Prank vs. Terrorism

[Tiassa]

Non-Terror Alert: Aloha, Oregon

Two explosive devices detonated in Aloha, Oregon yesterday; one went off in a portable toilet at Arnold Park, injuring one, while the other blew up a nearby private residence mailbox only minutes later.

Washington County Sheriff's deputies are searching for the person who placed two explosive devices at a public park and inside someone's mailbox on Saturday afternoon.

One woman was hurt by the first explosion inside a porta-potty at Arnold Park around 12:30 pm.

The explosions were caused by mixing chemicals together in a container, like a water or soda bottle, according to deputies.

The device was placed inside the toilet area and exploded several minutes later, when the woman happened to be inside, according to officials.

She was at the park attending a high school girls softball tournament along with 200 players and their families from all over the Northwest.

Shortly after the blast, deputies evacuated the park and searched the porta-potties for additional devices, but did not find any in the park.

"People who heard something thought it sounded like a ball had hit the porta-potty," said RJ Puterbaugh, who was running the snack bar for the tournament.

The victim was visiting from Spokeane and was treated for a bloody head, according to Puterbaugh, before paramedics rushed her to the hospital.

(KOMO News)​

Instructions for manufacturing low-grade explosive devices made in water bottles are readily available on the internet; in January, 2013, reports of Drano bombs rattled the Tri-Cities area in eastern Washington State.

To the one, it is easy to see how this sort of thing can be an irresponsible form of juvenile fun; my friends and I destroyed a model airplane with a Molotov cocktail when I was in high school—we got an A on the project.

But, to the other this is not the sort of thing we really need. Really? Injuring someone in a portable toilet just for a lark?

Meanwhile, life goes on. Nobody died. Hope the stitches don't leave too many scars.

Although it's true; even if this was just a juvenile prank, I still expect the perpetrators, if caught, to be charged under TWAT.
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Notes:

KOMO News. "1 injured after chemical device explodes in Ore. Porta-Potty". June 22, 2014. SeattlePI.com. June 22, 2014. http://www.seattlepi.com/local/komo...r-chemical-device-explodes-in-Ore-5570935.php

Tri-City Herald. "Kennewick police investigating rash of 'Drano bomb' mailbox explosions". January 23, 2013. Tri-CityHerald.com. June 22, 2014. http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2013/01/23/2247145/kennewick-police-investigating.html

 

[Kittamaru]

I am of the opinion we need to drop the whole "kid gloves" juvenile prosecution thing down to, I dunno... 10? Around 10/12 years old, you certainly know "right from wrong"... or at least, you should.

 

[Fraggle Rocker]

Although it's true; even if this was just a juvenile prank, I still expect the perpetrators, if caught, to be charged under TWAT.

The world hasn't yet come up with a universally accepted definition of "terrorism." Nonetheless, one point that virtually all of them agree on is that terrorism is politically motivated.

Stupid kids with too much spare time and not enough supervision vandalizing a toilet, even if they actually intended to cause harm, are punks, not terrorists. To prosecute them as terrorists is ridiculous.

In fact, this overreach of government powers is exactly the kind of thing that causes a great many of us to be pissed off at our government, and might motivate a few people to engage in terrorism out of anger and frustration.