<p>
</p>
<p>I have no idea about the older brother, but it’s become very clear that the younger brother has been here for at least a decade. He went to high school here. And obviously he didn’t come here by himself! You can google him yourself.</p>
<p>Off Topic, though seems to be the topic of the moment, but we actually “need” immigrants in this country. We need them to come here and all the recent studies are showing that if we don’t get a cohorent path to citizenship, we may not be nearly as prosperous as we were in the past.</p>
<p>Our birth rate is currently not at the level of replacement, even. We don’t want to end up like Japan, with a bunch of old people and nobody to create prosperity.</p>
<p>Carry on.</p>
<p>
Step off the box Donna, nobody said that at all. I understand you are upset, as are we all, but you aren’t the arbiter of either national or forum discussion within the TOS.</p>
<p>
Of course we do! But we do need to have a national dialogue on the issue from every perspective. To do something so big with our fingers in our ears and our eyes covered would be ludicrous.</p>
<p>I agree with romanigypsyeyes. People will predictably jump to blame every immigrant, every Muslim, etc. But of course when McVeigh did his thing, there was no reflection on anyone but himself.</p>
<p>I think there needs to be an investigation into how they got into the country, what the procedures where, were there any red flags that were ignored. But it’s perfectly possible that there was no way to forsee this. It may be comforting to think there must have been a sign we overlooked. Sometimes that’s not true.</p>
<p>And I also thought of Carlos, the hero who probably saved Jeff Bauman’s life. He’s an immigrant, too. We are a country of immigrants. I am not going to give up my freedoms to satisfy some knee-jerk desire for revenge or feeling that “we have to do something” even if that “something” is an overreaction that doesn’t really address the problem. </p>
<p>These guys were messed up, to say the least. It would be useful to understand how they became that way and this tragedy could have been prevented. And that kind of understanding will take time … at least if we want to get it right.</p>
<p>Yes, zm, I realize reasonable people can and should have that conversation. I’m saying I’ve seen an exceptionally large number of unreasonable people in the past few days. This brings out the worst in people and there are way too many ugly people out there for my tastes. It seems to be getting worse with the rampant misinformation.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I never said we didn’t need a dialogue. I was contributing to the dialogue.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Analyzing what you actually see in the light of your knowledge and experience, and clearly stating the evidence you’re using, is a far cry from claiming facts on TV that are not adequately backed up.</p>
<p>Both can be right or wrong. The issue is whether the process was valid and the disclosure was sufficient.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>My New Orleans friends who survived Katrina would beg to differ. The police weren’t there for them.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Of course not. I am free to express my opinion, however, just as you are, on what is or isn’t something that should be up for debate. I am no more pontificating from a box than you were.</p>
<p>“Our birth rate is currently not at the level of replacement, even.”</p>
<p>It has been disheartening watching the census numbers dwindle and dwindle</p>
<p>
I was agreeing with you.</p>
<p>Romani, I agree with you, too. My boss’s kids call me auntie and they are very, very, very, very close to me. They are Muslim children from one of “those countries” and I worry sick about their safety and their feelings. I totally agree that there are people on all parts of the spectrum who say hideously ugly things, but that doesn’t mean the country is in any great danger. I just think that now people have an outlet for saying things that would only ever cross their minds at 3:00 in the morning when they woke up from a nightmare.</p>
<p>DonnaL, I’m sorry I snapped at you. That wasn’t nice and I apologize.</p>
<p>Agreed, zm. I guess I just lose a little hope every time I see just how much hatred is here in America (and elsewhere). It makes me sad and I think virtual communities can help breed that hate. People are connected in ways they never were before and that’s a double edged sword.</p>
<p>They definitely did not immigrate to Cambridge a year ago. The younger brother (who is the one that graduated from CRLS and has hocked high school friends talking) has definitely been here much longer than that. I don’t have a news link but I’ve had confirmation that I believe from several members of the Cambridge community that I trust.</p>
<p>I’m so anti-death penalty generally but I want him stopped with as little hurt to other people as possible. If he has a suicide vest, sounds like there’s a high likelihood that he’s dying today anyway. I hope they get him soon.</p>
<p>I know this is getting off topic, but about our birth rate:
[Declining</a> Fertility Is Not the Root of America’s Problems - Philip Cohen - The Atlantic](<a href=“Declining Fertility Is Not the Root of America's Problems - The Atlantic”>Declining Fertility Is Not the Root of America's Problems - The Atlantic)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Are you serious? </p>
<p>The response to Sandy Hook was to blame every gun owner and there wasa well funded campaign to limited their rights. </p>
<p>The response to Giffords shooting was to blame the Tea Party and Sarah Palin when neither had even the slightest connection. </p>
<p>There are always groups sitting on the sidelines waiting to jump on a prominent news story and use it to advance their all ready existing agenda. The public needs to be circumspect about these media bandwagons we get fed.</p>
<p>I cannot believe that these two could put together all these bombs, store them, etc. And no one notice. Did they live alone, just the two of them?</p>
<p>zoosermom, I feel terrible for your boss and for immigrant families who are stigmatized as “dangerous” when all they want to do is live safe, productive lives.</p>
<p>About the elder brother, link to a photo essay about his boxing career; I can’t find a date on it but I think I heard on the radio that it was done last year
[Will</a> Box For Passport - Images | Johannes Hirn](<a href=“http://johanneshirn.photoshelter.com/gallery/Will-Box-For-Passport/G0000VQW7v6xWA7o/]Will”>Error | Click here to access images.)</p>
<p>We need a registry of everyone buying a pressure cooker.</p>