Back at College, Suspect Called Boston Bombs 'Crazy': Classmate

[Douglas Carpenter]

26. Even burning witches was striking at an enemy (real or imagine) of their faith. Bombing an abortion

clinic or a movie cinema that shows "Hollywood filth," would suggest a strike against the enemies of God. Religious violence like political violence almost always involves attacking a target that represents a real or imagined symbol of some real or imagined hostile force. This attack just does not fit that bill. Furthermore, there was no message or implied message so that anyone could know what it is that caused an offense and what it is that the government or the public must stop doing or start doing to avoid future attacks. Even violence against an author or artist who caused offense would be a message and act of intimidation that everyone would understand. There was no religious or political message delivered in the context of this attack. This is why I think it is not correct to use the word terrorism based on what we know so far - in that the word terrorism implies an attempt to coerce or intimidate by acts of wanton and random violence a change. There was not even an appearance of any effort to coerce or intimated a change in anything. If the older brother was hearing voices in his head and the strength of his personality coerced the younger brother into joining him in this attack - then we are down to plain simple insanity - mixed with misguided dependency - which I suppose is a possibility.