Will the news media please stop calling this a “bomb scare” or a “bomb threat”? Because it was nothing of the sort. From what I understand, there was an unrelated 911 call, which was the catalyst for the ensuing panic. The ATHF LEDs had nothing to do with the emergency phone call, and given that similar devices, in similar cities, had for months gone largely unnoticed, there was no conceivable way for the “perpetrators” to know or even consider the eventuality that unfortunately “caused a major disruption in the greater Boston area.”

Perhaps a more rational review is necessary. There is no reason to penalize Turner broadcasting for what amounts to being in the wrong place, at the wrong time. The light-devices were not placed with malicious intent, nor were they even the proximate cause of the ensuing clusterfuck. Given a string of unconnected ocurrences, sometimes shit happens – shit that is ultimately unforeseeable and entirely beyond the control of any individual. This is one of those times.

Unfortunately, Turner bows down bends over for Boston: “…[I]t was reasonable and appropriate for citizens and law enforcement officials to take any perceived threat posed by our light boards very seriously and to respond as they did…” Christ almighty. It’s now reasonable and appropriate to respond to any perceived threat, posed by any “device,” anywhere, anytime, in any manner; the sole arbiter of appropriateness, being the subjective discretion of the respondent? It is an absolute miracle that we haven’t had a full-scale, Romanesque collapse back into the freaking dark ages.

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That’s enough of a recap. What I really want to get at is the absolutely gaping hole that Ignignoct-gate has revealed. This of course is a serious matter of national security, and one which has been entirely neglected by the MSM news outlets.

I know it may smack of “hindsight is 20/20”, but this was not an appropriate response. This was an overreaction of absolutely epic proportions. Because – and bear with me here: If this was an “appropriate” response – the real concern is why Seattle, Atlanta, et al completely failed to respond at all? How can their citizens possibly consider themselves safe from potential real threats, if their government didn’t react appropriately to the LEDs? This is the logical conclusion, if we deem Boson’s response “appropriate,” then the failure to respond, in other cities, must be deemed inadequate. Clearly, the rest of the cities where ATHF LEDs were placed are utterly unprepared to prevent legitimate threats to their citizens, and to protect them from real dangers.