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Terrorism in… Ventura County?
Tuesday, December 11th, 2007This is a letter to the editor, so factor the one-sidedness into your outrage-o-meter.
But if true, it seems to be a pretty severe overreaction from local authorities.
13 Responses to “Terrorism in… Ventura County?”
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I agree, Radley, more facts will have to come to light before we can make an accurate judgment. But taking everything at face value, it would seem quite outrageous and I hope the reverend’s letter generates the attention that it deserves.
Just like the war on drugs, the war on terror is being used (it would seem) to transform a relatively innocuous misdemeanor (possession of illegal fireworks) into a relatively serious felony.
Please keep us updated, if at all possible.
I live in Ventura County and while I don’t have experience with the Ventura police, the ones down in Moorpark where I live have a history of over-reacting to things like this and I can’t say I’m particularly surprised.
When I was a kid we made “destructive devices” all the time: rigged timers on m-80s and “cherry bombs” to blow up model cars, watermelons and all kinds of other stuff.
I hate to think what laws I would be violating if I did that now.
Oh dear. This is where I grew up. I’m not surprised in the least. This is the same police department that used to pull me over at least 3 times a week for being out after curfew, when I was driving home from work. (Under 18s had to be in by 10 or something, I can’t remember the specifics.) You’d think after the second or third time, they’d stop. They need to find something constructive to do.
Where’s the letter?
Now who would’ve guessed that “terrorist laws” would wind just being tacked on to what was previously just a misdemeanor to make it felony?
Sarcasm aside, I can see investigating these sorts of complaints(not with a raid though), but once it becomes clear that you’re dealing with kids and homemade fireworks (that is, not a terrorist plot), why charge them to the fullest extent of the law? It’s almost as if they’re trying to replace “he got off on a technicality” with “he’s serving 25 years on a technicality”.
This country is just getting ridiculous. Hows about we use some common sense? A kid had some fireworks, whoop die doo! Do you know how many fireworks I’ve set off in my lifetime? Are they going to go all-out crazy on the 4th of July?
I’d like to see where the law and order types are on this one. “He was probably guilty of something.”
Yeah, he was probably guilty of having illegal fireworks, for which he should get a stern lecture on fire safety and a $50 fine.
Since vinegar + baking soda can explode, when do we expect raids on homes across Ventura Cty for “possession of bomb making materials?” Or, will the Feds now require a license to purchase baking soda and/or vinegar, which will be placed behind the counter and only sold at state registered dealers?
SJE, they already watch fertilizer like a hawk. You have to be careful when you go to Home Depot and buy a few bags because it happens to be on sale. Maybe they’ll come to your house, trample your immaculately green lawn, and send you to prison for 3 years for buying up too much fertilizer (or Claritin, for that matter).
America must be growing weaker by the day to be endangered by ever smaller threats. I especially like Solzhenitsyn quote someone posted below the story.
“Wherever the law is, crime can be found.”
(Solzhenitsyn, “Gulag”, Vol. I, p. 67)