Mumbai and Long Island: Two Rampages for an Unserious America

North Star Writers Group ^ | December 2, 2008 | Dan Calabrese

[Invisigoth]

Two events in the same week may explain the strange asymmetry between the global threat of terrorism and America’s prevailing attitude toward it.

In Mumbai, India, more than 100 people are slain by radical Islamists. Although the target is overseas, the principal targets are Americans, Britons and Israelis. President Bush sends Secretary of State Rice to India to do what she can to assist the Indians in their response while trying to prod the neophyte government of Pakistan – the presumptive origin of the plot – to get serious about investigating and apprehending the perps.

On Long Island, New York, several thousand people trample to death a Wal-Mart employee who had the misfortune of standing between the mob and a selection of discounted X-boxes.

In September 2001, President Bush told America that the war on terror would be long and difficult, but needed to be fought because of the ruthlessness and determination of an enemy set on nothing less than the destruction of western society. Americans, caught up in the moment, echoed the president when he implored us: “Let’s roll.”

[NYer]

Great article ... most insightful ... and packed with reality.

Life in this country has been so damn easy for so long, it has become almost second nature for Americans not to take any real problem seriously, especially if it isn’t laying right on our doorstep. When terrorism briefly made an appearance on our shores seven years ago, we couldn’t help but offer up some of our short attention span. Our enemies had briefly and spectacularly varied from the courtesy they usually show by attacking our citizens and our interests overseas.

Because the Bush Administration has ignored our whiny objections and kept us safe by wiretapping terrorists and aggressively interrogating detainees, Americans have been allowed to return to their blissful neglect of the reality of the threat.

Dan gets it right!

[gridlock]

Mubai remided me more of another rampage on Long Island, where Colin Ferguson gunned down helpless unarmed passengers on an LIRR train on December 7, 1993.

Ferguson tried to get off with a defense that he was driven insane by “black rage” caused because he lived in an oppressive society. Ultimately, that defense was rejected and Ferguson was sentenced to 300+ years in jail.

[17th Miss Regt]

Ultimately, that defense was rejected and Ferguson was sentenced to 300+ years in jail.

Was his name up for consideration in the list of presidential pardons at the end of Bill Clinton's second term? Or didn't he have enough money available?

[RJS1950]

If not I’m sure he will be up for a pardon next December when BO and his queen hold court.

[willgolfforfood]

I thought “Let’s roll” was the last phone transmission from the jet that crashed in Pennsylvania. I don’t recall President Bush making that statement.

[xkaydet65]

POTUS can only pardon violators of Federal law. Colin Ferguson was convicted of murder in the State of NY by a jury in New York State Supreme Court for the County of Nassau. No federal pardon here.

[17th Miss Regt]

Up until now, I would agree. But remember, the Constitution is slooowly fading away into a distant memory. The people won’t know the difference.

[dancusa]

Bush spoke to an invited audience of thousands at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. Among those in the audience were police, other law enforcement officers and firefighters. They repeatedly interrupted his speech with applause.

The president quoted a man who led passengers to battle terrorists for control of a hijacked plane on September 11. Before he ended a phone call warning that the plane had been hijacked, the man was heard saying, "Let's roll."

Then Bush ended his speech by saying, "We have our marching orders. My fellow Americans, let's roll."

The speech was made in November 2001