Okay, so let's forget attractive young cub TV reporter Jackie Bruno (in a C+ market area) botched Umass President Jack Wilson's surname (not Williams); and how the NJ State Trooper was killed (not by a bomb but by a handgun.) or the assault on two Mass State Troopers (also from firearms not bombs.)
And she probably could/should have pointed out Levasseur was MIA when the despicable deed of gunning down that NJ peace officer occurred.
But I'm actually glad that Umass Prof Sarah Lennox "admitted" she did not "know much about this case at all." Neither did I, when first getting involved. Because, like Professor Lennox, I agree that Academic Freedom and Free Speech are SACRED.
Of the 200+ media articles carried on Google News one of them quotes Mrs. Raymond Luc Levasseur saying the violence was not "terrorism" but "sabotage." As Commander Spock would say "fascinating".
Terrorism is exactly what the word implies: do as much possible damage, slaughter as many innocent people in the most heinous way possible--preferably at the beginning of a news cycle designed for peak media broadcast. And, better yet, repeat the act a few moments later--because if you execute the first part properly, NOW the entire world is watching.
Sabotage means to incapacitate in a sneaky sort of way (although that could indeed cause human casualties) the opposition's machinery. But the attack focuses on the physical infrastructure--not the flesh and blood component.
Big difference. Very B-I-G!
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27 comments:
Local TV News: out of the mouths of babes.
Anyone want to guess her date of birth? Think she can even remember Ronald Reagan? Plenty of life experience to deal with all those weighty issues. Don't blink because she'll be on to another media market before you can ask "are you a journalist?"
Now that was a "fair and balanced" report: people answering questions like Sgt. Schultz, "I know nothing". Mighty insightful.
Yeah, and to think some stuck up journalists worry about bloggers being too unprofessional.
Larry, would you have a different opinion if he had been blowing up abortion clinics?
Answer honestly now....
No I would not.
Not even, God forbid, if he had blown up Irish pubs.
So, now you have moved your position from defending speech to parsing terrorism as sabotage. The No Trespass on you was well deserved.
But I'm actually glad that Umass Prof Sarah Lennox "admitted" she did not "know much about this case at all." Neither did I, when first getting involved. Because, like Professor Lennox, I agree that Academic Freedom and Free Speech are SACRED.
Academic freedom is an irrelevant legacy of an earlier era. And to say that Thursday night was about academic freedom is to overlook what is the very real battle for UMass.
This (and the Feder Fiasco) is very much a battle over who is and is not considered to be authorized to speak on campus. Nothing to do with free speech or diverse views or any of that lofty stuff. There are a bunch of fascists running UMass (notwithstanding the efforts of the administration to actually run the place) and the fascists approve of Lefasseur's message.
This, Larry, is the EXACT same thing as the Town Mangler saying who can be in the parade. Imagine if you could only speak on the town common if he invited you to do so?
And the issue thus becomes one not of free speech but of speech approved of by the government and thus permitted - and that not and not.
I will believe in true free speech when I can invite the widow of the dead trooper to come talk about her perspectives on the matter....
Actually Anon 8:46 AM,
Not moving a bit from defending this an attack on Free Speech and Academic Freedom, simply adding the parsing--because if you respect free speech, you also respect the power of words.
Ed,
The widow of the dead trooper got a F-A-R wider audience for her perspective then if she HAD accepted the invite of the original sponsor, Rob Cox, to put on a talk/presentation before or after Levasseur.
And she kept her integrity intact.
Unlike you milking this for all it`s worth.
Oh, by Monday morning we're on to a NEW news cycle. I'm sure I'll find something to milk "for all it's worth."
Not that I get paid for this, of course.
I sure hope you weigh in on the 9/11 trials n NY. Will Amherst be inviting those people if they are "cleared", not innocent mind you?
"This (and the Feder Fiasco) is very much a battle over who is and is not considered to be authorized to speak on campus. Nothing to do with free speech or diverse views or any of that lofty stuff. There are a bunch of fascists running UMass (notwithstanding the efforts of the administration to actually run the place) and the fascists approve of Lefasseur's message."
Ed, these aren't fascists, these are social/moral/political anarchists.
And Larry Kelley is one of them 1000%... only, he's been using his "Larry vrs. the town" blogger shtick to drive free advertising for his failing business.
Yep, the viper'll help destroy Amherst if it means filling his business' bank account in the process...
What an evil, cursed place has sprung up in Massachusetts. What vicious wickedness the immorality of this town, more toxic and radioactive than Chernobyl.
What next from you, Amherst?
not getting paid? but are you getting graded on this?
--Elaine
No, not on this in particular--or even the blog in general.
"What an evil, cursed place has sprung up in Massachusetts. What vicious wickedness the immorality of this town, more toxic and radioactive than Chernobyl.
What next from you, Amherst?"
agreed...they helped destroy my life and livelyhood.
fuck you amherst and harry shafter
'bach
"Sabotage means to incapacitate in a sneaky sort of way (although that could indeed cause human casualties) the opposition's machinery. But the attack focuses on the physical infrastructure--not the flesh and blood component.
Big difference. Very B-I-G!"
Nice down-play on the terrorism there, Kermit.
FLUSH
"pro gay marriage, pro gun control, pro abortion and pro blah blah blah"
Supports creating new unintended constitutional realities, supports destroying well established constitutional realities, supports killing potential followers of the constitutional reality, then claims that a terrorist is being denied his sacred constitutional rights??!!??!!??
My friends, that's priceless...
Actually in journalism you only put quote marks around something the person actually said. I never used the term "pro blah blah blah."
And if I did, I would have hyphenated the blah-blah-blah part.
Well, at least you finally learned what quotation marks are for. You've been using them incorrectly for years.
Ed, these aren't fascists, these are social/moral/political anarchists.
I submit that they actually are fascists - textbook fascists.
I loved the Republican's editorial, along with that of the Berkshire Eagle. And it really is time to flush the SEPTIC program down the toilet....
From the SEPTIC (as in tank) website as to who funds them - and thus who paid for last Thursday's stunt:
In general over the course of the past two decades, STPEC’s access to university resources has very much depended on larger University decisions and the financial welfare of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. When the University in Fall 1983 instituted a Junior Year Writing requirement to be taught within the major, STPEC received partial funding to hire a graduate student instructor for that course. The former Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences, himself very enthusiastic about internships, provided some funding in Fall 1997 to allow STPEC to hire a graduate student as internship advisor, preparatory to STPEC’s implementing an internship requirement (though not until 2007 did we receive full funding for the position of internship advisor). In January 2007 STPEC was allowed to transform its two advising TA’s into a full-time professional position, and the staff member carrying out those tasks now holds the title of Chief Academic Advisor and Internship Director. The expansion of the space available to STPEC has come about as a consequence of micro-negotiations with other units also located in Machmer Hall. In 1997 STPEC, in cooperation with four other interdisciplinary programs, Afro-American Studies, Labor Studies, Latin-American Studies, and Women’s Studies, spearheaded the creation of “Linkages,” a learning community for first-year students focused on social issues. However, the budget crisis of Spring 2003 produced a cut of two TA’s to STPEC. Since Linkages was not critical to the STPEC curriculum, we abandoned the program, shifting the funding for its TA coordinator to one of STPEC’s TAs and funded the second missing TA out of alumni/ae donations until the Dean was able to restore the position in Fall 2004. (In Fall 2007 “Linkages” was reborn as the “Social Justice Residential Academic Program,” located in Pierpont Residential Area.) Over the course of its history, STPEC has been forced to rely upon extremely limited university resources but has nonetheless succeeded in graduating over seven hundred and fifty splendid young people from the program. The accomplishments of our students, in conjunction with the very minimal resources on which we draw, have helped to assure STPEC’s survival even at times when other university units have seen their funding significantly cut. We also owe great debts of gratitude to a series of Deans of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Five College and University faculty who have continued to support STPEC through hard times. Certainly most central has been the often selfless dedication of STPEC staff and students to the program, and it is very much a consequence of their efforts that STPEC has continued to survive and thrive.
At least Jackie Bruno remembered to say the word "Now" at the beginning of every sentence. That should ensure her upward move to a B- market.
Oh, it was only sabotage -- that makes it entirely acceptable. I thought the guy murdered people out of terrorism, but since he was only murdering people for sabotage, I guess us right-wingers have no reason to complain about him at all!
Actually he did not murder anyone.
No, Larry, he was not CONVICTED of murdering anyone, no more than Edward Foster (the head of the Portland (ME) Police Death Squad) was convicted of murdering anyone.
It is called "conspiracy." And you don't have to pull the trigger. Look it up...
Larry, you’re right, there is a clear distinction between what Levasseur did and what Bin Laden did. But the act doesn’t have to be calculated to “do as much possible damage, slaughter as many innocent people in the most heinous way possible” for it to be terrorism. ETA, for example, would often warn people prior to exploding bombs, or explode them at night – it’s still terrorism, albeit of a less heinous sort. Terrorism has a long history before Bin Laden and Hamas.
Bombing government buildings is an old anarchist tactic meant to destroy our public institutions by spreading fear. (Sabatoge, on the other hand, is an act that is calculated to cause serious damage to infrastructure, like power lines, railroads, etc.) Levasseur was convicted of exploding a bomb at a County Courthouse at a time when public business was being done. This was an act of terrorism aimed directly at the heart our justice system and our democracy. One of our finest Federal Judges, Nancy Gertner, was yards away from this bombing, as were many other people. I’m glad he chose not to assassinate anybody, but excuse me for not celebrating a bombing which was clearly intended to kill and maim random people doing their civic duty in the Commonwealth.
“Actually he did not murder anyone.”
You don’t know that. When asked, he won’t deny having participating in other acts of terrorism.
One of our finest Federal Judges, Nancy Gertner, was yards away from this bombing
Former law partner of Harvey Silverglate if I am not mistaken. His column in Thursday's Boston Phonex should be rather interesting....
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