"In 1970, I co-founded the Weather Underground, an organization that was created after an accidental explosion that claimed the lives of three of our comrades in Greenwich Village. The Weather Underground went on to take responsibility for placing several small bombs in empty offices — the ones at the Pentagon and the United States Capitol were the most notorious — as an illegal and unpopular war consumed the nation.
"The Weather Underground crossed lines of legality, of propriety and perhaps even of common sense. Our effectiveness can be — and still is being — debated. We did carry out symbolic acts of extreme vandalism directed at monuments to war and racism, and the attacks on property, never on people, were meant to respect human life and convey outrage and determination to end the Vietnam war.
"Peaceful protests had failed to stop the war. So we issued a screaming response. But it was not terrorism; we were not engaged in a campaign to kill and injure people indiscriminately, spreading fear and suffering for political ends."
These, obviously, aren't my words. They're the latest from William Ayers. I don't see how he can say this with a straight face. Seriously.
Perhaps bombing the Capitol and Pentagon went against common sense? Yes, perhaps, indeed.
Because the attacks were against "empty" offices, consisted of "small" bombs, and were merely "extreme vandalism," they don't constitute treason? Sure, putting explosives within the buildings that define the fabric of a nation, that's not a big deal.
Now, I actually do commend the guy for not jumping in the fray during the election, because (regardless of what he did/didn't do) trying to clarify comments or take any position would have just devolved into greater confusion and hype. But seriously.
(Op-ed is here: Link
