My question was meant as a general one, not one specifically about Israeli
war criminals and Palestinian terrorists. Murder is a crime; terrorism is a
crime; stealing a bicycle is a crime. If Sonja would commit a crime (*any*
crime), would that make me and our son guilty of harboring a criminal?
There is a HUGE difference between terrorism and minor crimes. Jeroen, you are trying to minimize the point of her argument. And if I may say, comparing the murder of many innocent people to stealing a bicycle and trying to equate them is very VERY disingenuous of you.
In the United States, stealing a bicycle and murdering innocents with shrapnel bombs are very different things. How do the US courts compare them? Well... for stealing a bicycle you can probably get a fine, community service (if it's your first offense) or, if you've stolen before, perhaps a jail sentence.
Ending someone's life is a much more serious offense. Prove it was premeditated in the US and your life is forfeit in most states. The state will take your life away for taking that of another person. And if the state does not happen to have the death penalty, then they will lock you away and throw away the key for life.
And yes, if you knowingly harbor a *murderer* then you are an accessory and a criminal in the eyes of our government. The court makes no distinction to whether the murder was committed for reasons of insanity or to make a political statement. Since the court doesn't place the same value on a bicycle as a human life, if you knowingly harbor a bicycle thief I doubt they'd do anything to you.
Are you trying to tell us that the Dutch feel that stealing a bicycle and mass murder are equivalent? I doubt it.
Jon
