How do you use the terms freedom and not cowering and lock down towns over a nineteen year old

[malaise]

This is one fucked up dangerous precedent

[YarnAddict]

1. You do understand

this is a 19-year old who has killed 3 people, maimed nearly 200, and who has bombs? Personally, I don't think this is an overreaction.

[WI_DEM]

20. Killed four people now.

[slackmaster]

64. That officially makes it a "mass murder" even though no guns were involved

[Ikonoklast]

90. They shot it out with police, killed the MIT cop, and seriously wounded another LEO.

Had a running gun battle with LEO.

Guns were definitely involved.

Both were armed with firearms.

Just saying different does not make it so.

[Rex]

97. No guns?

You work for CNN?

[Ikonoklast]

101. MIT Police Officer Sean Collier, aged 26, KILLED BY GUNFIRE.

The Gungeoneers are desperate now.

[Rex]

102. Yes that was just sad.

Is their fear that overblown?

[Ikonoklast]

107. Gun Humpers must protect Guns at all costs. Human lives are meaningless to them.

They are out in force today, looking foolish...yet once again.

[Rex]

122. Well it looks like one went overboard and got PPR'd!

Never thought I would see this day!

[Ikonoklast]

104. Tell that lie to the friends, co-workers and loved ones of Officer Sean Collier.

You can't tell him anymore because he was killed by gunfire.

[CTyankee]

112. Careful. You don't want to hurt somebody's feelings...

it's counterproductive, you know, and will only hurt your cause....

[Rex]

121. You will not BELIEVE who just got PPRd!

I never thought I would see this day!


Hint: I might have asked them if they worked for CNN in this very thread.

[CTyankee]

123. oh, yes, at long last!

I think the DU experiment with the gun folks has not worked out very well at all...I guess we had to try...but...

[Rex]

127. I agree the love affair can only go so far

with bullets and firearms. Anyone that doesn't believe me, just ask the NRA.

[awoke_in_2003]

134. Wow. nt

[Ikonoklast]

124. PPR'd long-term gun humper, finally.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=124430&sub=trans

Bragged on other forums about his exploits here.

Right Wing Gun Humping Liar.

[CTyankee]

125. I know this site has tried very hard to understand gun owners concerns. I get that.

I struggle with it. But I have TRIED.

Maybe, a reconsideration is due on this thing. I would hope so. Just a look at how this has played out and seeing what can be done. This isn't a small issue on DU. It is BIG. AT some point, I feel this might just be overwhelming, one way or another. I don't know. I really don't...it bothers me...

[Rex]

128. I think for many of us that own guns

but don't believe the government is coming to take away our firearms, have tried explaining why it is silly to take that seriously or why we don't want to own 6,000 rounds of ammo.

Maybe this bombing has really wound the NRA crowd really tight. Dunno.

[CTyankee]

129. I think the admins were giving some benefit of the doubt.

Some of us (myself included) had serious reservations, but thought that in the end, it would play out and look very bad for the gun extremists. And that is what has happened, I do believe. Now DU can say, well, we tried and gave them a chance. There are people like you, proving that you can own guns and not be obsessed with them. The others, the irrational types, have in the end shown their true colors.

[Rex]

133. I agree 100%

I think the admins have bent over backward trying to accommodate the NRA crowd, even as tensions rise, they still give a lot of leeway. I know there are many on this site that own guns, to them it is not a big deal and they are used for hunting etc.. to those I say good job at keeping your sanity around some insane gunlovers. I've bitten my tongue a lot over the last year or so about firearms.

[CTyankee]

137. well, so have I. And it's hard to bite your tongue, esp. on an issue you struggle over.

I don't think people who have never experienced gun violence and loss of a family member can ever really understand what we, who have experienced it, go through. How could they? I don't wish this on anybody, I see what it did in my family. Yes, you pick up the pieces and go on but some don't quite pick up all the pieces...those pieces stay and murder their souls just as their loved ones were murdered. I don't know how else to describe it...

[Rex]

142. I agree.

I lost an uncle to gun violence and what makes it worse is that alcohol was involved between both parties (both were shooting at each other). I am still angry and baffled by the loss. That was over 30 years go. I'll never lose that memory. It tore family members apart.

[EOTE]

130. So one of the resident gun nuts sticks his foot in it again.

At least you were able to prevent yourself from the ol' "What, are we gonna ban pressure cookers now?" Whatever helps you sleep at night.

[WinkyDink]

53. You don't think Martial Law is an over-reaction?

[leftynyc]

56. Cut out the hyperbole

People are free to leave their homes - if they want to get killed. They're trying to keep people safe.

[Cal Carpenter]

59. You may want to research the meaning of martial law

This is not martial law.

Whether or not it is overreaction is certainly debatable, but martial law has a definition and this is nowhere near it.

[Marrah_G]

81. It's not martial law

[nadinbrzezinski]

85. It's not martial law

It's a shelter in place order

[cali]

2. glad we have your expertise to guide us.

his age is relevant? No, it's not. your op is ridiculous. It's hardly like they've instituted martial law. and considering the mayhem that's transpired overnight, they're using prudence.

why post more bullshit?

[malaise]

5. THey have never done this even for escaped mass murderers

It is a frightening precedent - I hope you understand that.

[cali]

7. he may have explosives on his body.

and they are not telling people they'll be arrested or detained if they go out.

[Blue_Tires]

70. Sure they have...Did you forget the Dorner case already?

Granted, 99% of dangerous fugitives flee to rural or less populated places, but they put that little town he escaped to on lockdown...

[malaise]

84. Didn't remember that

The bomb they found and the threat of others probably justifies their actions

[onenote]

100. This isn't just a mass murderer

This is someone who had both the means and the apparent willingness to plant explosives over an extended period of time -- explosives that could be triggered by cell phone.

You have no idea where these guys were or what they were doing between Monday and last night (or before Monday). They could have set booby-trapped explosives.

Comparing this to a lone gunman on the run is absurd.

If its a precedent for what would happen in my neighborhood if there was a similar situation, I'm more than cool with it. To the extent its a "precedent" for anything else? You're speculating.

[Roland99]

3. No, *this* is how it's done! Boston PD is kicking ass in this situation

[Logical]

6. LOL, Detroit might have 3 murders today! Shut it down also? n-t

[Roland99]

8. ...

[sharp_stick]

17. yeah that's the same thing

I think your avatar might have special meaning for an argument like this.

[Logical]

21. You want to prevent deaths or not? n-t

[Ikonoklast]

91. Straw Man is all you got.

Explain in detsail how those two vastly differing situations are exactly the same.

[dballance]

72. You Certainly are Betraying Your Member Name - Nothing Logical About Your Post at All

What a stupid analogy. The two things are so dissimilar it ridiculous to try to compare them.

[Logical]

82. Wow, member name joke! How fucking clever! n-t

[Marrah_G]

76. Because that is exactly the same thing that is happening here

[datasuspect]

131. chicago had two murders last night

better shut down the south and west sides.

[Marrah_G]

54. Exactly- and the only people upset by this are those who don't live here

Every single person I know in town and in the area is VERY glad the police handling this in this manner.

Those who don't know this city........you just don't know.

[Logical]

83. Lol, yes, every person you know! Checked all of them? n-t

[Marrah_G]

88. My friends and family in the city... absolutely

[smirkymonkey]

132. +1000

I really wish non-Bostonians would just butt out on this one.

[dems_rightnow]

4. In a sea of dumb things....

.... you win.

[alphafemale]

19. lol

Needed that.

[Logical]

9. You are correct! Talking about disrupting a city. You know the 19 year old is happy!

[LanternWaste]

41. What specifically leads you to believe his agenda

What specifically leads you to believe his agenda was to have law enforcement temporarily disrupt a city leaving no lasting or direct consequences?

[Logical]

47. What is the purpose of a "terror attack"?

[ieoeja]

116. To make us stop doing something specific.

The Jihadis hope that if they terrorize Americans enough, we will withdraw our support for anybody who opposes their violent attempts to expand the territory currently under Sharia law.

I'm fairly certain they don't give a shit whether the people of Boston go about their business or not except for that business related to stopping their attempts at conquest.

[Cal Carpenter]

10. Hmmm, I'm usually among the first to react to police state type shit

but I don't think this is that.

This is an extremely dangerous individual who has left a swath of carnage, including running over his brother as he escaped the shootout (unless that has been debunked?).

They seemed certain about the area he was in.

As people wake up, kids are heading to bus stops and schools, crowds appearing on streets and public transit, honestly I don't have a problem with the local authorites and FBI imploring people to stay inside and making it clear that this was not a normal day in the Boston area.

At the current standoff, I was watching streaming video where the cops were ushering women holding toddlers into their homes in the neighborhood.

I don't think this is a bad precedent. I think it truly is about public safety.

I have been face to face with cops pulling police state tactics, abusing authority, using excessive force. I have been arrested at a peaceful protest. I am NOT an apologist or defender of cops. Ever. I err on the side of 'cops are pigs'. And I still don't think that's the case here.

[malaise]

12. It may be necessary and it is possible it will be over in less than an hour but the

precedent is frightening and no nineteen year old should believe he's that powerful.

[LanternWaste]

23. What precisely is this precedent you refer to, and what, in practical terms, will this precedent...

What precisely is this precedent you refer to, and what, in practical terms, will this precedent specifically lead to?

[Cal Carpenter]

27. I wonder this too. I think of precedents like Katrina, the police state

that abused the hell outta that situation, horrible horrible shit over a natural disaster.

This is nowhere near as high up on the list of dangerous precedents. If it goes on for a long time and cops start bashing heads maybe we can talk about that.

[marions ghost]

33. They know exactly where he is

they are waiting him out. May have hostages.

I agree with both --with those who say this is prudent and those who say it is overkill. America always does overkill. On the other hand, they do not want any more deaths.

We should not have a 'get on with life and move on" attitude while this is going on. People need to take every precaution. On the other hand--I sympathize with those who say that this kind of violence and mayhem goes on everyday in America, and we allow it to go on...

So yeah, we're in a paradox here.

[Dorian Gray]

36. Wonderfully stated

[FSogol]

11. Unrec.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

44. Unrec +3

[MOTRDemocrat]

13. Let's just chase him down with a group of men in clown costumes...

And throw red, rubber noses at him until he laughs so hard he falls to the ground.

Then we can put him on an island to frolic and play like in Norway.

[alphafemale]

22. Maybe we could leave a trail of vookies. nt

[WilliamPitt]

14. Wow.

Must be nice to have some distance on this. Bunch of my friends almost died on Monday. The helicopters are over my house.

[malaise]

16. Distance this time

I lived through guns and helicopters in 1979/80.

I understand the fear and urgency of this situation - I just worry about the precedent

[WilliamPitt]

24. What would you suggest?

These guys bombed the goddam marathon. Maybe we should let them go and avoid setting the "precedent"?

I'm honestly curious: what do you suggest?

[malaise]

37. I honestly don't know Will and maybe Ida is correct

it's the bombs that change the tactics. I just fear the removal of more freedoms.
I remember when the police excesses started here and now there are curfews at will in certain neighborhoods.
I guess the question is how do you keep people safe without removing freedoms?

[Marrah_G]

45. It's not fear

Boston is a small city geographically with small winding streets and people who don't have cars. The police can't fucking do their jobs if they have to move around crowds of people to get a t a subject with bombs and guns who has already engaged the police in a firefight, killed a cop, robbed a store.

Seriously...........

[Arkana]

66. What precedent?

I'd hope that any major city's police force could handle a manhunt of this scale as efficiently as the Boston PD is doing now. The worst thing that civilians are being asked to do is stay indoors--what did you think, that SWAT was kicking down every door in every town in the Greater Boston Area?

[supernaut]

55. well, that just makes it all OK then, *your* friends *almost* died.

With all due respect, a bunch of your friends almost dying is not cause to suspend civil liberties in an entire city. The deaths of ANY number of people is not cause to suspend civil liberties ANYWHERE, for ANY reason.

Would you be OK with this if they told the entire eastern seaboard to stay in their homes?

The entire United States?

[leftynyc]

57. You act like this is unprecedented

If there is an escaped convict on the loose, police always tell people nearby to stay in their homes. This could be the stupidest thread I've ever seen here.

[supernaut]

60. Thats because it is unprecedented.

There has never been a case in American history where an entire city was instructed to stay in doors and not to communicate or travel in order to find one person.

[leftynyc]

65. Never? In ALL American history?

You sure you want to stick with that?

[Oilwellian]

79. LOL, Ridiculous

such drama.

[dballance]

78. NO ONE HAS SUSPENDED CIVIL LIBERTIES IN BOSTON

Are you not paying attention or can you just not grasp the fact that the only thing the police have done is ask people to stay inside for their own safety? If some idiot wants to go out and try to face a person who's already killed 3 people, injured more than 100 others, thrown grenades at the police and may be wearing a vest made of explosives then they are still free to do so.

[Yo_Mama]

15. No, it isn't

They had explosives strapped to themselves and the public was in danger.

Capturing the perp ASAP has to be the priority and preventing a hostage situation is difficult but absolutely of the highest priority.

Do you want little kids on the streets waiting for the buses or walking to school while you have a person who is proven to want to randomly kill civilians out there? Limiting the damage is imperative.

[davidpdx]

32. Exactly, why give this guy hostages?

The sooner they get him, the safer the people of that area will be. Remember not too long ago (weeks actually) all of MA put into effect a temporary ban on people driving. Why? A snow storm. What do they have in common? They are both public safety situations. So are we calling that a limit on civil liberties?

[Yo_Mama]

38. It is not a violation of civil liberty

It's a public safety bulletin, that's all.

Someone who would do something like the bombing, and then the murder of the cop? You can't assume that this person would stop at anything.

Also it is apparently confirmed that the dead brother did have an explosive trigger on his body and the report from the convenience store robbery was of explosive vests.

All this guy would have to do is walk onto a school bus with a bunch of kids and you would instantly have a Beslan-type horror of a hostage-type situation. Nor would it be likely to end well. We do not need another Newtown massacre to add to the this week's toll of death and suffering in Boston.

The cops and other public safety officials are doing their job properly. These two guys declared war on Boston. One dead kid out of this is more than enough. They are very unlikely to get this guy alive, and the hope would be now that he doesn't get to take any more people with him.

Very, very few people anywhere in the world are motivated to act like these people have done. Anytime they are willing to do it, and they are confirmed to have the means to do it, these types of actions are appropriate and failure to institute such measures would be reckless disregard.

[davidpdx]

39. I think you misunderstood, I was agreeing with you and back you on your argument

Sorry if I wasn't clear on that.

[Yo_Mama]

52. I'm sorry, I was up at 2 AM

Working on a rush job and of course the news was kind of distracting. Caught four hours and then up and back at it. The news is getting even more distracting.

I did understand you, I was just so pissed at the OP's obliviousness that I went on a rant.

You were very clear, I was not.

[davidpdx]

58. You are watching the news

I've been stuck doing the same. The more I watch it, the more insane it makes me. I had it turned off around 5 am EST (7 pm here) and swore up and down I wasn't going to turn it back on. That didn't last long.

[Yo_Mama]

63. I'm glancing at it - mostly DU and Boston.com

I swore I wouldn't bother with CNN again a while ago.

BBC has some good coverage. I don't think many people realize just how intensely dangerous this is. All it takes is for this mass-murdering jerk to get down to the gas mains, and OMG.

We have to hope that this is indeed amateur hour. I am literally praying.

[davidpdx]

68. Yeah, I know what you mean about CNN

They tend to hype stuff too much. CNN did the same thing with the situation in North Korea. I had to keep telling people, it's not as bad as they make it out to be. If people listened to them they would think the entire country is on edge like in Boston. Personally if I had to choose between Boston or South Korea, I'd choose South Korea. I feel sorry for the people over there with all they are going through.

[Yo_Mama]

71. Yes, I consider them irresponsible

My personal boycott continues and was only confirmed this week.

The media should be informing rather than setting fires, IMO.

[distantearlywarning]

18. I think this whole thing has been handled very well this week, including this morning's events

It's not martial law or stepping on people's freedoms, they're just trying to keep people safe this morning - this guy has explosives and guns and has demonstrated that he is willing to kill innocents in the pursuit of his goals. Also, it makes the police's job easier and faster when there aren't random citizens wandering around and gawking everywhere and taking pictures on their Iphones, etc. It's just like a mini-quarantine, like if there was an infectious disease and people had to stay inside for a while to avoid causing a bigger public safety problem.

They will catch this guy at some point this morning, and there will have been minimal bloodshed because of this lockdown. Then the citizens of Boston will be able to get back to their business-as-usual. It's all good.

[Zoeisright]

25. Oh for god's sake.

Grow the fuck up.

[magical thyme]

26. the brother they killed had an IED strapped to his chest

and threw a bunch of bombs, including another pressure cooker bomb, at the police.

The brother they have not yet killed is likely armed, not with a gun, but with more IEDs, in a relatively small city with many narrow streets.

And they want to get this guy. They do not want him to escape, let alone mow down a bunch of school children getting off the bus while he tries.

Better to shut things down, get him cornered and take him. Then back to business as usual with minimum disruption.

[nmbluesky]

28. He might carry bomb

They have to no choice for that monster. And catch him soon

[WI_DEM]

29. I understand your concern, but this isn't a typical situation.

[boston bean]

30. It's all about catching him.

less people out and about, the better their chances.

Plus, no large crowds of people for this terrorist to blow up innocents.

[kentuck]

31. We don't know how many more?

BUT this will be a topic of discussion with a little distance, I am sure.

[IdaBriggs]

34. Its the bombs. I understand your concern

But BOMBS. Shrapnel bombs. Seems like things are okay (per Facebook and DU - I ignore tv news folks at this point).

[malaise]

43. Apparently

What a mess

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

35. Nice

I'm waiting for the first posts claiming the cops didn't do enough to take Timberland or whatever the fuck his name is alive and they gunned him down in cold blood.

[Marrah_G]

40. Staying out of the polices way is not cowering

[cali]

42. breaking news has just proved how full of it this op is.

[malaise]

74. My mother and her friends went to movies during WWII in London

sure there were times they had to leave and head for shelters but life went on in the middle of war

[actslikeacarrot]

80. "head for shelters"

That is all the police are asking the public to do, stay indoors until this is cleared up.

[justiceischeap]

46. I live in DC and let me tell you, if the police were looking for a terrorist

and I don't care his or her age, they do tend to be young, and told me I shouldn't ride the Metro to work, I'd salute happily and stay in my nice, cosy house. Consider the DC sniper... these guys were going on a shooting spree (I happen to live in between two of the locations people were shot and killed) but they didn't shut shit down for that and that's understandable. The snipers didn't have IEDs or bombs strapped to their chests. We're American citizens and it's the responsibility of our officials to keep us as safe as possible, if that means telling people to stay indoors while an IED-wielding madman is out and about, I'm okay with that. Just like I'm okay when a governor declares a weather state of emergency telling people to stay off the roads for their own safety.

[adigal]

106. This is the best analogy so far

I am always worried about police overreaching, but this is comparable, as ou said, to a weather state of emergency. Telling New Yorkers to stay indoors during Hurricane Sandy because it was possibly dangerous out of doors is the same thing as here. It is just smart to stay out of the way!

[Enrique]

48. it's a valid thing to be worried about

what you say doesn't deserve to be mocked, even if you turn out to be wrong.

[malaise]

49. I understand the need to use drastic tactics but I've lives through the erosion of

freedoms. That said they know more than me and there are more bombs out there.

[G_j]

62. Yep

poster is a long standing contributing member of the DU community. There is no reason to be nasty.

[WinkyDink]

50. AGREE 100%. AND ordered not to use cell-phones! Didn't happen on 9/11/01!

[leftynyc]

69. The perps from 9/11

were dead - they flew planes into buildings. And there was no cell service in NYC on 9/11 due to the cell tower being on top of the north tower. If making a phone call is so fucking important, make it and put your life and those around you in danger - knock yourself out.

[ecstatic]

96. In fairness, not everyone had a cell phone back then. Today, nearly 100% of

adults and many teens have one.

[Zorra]

51. I don't believe that I understand exactly what you are trying to express here.

The scope of the power of law enforcement was made very clear during Occupy.

Freedom is a relative concept.

[kentuck]

67. Agree or disagree, we must be careful not to stifle free speech...

Just my opinion.

[Zorra]

77. I'm totally not trying to stifle free speech. I'm actually trying to expand it.

My post was sincere, and literal.

I don't understand exactly what malaise means, and I was hoping she would offer a more extensive explanation before I commented any further about it.

[malaise]

113. I worry deeply about the erosion of our civil liberties across the globe

and I found the idea of making people stay put troubling. I do understand the fear of bombs and understand the fact that they had to have controlled demolition.
I noticed that this afternoon they are telling folks that it's OK to leave their workplaces and they can ask family to pick them up or drive home. Taxis are also running. That means that all those night shift workers were stuck.

Some persons here have talked down my fears but I have lived through the erosion of civil liberties.

[Zorra]

135. I understand, and believe that most of us are conflicted about these types of things to some degree.

I am for sure.

We are all victims of a rapidly decaying system that needs to be replaced, but at the same time is, by its nature, resistant to significant, positive, constructive change. Violent, deluded reactionary extremists arise out of the inequities and injustice of the system, and commit acts of frustrated mindless violence that only bolster the power of the system's gatekeepers to curtail our civil liberties.

I'd love to change the world, but the status quo prevents like minded people from assembling and implementing constructive changes.

Maybe someday, enough of us will get together in solidarity, and we can bring about the changes necessary that will make acts of mindless violent terrorism and the consequent reactionary losses of civil liberties a thing of the past.

[malaise]

136. Beautifully stated

Thanks

[Zorra]

138. My pleasure.

Thanks for bringing the subject up.

[Arkana]

61. Because this kid is an armed, dangerous psycho who's proven he's not above killing people?

And if he's evaded capture this long, he's either received military training, is very lucky, or dead.

It's for public safety and I think you're going to have a hard time finding people who disagree.

[dballance]

73. Well, Since the People in Boston are all STILL FREE to go Outside if they So Choose We're Still Free

Your post might as well be on Alex Jones' site. Suggesting that the government is going to take away our guns and our freedom.

Martial Law has not been declared. The police have not ordered people to stay inside. They have advised them and asked them to stay inside for their own safety. People are still free to go outside if they wish. They can hop in their cars and try to evacuate the area. They'll run into roadblocks but they can do it if they wish.

[badtoworse]

75. Have you been living under a rock? Truly an asinine post..

You're OK having people walk into a potential fire fight? Unbelievable.

[sarisataka]

86. We get snow storms

and the state police ask people to stay home and off the roads.

I never view that as a loss of freedom, lock down or martial law

[randome]

87. It makes it easier to find one guy when he's not hiding in the crowd.

I think seeing a 'shelter in place' REQUEST as being an over-reaction is, in itself, an over-reaction.

[NotThisTime]

89. let him get on an MBTA bus or fully loaded T with people going to work while he has a bomb strapped

to his chest... that is a good idea....

Why don't you head into Boston right now?

[redqueen]

92. Age: irrelevant. Possibility of more anti-personnel bombs: yes.

Not sure what else needs to be said really.

It's not like the police are going to lock down the city simply over the threat of a bomb. This kid has set them off before and at least one eye witness says they saw him or his late brother with another.

[suffragette]

93. Understand your concern, but I think this warrants an exception

given the guns and explosives that the suspect has been using. If a school was open, he could head there and cause more devastation.

When WTO was going on here, I marched and, later, went to listen to speakers and to be outside at a point we were being shoved inside. So, I understand what you are saying from a personal point of view.

But, this is different. It's a specific event with a volatile situation that's unfolded quickly and in which there is a great deal of uncertainty. If this is extended into weeks, that is a different case, but in this short term, it's best to not give him the opportunity to blend into the crowd or take hostages.

[Jamastiene]

94. I love chatting with you on DU a lot and I respect your opinion, but

on this, I think we are seeing it differently. In such a heated situation as this, I don't think they would have to ask me twice to lay low and avoid getting caught in the crossfire. There is a time to fight for civil liberties, yes, but in this situation, today, staying safe to fight another day would be smarter.

[ecstatic]

95. I'm concerned about possible colleagues

Other "sleepers" waiting to bomb another big event. I want this guy questioned. His age is irrelevant.

[cthulu2016]

98. You have to bear in mind that a lot of folks here are

unable to process having been wrong about the Muslim angle and are now trying to re-establish self-esteem by running around to the front of the parade with a lot of ad hoc Bush-era gibberish.

It's really pathetic.

[Amaya]

99. I live 5 miles from Boston

and I am not cowering.... I want this little fucker caught.

[CTyankee]

103. It is upsetting, isn't it? I am hoping we can get through this sensibly and come back

stronger, not weaker. But right now, I have a sense of unease and won't be entirely calm until this thing is resolved. It has been a dreadful week for all of us, but for the people of the Boston area, especially...

[malaise]

108. Indeed sis

I hope this will soon be over

[CTyankee]

109. That Senate vote on the gun bill didn't help matters either...

what a disaster...

[malaise]

110. Amazing how this just threw it off the news

and then there's that horrific fire in Texas

[CTyankee]

111. Yup, that one was a lesson in the folly of deregulation of industry.

A lot of chickens coming home to roost. Depressing.

[malaise]

114. And that's the absolute truth

What an awful week.

[Apophis]

105. Freedom is an illusion.

[DeschutesRiver]

115. Nobody has to cower. Just rate the odds that you might be in the same place as a kid

Who has a suicide bomb strapped to his chest and says he is going to kill more because his big brother was shot by cops.

It is like russian roulette to guess where he is and if he means what he says. Rate your odds and act accordingly. I would treat the danger from the kid like a natural disaster - if I don't think I'd get hit from a hurricane, I would stay put. Otherwise I would evacuate.

It doesn't set any precedent one way or the other, just means using common sense where there is a risk factor. I'd stay at home and hope he wasn't nearby because this won't last forever. If I had urgent business I'd do it but not otherwise. Common sense isn't cowering.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

117. "Freedom" has been stolen by the Right to justify their selfish nature....

Try the word "Community" instead.

[Taverner]

118. It's voluntary, dude

[Hekate]

119. I don't believe this shit is going on at DU.

[Bragi]

120. I agree, it's a horrible precedent

The one useful result of this entire wretched and evil incident is that we now know for sure that ordinary Americans will indeed comply with a takeover of their communities and their homes by armed government forces. Ain't no 2nd amendment militias in sight.

[kenny blankenship]

126. I don't get it. This has been a *massive* public safety "event"

Terror bombing - 3 dead, 170+ wounded with amputations and other serious maiming injuries...
Ambush of police officer - 1 dead campus police person shot in cold blood
Armed Robbery
Carjacking
Running gun battles in residential neighborhoods, with IEDs used, cops shot...
Massive risk of hostage taking, and civilian injuries from explosives and remembering that this event began with mass murder, further attempts to run up the body count just to do as much damage as possible before the end.

Hell YES, law enforcement at all levels responds in force - and this is completely appropriate.

[CTyankee]

139. You are right. they did their job. It is Blue State against Red State in some ways.

Sorry, but that is how it breaks down. I think MA state response was sane and necessary and they cooperated with local and with federal agencies smoothly and very well. I was pleased with it. It is the way that government should act...

[LiberalElite]

140. He wasn't just "a nineteen year old"

He's a nineteen year old allegedly involved in multiple vicious crimes. Yes, I thought it was overkill at first, around 7a.m. on Friday when I turned on MSNBC and saw the virtual invasion of Watertown with Swat teams and dozens of police cars. But when I learned from reading an article on the NY Times website what had transpired overnight, i decided they're doing what they have to do.

[DainBramaged]

141. I brought this up and was promptly attacked by the hawks here.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022709633


And they kept it u.


Bullshit


we've opened Pandora's box and it ain't pretty.