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Why So Serious?
Does
violent art inspire violent deeds? The Roanake Times is
reporting that 18-year-olds Justin Colby Dirico and Bryan Eugene
Stafford have been charged with conspiracy to commit an act of
terrorism after allegedly leaving playing cards inscribed with
threatening messages scattered around town, a stunt inspired by
Heath Ledger's turn as the Joker in The Dark Knight. From
the story:
[Police Chief J.C.] Martin would not say how they identified the suspects but said the teens admitted Tuesday during police interviews they were responsible for the cards, which they patterned after elements of "The Dark Knight." Both were charged with conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism.
[...]
Four cards were also found at the Christiansburg Kmart between Aug. 7 and Sunday, Reid said. The cards had "Joker" written on them and Reid said police considered them threatening. The threats on the Christiansburg cards were less specific than the ones found in Pearisburg, but they also referred to Aug. 15.
The teenagers "were real remorseful. They said they never had any intentions of harming anybody," Martin said after talking with them. He said it appeared to be "a prank that kind of got out of hand."
Obviously these guys are morons and jerks, but conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism? Seems a little steep. I'm assuming the authorities will dial back the charges after these idiots have been sufficiently spooked.
Whole thing here. For more on the funny books, check out reason on the long, gory life of EC Comics and on Marvel Comics and American plenitude.
|8.18.08 @ 12:42PM|#
Zero Tolerance! We must make an example of these people, so the
terrrists[sic] will know we mean bizniss!
I mean, if you treat this as a simple police matter, you might
think these guys are just immature simpletons, and let them go with
a slap on the wrist, and a warning to, "smarten the fuck up,
son."
And then where would we be? We'd be inviting terror into our homes,
schools, and churches, that's where.
|8.18.08 @ 12:45PM|#
The Roanake Times is reporting...
Where the hell is Roanake? Is it anywhere near Bostan?
|8.18.08 @ 12:49PM|#
I'm assuming the authorities will dial back the charges
after these idiots have been sufficiently spooked.
Haven't you been reading your Balko?
|8.18.08 @ 12:51PM|#
I'm assuming the authorities will dial back the charges
after these idiots have been sufficiently spooked.
I'm really not sure that's a reasonable assumption anymore.
Elemenope|8.18.08 @ 12:52PM|#
The police thought that "Joker" sounded like a Muslim name.
Al-Joker?
Yeah, but if you even attempt to pronounce "Al-joker" in a vaguely
Semitic way, you end up with [Al Roker]. And Al the weatherman
doesn't scare anyone but Lewis Black.
JustSayNOMcSame!!|8.18.08 @ 12:53PM|#
These kids just bought a one-way ticket to Gitmo.
No habeous corpus for them in Bushco's AmeriKKKa.
One more reason ALL Libertarians should vote for Barack Obama and
free these poor kids.
|8.18.08 @ 12:57PM|#
This actually took place in Pembroke, Va which is the definition of middle of nowhere. It's a tiny little town with maybe 4 or 5 stoplights, if that. I expect the cops were looking for any excuse they could find to use the word "TERRORISM" in the police blotter since shoplifting and domestic violence gets old after a while.
Junter Klops|8.18.08 @ 1:03PM|#
People should just ignore these anonymous prank "threats". The
false alarm rate is so high that giving them any attention at all
is an over-reaction. Unfortunately, people are irrational and freak
out about them. But because everyone knows that people will be
stupid and freak out about things like this, doing this
intentionally does make you a terrorist in that you knowingly
conspired to produce terror. But this doesn't mean you need to
punish anyone for it, otherwise we would need to ban halloween and
april fool's pranks.
And why do I suspect everyone would be bashing the TSA if these
kids had intentionally put these cards in their luggage? We'd be
saying that the TSA were a bunch of stupid paranoid dolts instead
of calling these kids a bunch of stupid miscreants.
|8.18.08 @ 1:08PM|#
It's never been proven that the Joker wasn't working in concert with Ra's al-Ghoul.
Abdul|8.18.08 @ 1:13PM|#
The most interesting part of the story is that the kids weren't caught by the cops. Instead, they were found dangling from a bat-rope outside the police commissioner's office.
Naga Sadow|8.18.08 @ 1:16PM|#
Something tells me this podunk little town is going to get some nice grants from Homeland security after this is all over.
Naga Sadow|8.18.08 @ 1:19PM|#
JustSayNOMcSame,
Why are there three K's in AmeriKKKa? Wait . . . Kanye West? Is
that you?
Naga Sadow|8.18.08 @ 1:29PM|#
Occam's Toothbrush,
Just be glad they stooped the Scarecrow from poisoning the town's
water supply.
Naga Sadow|8.18.08 @ 1:30PM|#
Bruce Wayne: They told me there was nothing out there, nothing to fear. But the night my parents were murdered I caught a glimpse of something. I've looked for it ever since. I went around the world, searched in all the shadows. And there is something out there in the darkness, something terrifying, something that will not stop until it gets revenge... Me.
Kolohe|8.18.08 @ 1:44PM|#
Yes, this is an overreaction.
But also for context, Virginia Tech is about 6 miles up the road
from Christiansburg (and if the K-mart* is near the New River
Valley Mall, even closer)
*there was only a walmart there when I was a montgomery county
denizen.
|8.18.08 @ 1:51PM|#
The cards had more than just a mere "joker" written on them. The
story does say "they also referred to Aug. 15", so there definitely
was more on them. Without knowing what exactly was on them I can't
judge whether it was just a harmless prank. The story tries to make
it seem harmless, but there's more to it.
Did they deliver a bunch of cards with threats of violence on them?
That's pretty serious, and not something to be dismissed as a mere
mooninite prank. "Terrorism" might not be the right charge, but
"threatening to commit mass violence" could be.
Yes, they kids probably meant it as a harmless prank, but that
doesn't mean they should be shielded from the consequences of their
actions.
Rimfax|8.18.08 @ 2:02PM|#
There just isn't much to do in Giles County. Pearisburg is the home of 2 of the county's 4 stop lights. Montgomery County's New River Mall is downright cosmopolitan by comparison.
kinnath|8.18.08 @ 2:04PM|#
Life would be so much easier if terrorists actually left playing cards with clues laying around.
Naga Sadow|8.18.08 @ 2:05PM|#
Brandybuck,
So you believe it should fall under a "yell fire in a crowded
theater"? Or simple malecious mischief charge?
Naga Sadow|8.18.08 @ 2:15PM|#
Citizen Nothing,
Does he shake his fist and wave his cane as you're running away
after toilet papering his house?
Jon|8.18.08 @ 2:21PM|#
Oh look! My hometown makes a name for itself.
The reason Roanoke is involved is that it's the closest Federal
court if I understand correctly.
Fucking ridiculous. Honestly I think the prank is a bit hilarious.
I would love to leaflet my town with Joker cards, not really
leaving threatening messages. But I might put the "Why so Serious"
motto on them.
Episiarch|8.18.08 @ 2:25PM|#
This town deserves a better class of criminal...and I'm gonna give it to them.
Steve Verdon|8.18.08 @ 2:28PM|#
I'm assuming the authorities will dial back the charges after these idiots have been sufficiently spooked.
Damon meet Radley Balko.
Radley...hit Damon with a clue bat.
kinnath|8.18.08 @ 2:38PM|#
kinnath wins.
Just like when the bench warmer puts up a shot from half court at
the buzzer.
Don\'t know nuthin\' \'bout ba|8.18.08 @ 2:41PM|#
Just like when the bench warmer puts up a shot from half court.
Bench...? shot...? court...? sounds like this guy just threatened a
judge! Lock 'im up!
Elemenope|8.18.08 @ 3:00PM|#
No fair! I haven't seen "The Dark Knight" yet!
Oh for the love of...
GO SEE IT!
Consider this your daily peer pressure announcement.
Old Geezer|8.18.08 @ 3:12PM|#
Naga, get thee to a cinema, post-haste.
Gotta wait until its on DVD so I can pause it every time I gotta go
to piss.
|8.18.08 @ 3:16PM|#
So you believe it should fall under a "yell fire in a crowded theater"? Or simple malecious mischief charge?
Probably malicious mischief.
But I really don't know what was on the cards. Everyone here is
acting like the only thing they said was "joker". But from the
story we don't know what they said. I do know, however, that if I
called in a fake bomb threat to a school, I would be in a world of
hurt if I got caught. That's the category I would place this
in.
The mooninite gag was a complete misinterpretation by the Boston
police. But I'm not sure this one was a misinterpretation. The
intent could have been to get the cops all riled up over fake
terrorist evidence. Charging them with terrorism is out of line, as
I said before, but a good swift kick (metaphorical only) in the
nuts might be in order.
Old Geezer|8.18.08 @ 3:19PM|#
Charging them with terrorism is out of line, as I said
before, but a good swift kick (metaphorical only) in the nuts might
be in order.
Da yutes are 18, so dey is adults. Best thing to do is a perp walk
wid lots o' cameras just before da six o'clock news.
Naga Sadow|8.18.08 @ 3:33PM|#
Elemenope,
Peer pressure doesn't work on me. Kinda how jedi mind tricks don't
work on you.
Naga Sadow|8.18.08 @ 3:37PM|#
Brandybuck,
It's always in the authorities interest to exaggerate as much as
possible though. I was thinking the same thing as you I guess.
Neu Mejican|8.18.08 @ 5:47PM|#
Does violent art inspire violent deeds?
Sometimes, yes.
Are violent acts inspired by violent art?
Sometimes, yes.
Does this mean we should have laws against violent art?
No.
As for these jokers and their threatening cards...same as calling
in a bomb threat...but that has been covered.
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