A product of Bay Area culture (Mega gag)

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 12/07/2001 | Louis Freedberg

[Pokey78]

JANE FONDA'S 1972 visit to Hanoi pales in comparison to what Fairfax Muslim John Walker appears to have done: not only sympathizing with the enemy, but fighting alongside it.

But before rushing off to charge him with treason, let's consider how the 20-year-old Walker found himself in his bizarre predicament.

[Arthur McGowan]

Instead of labeling him a traitor, as we did to Aaron Burr, Tokyo Rose and Ezra Pound, President Bush should allow Walker's parents to fly him back to Fairfax, and let him get his life back on track. We'd want nothing less for our own children, who could easily have found themselves in a similar mess.

That's right, they certainly could: Young people who are necouraged to dabble in false and stupid religions rather than being taught the truth usually end up in a mess.

[Warren]

Yeah, "WHAT IF" What if he had travelled to Italy and become Pope.

[ladtx]

Too bad this kid obviously had no guidance from his parents. What is the problem with the left-coasties, I guess when you're out "doing your own thing" you don't have time to be bothered with the development of your child. I have no sympathy for what he's done but if his parents were real parents, he would be on a more productive track, whether in college, the service on on the job somewhere. They abdicated their responsiblity and may have sentenced their own child to death.

[JMS]

They're taught tolerance of other cultures and religions but there's obviously no tolerance for the American culture and religious institutions.

[dpa5923]

Instead of labeling him a traitor, as we did to Aaron Burr, Tokyo Rose and Ezra Pound, President Bush should allow Walker's parents to fly him back to Fairfax, and let him get his life back on track.

You know, the Chronical is right. Let's give him a second chance. And Mike Spann should get a second chance... Wait a second the TRAITOR Walker's cohorts killed Mike Spann and it seems Walker may have assited.

Let's just hang the bastard instead!

[FreedomPoster]

They abdicated their responsiblity and may have sentenced their own child to death.

That would be a fitting outcome. Sort of a Darwinistic ending one generation removed. Not that the son doesn't have major culpability, but the parents obviously do, too.

What I'd really like to see was articulated by a caller to the Neal Boortz show this morning. Put the guy in shackles, fly him to Andrews AFB in a C-141, show him shuffling off the ramp in shackles, take him before a military tribunal, then hang him in public and leave the body hanging for 48 hours in public view. He renounced his American citizenship, so the Executive Order excluding American citizens from being tried by a military tribunal shouldn't apply.

[Semper]

We'd want nothing less for our own children, who could easily have found themselves in a similar mess.

This final (bizarre) statement adds a little light to the mystery of why ANYONE would choose to do what this clown did.

Any place which produces the thinking quoted above is clearly out of touch with reality. Dreamland.

[headsonpikes]

"Until his latest detour..."

The guy has a gift for understatement, give him that!

[Semper]

take him before a military tribunal, then hang him in public and leave the body hanging for 48 hours in public view.

Strongly disagree. That's what the 3rd world mutants do. Just leave the sorry piece of crap over there - he is worth no further attention.

[CatoRenasci]

He made adult choices. He should face adult consequences: a trial for treason and either a firing squad or a very long , very unpleasant incarceration. He can go to college (by correspondence) in jail, read books, watch television, make license plates or furniture, have boyfriends, but at all times in jail, never free, no privacy, no control over what he eats, drinks or when he does anything.

[Jerez]

In a way, I can understand the Taliban fighters who are Afghanis, arguably fighting for their own vision of their own country, much more than Johnny Jihad, who in any way you look at it was fighting AGAINST his own country.

[Arthur McGowan]

I haven't seen the Pope dabbling in any false religions, or taking up arms against anybody.

[madprof98]

Freedberg is right on the money here: Taliban Johnny pretty much sums up Bay Area culture.

[TwoBit]

Freedberg is right on the money here: Taliban Johnny pretty much sums up Bay Area culture.

Oh, does he? and who sums up the area where You live? You apparently know nothing of the people in the Bay Area or their "culture". You sound like you're from LA.... a well known longstanding bastion of good taste and high culture....

[vikingcelt]

Nope. Freedberg sums up San Francisco Chronicle culture. They have their own Taliban over there at that newspaper. It's a truely sick, sick place. My husband works there. I know. They are a bunch of racist, fascist, so-called "liberals" who discriminate against straight Caucasian people. They are losing money at a rapid rate. They just laid off quite a few people and are offering buy-outs to most employees. We are praying that he gets his buy-out. He has earned all of it by putting up with their Talibanistic regime for over 14 years. The Chronicle truely, truely sucks. Big time.

[Free Vulcan]

Now guys, the problem here is that Mr. Walker wasn't some rich conservative corporation owner who released pollution into the ecosystem of a UN designated biosphere that threatened the habitat of some endangered species. Now if he had done THAT, THEN we would have a serious treason here -- treason against the Earth! THAT would be a war crime where some heads would definitely need to roll!

[Pearls Before Swine]

My opinion is that Little Johnny is a drifty dweeb in over his silly head. If he knew what he was doing, he should certainly get the death penalty. If a case can be made that he was incompetent, show some mercy and give him life. Citizens taking up arms against US citizens must not be encouraged with "understanding."

[Channel_Islands_EANx_Diver]

". You sound like you're from LA.... a well known longstanding bastion of good taste and high culture....

Now we know you're a norther Californian. Only a northern Californian thinks and speaks in those hysterically jealous foot stomping "We hate L.A." rants.

You know what..No one cares what you think of Los Angeles. Only you northern Californian rump swabs think like that