Red Shirt Leader Arisman Released On 6 Million Baht Bail

[rixalex]

it seems to be a crisis that this guy is out on bail.

He used to not be in the country.

Now he has been in custody and will be prosecuted. Next "urgent" item please...

No great surprise that the same people who had no problem with governments reissuing passports to convicted felons on the run - or at least certain governments to certain convicted felons - also see no story in wanted criminals who have spent over a year running from the law, being granted bail, on the proviso they promise to not run away again. No surprise at all.

yes, no surprise at all.

I tell you what, if he skips out on his bail, you can send me a PM and say "I told you so". And if he doesn't, then I'll probably forget to do the same...

Like the passport issue, this isn't that big of a deal.

I didn't say that he would skip bail. I said that he shouldn't have been granted it. You obviously think he should have been, although no explanation yet forthcoming as to why.

As to whether he will skip bail, well obviously that depends entirely on how his court case proceeds. As long as he is looking like getting a not-guilty verdict, i'm sure he won't - i'm sure he'll tell us all how he trusts in Thai justice and will respect whatever outcome.

Much as Thaksin did, you may recall... before being found guilty and jumping bail and failing to ever return.

[webfact]

Thai court frees 'Red Shirt' leader on bail

BANGKOK, December 28, 2011 (AFP) - A Thai court on Wednesday released on bail a top "Red Shirt" leader who recently surrendered to face terrorism charges over his role in last year's opposition rallies after almost 20 months on the run.

Arisman Pongruangrong, who narrowly avoided capture by police commandos in April 2010 by climbing out of the third-floor window of a Bangkok hotel, turned himself in to authorities in early December.

His first two bail requests were rejected but the appeal court in Bangkok agreed to release Arisman upon posting bail of six million baht ($190,000).

He is also banned from travelling abroad, his lawyer Suchaiwut Chaosuanklauy said.

"The court said he showed his intention to return to fight terrorism charges," Suchaiwut told AFP.

Arisman is believed to have hidden in neighbouring Cambodia after fleeing the capital in the wake of the bungled attempt to arrest him in connection with mass anti-government protests that turned deadly.

He also faces separate charges related to the Red Shirts' storming of an Asian summit in the Thai resort city of Pattaya in 2009, forcing its cancellation as leaders were evacuated.

Also on Wednesday, another Red Shirt leader was sentenced to two years and eight months in jail for leading an attack by a group of Reds on rival royalist "Yellow Shirt" protesters in 2008 in the northeastern province of Udon Thani.

Kwanchai Praipana, who also faces terrorism charges over his role in the protests last year, was freed on bail ahead of his appeal.

More than 90 people, mostly civilians, were killed and nearly 1,900 were wounded during the two months of rallies, which drew about 100,000 Red Shirts, many of whom support fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

The controversial ex-leader's sister Yingluck Shinawatra is now prime minister after a resounding election victory by his party earlier this year.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-12-28

[gl555]

Scumbag deserves to rot in jail for all the shit he pulled. Now he gets to go home? What justice is that?

And only idiot red apologists here would dismiss it as nothing. It doesn't matter if he skips bail or not. What matters is that a piece of shit like him shouldn't be allowed to sleep in his own soft bed after inciting people to try to burn down this city.

[geriatrickid]

The accused met the conditions and requirements for bail. Thailand like many other countries grants bails to those that are accused of serious crimes. He is not accused of murder, nor is there evidence that he poses a clear and imminent threat to society at large. The likelihood the gentleman will engage in any criminal acts is nil. His supporters argue that he would not have received a fair trial had he remained and that is why he fled. His position will also be that he was engaged in legitimate protest against a defacto military dictatorship. (This doesn't mean that I agree with, or support such arguments, but those are what they are.)

I think he is in for a bit of a shock. If the evidence is there, he is going to be put in prison. It will suit the current government's needs to have him out of the way, so it is unlikely he is going to get much real support from the PTP administration. I see nothing wrong with the granting if bail particularly since he is not a threat to public security and did not engage in the physical acts referenced in other entries of this thread. It is up to the courts to judge the case based upon the evidence, evidence which the previous government should have gathered and if the charges are true, then the evidence will be overwhelming. The prosecution team is a hold over from the previous administration and know the case. I suggest that antsy foreigners relax and let the Thai justice system work its way through the case.

Edited December 28, 2011 by geriatrickid

[animatic]

Hunting season in Songkla?

Yeah E. that thought crossed my mind on here he'd go there next.

[hanuman1]

Scumbag deserves to rot in jail for all the shit he pulled. Now he gets to go home? What justice is that?

And only idiot red apologists here would dismiss it as nothing. It doesn't matter if he skips bail or not. What matters is that a piece of shit like him shouldn't be allowed to sleep in his own soft bed after inciting people to try to burn down this city.

I wouldn't be surprised if 5-10 years down the line Arisman becomes a powerful and respected politician.

I say this not because I like him, or to wind you up, but because there is plenty of historical precedent for that kind of thing happening and I think you'll agree Johnny Foreigner does things quite differently over here. So differently in fact, my dear chap, that I think you'll find even the concept of Justice occupies an altogether different moral and social plane than it does for us enlightened types.

Sit back, stay safe, watch the show. After all, it only concerns you because you chose it to.

Cheers!

[hanuman1]

Scumbag deserves to rot in jail for all the shit he pulled. Now he gets to go home? What justice is that?

And only idiot red apologists here would dismiss it as nothing. It doesn't matter if he skips bail or not. What matters is that a piece of shit like him shouldn't be allowed to sleep in his own soft bed after inciting people to try to burn down this city.

I wouldn't be surprised if 5-10 years down the line Arisman becomes a powerful and respected politician.

I say this not because I like him, or to wind you up, but because there is plenty of historical precedent for that kind of thing happening and I think you'll agree Johnny Foreigner does things quite differently over here. So differently in fact, my dear chap, that I think you'll find even the concept of Justice occupies an altogether different moral and social plane than it does for us enlightened types.

Sit back, stay safe, watch the show. After all, it only concerns you because you choose it to.

Cheers!

[patjem]

The accused met the conditions and requirements for bail. Thailand like many other countries grants bails to those that are accused of serious crimes. He is not accused of murder, nor is there evidence that he poses a clear and imminent threat to society at large. The likelihood the gentleman will engage in any criminal acts is nil. His supporters argue that he would not have received a fair trial had he remained and that is why he fled. His position will also be that he was engaged in legitimate protest against a defacto military dictatorship. (This doesn't mean that I agree with, or support such arguments, but those are what they are.)

I think he is in for a bit of a shock. If the evidence is there, he is going to be put in prison. It will suit the current government's needs to have him out of the way, so it is unlikely he is going to get much real support from the PTP administration. I see nothing wrong with the granting if bail particularly since he is not a threat to public security and did not engage in the physical acts referenced in other entries of this thread. It is up to the courts to judge the case based upon the evidence, evidence which the previous government should have gathered and if the charges are true, then the evidence will be overwhelming. The prosecution team is a hold over from the previous administration and know the case. I suggest that antsy foreigners relax and let the Thai justice system work its way through the case.

Thanks for continuing to amuse me with your rhetoric <deleted>. Keeps these threads interesting!

[whybother]

The accused met the conditions and requirements for bail. Thailand like many other countries grants bails to those that are accused of serious crimes. He is not accused of murder, nor is there evidence that he poses a clear and imminent threat to society at large. The likelihood the gentleman will engage in any criminal acts is nil. His supporters argue that he would not have received a fair trial had he remained and that is why he fled. His position will also be that he was engaged in legitimate protest against a defacto military dictatorship. (This doesn't mean that I agree with, or support such arguments, but those are what they are.)

I think he is in for a bit of a shock. If the evidence is there, he is going to be put in prison. It will suit the current government's needs to have him out of the way, so it is unlikely he is going to get much real support from the PTP administration. I see nothing wrong with the granting if bail particularly since he is not a threat to public security and did not engage in the physical acts referenced in other entries of this thread. It is up to the courts to judge the case based upon the evidence, evidence which the previous government should have gathered and if the charges are true, then the evidence will be overwhelming. The prosecution team is a hold over from the previous administration and know the case. I suggest that antsy foreigners relax and let the Thai justice system work its way through the case.

"The likelihood the gentleman will engage in any criminal acts is nil." - That's what he said when he was granted bail in 2009, so he doesn't have a very good track record.

[elcent]

Hunting season in Songkla?

Yeah E. that thought crossed my mind on here he'd go there next.

He's a danger for Thaksin more than to anyone else now. He could become the crown witness over the sponsorship of the riots and mayhem.

Shouldn't his(T) stooges be able to get rid of all the evidences against T before the trial starts then he's in real danger.

Edited December 28, 2011 by elcent

[bhakta]

Thailand is really and truly amazing, as it seems no one ever really gets punished for anything. Someone gets bail, then the case drags on for years, if they are found not guilty, they are again given bail while the appeal is pending, and that can go on for another 5 or 10 years, or more. It is ludicrous. These people nearly destroyed Bangkok, and at least they should be held and tried quickly.

[gl555]

Scumbag deserves to rot in jail for all the shit he pulled. Now he gets to go home? What justice is that?

And only idiot red apologists here would dismiss it as nothing. It doesn't matter if he skips bail or not. What matters is that a piece of shit like him shouldn't be allowed to sleep in his own soft bed after inciting people to try to burn down this city.

I wouldn't be surprised if 5-10 years down the line Arisman becomes a powerful and respected politician.

I say this not because I like him, or to wind you up, but because there is plenty of historical precedent for that kind of thing happening and I think you'll agree Johnny Foreigner does things quite differently over here. So differently in fact, my dear chap, that I think you'll find even the concept of Justice occupies an altogether different moral and social plane than it does for us enlightened types.

Sit back, stay safe, watch the show. After all, it only concerns you because you chose it to.

Cheers!

If that's the way you feel about things, why bother posting here? Most everyone who posts here commenting about something or other choose to even though a lot of things don't concern them. But the thing is, a lot of here are here for the long term. We're not sex tourists here for fun. We have jobs, businesses, property and family and therefore these matters actually DO concern us.

[tlansford]

it seems to be a crisis that this guy is out on bail.

He used to not be in the country.

Now he has been in custody and will be prosecuted. Next "urgent" item please...

No great surprise that the same people who had no problem with governments reissuing passports to convicted felons on the run - or at least certain governments to certain convicted felons - also see no story in wanted criminals who have spent over a year running from the law, being granted bail, on the proviso they promise to not run away again. No surprise at all.

yes, no surprise at all.

I tell you what, if he skips out on his bail, you can send me a PM and say "I told you so". And if he doesn't, then I'll probably forget to do the same...

Like the passport issue, this isn't that big of a deal.

I didn't say that he would skip bail. I said that he shouldn't have been granted it. You obviously think he should have been, although no explanation yet forthcoming as to why.

As to whether he will skip bail, well obviously that depends entirely on how his court case proceeds. As long as he is looking like getting a not-guilty verdict, i'm sure he won't - i'm sure he'll tell us all how he trusts in Thai justice and will respect whatever outcome.

Much as Thaksin did, you may recall... before being found guilty and jumping bail and failing to ever return.

It is not obvious that I think he should have been given bail. I don't think it is terribly important one way or another (hence the lack of any explanation), and bail is certainly not as important as finally going to trial. Some think that giving him bail will possibly prevent this. I think that if this were the case, then he would not have come back to Thailand and turned himself in.

[hanuman1]

Scumbag deserves to rot in jail for all the shit he pulled. Now he gets to go home? What justice is that?

And only idiot red apologists here would dismiss it as nothing. It doesn't matter if he skips bail or not. What matters is that a piece of shit like him shouldn't be allowed to sleep in his own soft bed after inciting people to try to burn down this city.

I wouldn't be surprised if 5-10 years down the line Arisman becomes a powerful and respected politician.

I say this not because I like him, or to wind you up, but because there is plenty of historical precedent for that kind of thing happening and I think you'll agree Johnny Foreigner does things quite differently over here. So differently in fact, my dear chap, that I think you'll find even the concept of Justice occupies an altogether different moral and social plane than it does for us enlightened types.

Sit back, stay safe, watch the show. After all, it only concerns you because you chose it to.

Cheers!

If that's the way you feel about things, why bother posting here? Most everyone who posts here commenting about something or other choose to even though a lot of things don't concern them. But the thing is, a lot of here are here for the long term. We're not sex tourists here for fun. We have jobs, businesses, property and family and therefore these matters actually DO concern us.

Indeed. I guess it's simplistic to say Thailand obviously isn't what you expected it to be. It probably didn't turn out to be what most people thought it was (if they had any preconceptions of it in the first place), regardless of how long they've stayed here.

Rather, it's a question of how does one react when things such as our concept of Justice get shat on at various levels of Thai society. Either you can claim the high ground of your own foreign morality and value system and continually get disappointed/exasperated/angry/frustrated at these kind of stories, or you can attribute these seemingly unconscionable actions by senior people in Thailand to things that are just out of your range of understanding and either make an effort to improve your understanding and/or get on with the things you do actually know about.

I don't believe for one minute the choice between these kinds of reactions are predicated on the length of time spent here. It's more personal than that.

PS - I have a job/family here just as you do.

Cheers

Edited December 28, 2011 by hanuman1

[webfact]

Police detain Red Shirt Arisman after brief release

BANGKOK, Dec 28 - Red Shirt activist Arisman Pongruangrong on Wednesday was temporarily released from prison after the Court of Appeals granted him bail, only to be promptly detained again by police in a defamation case filed by Democrat Member of Parliament for Songkhla Sirichok Sopha.

Bangkok Remand Prison wardens brought the red shirt activist to freedom after receiving the court order at 5pm.

Mr Arisman was greeted with his parents and family as well as a crowd of Red Shirt supporters.

Shortly afterwards, police took him into custody at Prachachuen Police Station

pending transfer to Songkhla Provincial Court on Thursday. Mr Arisman has an outstanding warrant for a defamation lawsuit filed by opposition MP Sirichok.

The move took the Red Shirt supporters by surprise.

Mr Arisman however told them briefly that his freedom on bail for the terrorism case marked the beginning of a national reconciliation which needs the Thai people to forgive each other.

A police vehicle whisked him away, while some Red Shirt supporters followed him to the police station to give him moral support.

The pop singer-turned-activist was among 19 Red Shirt leaders charged with terrorism for their alleged roles in instigating the crowd to move toward disorder, chaos and violence to topple the then Abhisit Vejjajiva government during the Feb-May, 2010 anti-government protests.

Mr Arisman denied any wrongdoing.

The Court of Appeals on Wednesday granted him bail with Bt6 million bail bond but barred him from leaving the country and charged him to not repeat his alleged offences. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-12-28

[whybother]

[goober]

What do you have to do in this country to be refused bail?

Oh, have no money.

Osama bin Laden should have hid out here.

Edited December 28, 2011 by goober

[lannarebirth]

Would anyone at all be surprised if the next news update on Arisman has him as the passenger that died when the train hit the pickup truck. Gotta stay on your toes here.

[Skywalker69]

If he feard for his life then why did he come back now? Does he feel safe on the streets now?

And if so, how come?

[animatic]

Hunting season in Songkla?

Yeah E. that thought crossed my mind on hearing he'd go there next.

He's a danger for Thaksin more than to anyone else now. He could become the crown witness over the sponsorship of the riots and mayhem.

Shouldn't his(T) stooges be able to get rid of all the evidences against T before the trial starts then he's in real danger.

A plausible scenario, similar to one of the Sae Deang scenarios.

Sonkla is pretty countryish and plenty of vlolent people to spin the blame on too.

Certainly T has big problems if the 'wrong weak idividuals' get properly preassured by 'professionals'.

So yeah Arisman is a arguably a dangerous loose cannon for many players, and not seemingly bright enough to see all the directions that danger would likely come at him from.

Edited December 28, 2011 by animatic

[gl555]

Indeed. I guess it's simplistic to say Thailand obviously isn't what you expected it to be. It probably didn't turn out to be what most people thought it was (if they had any preconceptions of it in the first place), regardless of how long they've stayed here.

Rather, it's a question of how does one react when things such as our concept of Justice get shat on at various levels of Thai society. Either you can claim the high ground of your own foreign morality and value system and continually get disappointed/exasperated/angry/frustrated at these kind of stories, or you can attribute these seemingly unconscionable actions by senior people in Thailand to things that are just out of your range of understanding and either make an effort to improve your understanding and/or get on with the things you do actually know about.

I don't believe for one minute the choice between these kinds of reactions are predicated on the length of time spent here. It's more personal than that.

PS - I have a job/family here just as you do.

Cheers

No I don't accept that cop out. If everyone, whether foreign and local accepted things the way you do then it's obvious this kind of shit will continue.

People here can stomach a lot of 'amazing' crap this country has to offer but I think a line should be drawn. A terrorist(and no matter what the Red apologists say, he IS one) let out on a relatively small amount of bail after spending a year as a fugitive is just way wrong.

[hellodolly]

Lucky he happened to just come up with 6m bts he found in his pocket, where on earth did that come from? Flood stricken chums in the north east perhaps, ah it was on its way to his chums when it was intercepted by a bloke who was going to take it personally to them, just as soon as he can get out of this trumped up charge!

In all likely hood he was running from red shirts who had been promised money only to be left with a free ride home from the government they were trying to bring down.

[RogueExpat]

Not having a good day is he! :cheesy:

[EyesWideOpen]

Let's see. If I committed a serious crime in Thailand, then fled the country for 1.5 years, then turned myself in, I wonder if a Thai court would grant me bail........Nah, probably not........The only upside to this travesty of justice, is that it should speed up the coup. Military generals simply cannot govern any worse than the pack of fools in office. I guess the sickening part to me is that this entire bail deal was set up long before he came back here.....:-(

[hellodolly]

Indeed. I guess it's simplistic to say Thailand obviously isn't what you expected it to be. It probably didn't turn out to be what most people thought it was (if they had any preconceptions of it in the first place), regardless of how long they've stayed here.

Rather, it's a question of how does one react when things such as our concept of Justice get shat on at various levels of Thai society. Either you can claim the high ground of your own foreign morality and value system and continually get disappointed/exasperated/angry/frustrated at these kind of stories, or you can attribute these seemingly unconscionable actions by senior people in Thailand to things that are just out of your range of understanding and either make an effort to improve your understanding and/or get on with the things you do actually know about.

I don't believe for one minute the choice between these kinds of reactions are predicated on the length of time spent here. It's more personal than that.

PS - I have a job/family here just as you do.

Cheers

No I don't accept that cop out. If everyone, whether foreign and local accepted things the way you do then it's obvious this kind of shit will continue.

People here can stomach a lot of 'amazing' crap this country has to offer but I think a line should be drawn. A terrorist(and no matter what the Red apologists say, he IS one) let out on a relatively small amount of bail after spending a year as a fugitive is just way wrong.

I have to agree with hanuman1.

How is drawing the line working out for you.

For myself I try to see every things here as different not right and not wrong just different.

When I decide I want to get excited and bent out of shape over some thing I have no say in or control of I will start pointing my finger and saying that is wrong. So far has done nothing to improve the situation. The PT is still in power with the puppet master living in Dubai.

Edited December 28, 2011 by hellodolly

[gl555]

Indeed. I guess it's simplistic to say Thailand obviously isn't what you expected it to be. It probably didn't turn out to be what most people thought it was (if they had any preconceptions of it in the first place), regardless of how long they've stayed here.

Rather, it's a question of how does one react when things such as our concept of Justice get shat on at various levels of Thai society. Either you can claim the high ground of your own foreign morality and value system and continually get disappointed/exasperated/angry/frustrated at these kind of stories, or you can attribute these seemingly unconscionable actions by senior people in Thailand to things that are just out of your range of understanding and either make an effort to improve your understanding and/or get on with the things you do actually know about.

I don't believe for one minute the choice between these kinds of reactions are predicated on the length of time spent here. It's more personal than that.

PS - I have a job/family here just as you do.

Cheers

No I don't accept that cop out. If everyone, whether foreign and local accepted things the way you do then it's obvious this kind of shit will continue.

People here can stomach a lot of 'amazing' crap this country has to offer but I think a line should be drawn. A terrorist(and no matter what the Red apologists say, he IS one) let out on a relatively small amount of bail after spending a year as a fugitive is just way wrong.

I have to agree with hanuman1.

How is drawing the line working out for you.

For myself I try to see every things here as different not right and not wrong just different.

When I decide I want to get excited and bent out of shape over some thing I have no say in or control of I will start pointing my finger and saying that is wrong. So far has done nothing to improve the situation. The PT is still in power with the puppet master living in Dubai.

There is nothing much we can do. That doesn't mean we should sit back and accept the situation. Even something small like pointing your finger and saying that something is wrong is still better then accepting it as the way it is.

Why do so many people here with hundreds and some with thousands posts bother to vent here on this site them if they just accept things, no matter how what? People still posts their opinions and their anger. If people like Hanuman are so Zen like in their acceptance of all things happening here, why pray tell are they posting here then?

[wxyz]

how nice, just in time for the New Years Eve bomb plantings no doubt, and to welcome mr Ts triumphant return

will he be celebrating in Bangkok again with 1 million liters of gasoline to TOAST/roast the city into 2012?

[Oberkommando]

The only upside to this travesty of justice, is that it should speed up the coup. Military generals simply cannot govern any worse than the pack of fools in office.

History suggests otherwise.

[hanuman1]

Indeed. I guess it's simplistic to say Thailand obviously isn't what you expected it to be. It probably didn't turn out to be what most people thought it was (if they had any preconceptions of it in the first place), regardless of how long they've stayed here.

Rather, it's a question of how does one react when things such as our concept of Justice get shat on at various levels of Thai society. Either you can claim the high ground of your own foreign morality and value system and continually get disappointed/exasperated/angry/frustrated at these kind of stories, or you can attribute these seemingly unconscionable actions by senior people in Thailand to things that are just out of your range of understanding and either make an effort to improve your understanding and/or get on with the things you do actually know about.

I don't believe for one minute the choice between these kinds of reactions are predicated on the length of time spent here. It's more personal than that.

PS - I have a job/family here just as you do.

Cheers

No I don't accept that cop out. If everyone, whether foreign and local accepted things the way you do then it's obvious this kind of shit will continue.

People here can stomach a lot of 'amazing' crap this country has to offer but I think a line should be drawn. A terrorist(and no matter what the Red apologists say, he IS one) let out on a relatively small amount of bail after spending a year as a fugitive is just way wrong.

I have to agree with hanuman1.

How is drawing the line working out for you.

For myself I try to see every things here as different not right and not wrong just different.

When I decide I want to get excited and bent out of shape over some thing I have no say in or control of I will start pointing my finger and saying that is wrong. So far has done nothing to improve the situation. The PT is still in power with the puppet master living in Dubai.

There is nothing much we can do. That doesn't mean we should sit back and accept the situation. Even something small like pointing your finger and saying that something is wrong is still better then accepting it as the way it is.

Why do so many people here with hundreds and some with thousands posts bother to vent here on this site them if they just accept things, no matter how what? People still posts their opinions and their anger. If people like Hanuman are so Zen like in their acceptance of all things happening here, why pray tell are they posting here then?

Your final question is rather loaded. Should I not be posting because I don't feel passionately enough about the subject matter at hand? Is that what internet forums are for? Diatribes and eulogies? You can't mean that, surely.

Judging by the experiences of some of the most vociferous anti-gov/red/PTP posters on this forum, I feel kind of lucky that I haven't been induced into feeling so passionately about these issues.

It just happens to be a personal belief of mine that to understand something as fully as possible, both sides of the coin need to be looked into - or at least accepted - in a way which sometimes can fly in the face of stereotypes and prevailing moods. It can lead to being seen as detached, uncaring, indecisive and even (in cauldrons like TVF) partizan, but one thing I assure you of is that it's not easy. I'm not actually that good at it myself, but it's the kind of thing you try to remind yourself to aim at whenever possible.

Personally, I think it's easier to just get wound up in a narrow-minded viewpoint. But then again, these days most people think they've got a harder life than the next man

Edited December 28, 2011 by hanuman1

[gl555]

Your final question is rather loaded. Should I not be posting because I don't feel passionately enough about the subject matter at hand? Is that what internet forums are for? Diatribes and eulogies? You can't mean that, surely.

Judging by the experiences of some of the most vociferous anti-gov/red/PTP posters on this forum, I feel kind of lucky that I haven't been induced into feeling so passionately about these issues.

It just happens to be a personal belief of mine that to understand something as fully as possible, both sides of the coin need to be looked into - or at least accepted - in a way which sometimes can fly in the face of stereotypes and prevailing moods. It can lead to being seen as detached, uncaring, indecisive and even (in cauldrons like TVF) partizan, but one thing I assure you of is that it's not easy. I'm not actually that good at it myself, but it's the kind of thing you try to remind yourself to aim at whenever possible.

Personally, I think it's easier to just get wound up in a narrow-minded viewpoint. But then again, these days most people think they've got a harder life than the next man

You've posted in many different threads regarding this and that. Yet you're telling us we should just sit back and more or less mind our own business. It's pretty simple then. If you truly feel that way, why would you bother to post here. You saying your 1000+ posts are all 'let's all sit back and relax and let things run its course'? I doubt it.

And whether someone is partisan or not is doesn't matter because I really don't see how any reasonable person would see it as 'narrow minded' when people are disgusted by the fact that a terrorist is out on the streets on bail even after he fled for more then a year.