'd run it, but I'm not so sure I want my wife and kids to be there, knowing this kind of danger could well happen.
Then again, someone determined enough might be able to sneak this into a Ravens or Orioles game, and I wouldn't stop going to those.
The target is a crowd of people. Kind of hard to live your life, in today's world, if you are determined to avoid crowds.
Ironically, the security measures that will no doubt be put into place at sporting events, while perhaps making the inside of the venues marginally safer (I think they were fairly safe already), will just lead to bigger crowds - and targets - outside the stadiums.
Unfortunately, for most countries, there is no real answer for the terrorist, kook, what-have-you, that is bent on mass destruction.
I would also add that the odds of someone actually being a victim of a terrorist attack are infinitesimally small. The perception (terror) of the risk far, far outweighs the reality. Unfortunately, it is too often that perception (not the reality) that then drives decision-making and policy-making in the wake of these attacks.
Re: OT - 2 explosions at finish line of Boston Marathon
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Originally Posted by
wickedsolo
From Patton Oswalt:
Boston. Fucking horrible.
I remember, when 9/11 went down, my reaction was, "Well, I've had it with humanity."
But I was wrong. I don't know what's going to be revealed to be behind all of this mayhem. One human insect or a poisonous mass of broken sociopaths.
But here's what I DO know. If it's one person or a HUNDRED people, that number is not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent of the population on this planet. You watch the videos of the carnage and there are people running TOWARDS the destruction to help out. (Thanks FAKE Gallery founder and owner Paul Kozlowski for pointing this out to me). This is a giant planet and we're lucky to live on it but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence. One of them is, every once in awhile, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled and they're pointed towards darkness.
But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evil doers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation. We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We'd have eaten ourselves alive long ago.
So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, "The good outnumber you, and we always will."
I read this last night and I thought it was a terrific perspective. Thanks for posting.
Re: OT - 2 explosions at finish line of Boston Marathon
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Originally Posted by
moose10101
Even if a Muslim wasn't responsible. Just like OkC. Tim McVeigh was white as the driven snow, but lots of people saw "Arab-looking" people driving away after the attack.
You're right but this isnt about race but extreme fanatical religion. McVeigh wasn't about religion but extreme right wing politics. Then you have the extreme left wingers
like eco bombers protesting corporations digging up the earth and what not.
9/11 and all the other related bombings around the world are extreme religion fanatics that make life miserable for innocent law biding citizens of the same faith. Extreme Baptists that demonstrate at funerals make normal and decent Baptists look bad etc.
Re: OT - 2 explosions at finish line of Boston Marathon
Not sure how to put this into words without coming across like a dick. But it seems kind of amateurish. I mean if this was an organised attack by any terrorist group, you'd have expected more death and bigger bombs. Seems to me like it was just a person that went on a rampage like the guy who took the gun into the school, except they used bombs.
Re: OT - 2 explosions at finish line of Boston Marathon
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Originally Posted by
arnie_uk
Not sure how to put this into words without coming across like a dick. But it seems kind of amateurish. I mean if this was an organised attack by any terrorist group, you'd have expected more death and bigger bombs. Seems to me like it was just a person that went on a rampage like the guy who took the gun into the school, except they used bombs.
A lot of the experts are saying that. The bombs were crude. They had directed blasts that went up instead of toward the street meaning they weren't placed correctly. This could be some kid pissed that his girlfriend dumped him out to prove something. Unfortunately it's not that tough to build one of the these bombs.
Re: OT - 2 explosions at finish line of Boston Marathon
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Originally Posted by
AirFlacco
You're right but this isnt about race but extreme fanatical religion.
Prove to me that the people who harassed, attacked, and accused Middle Eastern people after OkC stopped them and asked what religion they were first.
And this shouldn't be about anything. They don't even have a suspect.
Re: OT - 2 explosions at finish line of Boston Marathon
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Originally Posted by
JAB1985
A PoI that early or even this early really shouldnt be assumed guilty of anything
You probably just misstated what you were thinking, but no one should ever be assumed guilty of anything (unless you're Reagan's Attorney General, Ed Meese, who once said "if they weren't guilty of something, they wouldn't be suspects").
Re: OT - 2 explosions at finish line of Boston Marathon
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Originally Posted by
moose10101
You probably just misstated what you were thinking, but no one should ever be assumed guilty of anything (unless you're Reagan's Attorney General, Ed Meese, who once said "if they weren't guilty of something, they wouldn't be suspects").
guilty in the sense of public opinion. Soon as they say "suspect" people/media start going down that path. PoI can even mean a witness if im not mistaken, but suspect paints a completely different picture. I think the terms "suspect" and "PoI" were being used as if theyre the same, and they arent. Even if PoI isnt actually defined by more than the name itself.
Re: OT - 2 explosions at finish line of Boston Marathon
Quote:
Originally Posted by
JAB1985
guilty in the sense of public opinion. Soon as they say "suspect" people/media start going down that path. PoI can even mean a witness if im not mistaken, but suspect paints a completely different picture. I think the terms "suspect" and "PoI" were being used as if theyre the same, and they arent. Even if PoI isnt actually defined by more than the name itself.
Talk to any investigator. They are one in the same.
One is just a more media friendly term, designed not to paint a bleak picture of the person they are interested in.
Re: OT - 2 explosions at finish line of Boston Marathon
Quote:
Originally Posted by
AirFlacco
You're right but this isnt about race but extreme fanatical religion. McVeigh wasn't about religion but extreme right wing politics. Then you have the extreme left wingers
like eco bombers protesting corporations digging up the earth and what not.
9/11 and all the other related bombings around the world are extreme religion fanatics that make life miserable for innocent law biding citizens of the same faith. Extreme Baptists that demonstrate at funerals make normal and decent Baptists look bad etc.
It's fanatics and extremists - whether political, religious, or just angry about whatever - who are the problem -- people who feel like the world isn't bending to their will fast enough; that their voice and opinion and debate isn't working as effectively as they want, and they want results now. So they decide that their concept of "morality" is SO important that it qualifies them for an exemption from decency and the rules and laws of society. Other people, whose views aren't as "important", have to obey the law, but not those exalted few who are SO right about everything that they are justified in random murder to advance (in their minds) their agendas.
As Robert Anton Wilson once wrote, "Death to all fanatics!"