Posted on 06/01/2003 6:03:53 AM PDT by RJCogburn
Crystal Davis doesn't quite side with Eric Rudolph, but she sympathizes with him.
"He's a Christian and I'm a Christian and he dedicated his life to fighting abortion," said Mrs. Davis, 25, mother of four. "Those are our values. And I don't see what he did as a terrorist act."
Her feelings were echoed, person after person, in this sawmill and cow-pasture hamlet today, where the Appalachian foothills rise above town in every direction. Mr. Rudolph, who is accused of the 1996 Olympic bombing and attacks on abortion clinics, was arrested in Murphy this morning after a five-year manhunt. Federal authorities said that for years he had been living off the land around here, a conservative, woodsy corner of the rural South.
Some people in Murphy expressed a certain amount of respect for the wily survivalist. Others vented a disdain for the federal agents who promised a quick capture.
"We thought it was kind of funny when the feds rolled in here all arrogant," said William Hoyt, an unemployed crafter of birdhouses. "They kept saying they didn't need our help. It put a lot of people off. Nobody around here condones murder, but I think a lot of people weren't sure which side to be on."
As the search intensified over the years, locals cashed in by printing up T-shirts that said "Run, Rudolph, Run," and "Eric Rudolph — Hide and Seek Champion of the World." Many people here had an uneasy relationship with F.B.I. agents, who often said they suspected the local population was providing the fugitive with food and shelter.
"If he came to my door, I'd give him food," Mrs. Davis said. "That's just how we are with strangers."
Today, scenic Murphy, population 1,500, felt as if it were the center of the world. Dozens of satellite television trucks clogged the narrow roads, and with all the reporters and law enforcement officials, it almost looked like Osama bin Laden had been hiding in this land of red-roofed barns and boiled peanuts.
"Who else wants to talk to me? Who else needs an interview?" Mrs. Davis asked, trolling through the throngs of reporters.
In the end, some Murphy residents almost seemed let down. Like the Washington sniper suspects found sleeping alongside the road last fall or the man believed to be the Louisiana serial killer arrested in a tire shop last week, the hunt for the elusive Mr. Rudolph had with a lackluster finish. After five years of searching caves, using heat-seeking military equipment and hundreds of agents, Mr. Rudolph, credited with being able to live off the land, was found picking through the garbage behind a Sav-A-Lot grocery story.
"I guess he lost focus," said Bill Gaither, an assistant high school principal here. "I agree with his views. But not his ways. I'm glad they finally got him."
Indeed, and right after they found an excellent witness- an Indiana county prosecutor attending the Olympics- who not only stated he'd observed two individuals leaving the military-issue ALICE rucksack believed to have contained the bomb, but that one was black and the other white...which doesn't quite sound like Eric Rudolph's style.
Any thoughts as to how the feds will get him to change his testimony to suit their needs? Or do you figure they'll just kill him, and blame that on Rudolph, too.
-archy-/-
Alice Hawthorne "refused to be ordered around by a white cop and got killed as a result?" Your proof, please.
I might be ridiculous and I might be parinoid, but I am not niave or trusting of CNN. Have you forgotten their coverage of the war in Iraq? Have you forgotten Tailwind? Have you forgotten the DC sniper? Have you forgotten Richard Jewell?
Whenever I hear a direct quote, I want to know what was said before the quote and what was said afterwards. That way I know what the context is, so that I can better understand what the quote means. That is not being ridiculous, that is being intellegent. In the case of CNN and other organizations, they have a tendancy to only quote those things that bolster their own position.
Was this quote in the middle of a long (a minute or more)uninterrupted quote from the sister or was there a break (change of camera angle,change to view the interviewer, change to view the surronding scenery, etc.), either before or after the quote?
Now I have no doubt that there are evil people in the world and this guy might be one of them. But CNN has their own agenda and they have been known to lie. Believe everything you see and hear on CNN at your own risk.
Interesting, Roscoe. It looks like Rudolph made no secret of his views about abortion to his brother and his sister-in-law: that white babies shouldn't be aborted, but if it's black babies, he's all for it.
Lady, if you can't see it as a terrorist act, then you need a new eye doctor.
According to some folks, you can, but only if you're an Evil Zionist Conspirator.
Wow, you need to do some research on that subject. However, I was not questioning whether CNN actually altered the video or audio, I was questioning how they might have edited it to take the comment out of context.
But hey, you go ahead and believe everything you see and hear on CNN. You'll be much happier and won't grow into a paranoid and skeptical old guy like me.
He's also accused of using a bomb to kill an abortionist's running dog lackey over in a different state where there's a pretty good chance he will not escape with such a small sentence.
My big problem with the guy is if he used bombs. I think we need laws that prohibit Presidents from pardoning bombers, and we need laws that prohibit a convicted bomber, e.g. a Brent Kimberlin, from talking to anyone beyond his guard.
When you use a bomb it should be presumed you have removed yourself from all human rights.
One of the most intriguing things I've seen over the years is how these pro-abortion folks, particularly those who've had one or more, worked in the business, or lived off the proceeds of an abortionist, always leap to the conclusion that the only punishment anyone could have in mind for anything is death.
Noting that Richard Chamberlain is in the news, he and another gentleman playing in "Blackthorn" were discussing Medieval Japanese criminal punishment standards and up popped a never to be forgotten statement, to wit: "The Japanese are a simple people and they have but one punishment, death!" (Hope I have that all in there correctly).
That may be the problem here - that the pro-abortion crowd are a simple crowd, and they have but one solution for every problem, and that is death, most particularly death of the innocent first.
Must be why they feel no remorse ~ they arrogantly believe they are correct.
They should also believe themselves to be lucky to live in an essentially Christian society. Otherwise it'd be "up against the wall".
And besides, whatinhell does blowing up the Olympics have to do with protesting abortion?
Kind of like you had my post #57 removed from this thread? I'd like to know why, seeing I certainly didn't threaten you. All I did was point out that you weren't completely truthful about muawiyah's comments. And backed it up with the link and exact quote.
Your comment suggests your 'problem' with Rudolph, assuming he is actually guilty, is not with his intent, just with his method
Of course, such a conclusion on my part would ordinarily just be a misunderstanding of the words you chose, but given your demonstrated admiration for the murderer, Kopp....'Atomic Dork isn't it?...I conclude I am sadly correct.
Interesting that someone in the supposed targeted business is not convinced (even after being nearly killed by this guy) that he doesn't like it. As another poster noted, the Identity Church folks would be for abortion if they understood it is used to kill African-American babies. This guy has more than his fair share of Identity Church connections!
Seems to me your li'l buddy was into cop-killing first, and everything else was incidental. He's also a bomber, and that's enough. Examining motives is not necessary to demonstrate that he should be removed from the public scene.
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