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From: chas@ihuxe.UUCP (Charles Lambert)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: In the service of the citizen.
Message-ID: <1140@ihuxe.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 17-May-85 10:38:24 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxe.1140
Posted: Fri May 17 10:38:24 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 18-May-85 02:14:06 EDT
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Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
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> Well I pretty much have the same opinion of the Philadelphia incident
> from the TV news.  However, I also read the news papers,

Implying, I guess, that the newspapers are inherently more reliable than
the immediate media (I get my first information from Public Radio). While
the retrospective reporting of a newspaper allows for more considered
commentary, it also allows the principals to compose face-saving statements.

> Except for shooting at police and fire fighters, no one was home.

On-the-spot reports, broadcast during the afternoon of the action, stated
that NO gunfire had been heard from the house since early morning.  This
was the staement of officers on the spot and of witnessing reporters. I see
no reason to grant it any less credence than subsequent claims by oficials
trying to justify thier actions.

> ....                                                    Statements from
> the fire department indicated they were not going into a hostile situation
> when no risk of life was there (other than the MOVE people which the police
> were bent on killing anyway).

Oh, well that's Ok then.

In any case, the police had been training deluge-guns on the house all day.
They may not be as effective as fire-hoses, but they're better than just
standing and gawping.

> The bomb was a silly course because it was so uncontrolled.  There
> doesn't seem to be any precedent for this,

As you say, it was uncontrolled.  There is a very good precedent for the
use of explosive in breaking a siege.  In the Balcome Street seige against
a terrorist group in London, who were holed-up in a row-house, an elite force
punctured the party wall from the adjoining house, simultaneously gaining
entry and causing such confusion that they were able to rescue the group's
hostages without harm to them or the attacking team.

Charlie @ the Death Star, IL.