Well do I remember the 1960s. Reasonable people were working within the system for a variety of reforms including civil rights and, in the late 60s, to stop the Vietnam war. They managed to bring both of these things, and a number of others, about. Surely not as quickly as many (including themselves) wanted, but they accomplished their goals nevertheless.

But while this was happening, there were those folks who were convinced that the system was totally corrupt, refused to work with it, and wanted someone to take direct action. These folks were passionate and very big on talk. They would often participate in demonstrations, but they couldn't be bothered to write letters and make phone calls and make their concerns known to elected officials, or work for candidates who reflected most of their views. "To do that," they claimed, "would just support a corrupt system."

I recall one such person (among several, actually—lets call this fellow "J. T."). J. T. hung out in the back booth of the Blue Moon Tavern with a number of like-minded (minded?) individuals, and plotted Revolution. J. T. believed in taking direct action. Now! He somehow came to the conclusion that he could put his message across and Change the World if he bombed a government building.

What government building did J. T. pick? The Federal Court House in downtown Seattle? That would mean having to take a bus downtown. Since he lived in Seattle's University District, the only government building he could think of that was fairly handy to him was the University District Branch Post Office. This was a small (one story) post office building used by lots of university students and local U. District business folks, like the Bed and Bath Shoppe (specialty soaps and lotions), George August Photography, Andy Shiga's Asian Import Shop, a couple of copy shops, several restaurants, and so on.

J. T. constructed his bomb (out of what, I'm not sure), and in the middle of the afternoon, he dashed up the front steps of the U. District post office, set the package down in front of the double doors, and ran like hell. A few seconds later, the bomb went off. It shattered the glass in one of the double doors, left a scorch mark on the concrete in front of the doors, and startled a whole bunch of people. But no other damage. And, thank God, no injuries.

J. T. got about a quarter of a block up University Way and ran smack into Ben Johannson, the local beat cop. Ben grabbed him, wrestled him to the ground, and snapped the cuffs on him.

J. T. spent some time in the slammer, and what happened to him after that, I don't know. In any case, he accomplished nothing except doing less than $100 worth of property damage and endangering a whole lot of innocent people. His name is not to be found in a list of Great Liberators of the World.

I read a lot of the same kind of 2-year-old style temper tantrums here on this thread (and a few other threads) that I used to hear from J. T.

All bile, bowels, balls, and bull shit. No brains detected.

Don Firth