<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>I find it interesting than almost no one (of the posts I read) seems to object to the premeditatied murder portrayed therein.[/quote]
Please go back and look at my message regarding the "Billy Dell" story within the story.
Henry Bowman's murder campaign is obviously the most controversial part of UC. I have tried to avoid discussing it thus far because I wanted to discuss some other parts of the book before opening that particular can of worms.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Maybe it's because I carried a badge before I retired but killing someone just because you disagree with them isn't something to be proud of or admire.[/quote]
Actually, Henry Bowman (in his "Wilson Blair" messages) makes it clear that he's
not targeting people over a difference of opinion, and in fact he doesn't kill any anti-gun lobbyists. (I don't think he'd be dropping napalm on the Million Moms, either.
)
Henry's rationale is that the federal agents are "fair game" because they operate illegally (planting evidence, using blank warrants, siezing property, using excessive force). The murders are, in his view, pre-emptive self defense made necessary by the fact that gun owners' only alternative is to be hunted down, one by one.
The politicians are killed not because of their opinions or their exercise of free speech, but because their
votes have been instrumental in enacting unconstitutional (and hence illegal) laws.
Also, Henry takes pains to use violence as selectively as possible. He doesn't blow up entire buildings or spray offices with machinegun fire. He doesn't encourage mobs to riot in the street, either.
Still, murder is murder and it is very disturbing. One of the things that bothers me about UC is that it portrays the feds as such incompetent dolts that killing them is a relatively easy option. In reality, I think that anyone trying to pull a "Wilson Blair" would be caught in the act or hammered by a massive crackdown before getting very far.