NationStates Jolt Archive


How likely is this?

Wilgrove
08-11-2007, 07:21
So the local news channel ran a story about how the terrorist may be targeting our children by blowing up their schools, school bus, daycare etc. While I can see why they would do this, I mean it would strike terror in the heart of the citizens as they kill children, but I don't know, I mean in the past the terrorist would strike high valued target, like the Pentagon, WTC, Embassies, and Naval Ships. To strike "No where" Schools would seem kind of odd. What do you guys think? How likely would it be for the terrorist to attack our schools and children?
Infinite Revolution
08-11-2007, 07:25
naked fear mongering.
Dynamic Revolution
08-11-2007, 07:34
Fear sells, thats all there is to it. Why have a story about happiness and flowers when you can get twice the ratings by putting on images of burning school children?
Hamilay
08-11-2007, 07:37
Well, it's not like terrorist groups don't do that. I don't see why it would be any more or less likely than the probability of any other target of terrorist attack.

Of course, that's still virtually nil.

Besides, this may sound callous, but if I lived in the USA it wouldn't worry me. Frankly, I'd rather have terrorists blowing up school buses than skyscrapers.
Cannot think of a name
08-11-2007, 07:42
Too much competition. We shoot up our own schools, no one wants to be a small fish in a big pond...
BackwoodsSquatches
08-11-2007, 07:48
Mindless conjecture, and fear mongering.

Even after 9/11, the average american has about a 1 in 93,000 chance of being involved in a terrorist attack. Yes, folks, its a possibility, but not a good one, and obsessing on something out of your control isnt helping anything.
Zilam
08-11-2007, 07:52
I always thought that a terrorist would be clever if they hit dorm buildings. It would cause lots of deaths, at least here, where there is one tall dorm that houses 1000 people..Hit all the dorms on campus, at once, at night, and you have chaos running wild.
Greater Trostia
08-11-2007, 08:28
Well of COURSE people are afraid that small, rural, Christian Conservative state schools will get targeted by Terrorists. And hey what do you know, it's mostly rural Christian Conservatives who fear this.
Gartref
08-11-2007, 08:33
Bring it on.
Endis
08-11-2007, 08:36
It's already been stated multiple times, but: Fear mongering. The media has to do SOMETHING to get us to watch their crap instead of the Daily Show, where the real fake news (as opposed to the really fake news) is at.

Conspiracy theory #1: Government funding to rally Bush support for yet another war crime.
NERVUN
08-11-2007, 09:25
It's possible. If memory serves, the IRA did target a British school and of course there was that sad situation in Russia. Realistically though... Since the distance involved between point A (The Middle East) and point B (The US) is very large, they'll want to go after a well known and high profile target, Albert D. Zilworth Elementary School in the middle of Nowhere City, Kansas probably doesn't fit the bill too well.
Nodinia
08-11-2007, 09:49
It's possible. If memory serves, the IRA did target a British school.......

Emmmm, not that I'm aware of. Some lunatic ran amok with an improvised flame-thrower but that was in the North, and was non-provo related......
Barringtonia
08-11-2007, 09:52
Emmmm, not that I'm aware of. Some lunatic ran amok with an improvised flame-thrower but that was in the North, and was non-provo related......

There was a bus that was blown up in NI - I'll try dig it up.
Nodinia
08-11-2007, 10:03
There was a bus that was blown up in NI - I'll try dig it up.


O thats far more likely. They most certainly blew up two Nuns in a car, for instance. I suspect they were using American binoculars to identify the target at the time.....
NERVUN
08-11-2007, 10:11
Emmmm, not that I'm aware of. Some lunatic ran amok with an improvised flame-thrower but that was in the North, and was non-provo related......
I might be misremembering another time. But I could have sworn that the IRA set something off near a nursery school on the mainland itself. I remember a pic of a British police officer holding a young boy and that everyone in the UK was rather pissed off. It could have been about 10 years back or so.
Barringtonia
08-11-2007, 10:18
I might be misremembering another time. But I could have sworn that the IRA set something off near a nursery school on the mainland itself. I remember a pic of a British police officer holding a young boy and that everyone in the UK was rather pissed off. It could have been about 10 years back or so.

There was Manchester, which was pretty huge - for the bus, I'm thinking I'm remembering a film not real life, frightening.

I think the point though is that the IRA didn't specifically target children, and never would as it affects funding. There's always the chance of collateral damage but certainly not intentional targeting.
Nodinia
08-11-2007, 10:22
I might be misremembering another time. But I could have sworn that the IRA set something off near a nursery school on the mainland itself. I remember a pic of a British police officer holding a young boy and that everyone in the UK was rather pissed off. It could have been about 10 years back or so.

I'd concede "near" as being more than possible as well. Not they were nessecarily filled with bleeding heart pacifists, but I just don't remember deliberate targeting of a school.
Anthil
08-11-2007, 10:34
:( July 27th 1980: two hand grenades thrown into a group of children leaving school: 1 child dead, 18 wounded.
Nodinia
08-11-2007, 11:12
:( July 27th 1980: two hand grenades thrown into a group of children leaving school: 1 child dead, 18 wounded.

I've just looked up two chronologys and cannot find mention of this incident, either in 1980, 1970 or 1990. Could you provide a link please?

I might add that I find it odd that with the very large amount of available mud that can be thrown at the Provos, somebody throws out the seemingly untraceable.
Barringtonia
08-11-2007, 13:39
I've just looked up two chronologys and cannot find mention of this incident, either in 1980, 1970 or 1990. Could you provide a link please?

I might add that I find it odd that with the very large amount of available mud that can be thrown at the Provos, somebody throws out the seemingly untraceable.

Anthil's referring to Palestinian's in Holland somewhere, not the IRA.

EDIT: Apologies to Holland, it was Belgium - go figure.

July 27, 1980: Attack on Jewish school in Antwerp, Belgium by terrorists associated with the Palestinian Abu Nidal.