Posted on 07/13/2007 9:39:10 AM PDT by Enchante
Ex-University of Chicago 'genius' turned ecoterrorist
But prominent physicists take up Billy Cottrell's cause
LOS ANGELES -- William "Billy" Cottrell was such an exceptional student at the University of Chicago that he was described by his professors as something of an eccentric genius. He even won the award for best senior thesis in physics, addressing string theory, which seeks a single unifying way to explain all forces and all forms of matter.
Today the 27-year-old is in jail.
Two years after his 2002 graduation with honors as a double major in physics and math, Cottrell was charged and convicted as one of the nation's first ecoterrorists of the post-Sept. 11 era. He was found guilty of conspiracy and arson in the 2003 firebombings of Hummer and other sport-utility vehicle dealerships in the Los Angeles area to advocate a radical environmentalism. Two conspirators remain at large.
Cottrell is appealing his conviction. One mitigating factor, his supporters argue, is that he is diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, which can make his behavior at times inappropriate.
His case is now a cause celebre for some of the nation's most prominent physicists, including four from the University of Chicago and even Stephen Hawking, who have urged better treatment for Cottrell in prison so he could continue his study and research.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
It's a diagnosis. It doesn't mean the kid doesn't know right from wrong.
I’d say he got off pretty lightly for what he did and should stop whining about it. Plenty of criminals serve (deservedly) much longer sentences without having prominent physicists to plead for amenities.........
>Cottrell is appealing his conviction.
If you can’t do the time don’t do the crime genius.
String theory is BS. He’s probably on crack.
The tone of the article seems to be this is ‘unusual’.
In fact, excluding the religious based terrorists, this is the ‘norm’.
Almost all the domestic terrorists from the 1960’s and 70’s were well educated, from middle to upper class families, with a good home.
What a waste. Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time. As far as the Asperger’s goes, either he’s fit for society or he isn’t. In suburban Mass., there was a recent high school murder by a student (admittedly not in the intellectual class of Billy Cottrell) with Asperger’s. Its not a good enough excuse.
Bet the other guys in Cell Block C are impressed with his thesis.
Not looking so smart now, are ya, buddy?
I thought you might find this interesting.....
Cottrell is appealing his conviction. One mitigating factor, his supporters argue, is that he is diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, which can make his behavior at times inappropriate.
The thesis, they kinda understand, but they don't really know what to make of this ass-burgers thing.
Makes me wonder if this clown may know about the Chicagoland eco-terrorism acts committed while he was attending UC.
I wonder if the bleeding hearts would be as sympathetic had he vandalized and torched an abortion clinic instead of a car dealership.
Not to mention that, by definition, all criminal behavior is "inappropriate."
REVOKE HIS mensa MEMBERSHIP. He’s an IDIOT!.......
So, now they are trying to make Asperger’s syndrome a defense?
The problem with Asperger’s people is that they have to be taught moral conscience. There is no internal moral compass. They are totally rational thinkers. That’s the trait that makes them so smart and sometimes dangerous. It is not an excuse to commit a crime. Aspergers people don’t realize that they are exceptional, they just think that everyone else is exceptionally stupid.
My sympathy is with asperger sufferers, but some people are just criminals or downright mean, regardless of whether they have disabilities or not.
I’ll be there are a lot of brilliant people behind bars. Brilliance doesn’t matter if you don’t know right from wrong, or you’re so selfish that you believe rules/laws don’t apply to you.
Knowledge will grow, but wisdom will be diminshed.
Watch, when he is released, he will be the poster boy for the eco terrorism, “See, this genus knows that the Earth should be put First!”
Screw him, he had more opportunities and vistas before him then 99% of the populace, and he chose to torch Humvees in the dead of night, perhaps he should wirte a thesis about
“How a coddled boy genus became and idiot in a few short steps”
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