Land of the Free, Home of the Brave

Today's news story: It seems that for residents of Kentucky, McCarthy is back.

Let me just summarise what I thought to be the most vital sentances from that article.

Investigators say they discovered materials at Poole's home that outline possible acts of violence aimed at students, teachers, and police.
...
"I've been working on one of my short stories, (and) the short story they found was about zombies. Yes, it did say a high school. It was about a high school over ran by zombies."
...
On Thursday, a judge raised Poole's bond from one to five thousand dollars after prosecutors requested it, citing the seriousness of the charge.

Obviously, I don't know the full details. Still, it seems to me that something deeply unsettling is happening here, and it isn't William Poole that makes me feel that way.

Maybe it's because the headline to this story includes the adjective "terroristic". Terrorism, as I've always understood it, is the criminal expression of political ideals, an act with some long-term goals. Where exactly the political dimension comes into blowing up zombies (or, forgive me, you school in real life), I'm not sure.

Or more accurately, I have a suspicion. Today's terrorist is the same person who was a Communist yesterday, and a Witch the day before that. It's that same old U.S. versus Them theme. All I feel I can reasonably hope for at this point is that us East Atlantic types don't end up catching a venereal disease from our 'Special relationship'.

Music: "Ignoreland" by REM