In 2002, two batty female religious, equipped with a hammer, pliers and baby bottles filled with blood skulked their way onto a military base and managed to paint crosses on on a missile silo.
For their stupidity the two sisters, Sister Carol Gilbert and Sister Ardeth Platte got 30 and 41 months in federal prison respectively. Now, the two have been placed on Maryland’s terrorist list and placed on a national watch list.
[Washington Times] “This term ‘terrorist’ is a really serious accusation,” Sister Ardeth, a nun for 54 years, told The Washington Times on Thursday in the first interview that the women have given since being informed they were among 53 people added to a terrorist watch list in conjunction with an extensive Maryland surveillance effort of antiwar activists.
“There is no way that we ever want to be identified as terrorists. We are nonviolent. We are faith-based,” she said.
I assume that they anticipated being branded as foolish, irresponsible, and irrelevant, but terrorists? The nuns claim that the designation as terrorists is based their mis-identification in some protests. That may be true, clearly they have also been misidentified as nuns.
One follow up question. Were the security folks who allowed a bunch of over the hill radicals in ugly pantsuits to trespass on a military base and get access to a Minuteman III missile silo put on a list too?
If our Gov’t is keeping tabs on where a couple of irrelevant religious are, I sure hope they are keeping track of the inept as well. I am a little more worried about them.
October 10, 2008 at 5:27 am
Wait, you're *upset* that two mildly deranged folks who trespassed on a high-security area and caused damage got put on the "watch these guys" list?
Being on a terrorist watch list does NOT mean you're a terrorist. It means you have warnings that warrant a closer look. Like a guy I knew while I was in the Navy, named John Brown; the name itself was enough to make sure a closer look was taken.
Last time I checked, B&E and vandalism are both rather against the morals of most faiths.
They broke laws that, last time I checked, *no* reasonable person was claiming were immoral.
What if they decide to help "protest" groups survey gov't complexes, and those "protest" groups happen to include a William Ayers style protester who plants a nail bomb?
We are faith-based
So were the murderous unspeakables that crashed into several buildings a few years back.
The article shows a rather annoying lack of understanding of the purpose of a watch list.
I’m rather disgusted to see someone defending lawbreakers because folks failed to stop them; what next, theives are excused because folks didn’t happen to catch them in the act?
BTW, link isn’t working. Try:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/10/protesting-nuns-branded-terrorists/
October 10, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Seems to me, being on the “terrorist watch list” is very much like having to wear the dunce cap at school.
October 10, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Don’t underestimate the evil of little old ladies; remember Madame Ceaucescu and Mrs. Mao Tze Dung. Historically, little old ladies are the ones to cut the throats of the wounded after a battle. To patronize these two because of their age is age discrimination. Nail ’em.
— Mack
October 10, 2008 at 1:04 pm
fffs,
I am not upset in the least about the biddies being branded terrorists. You do something idiotic like that and you get what is coming to you.
Who defended lawbreakers? Sheesh.
My point is, we should keep a closer eye on the more aggressive type of terrorist if these silly ol’ ladies could waltz up to a missile silo with their walkers and spray paint.
October 10, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Vat2 all over again, did away with the rules and shed the habits and look what happened, where is mother superior when you need her, couple of dingbats, as Catholics we are taught the power of prayer, not making asses of our selves and nuns in particular
October 10, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Of course one might argue that since nuclear warfare is intrinsically immoral, those who trespass and “vandalize” missile sites should be treated the same as those who trespass and vandalize abortuaries.
But that wouldn’t be “conservative” ™.
October 10, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Yes. We should just demolish all of our nuclear weapons. Let’s get rid of all of our weapons, in fact. Peace, love and all that, right?
October 10, 2008 at 3:01 pm
“Of course one might argue that since nuclear warfare is intrinsically immoral, those who trespass and “vandalize” missile sites should be treated the same as those who trespass and vandalize abortuaries.
But that wouldn’t be “conservative” ™.”
But we don’t have 45,000,000+ dead from nuclear war since 1973 in the United States alone…and we do have that number of unborn infants casually slaughtered in the abortuaries so beloved by liberals of all denominational stripes. Nothing like a progressive Catholic to enter the door marked exit.
October 10, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I’m really at a loss as to the idiocy of these comments. There is trespassing, there is vandalism and there is terrorism. Apparently some peoples’ minds have completely turned to mush due to the blurring of pesky concepts such as definitions.
Trespassing on a military, government or otherwise secure area is a crime, and so is vandalism (assuming we as Christians accept painting crosses ANYWHERE as vandalism, and I personally don’t). But these nuns did not incapacitate the site, nor did they enter with any objects which had the power to do so. Ergo, it is moronic to have them charged as terrorists. Criminals, yes. But absolutely not terrorists.
October 10, 2008 at 6:08 pm
There is trespassing, there is vandalism and there is terrorism.
There are terrorisim watch lists, and there is actually charging someone with terrorisim.
They previously broke into a secured area and spread blood around for their idiological goals.
They were jailed for this.
It’s simple logic: “Hm, convicted of lawbreaking that targeted the US Gov. Better keep an eye on them, just in case.”
It’s the same way that Eminem had to be investigated when he said something or other that could be interpreted as wishing V.P. Cheney dead; if someone has warning signs, you keep an eye on them.
October 10, 2008 at 8:41 pm
No, you’re not using logic at all and have no concept of the criminal code. You seem to think the government has unlimmited resources and personell to “watch” everone put on the terrorist watchlist. The system is so back-logged that many REAL terrorists (you remember them? the ones which actually cause death and destruction?) entered AND exited the US freely simply because of lack of resources.
Putting these nuns on a terrorist watch list is like making a soccer-mom toss out her baby’s bottle at the airport because it has too much liquid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Did I mention stupid?
October 10, 2008 at 8:55 pm
You are being irrational, as well as making some rather large assumptions about what I do or do not know.
Two people who have shown they will break the law, that they disagree with a section of the government, and that they will commit property damage are put on a government list of people who will break the cause damage in pursuit of their beliefs.
You object to it because…why? They’re older? They’re women? They’re nuns?
Oh, very logical. Right up there with property damage not mattering if it’s in the form of a symbol you like. Because we all know that Jesus told us to go forth and do graffiti in his name.
October 10, 2008 at 9:27 pm
What part of criminal do you NOT understand? I said VERY specifically that they are CRIMINALS; they are guilty of TRESSPASS and VANDALISM. The fact that these crimes, MISDEMEANORS when committed in the private sector, were done to a government agency does NOT make them terrorists, NOR should it merit them being put on a terrorist watch list. Vandalism watch list? Sure. Why not.
anyway, you don’t seem capable of rational discussion at this point so let’s just move on.
October 10, 2008 at 9:43 pm
You are behaving irrationally, and have yet to make a decent argument– or even answer what was actually argued. Instead, you make personal attacks about how the other person doesn’t make any sense.
You also seem to have no idea what the purpose of the national watch list *is:*
Who gets included in the TSDB?
Per HSPD-6, only individuals who are known or appropriately suspected to be or have been engaged in conduct constituting, in preparation for, in aid of, or related to terrorism are included in the TSDB.
http://www.fbi.gov/terrorinfo/counterrorism/faqs.htm#FAQ2
Breaking into a controlled area and causing damage for ideological reasons would fall under the “related to” section; anyone responding would have to assume it was a terror action, because they used blood.
October 10, 2008 at 9:47 pm
John Hetman wrote “Nothing like a progressive Catholic to enter the door marked exit.”
Why are we bringing the gays into this?
October 10, 2008 at 9:59 pm
anyone responding would have to assume it was a terror action, because they used blood.
*rolling eyes* Riiiight. Because everyone knows blood is a weapon of mass distruction. Please refer back to my “stupid, stupid, stupid” comment. This just keeps getting better and better.
I weep for the next generation. The school system has obviously failed you.
October 10, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Terror does not require a weapon of “mass destruction.”
Ask folks who have HIV from blood if blood is dangerous. And HIV is just the best known of the highly dangerous things you can get from blood of unknown origin.
Are you going to suggest that the Anthrax letters can’t be terror related, because they are also lacking in “weapons of mass destruction”?
If *you* are an example of the good old days of education, apparently the public schools aren’t as bad as I thought.
October 11, 2008 at 1:03 am
Actually, I think they’ve been properly identified…fake nuns such as these and Fr. Joan in Rochester should fully be on a terrorist list. (Liturgical terrorism)
October 11, 2008 at 1:38 am
If you are afraid of bullfrogs, then you might be terrised by someone with a Kermit t-shirt. So, now you’re saying that because certain people feared the blood these nuns were carrying (assuming it was human) may have carried HIV then they are terrorists? Do you have any idea how inane that sounds? Do you have any idea how long HIV lasts in blood plasma before it (AND the blood plasma) is rendered useless? And you are actually comparing HIV tainted blood to anthrax, which can be deadly if airborn???
Because you are obviously used to getting your way after a tantrum, as a gentlman I will now wrap it up here and allow you to say whatever stupid, inane thing you can come up with for the rest of this thread.
October 11, 2008 at 1:57 am
Deusdonat-
Apparently, you’re use to folks folding under your attempts at browbeating (“at a loss as to the idiocy of these comment”, “you’re not using logic at all and have no concept of the criminal code”) and emotional manipulation. (“assuming we as Christians accept painting crosses ANYWHERE as vandalism”, “making a soccer-mom toss out her baby’s bottle.”)
You refuse to offer any rational argument, do not support your assertions, and constantly make attacks that would be unworthy of a child. (“The school system has obviously failed you”)
If you believe those to be the actions of a gentleman, then I can see why so many of the old feminists turned out as better as they are.