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I do not find this amusing, either. My granchildren could have witnessed this, as they will be going to see Santa soon. I have been concerned for some time that children would be targets, and it looks like this may be a precursor of things to come.

Here are some clues to let folks know that this wasn't your average nut case:

1.) The use of cleaning chemicals, which apparently the FBI has wind of through their monitoring of communications, since a warning scrolled across the Fox News screen.

2.) The lack of identification, delaying search warrants on his home and arrests of co-conspirators.

3.) The choice of the target, involving children, shopping (economy) and Santa Claus, a symbol of a Christian holiday. (Yes, I know Santa Claus isn't a religious symbol, but to Muslims the distinction might be too difficult.)

I don't think this is funny, either. Those guys who burned their hand- you can't just graft the skin on hands- it's a different type of skin, like the soles of your feet. And when it starts to heal it ITCHES. I once talked to a man who took a flaming gasoline can and threw it away from some kids who were playing with it. He said that if he'd known ahead of time how much it would itch, he wouldn't have done it. That's quite a statement to make- we all know what it takes to do something like that.

And who's going to cover their paychecks while they can't work? Certainly not the nutcase.

Hello to you and everyone on Free Republic. I've been a lurker for a few years, and decided that this was as good a time as any to climb on board and be a part of this. I don't know if you live in the area, but I do. I wasn't there today (went to see Harry Potter a few miles away), but I do know the mall. If this guy had jumped, on fire, to the court below there is no telling what the outcome would have been. Santa's recieving line is there, as well as decorations and presents and many, many children and parents. It could have been much worse. If anyone else here has ever been to the Woodfield Mall outside of Chicago, Cherryvale is very similar, but smaller. Again, HI! to everyone.

>I do not find this amusing, either. My granchildren could have witnessed this, as they will be going to see Santa soon. I have been concerned for some time that children would be targets, and it looks like this may be a precursor of things to come.

I'm not amused either, and here are a couple of other things about the event that aren't amusing.

1) The attack happened around 8:30am local time, yet NOBODY I talked to yesterday in Chicago and south of Chicago even HEARD about it until the afternoon. What if OTHERS had planned similar attacks at other malls? How come the local TV channels didn't broadcast a general & repeated warning to give people a chance to decide if they wanted to go to their local malls and RISK such an attack? (I imagine, of course, that such warnings would hurt business and, say no more.)

2) The mall where this attack happened DIDN'T CLOSE after the attack! They stayed open and just closed their "center court" area. Again, I'm sure it would have been bad business to close the mall, but, again, what if this guy had been coordinated with other nuts in the area?

It's one thing to support a strong economy. This business of letting everyone go to malls and keeping everything open comes darn close to reminding me of the mayor in the movie "Jaws" who insisted that the beaches stay open after the first shark attack...

Mark W.