Hostages apparently taken during Forth Worth synagogue service

[stevecanuck]

Indeed it does. At least it casts some serious doubts as to your definition of "terrorism".

Actually the definition of terrorism is pretty straightforward. It's an act of violence, or a threat of violence, to achieve a political aim. Akram's actions fit that bill whether he was playing with a full deck or not.

 

[stevecanuck]

Indeed it does (see above). On the other hand, there does appear to be some ground for believing that the deceased was a couple of aces short of a full deck.

Have you noticed how Muslims who commit acts of terrorism in Canada are immediately declared to have a history of mental problems, but the guy who ran down the Muslim family hasn't even (to the best of my knowledge) had a psychiatric evaluation?

The politics of victim/perpetrator are on full display here.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

Actually the definition of terrorism is pretty straightforward. It's an act of violence, or a threat of violence, to achieve a political aim. Akram's actions fit that bill whether he was playing with a full deck or not.

You have a point.

Mind you, if he is playing with a sufficiently unfull deck then he isn't criminally responsible and that means that he is "Not Guilty".

And, as some of the sillier members of "Claque Failed Casino Operator" will tell you, if he is "Not Guilty" then that means that he is **I*N*N*O*C*E*N*T**.

And, of course, they will then go on to tell you that if he is **I*N*N*O*C*E*N*T** that means that any investigation/prosecution was the investigation/prosecution of an **I*N*N*O*C*E*N** person and that is a total fascist abuse of power.

And, then they will go on to tell you that, when there is an investigation/prosecution of an **I*N*N*O*C*E*N*T** person that means that the alleged actions never took place at all.

(Unless, of course, the person investigated/prosecuted was a "leftie" [read as "not as reactionary as Sen. J. McCarthy"] in which case all bets are off and no investigation or prosecution is needed because the mere fact of the allegation is sufficient proof that it is true.)

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

Have you noticed how Muslims who commit acts of terrorism in Canada are immediately declared to have a history of mental problems, but the guy who ran down the Muslim family hasn't even (to the best of my knowledge) had a psychiatric evaluation?

The politics of victim/perpetrator are on full display here.

You don't suppose that there could be a possibility that ANYONE who commits acts of terrorism in Canada is (at least) three Aces short of a full deck, do you?

PS - You might not have noticed it, but there is at least one other ethnic group in Canada which commits acts of terrorism and which is handled with kid gloves due to the fact that they constitute a politically significant "visible minority". That's the ethnic group which considers it "dishonourable" to "bring disgrace on the family of another" by "ratting out" someone who has committed a crime. Do I disapprove of such unequal treatment before and under the law - you're damn right I do. Do I disapprove of such a biased and unmoral approach to civic duty - you're damn right I do. Can you imagine what would happen to the crime rate if there were some phone calls to the police which went along the lines of "My son is 19, doesn't have a job, and just came home with the new car that he bought with cash. I don't know of any legal way for him to have obtained that money and he refuses to tell me how he got it. Is there anything that I, or you, can do about it?"?

 

[stevecanuck]

You don't suppose that there could be a possibility that ANYONE who commits acts of terrorism in Canada is (at least) three Aces short of a full deck, do you?

I'm asking that the same standard of evaluation be applied to everybody. Please tell me I'm not being unreasonable.

PS - You might not have noticed it, but there is at least one other ethnic group in Canada which commits acts of terrorism and which is handled with kid gloves due to the fact that they constitute a politically significant "visible minority". That's the ethnic group which considers it "dishonourable" to "bring disgrace on the family of another" by "ratting out" someone who has committed a crime. Do I disapprove of such unequal treatment before and under the law - you're damn right I do. Do I disapprove of such a biased and unmoral approach to civic duty - you're damn right I do. Can you imagine what would happen to the crime rate if there were some phone calls to the police which went along the lines of "My son is 19, doesn't have a job, and just came home with the new car that he bought with cash. I don't know of any legal way for him to have obtained that money and he refuses to tell me how he got it. Is there anything that I, or you, can do about it?"?

Perhaps you could PM me about that.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

I'm asking that the same standard of evaluation be applied to everybody. Please tell me I'm not being unreasonable.

Not in the least.

Perhaps you could PM me about that.

OK

 

[Metric Mouse]

True, however, in order to purchase a gun retail in Texas, you must fill out a Form 4473.

Mind you, in order to purchase a gun in a back alley, you don't have to fill out that complicated form.

However, there IS a law preventing an 85 year-old Great Grandmother (all of whose descendants have served the maximum amount of time allowable in the US military without any disciplinary action being taken against them) who was convicted of a non-violent felony when she was 19 and hasn't had even a traffic ticket since then from purchasing firearms. See Question 21.c. of the Form 4473.

So maybe there should be a law preventing Islamic extremists from purchasing firearms in the United States?

I'm sure you would find a lot of support for such a law.

 

[Roadvirus]

So maybe there should be a law preventing Islamic extremists from purchasing firearms in the United States?

How about preventing Islamic Extremists from being allowed into the country in the first place. This nutjob's history in the UK should have denied him a plane ticket:

Texas synagogue hostage taker Malik Faisal Akram's past raises questions about how he was allowed into US

Reports about the radical and criminal history of the British citizen who was shot dead in the Texas synagogue siege after taking Jewish worshippers hostage are raising questions on both sides of the Atlantic about how he got past both countries' intelligence services and gained entry into the...

www.foxnews.com

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

So maybe there should be a law preventing Islamic extremists from purchasing firearms in the United States?

I'm sure you would find a lot of support for such a law.

<SARC>Yep, all they would have to do is add "Are you an Islamic extremist?" to the form and then the FBI could check against the "National Registry of Islamic Extremists" to see if the purchase should be allowed.</SARC>

 

[Metric Mouse]

<SARC>Yep, all they would have to do is add "Are you an Islamic extremist?" to the form and then the FBI could check against the "National Registry of Islamic Extremists" to see if the purchase should be allowed.</SARC>

You're right, guns laws are impossible to enforce and we shouldn't have any. /s

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

You're right, guns laws are impossible to enforce and we shouldn't have any. /s

STUPID gun laws that cannot be enforced are what we shouldn't have.

Believe me, as someone who chooses to live in Canada, and saw the "Long Gun Registry" in action, I know what "STUPID gun laws" are.

Just to clarify my position on "gun control" I am in favour of universal, permitless, open carry (with the proviso that the person doing so should have demonstrated an adequate knowledge of gun safety, skill in gun use, and an understanding of when it is, and is not, appropriate to use guns [much along the lines of how a person would qualify for a Driver's Licence]). I consider "gun banning" to be a waste of time, money, and effort (at least in the United States of America) on the basis that it simply wouldn't work UNLESS there was a VAST, and highly intrusive, federal bureaucracy dedicated to ENSURING that no one had any guns at all - and any "Good Idea" that simply will not work is NOT actually a "Good Idea".