"Bomb Scare" in Boston

It seems like Boston get the Stupid Government AND the Gestapo awards today. Not only did they not excercise any judgement or reason in investigating the Cartoon Networks guerrilla marketing ads, but they are looking to press felony charges against the two guys to put up the signs.

Overreacting is one thing, but then to furiously stamp his feet and demand felony charges, the mayor looks even MORE stupid.

By the way, bombs look like this:



or this:



but not like this:



The-sky-is-falling-we're-all-going-to-die panic followed by a temper tantrum on part of Boston's government is not leadership. No judgement was used on the part of the mayor, the Boston PD, or the media. Now, they're just trying to do damage control instead of admitting they screwed up. People, including Boston's mayor and Finest shouldn't believe everything they see on "24".

One thing I'll grant, is that it's not unreasonable for someone to call the thing in, esp. if it's stuck under a bridge. But, let me give you a real life example:

I was deployed to Kuwait and my navy unit guarded the two harbors that we use to ship supplies up to Iraq from USS Cole type attacks. One day we found a 55 gallon drum floating in the water. Of course we were going to investigate it. It could be a bomb. But it would be the height of stupidity to lock down the base send forces screaming all over hither and yon and then when it was all over and found to be nothing, charge some poor Haji who may have pushed the drum over the side of his fishing boat.

Yes, there is a threat to terrorist attacks and yes it's smart for citizens to call in suspicious objects, but the government has to react rationally. I can even accept the overreaction, but not charging the marketers after the fact (with a felony no less). That's the real criminal behaviour here.