A terrorist gunned down two military recruiters in Arkansas last week. Pvt. William Long was shot and killed. Pvt. Quinton I. Ezeagwula was shot and wounded. Their families are shocked and grieving. These two fine young men were serving our country and no one had a right to shoot them. My prayers go out to both families.The terrorist was an American. He was a 23 year old by the name of Abdulhakim Muhammad. According to his lawyer, this murderer was once an idealistic, young college student from Tennessee named Carlos Bledsoe. He converted to Islam and found his way to religious anger, via the internet, in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Most Americans would question how any American would convert to Islam and find religious anger against America, especially after the 911 attacks.
Muhammad travelled to Yemen in September 2oo7 and taught English in the port city of Aden with the British Coucil for about 2 months. Then he traveled to San'a, the country's capital and taught English classes while attending Arabic courses with a group known as "The City Institute." Yemen Police arrested him for overstaying his visa and using a false passport. He was in a Yemen jail for 2 - 4 months. Bledsoe claims he was "brainwashed and tortured" while in Yemen prison and that is why he became a terrorist. However, local officials deny any type of torture and Bledsoe had converted and changed his name years earlier. It is much more likely he was "brainwashed" into terrorism earlier, via the internet and people he met while in Yemen. The FBI also found Internet search records on a computer they seized at his Little Rock apartment. It also has been reported (by the AP) that Muhammad may have considered targeting other locations, including Jewish and Christian sites. The FBI said he "conducted Internet searches related to different locations in several U.S. cities" including Atlanta, Little Rock, Louisville, Ky., Memphis, Tenn., New York and Philadelphia. Material seized from Muhammad's truck and apartment this week included guns, ammunition and Molotov cocktails. It is clear that Muhammad is extremely dangerous and is a murderer. He should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
My question to my readers:
How far should Freedom of Speech extend? Are some hate sites brainwashing weak-minded and immature minds? Are they inciting anger, violence and murder? Should hate sites have the ability to reach everyone uncensored?
Update: A judge has issued a gag order in the capital murder case against the man accused of killing one soldier and wounding another at a military recruiting office in Arkansas. Judge Alice Lightle issued the order Monday after prosecutors requested it to block court officials and police from discussing the case.
References:
Yemen: Accused shooter not tortured in prison
Gunman's excuses are just smoke
Overall, the internet should not be censored.
ReplyDeleteHowever, when sites advocate violence and sabotage and revolt or murder against our country, our leaders or our people, they should be censored. Sites should not be allowed to brainwash or children into international OR domestic terrorism any more than sites should allow child pornography.