22 February 2010

Idiot of the Week: Her Dad's a "Hero"

Perhaps I should make allowances for family loyalty, but I won't in this case. The daughter of the Austin terrorist who murdered an IRS worker during his suicide flight into an office building last week has given an interview in which, from the safety of her home in Norway, she says that, even though the terror attack was "inappropriate" and even "wrong," her father should be regarded as a "hero" because "now maybe people will listen."

Listen to what, exactly. To the sentiments of the father's suicide manifesto, in which he states that "violence is the only solution" to his perceived oppression by the Internal Revenue Service? Or was violence the only solution to government bailouts of banks and auto companies? The dutiful daughter didn't specify. She said only that "I do agree about the government." I suppose that's why she lives under a different one. Perhaps her absence from English speakers impedes her clarity on sensitive points. "If nobody comes out and speaks up on behalf of injustice, then nothing will ever be accomplished," she told ABC. I don't think that sentence means what she thinks it means.

The man the pilot murdered also has a child. He has something to say as well.

"People say (Stack) is a patriot. What's he a patriot for? He hasn't served the country. My dad did two tours of Vietnam and this guy is going to be a patriot and no one is going to say that about my dad?"

The only thing is, I'm not sure who's calling the pilot a patriot. The last time I looked, the Tea Partier and anti-government types were on the counterattack, brandishing the pilot's hostile remarks on capitalism to prove that he was a man of the left and not one of them. Based on my reading of the manifesto, they're half right. The pilot wasn't one of them, but he wasn't a leftist either. But some people may still know only that he attacked the IRS and have formed their conclusions accordingly. Of course, if anyone really is calling this monster a patriot, they belong alongside his daughter in the Idiot of the Week competition.

Afterword: Here's a libertarian blog that claims, on pretty small evidence, that leftist bloggers are trying to build the pilot into a "folk hero."

3 comments:

hobbyfan said...

I read an article online earlier with the same quotes you used, Sammy. Family loyalty is one thing, but Stack is anything but a hero, and anyone buying into the delusion that he is just doesn't get it.

Anonymous said...

Anyone who claims that Stack was anything other than a terrorist ought to be immediately airdropped in either Iraq or Afghanistan so they can explain to our military personnel exactly why acts of terrorism against the United States is a good thing. Then they should be given about a 30 second headstart.

d.eris said...

I saw an updated report yesterday saying that Stack's daughter basically retracted her statement and agreed with the criticism and statement by the victim's family. Dunno all the details though. Maybe she only deserves "idiot of the day" status ;-)