Comments on: Publicity Stunt Suspects Released

2 Men Accused Of Putting Electronic Ads For Cartoon Around Boston Prompting Scare

[jah434s]

Even though we are in a post 9/11 world, I don't think Turner or Interference, Inc. has any fault in this matter. It was a completely harmless device placed for advertising purposes. There is absolutely nothing illegal about that. Just because some overconcerned citizen called in and reported it to the police doesn't mean they should be held liable for the fear that was put into that person by terrorism.

The police just did their job by securing the area, checking out the devices and taking them down.

However, the media as well as public officials are the ones blowing this way out of proportion. The device was not harmful, nor did it appear to be as evidenced by the lack of complaints in any other city.

These companies should not be held liable for public officials being upset because they lost some money to an over-zealous citizen.

[bildooreilly]

hey if you can find one of these signs still hanging somewhere, I bet they'd fetch a good price on ebay.. lol

[bildooreilly]

Seriously here's 2 ordinairy americans being crucified by the extremists and their war of error. Talk about a bunch of cowardly fools, those officials in Boston should resign. You know why these guys are so happy, their lawyer already told them about the big lawsuit he was going to file against the city for their bogus arrest. That's why they're happy lol... I hope they sue those scumbags down at Boston city hall for all they're worth.

[exusmcsgt]

r_bayless -

It is indeed a pleasure doing business with you, sir.

[bildooreilly]

These 2 guys are the real life stoner jay and silent bob... except the long haired dude talks... give them a tv show lol.

[missjami]

Oh Please...we all have the choice to be part of the problem or part of the solution.

Ted Turner's marketing gurus made a bad decision. They accomplished their goal but they made a poor choice of how to do it.

The consumers that called in with their concerns chose to be part of the solution. Since the day a simple backpack injured hundreds & the day a common shoe served as a bomb, we all have to look at things differently. When you choose to mock those that feel a sense of social responsibility you choose to be part of the problem.

The law enforcement officers that did their job & took precautions are part of the solution. I presume that the cost of stopping traffic for a while & detonating a suspicious object is far less than the cost to dig bodies out of the rubble that a bomb may have caused.

The media that blows a situation out of proportion by reporting, yet unfounded information as though it were fact, is part of the problem.

Those of you that choose to use this circumstance as an excuse/opportunity to bad-mouth the authorities, the government, this country & each other are indeed part of the problem.
In this situation at least, the problem is that you are engaged in freedom of speech that the owners of this forum have set rules of for & many of you are either do not understand those rules or feel you have a right to violate them. Neither condition is acceptable.

[kcstan11]

This was all caused by Bush/Cheney FEARMONGERING.

I guess it must time for the white house to declare an ORANGE TERROR ALERT. Boston will be blowing up every portable construction warning sign ... everything that blinks.

Bin Laden is probably mailing DUMBYA a truck load of "Lite-Brite" sets.

[exusmcsgt]

Extremely good point!
Posted by r_bayless at 02:55 PM : Feb 01, 2007

Thank you, Sir. I always consider myself lucky when someone provides me with a deeper understanding of the subject at hand as well.

[jetauma]

ecuadoriana...lol, lol, lol.
I see people talking into little electronic boxes everywhere. One guy pulled onto a highway today without looking as he was talking into one of these...now, that's scary.

[ecuadoriana]

Well, what's all this then?! Large amounts of flammable liquid encased in large metal & plastic canisters are being rapidly fired all over the highway!? Yikes! Oh, never mind, those are just cars. Whew!

Uh Oh, there is some metal cylinder canister like object rolling around on the back seat floor of my car...Wait, no that's just my flashlight.

Yikes what's that big metal thing up ahead with wires attached & changing coloured lights on it?! I better hurry up out of here before that thing turns red & blows!

Whoa, what's with those flashing blue lights behind me? It seems I'm being chased by some shiny metalic object being manoevred by a bug eyed creature with heavy artillery- maybe it's a ufo?

It seems everywhere I look I'm faced with potential explosives & bug-eyed aliens asking me if I know why they pulled me over! Of course I know! It's so they can suck the common sense out of my brain, duh!!

[gunownerdan]

The first amendment(and the rest of our Bill Of Rights) is in BIG trouble.

[exusmcsgt]

cbscrash07-

I have been to ground zero in Hiroshima. Your comments make me think that you have not. It's called Heiwa Koi, which means Peace Park. There is a lrge museum here with all kinds of artifacts related to the atomic bombing of the city.

If you'd see the thousands of pics of children burned to a crisp and generations of birth defects we caused, I suspect you might feel somewhat differently about how guilty these children were for the acts of their fathers.

[exusmcsgt]

r_bayless -

In an ttempt to prove my point that the ethics of terrorism is relative, I offer the following:

Merriam-Webster defines "terror" as:

"violent or destructive acts (as bombing) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands".

Obviously, this definition applies to the U.S. decision to nuke Japan to force a surrender.

To many, killing innocent women and children by the 10's of thousands and causing generations of birth defects was entirely unethical.

But to most American's, it was entirely ethical.

[Syndicate]

There were no civilians in WWII. Every resource of every nation was thrown into the fight. We had children collecting scrap to build bombs with. The Japanese were willing to commit suicide instead of surrendering. If we had invaded there would be no Japanese.

[exusmcsgt]

In general, I disagree with your statement that the ethics of terrorism is relative.

Posted by r_bayless at 02:06 PM : Feb 01, 2007

It all depends on which side you're on. For the terrorsists, it's entirely ethical. For their enemy, it's not.

[dredre2k]

OOH, someone get the one on a right a HAIRCUT QUICK! That's just nasty!

[Syndicate]

Anybody who knows anything about electronics would have known these devices were harmless. The device consisted of an array of LEDs, A computer controller and a battery pack. I can't believe the stupidity of the police in Boston. These guys will not be convicted.

[headsup123]

I would have to say, let them go, come on. I can't believe these guys are being held as criminals. Don't we have better things to be doing or going after? It looks like some officals freaked out and made a mistake and called in the bomb squad on all of these and now they are trying to make it out to be more than it is. They looked like idiots.

[exusmcsgt]

If the authorities are in doubt about devices in this climate of reasonable fear, it is better for them to err in the direction of caution and 'risk 'looking absurd' to FOOLS, rather than ignore history and have a 911 repeat!
Posted by Agnim at 01:59 PM : Feb 01, 2007

And Osama laughs right up his sleeve at how he has us shaking in our boots. You're right, that's just what we want.

[agnim]

"I tend to disagree. That's indeed the government's currently favored fearmongering tactic and a commonly chanted phrase used by every media outlet; however:

Posted by r_bayless at 01:57 PM : Feb 01, 2007"

Except that this time THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT INITIATE THE BUSINESS HOAX!

We can't be so knee-jerk and fixated on "government fear mongering" (which does exist) that we can't discriminate the times when THE GOVERNMENT IS INNOCENT!

Blame the Turner Media for first promoting fear mongering, and then seeking to capitalize on and profit from corporate-generated Americans fears!