Challenge Your Mind. Build Pipe Bombs. (Updated) (Updated Again) 10
Liberty University’s motto used to be “Challenge Your Mind. (Yeah. Right. It was founded to staunch, not encourage inquiry–ed.) Build Your Faith.”
But it now seems to have a new motto, cited above.
Phillybits has aggregated the coverage and a lot of the reality-based commentary:
[EDITORIAL MODE ON]
We have our own native-born Ayatollahs who teach hatred and intolerance.
We must be as careful of them as we are of foreign ones.
[EDITORIAL MODE OFF]
Addendum:
ASZ on the irony.
Addendum Two:
Balloon Juice:
May 23, 2007 at 5:20 pm
What’s worse yet are the dozens of Liberty graduates who have strapped on bombs, walked into Palestinian refugee camps and blown themselves up.
May 23, 2007 at 11:39 pm
$30 bucks to the first person to find someone marginalizing this because, well…
…just because….
May 24, 2007 at 2:45 am
I’d rather address the issue of how inappropriate it is to protest someone’s funeral. I despise the man and what he did, but that doesn’t excuse that sort of behavior, and I’m perturbed that this appears to have been lost in the rush to cover some teenagers being stupid.
Really, big surprise.
I do recall the same people ignoring this point raising hell (actually, everyone was raising hell) a short time ago when the rash of stories regarding protesters at military funerals showed up.
Unfortunately for the late Mr. Falwell, he has no Liberty Riders.
But hey, about those teenagers… was it domestic terrorism when I would shoot off bottle rockets at pedestrians? Because hey, that’d up the cool factor.
May 24, 2007 at 7:54 am
As for funerals, whether it’s Jerry Falwell or some random person, yes, people shouldn’t be protesting funerals. It’s kind of sick.
As for shooting off bottle rockets at people, would that count as domestic terrorism? I don’t have the answer to that. I used to do the same thing; in fact, when I was younger, my friends and I – we used to get bottle rockets and small pipes and have bottle rocket wars with each other.
In this day and age, I wouldn’t be surprised if that might be levied as a charge against some kids.
However, bottle rockets, though they can take out eyes and perhaps in a freak manner, could cause death, are far different from the:
this man put together.
Firing bottle rockets at someone as a sick way of getting off and making a shrapnel bomb are, hmmm….kinda different.
May 24, 2007 at 7:59 am
In the case of this kid and the funerals, if the intent was to cause kill or cause bodily harm to protestors, then yes, it’s still domestic terrorism, even if it is the Phelps or whomever else was targetted.
It’s a poor comparison, but if simply being Muslim on an airplane can get someone kicked off of their flight because some people feel they pose a risk by speaking or praying in Arabic, then I don’t see how actually making a bomb and planning on using it to injure and maim is a lesser offense somehow.
It doesn’t matter to me if you’re brown, white, yellow, or if you pray to God, Allah, or a bowl of spaghetti. You make bombs and have intent…
…well then.
May 24, 2007 at 8:10 am
For general discussion, since we’re on the topic, where’s the line between criminal action and domestic terrorism? Does domestic terrorism have to be religiously based and soley determined to be an act against an entire country?
Consider this bombing case with the guy last month who left the bomb outside the women’s health clinic.
Also consider the guy who had an explosive device locked on his neck that detonated before police could get it off of him. I believe this happened in PA but I forget and am too lazy this early in the morning to look it up as I’m cooking breakfast for my son.
But also consider Lee Malvo and the DC sniper attacks, and also the story (if you remember it) of the kid who (committed suicide/botched an attack of his fellow students) at a football game at his high school last year.
Where’s the line? I’ll try to offer my own thoughts on it later today but no guarantees. I have a pretty busy day.
May 24, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Well, do I at least get the $30?
May 24, 2007 at 5:07 pm
Yes, he owes you the $30.
May 24, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Oh, Liberty University has done better than suicide bombers.
Their scions have ruined the careers of honest civil servants to further a lawless regime.
May 25, 2007 at 10:01 pm
I can’t get the link to work.