News – A Proper Use of Terror Law?

North America

Eighteen year old Andrew Osantowski will serve at least 4 1/2 years in prison(or as many as 22 years), convicted under U.S. anti-terrorism law of “making a terrorist threat” after he wrote messages on the Internet about the possibility of killing students at his Chippewa Valley High School. He was also convicted of possessing a firearm while committing a felony and using a computer to make a terrorist threat. While I do believe this young man needs proper correction, I don’t think calling him a terrorist is a good part of it. The last thing we need to do at this moment is start overusing that term as well, leading to it becoming the latest term drained of all meaning and impact, added to the incessant din of buzzwords we’re assaulted with constantly.

The Patriot Act gets reauthorized, mostly along party lines, and made permanent.

Police in New York are conducting random searches of bags and packages of subway riders.

There have been 3,400 violations of restricted air space in the US. I’d say it’s obvious that there needs to be some better means of dealing with this.

Middle East

The anti-withdrawal protests end, falling short of their goal, with 250 protestors arrested. Here are some images from the protest.

The discussion continues, on if we’ve failed in Iraq.

Europe

Britain gets hit again, jangling the nerves of the populace once again. One note in this incident is that the bombs failed to explode properly, implying poor construction, careless transportation or use of explosives that were past their ‘shelf life’. No one was killed and only one person was injured in the blasts that did occur.

Among incidents connected to this second bombing, police shot a man in London’s Underground as they hunted for the bombers. “I saw them (police) offload five shots into the person on the floor,” eyewitness Mark Whitby at the station told BBC television. “I saw them kill a man.”

Curious.

Added, UK police are asking for the power to hold suspects up to three months without charge.

General

Explainer looks at how bomb sniffing dogs are trained.

Today’s Papers has rising efforts to keep recruiting in the US military rolling, the administration about to settle on new rules giving the military sole authority to shoot down civilian planes over restricted airspace in D.C, economic wrangling between the US and China and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Dell screws North Carolina with awesome disappearing money trick

Spanish nurses get all mad when cosmetic firm makes them look like a bunch of nubile, stethoscope-wielding skanks

Mobile home a total loss after bratwurst grease fire. Cliche writers everywhere go home early

Squatters occupying campsite demand $1500 consultancy fees to meet land owners

Teens charged as adults with making bomb threat to shut down Nantucket ferry service. In other news, federal prison is not where you want to become acquainted with the man from Nantucket

Ohio man busted for snorting gold spray paint, mug shot proves his guilt. The Smoking Gun is there

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this brooding statue. Difficulty: No Sith

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this Prague square

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Forrest Gump’s involvement in U.S. events from 1994 to present

Boxer

July 22, 2005

I sure agree on the overuse of the term terrorists and misuse prosecutorially. We did this with tax law, using anti-mafia law against abortion activists (on both sides), and so forth. Seems common practice. Why don’t we just charge people with the crime they commit, try them, and get on with it?

And the Patriot Act was only passed by the House. I would like it renewed and made permanent. I don’t understand this current flurry of temporary laws like the tax cuts, NCLB, and such. If a law is worth enacting I think it should be enacted. If it fails, it should be repealed. Seems though that only bad laws are passed without sunset provisions. They go on forever.

The Dell deal is just another mess. My all time most hated boondogle is the sports franchise/stadium racket. I pay and pay and pay for this, even though I have never and almost certainly will never watch a single baseball game in my adult life. WHY? If I asked the city or state to pay for a new church sanctuary the exact same people would scream to the high heavens that it would only benefit…

..benefit me and mine. But, isn’t that exactly what these deals, from Yankee stadium, to the Dell deal, to the deal our city made to pay Target to build here. They are all wrong. But, they are growing in popularity and will likely keep growing until our economy and nation collapse.

lisyl

Considering that someone can be thrown in Guantanamo Bay, incommunicado for years, tortured, just because they’re named a “terrorist” (but not formally accused or tried), yeah, I agree that word is not one that should be used casually or sensationally.