Post by: Headless Thompson Gunner on February 22, 2007, 09:02:37 AM
SANTA FE The Roman Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi was evacuated during noon Mass on Ash Wednesday when three CD players duct-taped to the bottom of pews began blaring sexually explicit language.
The players were set to turn on at 12:22 p.m. as parishioners were in the middle of Mass, police Capt. Gary Johnson said.
The recordings were filled with people using foul language and "pornographic messages," Johnson said. He would not elaborate because of the ongoing investigation.
Church staff personnel removed the CD players, took them to the basement and called police, who sent a bomb squad, Johnson said.
The bomb squad blew up two of the players on a grassy area near the church, then kept the third one for analysis after determining the players were not dangerous.
The recordings were made on store-bought blank discs, Johnson said.
"We'll run the full gamut" of tests on the player, including checking for fingerprints or DNA and tracing its components, he said.
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, which marks a 40-day period of fasting before Easter. Clergy mark the foreheads of the faithful with ashes to symbolize penance during Ash Wednesday services.
Post by: cosine on February 22, 2007, 09:06:17 AM
No such excitement when I was at church yesterday.
Post by: BrokenPaw on February 22, 2007, 09:07:50 AM
I can understand choosing not to be Catholic. I can understand disapproving of some of the things that the Catholic church has done or is doing. I can understand speaking out about these things, if one felt it was necessary.
But I can't understand interrupting people's peaceful worship of their God.
The mind boggles.
-BP
Post by: Perd Hapley on February 22, 2007, 09:17:02 AM
Post by: gunsmith on February 22, 2007, 09:24:46 AM
The Church staff removed the CD players so it was obvious it was not a bomb.
Post by: cordex on February 22, 2007, 09:38:37 AM
A) Examine each player briefly for any sign of modification or hints that it contains an explosive device, pull the batteries and throw them to CSI so you can go take your suit off and go back to lunch.
B) Carefully disassemble each CD player. Scrutinize each part at length. Six hours later declare that they were functional CD players.
C) BLOW STUFF UP! Oh ... and also keep one as evidence. Then go back to lunch.
I think I'd probably pick option C as well.
Post by: Matthew Carberry on February 22, 2007, 09:42:21 AM
This "somebody set us up the bomb" idiocy needs to "stop" as well. CD players only have "x" amount of volume (a very small "x"), if they were operating, that means that much of that space is still filled with CD parts, the amount of space actually available for explosives is minimal.
so...
Have an unarmored person throw one against a wall to break it open or, if the guy with the suit is there standing around sucking up tax dollars anyway, have him break one open with a stick or something and then move on with life. Print the things and throw them in the evidence room.
Post by: Headless Thompson Gunner on February 22, 2007, 09:43:18 AM
"Hey, that CD player could be dangerous. <nudge nudge, wink wink> We'd better blow it up, you know... <Grin> ...just to be safe. You grab the CD players and I'll grab the explosives. This'll be a hoot! And to think, the taxpayers pay us to do this!!"
Post by: HankB on February 22, 2007, 09:45:27 AM
If they blew up all three, they'd have no evidence, right?
Will we see rioting and violence from the congregation the way we'd expect if, instead of at a Roman Catholic church, this happened at a mosque?
Post by: Perd Hapley on February 22, 2007, 11:24:02 AM
Post by: RadioFreeSeaLab on February 22, 2007, 12:10:36 PM