Letters to the Editor
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she might not be a 'terrorist', but she isn't a non-violent protester either
Clearly the law has been skewed in the past 7 years to prevent government dissidents from voicing their opinions. Meanwhile the FBI and CIA have had ever increasing powers, which more often than not trample all over American citizen's constitutionally granted liberty.
Also, clearly killing or attempting to kill others is far worse than merely starting a fire... so 2 consecutive 5 year sentences does sound like overkill.
However -- Briana Waters might not be a terrorist, but she SHOULD be serving jail time.
Anyone who participates in a crime, no matter what their motivations, should have to deal with the consequences of that crime. Don't tell me Waters didn't know that arson was illegal. Maybe she didn't light the match herself, but I have strong doubts that she knew NOTHING of the plans. She is a scapegoat, without doubt. But she still bears some responsibility for her actions and her choices.
What if their careful plan had gone awry? What if another person had been in the building, and died of heart attack or smoke inahlation? What if the fire had gotten out of hand? There are reasons it is illegal to light buildings on fire. Its dangerous, and as this case shows, it can destroy valuable research.
So yeah, terrorist, I think not. But someone who should be serving some jail time? Yeah. Lock her up. But not for 10 years. Maybe 10 months.