Explosion in Times Square

HEY! The second ammendment says I have a right to bear arms!

Of course, being that it took 30 minutes to load a gun back when that right was written and the fact that we had to bear arms back then to protect ourselves from an oppressive government, i could see why you might think it wrong for me to want 212 unregistered handguns and a barrell full of bullets in a society full of nutjobs.

Remember, guns don't kill people, but they sure do help!

 

It didn't take 30 minutes to load a rifle back then.

Thirty seconds for trained troops, 60 seconds for your average Colonial farmer out shooting at some rabbits. I can load my Hawken muzzleloader in about 45 seconds.

 

Point is, I couldn't squeeze six shots off at you in less than a moment back then. I can now, and shouldn't that warrant a little bit more control?

 

If that was your point, you did a poor job of making it.

Of course, we could apply that mindset to the First Amendment too. Back then, people couldn't reach millions in an less than a moment. Maybe free speech should be a little more controlled now because of that.

(Playing Devil's Advocate here. Even though I own several guns, I have no problem with more regulation.)

 

Actually not even close. And does this end Bush's streak of keeping us safe for seven years?

 

You know why it was downplayed? Because it happened at 3 a.m. when even Times Square was practically deserted. If it had been, say, Centennial Olympic Park during a packed concert, then it wouldn't have been downplayed. And yes, if it had been the Times Square recruiting center in the middle of the day, it wouldn't have been downplayed. Clearly, the jackass(es) who did this were aiming for attention, not casualties (as opposed to al-Qaeda, which wants both).

 

If a bomb goes off in the middle of Times Square and there is no one working the overnight shift at the newspaper, is it news? A bigger question is why other suspicious devices at other recruiting stations across the country haven't been given a lot of play. Has Code Pink merged with Earth First or ELF?
I've always wondered how busy that Times Square recruiting station is. Seems more like a kiosk. Unless they're trying to pickoff the group of kids in the area for TRL.
And I haven't seen it on this board yet, but a mailing was sent to some Congressional Dems by a group claiming responsibility for the blast.

 

Last I heard was that all the letter said was "We did it" with no reference to who "we" is.

 

Apparently, the person only wishes he had "Did It": http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/07/AR2008030700459.html?hpid=moreheadlines

 

mike?

 

I dunno.

This does not seem to be passing the smell test to me.

I cannot think of a law enforcement official at any level just shrugging their shoulders and saying something is a coincidence. I believe they said it. I just don't believe that they meant it.

 

I thought that ended when some whackjob began mailing anthrax to people, not that Bush government would want anyone to remember that.