Internet Brainwashing: Muhammad and the Shooting of Two Young Recruiters in Arkansas

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

Make A Difference!

Why do I blog? As my Mission Statement says, I blog “To provide a forum where people, both PRO and ANTI, can discuss American Immigration Issues civilly, freely and safely thereby reducing the hate, anger and misunderstandings currently inherent in most of these discussions.”

I think it is important that both sides have an opportunity to read articles from reputable, neutral sources which provide up to date Immigration (legal and illegal) news reports. I also include Politics and articles about the Economy since these topics are closely related to Immigration.

The vast majority of my commenters are ANTIs. Some of them give me a hard time, but overall, we remain civil and sometimes we change each others´minds. Many of my PRO viewers email me and send me kind words. Many do not post because, as they say, they don´t want to be attacked by the ANTIs.

Last year, a Professor from a California University wrote to me and said, “Your blog is so beautiful that I offer it to my students as a model of what they (and I) can achieve. I'm really trying to encourage them to use the power of the First Amendment and the Internet to enter public discourse and be heard. We've had a couple of flamers from white supremacists groups which briefly intimidated and confused my students, so I was so happy and relieved when an excited student came to my office hours, ... to tell me how you responded to one of her blogs on immigration and encouraged her to keep writing. It meant so much to her to hear positive feedback from a member of the public. Thank you for that, and thank you for your generous gesture to help with advice in business and politics. I'm sure I'll take you up on it.” I am touched each time I read this letter.

I also participate on other blogs and forums. Today, a neutral (neither PRO nor ANTI) commenter wrote, “I highly recommend Dee's blog. She posts articles that show both sides of the issue…..There are plenty of articles on her site in which she quotes employers in the roofing industry, in the ag industry, etc complaining that the exit of the 12 to 20 million undocumented will force them to pay higher wages to the US citizens that remain in the labor pool. Read Dee's site. Also read the links to George's material. If you read everything on Dee's site and you read all George's material you will be well positioned to make your own choice.” His kind words also touched me.

Every once in a while I will get a rather mean or angry ANTI asking me to stop my blog. The very fact that they are asking me to stop tells me that my message is getting through.

All of this feedback reminds me I should never lose my motivation or my drive.

If I can help one person understand there are two sides to the Immigration issue, If I can help one person understand there are good people on both sides of the issue, If I can help one person understand Comprehensive Immigration Reform is a logical solution, If I encourage one person to understand they have a right to their opinion, they have a voice and freedom of speech, then I have accomplished my Mission.

I encourage everyone to start a Blog. Make a Difference!