POLL: (I'm not paid account right now, so no check boxes for you...)

[symbioidlj]

For the "Mooninite bomb scare", did the Boston Authorities over-react?

Do we as Americans, over-react to things like this, in general?

If America over-reacts, is the Boston scare a subset of that over-reaction?

Comments

[metaphorge.livejournal.com]

yes yes & yes

[vesicular.livejournal.com]

The aftermath is a huge overreaction. But I don't think you can overreact to a called in bomb scare, even if it isn't one. It needs to be investigated.

The problem is two fold. Once they found out these weren't bombs, just a marketing ploy, it should have ended there. The hoopla over it afterwards, charges filed, etc, is stupid.

However, the people putting the devices out should have been smart enough to tell the cops what they were doing. I mean, it's just common sense.

Americans definitely over react to everything though.

[polydad.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes, and yes. We've built ourselves a society based on selfishness, and those in charge of emergencies get more resources if they promote panic. So they do.

Those Lite Brites were up for what? Two weeks before anyone noticed? And suddenly there's a Great Panic. Only reason possible is somebody needed to panic and was looking for an excuse.

best,

Joel. Who's sad that the citizens of Boston, once upon a time so revolutionary, are now too timid to haul their police chief out of his office and rend him limb from limb on the courthouse steps.

[rflagg.livejournal.com]

Yes to all three. This country, and the world in general, needs a hard reset.

-m.

[roadriverrail.livejournal.com]

Question one- Yes, the Boston authorities overreacted at the time of the scare, but only to a minor extent. I find people's mocking responses to this to be out of line. Mystery devices have to be treated as such when you're entrusted with public safety. The handling of the arrests after the fact has been too strong, though. I do believe the marketeers deserve to be brought up on charges, just not the ones issued.

Question two- Yes, but only very mildly so. I think the process of measuring American over-reaction is distorted by a media that voices the jumpy. I also think that people who talk to much about American over-reaction too much are speaking from armchairs.

Question three- No. The Boston situation is a unique set of circumstances that can't be generalized.