CDR: McVeigh, Freedom Fighter or Kook?

[Ray Dillinger]

On Tue, 12 Sep 2000 anonymous at openpgp.net wrote:

>Michael Motyka wrote:
>
>> safer, cleaner place but calling McVeigh a "freedom fighter" is off the
>> mark. 0 points for that one. 
>
>Why?

Interesting question, actually...  The difference between a 
"random crazy" and a "freedom fighter" can be awfully dang 
thin.  I think that in order to qualify as a "freedom fighter" 
there has to be a significant faction who support your actions 
and a nonzero chance of bringing about real change.

Mcveigh, as he is, is just a random crazy.  But if, say, one 
out of ten American Citizens or so had looked up from the news 
story and gone, "It's about time somebody started fighting those 
bastards" then he'd have a constituency to whom he could be a 
freedom fighter.  And also a nonzero chance of causing real 
change.  

Not a bit of difference in his own actions -- but the context 
in which his actions took place -- and his decision to make 
exactly those actions in that context -- make him a random nut 
rather than a freedom fighter.  

It's just my opinion.  But that's how I see it.  Freedom 
fighters do what they do because they have constituency 
whose interests they are fighting for and a realistic 
belief that the fight will change something.  I think these 
were lacking in Mcveigh's case. 

				Bear