# Eric Rudolph - terrorist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 22, 2005, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-rudolph-terrorist/318125 "2005-08-22T16:17:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-rudolph-terrorist/318125/21 "2005-08-23T03:31:39Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > Even if some true believers felt that Rudolph was justified in bombing the Alabama abortion clinic, didn’t he deliberately set off a second bomb that was timed to explode a few minutes after the first? (in other words, just when the police would be showing up). Try ‘spainin’ that one! It were planted by them gay-loving commies! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-rudolph-terrorist/318125/22 "2005-08-23T03:34:07Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > well, I’m starting to think that maybe W is part of these groups of morons (anyone surprised?). His #1…nay…ONLY priority over the last four years has been fighting terrorism and punishing them to the full extent of the law (and possibly beyond). And yet he sat back and let him plea bargin. I don’t know that Bush has anything to do with the plea bargaining, which would’ve taken longer, cost the taxpayers more, and had the same result. And Rudolph did turn over a lot of explosives, which is a plus. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-rudolph-terrorist/318125/23 "2005-08-23T04:20:49Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > My understanding is that there were quite a few people who knew he was there, yet didn’t report that. > [@Monty](#): > > Those who helped him avoid arrest should also be in jail. AFAIK, there is no evidence that anyone did. Every person I’ve seen quoted from the area condemned his actions, even those who supported his anti-abortion agenda. Roberts’ testimony was that he lived on what he got from dumpsters and gardens. Do you know something that the police and FBI don’t, or are you just making assumptions? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-rudolph-terrorist/318125/24 "2005-08-23T09:11:49Z")
I was merely responding to the comment made by This Year’s Model. Read them together, as you have them quoted, and you will see that. Feel free to add in your mind “if any” after “those.” ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-rudolph-terrorist/318125/25 "2005-08-23T12:10:04Z")
> [@furt](#): > > AFAIK, there is no evidence that anyone did. Every person I’ve seen quoted from the area condemned his actions, even those who supported his anti-abortion agenda. Roberts’ testimony was that he lived on what he got from dumpsters and gardens. Do you know something that the police and FBI don’t, or are you just making assumptions? No, it’s just from what I’ve read about his arrest. I could be wrong. That’s why I said it was my understanding, leaving myself open for correction. The [wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Robert_Rudolph) article (for what it’s worth) has this to say: > [@](#): > > It is thought that Rudolph had the assistance of sympathizers while evading capture. Some in the area were vocal in support of him. Two country music songs were written about him and a locally top-selling T-shirt read: “Run Rudolph Run.” Many Christian Identity adherents are outspoken in their support of Rudolph; the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil rights group, notes that “extremist chatter on the Internet has praised Rudolph as ‘a hero’ and some followers of hate groups are calling for further acts of violence to be modeled after the bombings he is accused of committing.” From a [Leonard Pitts](http://www.knightridder.com/about/columns/pitts11.html) column: > [@](#): > > Rudolph is believed to have spent five years hiding in the rugged woods on the southwestern tip of the Tar Heel State. Authorities believe he had help, though no one has confessed. Still, many locals say they’d have been willing to give Rudolph any assistance he needed. Some still are. > > One woman, Betty Howard, has a “Pray For Eric Rudolph” sign on the marquee outside her diner. She told The New York Times she’s starting a legal defense fund. “Bless his heart,” she says. “Eric needs our help.” “No evidence that will hold up in court” might have been a better way to phrase your comment than “no evidence”. ---
**Author:** ![xbuckeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9e8a1a/32.png) [@xbuckeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xbuckeye)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-rudolph-terrorist/318125/26 "2005-08-23T13:30:53Z")
He was (is?) a terrorist, he just terroized a smaller group than the ‘death to america’ crowd. Most of us don’t work at abortion clinics or respond to explosions at them so most of us aren’t (weren’t) too bothered by the bombs. On the other hand, alot of us work in office buildings and ride trains and buses and subways so are more affected by middle eastern groups threatening those. He is a terrorist that most of us didn’t notice, kinda like the first WTC attack. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-rudolph-terrorist/318125/27 "2005-08-23T15:22:18Z")
Most of us do go to parks and nightclubs, though, and he bombed those things, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-rudolph-terrorist/318125.md?page=1)