Police: Teens Plotted To Bomb [Catholic] Church [in Ohio]

[Timidity]

From Columbus, Ohio’s WBNS:
Daniel Woodrum, 15, and Scott Ennis, 16, were being charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated arson. Investigators said the two Westerville North High School students went as far as climbing onto the roof of St. Paul’s Catholic Church to plan where they would plant pipe bombs.

[An informant] told 10TV News an instant message exchange she had with Woodrum suggested an even more disturbing plot. “Just chain up the church doors during mass [sic] and kill everybody inside so no one could get in or out.” Woodrum indicated he and Ennis would then kill themselves.

Westerville Division of Police Lt. Tracey Myers said the teens admitted they planned to carry out an attack.

 

[vern_humphrey]

Standard disclaimer – everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Let us pray for these two boys – but if the facts are as stated, let us also pray they are kept off the streets from now on.

 

[melensdad]

Just curious, but I know if you do something to a Jewish Temple or an Islamic Mosque here in the US (at least in most states) it qualifies as a “HATE CRIME” and is treated as a more serious type of crime. Does anyone know if Ohio is treating this as a “hate crime” or are Catholic places of worship exempt from this special status?

 

[vern_humphrey]

Just curious, but I know if you do something to a Jewish Temple or an Islamic Mosque here in the US (at least in most states) it qualifies as a “HATE CRIME” and is treated as a more serious type of crime. Does anyone know if Ohio is treating this as a “hate crime” or are Catholic places of worship exempt from this special status?

I don’t know of any state that has a hate crime law that includes Catholics as a “protected group.”

Nor do I understand, given the clear wording of the 14th Amendment, which emphasizes “Equal protection under the law” how there can be such a thing as a “protected group.”

 

[Timidity]

One of the things I was curious about but could not find in the article was whether or not these kids were students at the parish’s school.

 

[melensdad]

I don’t know of any state that has a hate crime law that includes Catholics as a “protected group.”

Nor do I understand, given the clear wording of the 14th Amendment, which emphasizes “Equal protection under the law” how there can be such a thing as a “protected group.”

Vern, honestly it seems to me that about 50% of all the laws and regulations we have in the USA are built upon unConstitutional foundations. Like you, I also am unaware of any Christian group that is considered a “protected” group under the “Hate” laws in the various states.

One of the things I was curious about but could not find in the article was whether or not these kids were students at the parish’s school.

I honestly can’t find that out either. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

 

[vern_humphrey]

Vern, honestly it seems to me that about 50% of all the laws and regulations we have in the USA are built upon unConstitutional foundations.

Yes. And at the risk of being accused of getting up on a soap box, let me say that those who developed clever ways to set aside the 2nd Amendment destroyed the rest of the Bill of Rights in the process.

 

[Biblioassistant]

A man at Pace University put a copy of the Koran in the toilet. He’s in jail, charged with a hate crime.

newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny–vandalismquran0727jul27,0,6882662.story

Too bad he didn’t say it was art like Serrano with the crucifix in urine or Olefi and the elephant dung Madonna. Then he’d be protected.

 

[Digitonomy]

Just curious, but I know if you do something to a Jewish Temple or an Islamic Mosque here in the US (at least in most states) it qualifies as a “HATE CRIME” and is treated as a more serious type of crime. Does anyone know if Ohio is treating this as a “hate crime” or are Catholic places of worship exempt from this special status?

It was not labelled as a hate crime in the article. It may be that prosecutors are still assessing what the motivation was before adding hate crime charges. It may be that the local Catholic church was simply the best setting logistically for their purposes, or the one they were most familiar with, and that choosing that location had nothing to do with religion. Finally, it may be a feature of Ohio’s law that they can only tag the hate crime label onto specific acts which have been committed, not the conspiracy to commit such acts - I’m too lazy to look it up right now.

Ohio hate crimes law addresses crimes motivated by race, color, religion, or national origin. ORC Ann. § 2927.12 (Anderson 2002).
Source

Biblioassistant:

A man at Pace University put a copy of the Koran in the toilet. He’s in jail, charged with a hate crime. Too bad he didn’t say it was art like Serrano with the crucifix in urine or Olefi and the elephant dung Madonna. Then he’d be protected.

Saying it was art wouldn’t have protected him - in fact, for all we know he may consider it art. You are however correct that he should have learned a lesson from Serrano and Olefi and used his own Quran and his own toilet - then he wouldn’t be facing charges.

 

[Bennie_P]

One of the things I was curious about but could not find in the article was whether or not these kids were students at the parish’s school.

Robin Miller, director of communications for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus, said both boys and their families are parishioners at St. Paul’s.

This is Danny’s My Space Page, Warning explicit violence.

profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=56289974

If you have kid’s it may be time to check thier computer/internet activity.

Let us keep them and thier families in our prayers.

 

[Teelynn]

This is Danny’s My Space Page, Warning explicit violence.

profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=56289974

If you have kid’s it may be time to check thier computer/internet activity.

Let us keep them and thier families in our prayers.

Yep, and it will get even more Satanic before this is all over with. If you can even imagine that. The Lord tells us to pray continuously and not to be afraid. I have to keep reminding myself of this.

 

[Teelynn]

BTW, I wonder how much involvement the parents have with these 2 boys??