Leftist Student Gets Slap on the Wrist for Anti-military Bomb Plot

[Drjones]

Again, can anyone tell me honestly why this idiot is not being tried for treason?

This is sick...

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/11/12/102159.shtml


Leftist Student Gets Slap on the Wrist for Anti-military Bomb Plot

NewsMax.com Wires
Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2003

EVERETT, Wash. – A college student charged with plotting to bomb Coast Guard and Army National Guard stations has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of trying to obtain explosives.
Under a plea agreement disclosed Tuesday, Paul Douglas Revak, 20, hopes to be home by Christmas, said his attorney Thomas W. Hillier II.


'Expressing His Frustration' With Bush

"I don't think Paul has a mean bone in his body. I think he was expressing his frustration with how the administration was dealing with the Iraq situation and got a little carried away," Hillier said.

Revak was arrested in June after investigators said he tried to get another student to help him bomb the Coast Guard station in Bellingham. He was also accused of talking about obtaining or making C-4 explosives and bombing other military installations: Whidbey Island Naval Air Station near Oak Harbor and the Washington Air National Guard and Army National Guard stations near Bellingham International Airport.


'Anarchist' Doesn't Mind Getting Break From the System

According to court papers, the Western Washington University student described himself as an anarchist and gave another student a "manifesto" in which he declared war against the government. He was arrested outside a department store after purchasing a pellet gun.

Federal agents later found camouflage hats, face paint, black gloves, a ski mask, a walkie-talkie and bolt cutters in his dormitory room, but no explosives, according to court documents.

He could have faced up to life in prison if convicted of threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction and solicitation to commit a crime of violence.

Instead he pleaded guilty to attempted receipt of explosives, which carries a maximum prison term of 10 years. He likely will be sentenced to six months to a year and a half, Hillier said, which means he could be released as early as Dec. 5.

"Mr. Revak is only 20, with no prior offenses. Most of what he did was just talk," assistant U.S. attorney Andrew Hamilton said. "We felt that he was culpable, but we had to look at all the factors and what would be the just result."

© 2003 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

[Bigjake]

This clown needs a long drop on the end of a short rope

 

[Norton]

It seems that more and more, the word "treason" is being removed from the lexicon. Exactly what does it take to be tried for an act of treason anymore? This guy makes overt threats against government installations and the goes as far as trying to obtain the materials necessary to follow through on his threats and that's not treason?!!

Sounds like a DA or US Attorney just trying to clear his case load as quickly and painlessly as possible.

 

[Drjones]

Sounds like a DA or US Attorney just trying to clear his case load as quickly and painlessly as possible.

You're joking, right?

Its much more likely that they sympathise with him and honestly don't think he did anything wrong.

 

[Mark Tyson]

Washington University? That's a public university, right? His education is partially financed by the state that he's trying to destroy. I guess that's what the head shrinkers call 'cognitive dissonance', and what others call cynicism and hypocrisy.

As to treason, you need 2 witnesses to an overt act or a confession in court. Buying supplies constitutes taking a step in the direction of carrying out the plot, but I think it's still in the "attempt" or "conspiracy" phase.

 

[Azrael256]

Agreed, treason. Somebody get a rope.

 

[Chris Rhines]

Not treason. Not by the legal definition. I know that it's fun to fantasize about having people hung for their crimes and all, but maybe a bit of self-control may be in order here.

The Constitution of the United States, Art. III, defines treason against the United States to consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid or comfort. This offence is punished with death.

No levying of war, unless you count shooting one's mouth off about 'obtaining or making' C4 (which is not an overt act in any case.) Nor did the defendant give aid or comfort to our enemies, whoever they are.

Sorry to buzzkill the necktie party...

- Chris

 

[w4rma]

Stupid violence-prone extremist.

 

[Zundfolge]

While I don't agree with the USA Patriot Act, under it he could be held indefinately without being charged ... I bet if he was an "RKBA Extremist" who planned on bombing the offices of the VPC, or a Pro-Lifer who planned on bombing an abortion clinic then he would have been arrested and jailed for a long time without being charged ... not given this little slap on the wrist. At the very least the media would have his face up all over the place as the face of evil

 

[Benjamin]

Revak was arrested in June after investigators said he tried to get another student to help him bomb the Coast Guard station in Bellingham. He was also accused of talking about obtaining or making C-4 explosives <snip>

So, according to this article, his planning never exceeded conspiracy to commit acts. At no point did he (per article) possess explosives.

Yes, he had facepaint, camo, and bolt cutters. Apparently, Walter Mitty syndrome isn't limited to any particular ideology.

While a sentence of a few months may be on the light end, shooting one's mouth off, purchasing a pellet gun and entertaining notions of anarchism while in college do not warrant death.

 

[Blain]

Amen to that, brother. This is supposed to be a free country.....no longer. Maybe it never was.

 

[Geech]

Not treason. Not by the legal definition. I know that it's fun to fantasize about having people hung for their crimes and all, but maybe a bit of self-control may be in order here.

It's seditious conspiracy, which does indeed count as a form of treason.

 

[Drjones]

So what you dissenters are saying is that we should stop hunting terrorists, stop trying to prevent their attacks on America, right?

After all, it's a free country! They can talk all they want about flying more planes into more buildings, right?

 

[c_yeager]

I attended Western Washington University for two quarters when i was 19. Those months are the single greatest factor in me defining myself as a conservative today. It is the MOST liberal institution and body of people in an already liberal state. It is FAR more liberal that even Seattle (hard to believe isnt it?). I can honestly say that seeing all those pathetically ignorant bleeding heart liberals gave me a BIG wakeup call. And that is why i left the place. And to think, i considered myself to be a liberal when i started there. Once you see the ugly face of liberalism en mass a lot of things start making sense.

With that said i have to point out that he really didnt commit what i define as treason. According to the article he "TALKED" about obtaining explosives. That is a far cry from actually TRYING to obtain them. All he actually did is TALK about commiting a crime. And that in itself really shouldnt be a crime. If that were the case every writter of fiction would be behind bars.

 

[rayra]

It isnt't about chit-chat, it's about intent.
That the little anarcho-schmuck didn't get his plan accomplished before one of his pals called the cops, should NOT be minimizing the charges against him. He failed, We The People should not.
He should have been charged and punished to the maximum extent allowed by law. Not Plead Out.

 

[c_yeager]

Rayra, that is so AMAZINGLY close to enforcing "thought crimes" that its scary. Im not quite ready to live in that world just yet.

 

[Dashunde]

ah... this kid is just a goofball with face paint and a big mouth, with a good dose of stupidity mixed in. Probably would have blown himself up by accident....

 

[Art Eatman]

Just another case of arrested intellectual development. If we jailed them all, we'd need to double the number of prisons. He'd have been right at home with the SDS of the 1970s. All mouth.

Hard to get excited over some doofus with a pellet rifle...If that's his idea of armament, he'd probably have blown himself apart had he been able to acquire any explosives..."A consumation devoutly to be wished."

, Art

 

[Joe Demko]

Good lord. Did I mistakenly click on Sesame Street? It seems that I did and the word for today is "treason." Some folks seem to have a grubby, deep-seated need to get a rope around someone's neck lately.

 

[Spot77]

QUOTE

According to court papers, the Western Washington University student described himself as an anarchist and gave another student a "manifesto" in which he declared war against the government

----------------------------------------


Seems to fit the definition to me.

If I didn't think that this kid was just a kid looking for attention then I'd say lock him up for a while. Stupidity isn't a crime, but it sure needs to be corrected.

And as to this being Sesame Street......well I'll just take the high road and watch the conversation without trying to insult anybody

 

[Jonesy9]

yikes! why do people believ evrything they read on Newsmax? The Hillary hatchet job is funny. But taking things out of context and printing them in a way to maximize shock effect and even misrepresenting them ultimatley is bad for the cause, even if it does get the rubes stirred up.

I wonder how that investigation is going at the White House to out the senior official who actually committed an act of treason? Haven't heard a word on it in months.

 

[rayra]

c_yeager
Rayra, that is so AMAZINGLY close to enforcing "thought crimes" that its scary. Im not quite ready to live in that world just yet.

Then you are just as obviously not ready to live in the REAL world, either.
This ISN'T thought crime.
This terrorist WROTE his Manifesto.
He attempted CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY by trying to get others to join his cause.
He DECLARED his intent to bomb US Military installations.
He DECLARED his intent and desire to obtain or manufacture high-powered explosives to use in these crimes.

How on Earth do you define those things as 'Thought Crime' - those or REAL acts that he COMMITED. Not some random musings over a beer.


Reading that nonsense viewpoint, I'm sure you make similar excusing noises about protesters carrying placards saying 'STOP BUSH' where the 'O' is a bloody bullet hole.
http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

Or Kucinich's latest campaign Flash-Ad, where the People are asked -
"How many more will die before we find it within ourselves to remove him?"
http://www.kucinich.us/dk.html

"Thought Crime" my eye.

 

[rayra]

Golgo-13
Good lord. Did I mistakenly click on Sesame Street?

That is ironically hilarious, considering your namesake is a cartoon/anime assassin.

 

[DaveB]

This terrorist WROTE his Manifesto.
He attempted CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY by trying to get others to join his cause.
He DECLARED his intent to bomb US Military installations.
He DECLARED his intent and desire to obtain or manufacture high-powered explosives to use in these crimes.

You have a future with the Department of Homeland Security. Ah, yes, suspicion of intent to conspire - off with his head.

I wonder how that investigation is going at the White House to out the senior official who actually committed an act of treason? Haven't heard a word on it in months.

I hope for your sake that you're not holding your breath...

db

 

[Joe Demko]

Irony:
[n] incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs; "the irony of Ireland's copying the nation she most hated"
[n] witty language used to convey insults or scorn; "he used sarcasm to upset his opponent"; "irony is wasted on the stupid"
[n] a trope that involves incongruity between what is expected and what occurs

One guesses you either are using a more obscure definition of irony or that you chose the word ironic without really knowing what it meant. Of course, it could also simply be that you are making the mistake of thinking that any animated film must automatically be for a juvenile audience.

Either way, the word treason has been thrown around here a lot today together with calls for executions. If nothing else, it does rather nicely illustrate that just because we all like guns doesn't mean we are all going to like each other. I prefer the status quo in the way this country is run, with all its faults, to what we'd have with some of my fellow THR members steering the ship. That would be a regime i wouldn't hesitate to overthrow.