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A Lathering of Beagles

Mar 7, 2008

maha

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Someone who may have just been off his meds — happens a lot in New York — tosses a small, improvised incendiary device into an Army Recruiting Center in Times Square in the middle of the night. So now the Gathering of Eagles — the same geniuses who rallied to protect the Vietnam Memorial from an imaginary threat last year — are going to rally in Times Square this Saturday to take a stand against domestic terrorism and anarchy.

No one was injured in the Times Square incident, and such vandalism doesn’t seem to be part of a trend here in NYC. However, in the past several months a number of innocent people around the country have lost their lives in mass shootings on campuses and in shopping malls. If they’re so fired-up against anarchy and violence, why aren’t the beagles lathered about that?

And note to the beagles: Roping off part of Times Square on a Saturday will get lots of people highly annoyed at you.

Hallucination du jour:

This criminal action against the recruiting station in Times Square has the potential of leading a national downturn in the minds of those who disagree with the war.

Last I heard, the NYPD thought the bombing might be related to an October explosion at the Mexican Consulate and a 2005 bombing at the British consulate. As I said, probably somebody off his meds. Maybe the beagles ought to be rallying for better medical care for psychotics.

Unrelated: nice post at Prairie Weather

Spotlight

15 Comments

Just A Grunt • Mar 7, 2008 @11:29 am

What this still be no big deal if it was a mom and pop convenience store? Or how about an abortion clinic?
You must be consistent in your rationalizations. Just because it is a military recruiting station does not mean it has any less protection under the law or that the act is any less despicable. To characterize it as “vandalism” belittles the seriousness of the incident. What if there had been some homeless person laying about on the sidewalk or somebody from a cleaning crew inside trying to earn a living. Attacks involving explosives, regardless of intended effects are dangerous. Maybe you miss all the PSA’s that air every year around the Fourth of July cautioning about fireworks safety.
maha • Mar 7, 2008 @1:26 pm

To characterize it as “vandalism” belittles the seriousness of the incident.

Not really. The incident was all property damage. No one was hurt. “What if” doesn’t count.

I’m not saying it wasn’t criminal, but by New York standards this was a small local incident that does not call for a goon squad showing up and messing with Times Square traffic. We’ve had a couple of building collapses lately that were, actually, a bigger deal. No one even knows who or why the vandalism was committed. The wingnuts ASSUME it was some kind of statement against the Iraq War, but given New York it’s just as likely there was no reason for it.

You must be consistent in your rationalizations.

I am entirely consistent. It is the beagles who are inconsistent.
uncledad • Mar 7, 2008 @1:51 pm

Something doesn’t smell right about this. I saw several stories in the news yesterday that letters had been received on capital hill showing pictures of the facility saying, “We did it”. Now FAUX is reporting that yes letters were received but that it was just a coincidence? “It was just an incredibly unbelievable coincidence,” said one of the law enforcement officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation in New York is continuing.”

Wow that is some coincidence. WTF?
Gwen • Mar 7, 2008 @2:22 pm

I’m now a fan of yours, and I checked your wikipedia entry. Are you working on a book?
Gwen • Mar 7, 2008 @2:28 pm

Also, a big ol’ “OUCH!!” and “boo” for your “just off his meds” jibe. I think waaaay too many well-practicing fellow people out there are struggling with meds and mental illness for that to be a productive thing to say. Hurtful!

I hope this is a friendly enough place that I can use my name.
Gwen • Mar 7, 2008 @2:39 pm

Just please don’t call me a beagle, okay? I may be inconsistent like the rest of humanity, but I much prefer the Lhasa Apso.

Or maybe even the Shih Tsu. *woof!*
Erin • Mar 7, 2008 @3:02 pm

uncledad, the NY media’s reporting that the letters to Congress and the explosion in Times Square are unrelated, or so goes the last thing I saw.

Seems like a good reason to steer clear of Times Square this weekend, though that’s generally good advice any day, IMHO.

Think the beagles might secretly be terriers?
PW • Mar 7, 2008 @3:02 pm

About “some homeless person laying [sic] about on the sidewalk.” The totality of homeless persons who are ignored, hit by cars, starved or frozen to death, stepped over on sidewalks, shouted at, robbed, bullied, etc. etc. is a constant and ongoing crime far outweighing one incendiary device thrown at one military recruiting station in one American city. That larger sign of inhumanity just doesn’t get on TV or make for all that many grunts of disgust.
maha • Mar 7, 2008 @3:15 pm

Also, a big ol’ “OUCH!!” and “boo” for your “just off his meds” jibe.

Gwen — regulars here know that I’m on meds myself. I don’t make a secret of it.
maha • Mar 7, 2008 @3:19 pm

Erin — maybe the beagles went to Times Square to bark at terriers.
Izzy • Mar 7, 2008 @3:50 pm

What in the hell gives you the right to suggest that the Eagles are being selective about what constitutes an attack that requires action?!

You might as well ask why we aren’t spending as much money in Darfur or Afghanistan (you know, the country that ACTUALLY attacked us) as we are in Iraq. Seriously.

Um, why aren’t we, again?
jerri • Mar 7, 2008 @7:08 pm

How much does the lease on that spot in Times Square cost a month? Betcha it is more than the cost to maintain one soldier in Iraq.
PFT • Mar 7, 2008 @7:40 pm

Seeing how CNN and Fox jumped on it to give Bloomberg some national exposure leads me to believe it was a staged event to promote Bloomberg, either as a running mate for Obama/Hillary/McCain, or if he changes his mind, as an independent. Since the coming depression will make the economy a key issue, the billionare Wall Street connected Bloomberg will be an attractive running mate for either side (convenient that he is an Independent now).

Also they are staging various incidents to promote support for the Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act and enhanced security in places like malls, schools to support the Security Industry, etc. Given the issues with our wars and the economy, malls and universities are not the places you expect to see attacked, so I guess they figured out they needed a military target to avert suspicion, and 4 AM is a good time to make sure nobody in the military is hurt. I am of course a conspiracy theorist. Don’t believe the Orwellian babble from the conspirators about their being no such thing as conspiracies.
A Canadian Reader • Mar 7, 2008 @8:01 pm

Maha,

I have it on good authority from right-wingers with impeccable credentials that this bombing is the work of the liberal left.

Just thought you should know.
felicity • Mar 8, 2008 @2:49 pm

I don’t know if the reaction to the NYC incident is a case of severe paranoia (or an excuse for the need to beef up security at the expense of our freedom or a means of keeping ‘terror’ front and center in the American psyche.)

The peanut-butter sandwich caper a few years back would indicate paranoia. The incident involved about 8 protesters giving out peanut-butter sandwiches in front of a company hired to feed the troops in Iraq charging the government for ’steaks and caviar’ while actually feeding them pbs. At least 3 FBI agents showed up to ‘monitor’, identify and possibly arrest the apparently extremely dangerous purveyors of the free sandwiches.

I second Maha’s wonderment.