Terrorism?

[Nbadan]

Vandals hit at least five Dem offices nationwide, threaten to ‘assassinate’ children of pro-reform lawmakers...how is this not terrorism on the same level as the IRS building demolisher ot the underware bomber?


Yesterday, ThinkProgress reported that several Democratic offices around the nation had been vandalized in the days surrounding the House health care vote. Vandals have struck the Tuscon office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), the Monroe County Democratic Committee headquarters in upstate New York, Rep. Louise Slaughter’s (D-NY) Niagara Falls office, the Knox County Democratic headquarters in Ohio, and the Sedgwick County Democratic Party headquarters in Wichita, KS. The local Rochester ABC affiliate now has more information on the upstate NY vandalism, including an assassination threat against the children of lawmakers who voted for health reform:

No one was inside when the brick was hurled through the Democratic Patry Headquarters on University Avenue. Attached was a note quoting conservative Barry Goldwater: “Exremism in defense of liberty is no vice”. <...>

Slaughter has been at the center of the push for reform. Last Thursday she received a chilling recorded message at her campaign office. “Assassinate is the word they used…toward the children of lawmakers who voted yes.”

Link (http://www.13wham.com/news/local/story/Health-Care-Reform-Leads-to-Threats/TAZWZcNqz0aapIAGYDut-A.cspx)

Isn't threatening assassination of public officials still treason? by the most stringiest definition of terrorism, isn't that what the GOP is doing to the country right now, succession? Really?

[Stringer_Bell]

I'm really not down with this whole idea of broadening the definition of terrorism. If it didn't work after the OKC bombings, then it's obvious that the only REAL definition of terrorism is attacks on the US by Middle Eastern/Islamic extremists.

That withstanding, these occurrences were to be expected (if threats were issued LAST Thursday) and people will be brought to justice.

[Nbadan]

How is this not terrorism?

After HCR Passed, Militia Leader Said: 'Break Democratic Party Windows'. So They Did.
By Susie Madrak Tuesday Mar 23, 2010 11:00am


Vanderboegh posted the call for action Friday on his blog, "Sipsey Street Irregulars." Referring to the health care reform bill as "Nancy Pelosi's Intolerable Act," he told followers to send a message to Democrats.

"We can break their windows," he said. "Break them NOW. And if we do a proper job, if we break the windows of hundreds, thousands, of Democrat party headquarters across this country, we might just wake up enough of them to make defending ourselves at the muzzle of a rifle unnecessary."

Crooks and Liars (http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/after-hcr-passed-militia-leader-said)


DOMESTIC TERRORISM DEFINED- Section 2331 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
`(5) the term `domestic terrorism’ means activities that—
`(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State;

`(B) appear to be intended—
`(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;

`(ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or

`(iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and

`(C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.’.

USA PATRIOT 802c

Seems like a pretty open and shut case for me....

[Nbadan]

Kristallnacht?

http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/chatback/images/kristallnacht.gif

[Sec24Row7]

Kristallnacht?

http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/chatback/images/kristallnacht.gif

Melodramatic much?

[Stringer_Bell]

How is this not terrorism?

USA PATRIOT 802c

Seems like a pretty open and shut case for me....

Exactly, it's "legally" terrorism under the broadened definition that somehow eluded everyone after OKC but became popular after 9/11. This is not terror, however, it is political vandalism that was anticipated (which is not the same as calling these broken windows an "inside job," but it could have been prepared for better). The Patriot Act would call the Watergate Scandal terrorism. No one truly believes the Patriot Act is used to stop terrorists lol, it's used to track us, silly!

[ElNono]

If we keep stretching the definition we'll be sending pot smokers to Gitmo real soon now.

Plus, there's already a word for those people: vandals, and there's already laws penalizing them.

[BRHornet45]

good people

[Winehole23]

A brick through a window and some prank calls? Scary.

[Winehole23]

You jumped the shark at Kristallnacht.

[DMX7]

A brick through a window and some prank calls? Scary.

Threats to assassinate children? :nope

[LnGrrrR]

Exactly, it's "legally" terrorism under the broadened definition that somehow eluded everyone after OKC but became popular after 9/11. This is not terror, however, it is political vandalism that was anticipated (which is not the same as calling these broken windows an "inside job," but it could have been prepared for better). The Patriot Act would call the Watergate Scandal terrorism. No one truly believes the Patriot Act is used to stop terrorists lol, it's used to track us, silly!

Terrorism is pretty well-defined, and part of that is instilling terror, usually for political reasons. Watergate didn't really instill terror.

[Stringer_Bell]

Terrorism is pretty well-defined, and part of that is instilling terror, usually for political reasons. Watergate didn't really instill terror.

Terrorism is well-defined because it's post-9/11 definition is so broad. Can anyone really argue that the vandalism of political offices in 2010 is terrorism compared to the vandalism of political offices in 1972. "Oh, but these 2010 vandals did it to scare the Democrats, not gather intelligence!" Okay, you can argue intent and prosecute people for thought crimes...whatever, not my country anymore I'm going to Costa Rica!

PS: That baby's ears DO look exactly like his father's! A marvelous feat of human genes.

[LnGrrrR]

Terrorism is well-defined because it's post-9/11 definition is so broad. Can anyone really argue that the vandalism of political offices in 2010 is terrorism compared to the vandalism of political offices in 1972. "Oh, but these 2010 vandals did it to scare the Democrats, not gather intelligence!" Okay, you can argue intent and prosecute people for thought crimes...whatever, not my country anymore I'm going to Costa Rica!

PS: That baby's ears DO look exactly like his father's! A marvelous feat of human genes.

I guess it would depend on the intent of the message. Hypothetical situation: Vandalism such as "Democrats suck" spraypainted on the side of a building is different from vandalism such as a brick thrown through a window with a note attached that said "We will hunt you down".

It's not really a "thoughtcrime" anymore than the distinction between someone deliberately running over someone with a car and killing them, and someone doing it accidentally.

The result is the same, but the intent is what's important in the eyes of the law. If the intent is only to vandalize, that's one thing. If it's to instill terror, for political purposes, then it could be covered under terrorism.

[LnGrrrR]

Oh, and thanks for the comment about my kid. He turns five months tomorrow... time is flying by!

[George Gervin's Afro]

more right wing terrorism..nothing new here.

[Winehole23]

Synchronicity? (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/opinion/28rich.html)

How curious that a mob fond of likening President Obama to Hitler knows so little about history that it doesn’t recognize its own small-scale mimicry of Kristallnacht. The weapon of choice for vigilante violence at Congressional offices has been a brick hurled through a window. So far.

[DarrinS]

http://michellemalkin.com/2010/03/29/document-drop-fbi-charges-anti-semitic-nutball-with-threats-against-gop-rep-cantor-family/

Document drop: FBI charges anti-Semitic nutball with threats against GOP Rep. Cantor & family; “…you receive my bullets in your office, remember they will be placed in your heads.”




Just obtained this from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia:

Today, a two-count complaint and warrant was filed charging Norman Leboon with threatening to kill United States Congressman Eric Cantor and his family, and threatening to kill Congressman Eric Cantor, who is an official of the United States, announced United States Attorney Michael L. Levy and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jan Fedarcyk. As set forth in the affidavit to the complaint and warrant, in or about late March, 2010, Leboon created and then transmitted a YouTube video to Google over the internet, in which he threatened to kill Congressman Cantor and his family. No harm came to the Congressman or his family as a result of Leboon’s threats.

“The Department of Justice takes threats against government officials seriously, especially threats to kill or injure others,” said Levy. “Whether the reason for the threat is personal or political, threats are not protected by the First Amendment and are crimes.”

LeBoon is a 33-year-old Philadelphia resident, according to the USA press release.

The press release continues:


If convicted of all the charges, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 15 years imprisonment, 3 years supervised release, a fine up to $500,000, and a $200 special assessment. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert K. Reed.




http://michellemalkin.cachefly.net/michellemalkin.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/leloon.jpg





A search for “Norman LeBoon” on YouTube yields some bizarro stuff — including this channel where a Norman LeBoon claims to be a Shia Muslim who is the 12th imam and this video where other Muslims angry at LeBoon refute his Mahdi claim.

And here a Norman LeBoon is threatening YouTube employees for removing his videos a few weeks ago:



G_jgNp7t0tw

[angrydude]

so whenever anyone throws a brick through window they are hitler. check.