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Actual Terrorist Convicted (Story on Page 43)

By drorzel on January 30, 2007.

Thoreau at Unqualified Offerings points out an honest-to-God terrorist conviction that didn't make a big splash in the news. Guess why:

GREENBELT, Maryland - Robert F. Weiler, Jr., age 25, of Forestville, Maryland pleaded guilty today to possessing a pipe bomb (an unregistered destructive device), being a felon in possession of a firearm and attempting to destroy or damage an abortion clinic located on Greenbelt Road in Greenbelt, Maryland, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

As Thoreau notes, had he been a Muslim rather than a right-wing Christian, DC would probably still be on lock-down. The real reason for posting, though, is the conclusion to the post:

Kudos to the cops and prosecutors who put this dangerous guy away. It's important to remember that there are plenty of good people who do a good job of protecting us from real threats, and that they follow the rules while they do it. The most important reason to remember it, of course, is to honor the very real good work that is done. But we should also remember it because there are people in power who have a vested interest in letting us think that you can't fight terrorists while obeying the law.

Amen. We have a very good legal system that is perfectly capable of dealing with all sorts of different criminals. There's no good reason to throw it over just because Terrorists Are Scary. If we made it through the Cold War without needing a vast extra-legal system of prison camps and kangaroo courts, we can deal with a handful of religious whack jobs without discarding our essential values.

Somebody explain that to our Fearful Leader, please?

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War

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Don't you know, this is a new enemy. Without rolling back civil liberities how would we know to be afraid? Without fear how would "The Decider" have the power to decide to roll back our civil liberities? And without power to wield, how would he be able to be "The Decider"? And where would we be without "The Decider"? A Decider who can't decide is how the terrorists win don't you know.