Peggy Noonan: Hippocratic Oafs

Opinion Journal ^ | 09/20/2002 | Peggy Noonan

[Pokey78]

The story is over. It's yesterday's headline.

Everyone involved has begun to recede back into normal life insofar as they had normal lives. But before it becomes just another strange memory of 2002, a worthy wave goodbye.

Eunice Stone of Georgia is reportedly recovering from the chest pains that led her to check herself into a local hospital. The diagnosis was stress. The three young Muslim men with whom she had her now-famous encounter have reportedly announced they will not sue her, which is certainly gracious of them.

[Pokey78]

Pinging the Peggy list.

[mass55th]

I'm glad to see that Peggy and I think along the same lines. This was my scenario that I posted the other day here on FR.

[JulieRNR21]

Another great one from Peggy....she's got those medical Moslems 'pegged' exactly right.

Their lawyer probably advised them that they'd be in trouble if they admitted playing a 'joke' on Eunice stone so they denied everything.

[NEWwoman]

bttt

Good editorial!

[LiteKeeper]

ping too

[Happygal]

Ye know what?
You'd know there's a bit of Irish in Peggy Noonan.
Not only because of of her 'rounded' use of words?
But because she says it as it is, but says it in such a motherly way that you believe it more.

If you asked me to pick Anne Coulter over Peggy Noonan.
I'd go Noonan every time.
She's wonderful

(And that's coming from an Irish journalist national)

[ladyinred]

Does this woman ever miss? She writes the most thought provoking essays available today. I am always sure to be entertained and moved when I click on an article with her by line. Thanks for posting this. Peggy is dead right as usual.

[crazykatz]

Hey...read this one....she is RIGHT ON....unlike you, who support the muslim liars-trio!!

[demkicker]

I love the "Hippocratic Oafs".... Too perfect!

[henderson field]

Is there some special reason why the three muslims should not be deported? Do we need them here that badly? Are there compensating benefits to their presence here? And why is the INS not involved and reviewing whether or not they should stay?

[MissAmericanPie]

I resent that D.C. expects Americans to live with this risk and this stress. They could just as easily have been suicide bombers, famous in Israel for blowing up restaurants.

These turkey's in D.C. think we will not only put up with this but continue to vote for them. Wrong.

Every imcumbent should be toss'ed out of office over and over and over until they get the message.

[crazykatz]

Personally, I would send them packing.... off to a society MORE like their style of behavior... someplace like... islamicly lame, Saudi Arabia!!

[kayak]

Hell, we're the only nation on earth that is now nostalgic for paranoia.

What a great line! And she's absolutely right!

[Maximum Leader]

Well, two of them appear to be US citizens, and the third may be (I've read that he is, but some reports say he's only here on a visa). You can't deport citizens and its a pain to deport.
This is what can be done... Clearly the students made terrorist threats and it appears the students changed their stories to the Florida police. They can be charged under both Georgia (with a felony) and Florida law (with a misdemeanor):

In Georgia:
16-11-37.

(a) A person commits the offense of a terroristic threat when he
threatens to commit any crime of violence or to burn or damage
property with the purpose of terrorizing another or of causing the
evacuation of a building, place of assembly, or facility of public
transportation or otherwise causing serious public inconvenience, or
in reckless disregard of the risk of causing such terror or
inconvenience. No person shall be convicted under this subsection on
the uncorroborated testimony of the party to whom the threat is
communicated.


and in Florida:
837.05 False reports to law enforcement authorities.--

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), whoever knowingly gives false information to any law enforcement officer concerning the alleged commission of any crime, commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

[woofie]

This is exactly what I assumed happen....Peggy is dead on

[HiTech RedNeck]

It would seem the 5th amendment covers the "false reports" allegation. What does "subsection (2)" say? Something like "Except for a crime for which the person in question is suspected or accused?"

[Maximum Leader]

The Fifth Amendment protects you from having to make a statement to the police. If you open your mouth, you can be prosecuted for making a false report.

As for subsection 2, it raised the crime to a felony if you lie in a capital felony case (in other words, murder. Though Florida may still have rape on the books as a capital felony case, even though you can't be executed for rape anymore).

(2) Whoever knowingly gives false information to a law enforcement officer concerning the alleged commission of a capital felony, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

[Dianna]

It's why Southern men and women join the armed forces in such high numbers, and why, if the sister were ever attacked by a terrorist, they'd risk their lives to save her sorry, sanctimonious little . . . Well, as I watched I got a little mad.

This line is my favorite. Peggy always seems to me to be so serene and calm that this made me giggle a little.

[HiTech RedNeck]

So if you falsely confess to a murder, that itself is a felony? What alternative world have we moved into?