Well, there are two ways this scenario could go wrong. They are innocent and you accuse them of something and sound racist in doing so. Or, you could not say anything and they do turn out to be terrorists and then you've got fourteen dead.

So, you can choose to save face at the risk of fourteen dead, or you can confront a potentially innocent person and possibly look like a racist asshole.

It seems pretty clear cut to me.

Hell, what constitutes 'suspicious activity' ??

I think there's a house not to terribly far from here with a stiffy in the crawlspace.  (I hasten to add, via natural causes)  The family needs the SS check and none of the locals here want's to effup them doing what they gotta do.

(December 5, 2015 at 2:51 pm)vorlon13 Wrote: ...stiffy in the crawlspace.

Please tell me the double entendre was intentional.

(December 5, 2015 at 1:56 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote:

(December 5, 2015 at 1:12 pm)Minimalist Wrote: Ah, thanks dear.  All is now clear.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TheBlaze

Most news sources are politically biased one way or the other, which is annoying as hell, but it doesn't mean the conservative ones are always lying and the liberal ones are always correct... or vice versa. If you don't trust it, look at the source the story came from. It is listed right on there: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/12/0...ed-farook/

Beck is not just a conservative.  He is the king of the lunatic fringe.

(December 5, 2015 at 2:51 pm)vorlon13 Wrote: Hell, what constitutes 'suspicious activity' ??

I think there's a house not to terribly far from here with a stiffy in the crawlspace.  (I hasten to add, via natural causes)  The family needs the SS check and none of the locals here want's to effup them doing what they gotta do.

I think that's the point, though. It would probably not have been suspicious to that man if they had been a group of white women coming in and out of that apartment all the time. It was the fact that it was Arab men that caught his attention and made him feel uneasy. This does seem extremely racist, which is why he did not report it to police. But then the problem is of course that 14 people are now dead and the shooters were the folks living in the house where the man saw what seemed suspicious to him.

(December 5, 2015 at 3:53 pm)Minimalist Wrote:

(December 5, 2015 at 1:56 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: Most news sources are politically biased one way or the other, which is annoying as hell, but it doesn't mean the conservative ones are always lying and the liberal ones are always correct... or vice versa. If you don't trust it, look at the source the story came from. It is listed right on there: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/12/0...ed-farook/

Beck is not just a conservative.  He is the king of the lunatic fringe.

Well I provided you with a nice little liberal source there saying the same exact thing, so we can get over this whole political hiccup and get to the point. 

It is possible to make an anonymous report

(December 5, 2015 at 2:07 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote:

(December 5, 2015 at 1:13 pm)Irrational Wrote: Ask God, remember?

Gee, thanks for your contribution.

So now God is not relevant when it comes to finding out what is the objectively right thing to do? Perhaps God is not our reference for morality after all.

(December 5, 2015 at 7:40 pm)Irrational Wrote:

(December 5, 2015 at 2:07 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: Gee, thanks for your contribution.

So now God is not relevant when it comes to finding out what is the objectively right thing to do? Perhaps God is not our reference for morality after all.

I make a post asking an honest question that has absolutely nothing to do with my beliefs, and you ask a sarcastic question about my beliefs. Being an atheist doesn't mean you have to be an ass hole to theists every time you get the chance. 

If you are genuinely curious to know what I have to say about that, feel free to send me a PM and we can discuss it. Otherwise, please do not attempt to derail my thread.

(December 5, 2015 at 7:26 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote:

(December 5, 2015 at 2:51 pm)vorlon13 Wrote: Hell, what constitutes 'suspicious activity' ??

I think there's a house not to terribly far from here with a stiffy in the crawlspace.  (I hasten to add, via natural causes)  The family needs the SS check and none of the locals here want's to effup them doing what they gotta do.

I think that's the point, though. It would probably not have been suspicious to that man if they had been a group of white women coming in and out of that apartment all the time. It was the fact that it was Arab men that caught his attention and made him feel uneasy. This does seem extremely racist, which is why he did not report it to police. But then the problem is of course that 14 people are now dead and the shooters were the folks living in the house where the man saw what seemed suspicious to him.

Although we cannot be certain, I suspect even if he is telling the truth and he had called the police, nothing would have changed, because there was nothing to report.

Man. Hello, police? I'd like to report suspicious activity.
Police. Yes sir, please describe the activity.
Man. Ok. There are Arab looking men coming and going from this house nearby. The house is owned by an middle eastern family.
Police. I see. Are these men coming at unusual times of day? Have you heard them say anything suspicious? Any evidence of drugs or weapons?
Man. No. Just Arab looking men keep visiting this middle eastern family house.
Police. I see. Thank you for your report. ×hangs up×

My point is, I don't think police would have had reasonable cause to even look at this report, so it isn't as if him calling it in would have saved lives, which is the assumption being jumped straight to. Perhaps they would have, but we can't say that for sure, and logically, it seems most likely not.