Dead Man Walking Nun Gives Explosive Testimony on Boston Bomber's Private Remorse

Before the defense rested its case during the penalty phase of the surviving Boston Bomber's trial,  Attorney Miriam Conrad called to the stand Sister Helen Prejean, C.J.S. to testify about Dzhohkar Tsarnaev's character. The 76 year old nun gained renown for her book Dead Man Walking (1994), that has been made into a movie (1996) an opera (2000) and a play  written by Tim Robbins (2002).  Dead Man Walking chronicles insights of the mindset of convicted murderers drawn from interacting with two prisoners on death row. The experience lead Sister Prejean to become an ardent anti-capital punishment activist.

Sister Prejean met with Tsarnaev five times since early March 2015. Sister Prejean testified that the 21 year old Tsarnaev brother seemed genuinely sorry for his actions. In fact, Prejean quoted the Boston Bomber: "No one deserves to suffer as they did." Prejean purported that Tsarnaev's "face registered" what he was saying as "absolutely sincere".  CNN reporter Deborah Feyerick claimed this was nothing short of explosive testimony.



It's a pity that Dzhohkar Tsarnaev chose not to take the stand during the guilt phase, in which he was convicted on all 30 counts, nor during the penalty phase, so that the people could discern if it was real remorse or crocodile tears delivered through an earnest activist. Boston Bombing victims in the gallery shook their heads during claims that Tsarnaev was remorseful.

One revealing threat of testimony which was quickly quashed was when Sister Prejean started to speak about comparative religions.  Sister Prejean noted that the Catholic Church had become more and more opposed to the death penalty. The prosecution objected on that point (as they had been chary about an anti Capital Punishment advocate testifying in the first place).  Defense Attorney Conrad interjected "Let me stop you right there".

 Was this a quick acquiescence to an inevitable objection or did the Defense not want to be too explicit in revealing their hand to the jury on Prejean's presence? Defense experts note that if one juror objects to the death penalty, then the Defense achieves its objective and Tsarnaev gets a life sentence without parole.  It is thought that someone of Sister Prejean's stature might be able to influence the jury.

Another ancillary aspect of Sister Prejean's testimony was playing to the look of innocence.  Prejean testified that when she first met Tsarnaev: "I walked in the room, I looked at his face and said, 'Oh my God, he's so young!'" .  This played into the defense argument about youthfulness and impressionability.  It echoes the Tiger Beat style cover of Rolling Stone.  This innocent impression lends more sympathy then the fact that Tsarnaev was convicted of mounting a jihad inspired attack to punish American which killed three people and wounded 264 people.

Although it is understandable that an anti-Capital Punishment advocate like the Sister Prejean would want to testify on behalf of the Boston Bomber, it strains credulity that Tsarnaev's defense would rely on hearsay of remorse rather than have the convicted criminal show his true self up on the stand.

After eight days of testimony which called upon 44 witnesses, the defense rested its case after Sister Prejean's testimony.  The twelve jurors will begin deliberations on Wednesday to determine if Tsarnaev would be in line for a lethal injection or serving a life sentence (presumably at Supermax) without possibility of parole.

The Devil's In the Details on the Choice Between Christ and the Government Cheese

[L] Kay Daly, Executive Director of Christian Family Ministry (photo: Suwaunee Valley Times)

Fox News Radio's Todd Starnes reported how Christian  Service Center of Lake City Florida is being forced between choosing Jesus or Government Cheese.  For 31 years, this north  Florida ministry had been providing food the the hungry without controversy.  But when a state government worker showed up to negotiate  an agreement , Christian Service Ministry Executive Director Kay Daley was told that a "slight change" in the contract.  Now the governmental guidelines about where USDA food is distributed, there can be no religious information under the premise of "the separation of church and state". 

The Executive Order for Equal Protection of Faith Based and Community Organizations is supposed to allow governmental assistance as long as the religious activity does not create a barrier to individuals receiving their governmental assistance.   Yet the Christian Service Center was told that they were prohibited from distributing Bibles but this ban religious information that included  religious decorations, like "Jesus is Lord" banners and a copy of the Ten Commandments, where ever  USDA food is distributed.  Hence Stern's characterization of choosing Jesus or government cheese.

The organization asked if they needed to change their name from the Christian Service Ministry to comply and they were told no, but no praying, mentioning of chapel, distributing Bibles or beign around religious decoration.  The Christian Service Ministry chose to forgo USDA assistance in their ministering to the hungry.  Kay Daly mused:

“If God can multiply fish and loaves for 10,000 people, he can certainly bring in food for our food pantry so we can continue to feed the hungry.”

The Christian Service Ministry decided that they were a Christian ministry, which included helping people in need by praying with them, providing the Good News, worshiping and providing physical nutrition without government "help" and interference.  Other churches are reportedly pitching in the fill the void from the governmental help in feeding the hungry was withdrawn.  

President George W. Bush

Media Matters sought to mollify this righteous indigation from the right by arguing that George W. Bush did it and provided links to the Executive Order.  While it is true that the original ExecutiveOrder 13279 from December 12, 2002 does provide some guidelines for faith based organizations receiving governmental aid, the progressive media "watchdog" failed to include a link to President Obama's extensiveamendment to the Executive Order in 2010.   The devil in the details is understanding what the streamlined new legislative language means

There were major changes in sections 2(e) which was the provision that mandated that faith based organizations must conducting religious activity at a separate time or place than the federallly funded social service program.  This clause reminded the governement that it had to abide by the Free Speech and Equal Protection Clause when administering Federal Programs. 

In the Obama Amended Section 2(e) the Federal government is tasked with monitoring and enforcing "standards regarding the relationship between religion and government in ways that avoid excessive entanglement between religious bodies and governmental entities.  So the emphasis is taken away from faith based organizations complying with the prohibition on proselizing to federal aid recipients to the Federal government acting as referee to ensure that

Excessive entanglements are avoided.  

So despite retaining the Free Speech and Equal Protection language, the avoiding excessive entanglement clause in the amended 2(e) makes moot a faith based organizations First Amendment rights, as a blanket prohibition of religious information treats all equally when operating as an agency of the government.

There were more significant changes in the amended 2(f) clause which originally prohibited faith base organizations from using federal funds for inherently religious activity.  The 2010 Executive Order re-write severed the connection with section 2(e) as well as dropping mentions of Free Speech and Equal Protection. While the revised section 2(f) is more concisely composed, it recasts the clause as a bright line rule for separate time or location, without  the clarifying examples or the intent to emphasis to protect the independent spiritual mission of faith based ministries which engage in social services. 

So the Christian Service Ministry was probably within their legal rights to conduct their social service ministry in their own space, but since a federal functionary did not probably interpret the lawcorrectly (and understands this Administration), it would cost big bucks to litigate to keep federal funds flowing to feed the hungry. No wonder why the Christian Service Ministry chose to forgo their cut of the Government Cheese.

Nevertheless, as Bob Dylan put it: "You don't need a weatherman to tell which way the wind blows." The Obama Administration has been hostile for respecting the free exercise of religion, as has been seen in the HHS Qualified Health Plan(Contraception) Mandate arguing that the Freedom of Religion means the Freedom of Worship--so believe whatever you want in the pews but that respect ends at the church doors. Ministers are now routinely barred from mass casualtysituations like the Boston Marathon bombing, for fear of the separation of church and state.  This is a fundamental misunderstanding of Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Church of 1802 and is a reaction to aggressive atheism in small segments of the American polity.

Ship of Fools--Boston Bomber's Scrawled Confession

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev surrendering in boat after manhunt   [photo: AFP/CBS News]

While Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was held up hiding in a backyard boat in Watertown, MA after the Boston Marathon Bombing, he scrawled a confession.  The U.K.’s Daily Mail reports that the 19 year old thought that he was dying while hiding from the police.  Tsarnaev found a pen where he was hiding from the police and wrote on the interior wall of the boat.

The younger Boston Bomber’s apologia reveals that Dzhokar did not mourn his brother Tamerlan’s death as he was a martyr living in paradise.  Dzhokhar opined that he expected to join his brother soon.  Of course, Dzhokar may have been confused about his final destination.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev claimed that the bombings were retribution for American actions against Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The younger Boston Bomber claimed that the three innocent civilians killed and the 175 people maimed by the  Boston Bombings were “collateral damage”, like the thousands of Muslims who were victims of American violence.  Dzhokhar defiantly declared: "When you attack one Muslim, you attack all Muslims.”

 Abdul Ali Alharbi [photo: Okaz]

CBS News reported that investigators were interpreting this note as evidence that the Tsarnaev Brothers  were self-radicalized and that they were not Chechen stooges for a broader jihadist plot.  How convenient.  But what about the hub of strange activity surrounding Abdul Ali Alharbi, the well connected Saudi student hospitalized with burnt hands after the Boston Bombing who was then set to be deported by ICE under section 202 (3)(b) for “Terrorist Activities”?   Out of sight, (out of country), out of mind?




The confession could be key in prosecuting Tsarnaev, as it was composed prior to a Magistrate interrupting the FBI interrogation to read the perpetrator his criminal rights.  Of course, this note is riddled with bullet holes from Dzhokar’s action packed capture. 

Boat owner David Henneberry

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was discovered alive because David Henneberry went outside to smoke after the  the shelter in place order was lifted during the Boston Bomber  manhunt and he checked on his beloved boat.  When Henneberry noticed that his winterized boat had been disturbed, he checked out his vessel.  On the second inspection, Henneberry discovered the bloodied Dzhokhar.    

Between the scrawled confession and the bullet holes, Henneberry is not getting his boat back in the water anytime soon.   There was a social media drive to buy Henneberry a new boat.  But he considers himself an incidental hero.   

It makes me feel wonderful that people that are thinking like that, but it is my boat. People lost lives and lost limbs. I'd rather that (the money) go to the One Fund Boston. To buy me a new boat is a wonderful thing, I don't want that, really. I would wish that they donate it to the One Fund Boston. They lost limbs. I lost a boat.

Henneberry also seemed philosophical about losing his boat– "Slip Away is slipping away. But I say it did its job. It held a bad guy and is going away like a viking ship."  But considering the confession scrawled on the boat, it seems less of a Viking Ship and more of a Ship of Fools which should carry the caught conspirator to justice. 


If the Boston Bombing investigators are seriously pursuing the theory that the Tsarnaevs acted alone and letting other conspirators "slip away", they themselves are lost at sea on a ship of fools.  Unfortunately, such a pleasure cruise could run America’s ship of state aground.

Loony Toony Interviews With Boston Bombers' Kin

After a tumultuous week of the Boston Marathon Massacre where a terrorist bombing killed three and maimed upwards of 180.  Then there was a manhunt which required the nation’s tenth largest metropolitan area to shelter in place to avoid shootouts with the suspects on the loose who killed Sean Collier, a security officer at M.I.T.  and severely injured Boston Transit Policeman Richard Donahue in the firefight with the men on the run.  In the end, Tamerlan  Tsarnaev was dead and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured and hospitalized after an 18 hour chase. 

Some have tried to offer solace by framing the horrific events as limited.  Five term Boston Mayor Tom Menino (D-Boston) tried to calm the pubic by insisting that the Tsranaev brothers were lone wolves. Menino offered these sweet nothings even though there were reports that “Johar” (the younger suspect who is still alive) had his three roomates taken into custody, the FBI is searching for a cell of twelve  and that ICE is deporting two individuals for expired visas.   Others operate under a more creative conceit of deniability.

Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s Aunt, Maret Tsarnaev, who lives in Ontario, Canada, gave a presser when Boston was on lock-down in pursuit of the fleeing terrorists.  She insists that they are being framed.





Hearing that your kin has killed and crippled scores of innocent people at the Boston Marathon might not compute so it is somewhat understandable the Maret Tsamaev would proclaim her newphews innocence when besieged by the press.   What is not as easily excused is seeking out the media to shill her fantastic viewpoint. 

On Saturday, the Blaze Radio Network’s Buck Sexton Show had an unprompted phone call from Maret Tsarnaev.  



At first, it sounded as is Ms. Tsarnaev was extending an olive branch to those impacted by the atrocity.  But shortly afterwards, she continued to peddle the narrative of “The boys were framed, there is no proof–you do the math.”  While it is possible that this was a crank call, the grief in the woman’s voice along with the consistency of the denial made it less likely that it was a Howard Stern cohort or other crank yankers.

Buck Sexton blazed with stinging impeachment of the Aunt’s proclamation of innocence, which he later seemed to regret, as he assumed that it was family still in denial.  Granted, that is a charitable assessment but it begs the question of why such a person would seek out media and push crackpot conspiracy theories.  It frankly sounds like a foundation is being laid for a “Loose Change” campaign which has persuaded a significant minority of people to believe that 9/11 was an inside job, despite all of the probative facts. 

The call to the Buck Sexton Show also was reminiscent of taqiyya, a long standing Islamic practice where it is acceptable to lie to the infidel in order to allow for a strategic retreat before the next offensive. 

Assymetric warefare is less about resounding battlefield victories as it is about coloring public opinion.  In the dozen years since the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001, it is not politically correct to even talk about the already amorphous term “War on Terror”, as the Obama Administration wanted to refer to events such as the Boston Marathon Bombing as “Man Made Disasters..”  CAIR has persuaded the government and the media to constrain ourselves from referring to jiahd, and then considering the term to simply be a personal struggle for self improvement.  Despite Major Hassan shouting “Allihu Ackbar” (God is great) during the Fort Hood shootings in 2009, the Obama Administration has tried to sell that terrorist attack as just being an example of “workplace violence”.  

It would be a savvy PR strategy for sympathizers to muddy the waters by claiming innocence, despite overwhelming proof, as fifth column types, naysayers and nutjobs will latch onto a meme However, it is unclear if Maret Tsarnaev was just speaking for herself or furthering a greater cause.  But if the populace can not even agree upon acceptable terms or act on clear and convincing evidence, how can a people defend itself?

Then again, the nickname from a Canadian dollar coin is a Loonie  and a two dollar coin is called a Toonie.    Wonder how much Maret Tsarnaev’s thoughts were worth?

Boston Bombing Victim Instrumental in Identifying Terrorists

One of the more striking images from the Boston Marathon bombing was a photograph of a ashen hued, gravely  injured victim  being wheeled away from the terror site.

Carlos Arredondo assisting Jeff Bauman, at Boston Marathon Bombing
[photo credit : Charles Crupa/ AP]

Jeff Bauman, Jr.  is a 27 year old was waiting near the finish line to cheer on his girlfriend running in her first Boston Marathon.  After the first explosion, Bauman had lost both legs below the calf and his shirt was on fire. The man in the cowboy hat, Carlos Arredondo, stopped distributing flags, jumped over the fence and ran toward the victims laying on the ground.  Arredondo extinguished Bauman’s burning shirt with his hands, tore off a shirt to act as a tourniquet on a leg stump. Arredondo stayed with Bauman to comfort him until emergency workers reached the blast victim.

Bauman had to be resurrected during surgery as he had almost exsanguinated. Unfortunately, both of Bauman’s legs had to be amputated.  But while Bauman was still in intensive care on Tuesday under heavy sedation, he asked for paper and a writing utensil.  The patient wrote “bag, saw the guy, looked write at me.”  

When Bauman was put in contact with the FBI, he was able to describe the bomber as wearing “cap, sun glasses and a black jacket over a hooded sweatshirt.”  Bauman noted that he locked eyes with the terrorist who placed the backpack at the finish line.   This description was enough for law enforcement to eventually identify  Tamerlan Tsarnaev, suspect number 1.




As news broke out that Bauman was instrumental in identifying one of the terrorists, bloggers began a crowd-funding campaign to cover Bauman's medical costs, which had raised $160,000 by Friday afternoon. 

In addition, Jeff Bauman was visited at Boston Medical Center on Thursday by Silver Lining Playbook star Bradley Cooper and New England Patriots Receiver Julius Edelman.  The football player tweeted a photo with the Twitter message:  'Visited #survivor #stud #hero Jeffrey Bauman Jr. today. He was looking great and is a true inspiration. #strong'. 

Jeff Bauman, Jr. being visited by Bradley Cooper and Julius Edelman [photo credit: @Edelman11/Twitter]

After the hub of strange activity around the Boston Bombing and the the bloody manhunt which shut down Beantown on Friday, it is good to give fanfare for the common men like Bauman and Arrendondo who facilitated the capture of the terrorist bombers.  May there be more stories of heroics to bring ALL of the perpetrators of the Boston Marathon Bombing to justice.

A Hub of Strange Activity Around the Boston Bombing

One of the nicknames for the city of Boston is “The Hub” as Bostonians consider themselves living in “The Hub of the Universe”.   Alas, after the Boston Marathon Bombing, it has become the hub of strange activity.   The race of government investigators to find those responsible for exploding two IED bombs that currently have killed three people and severely injured at least 150 has been conducted over a strange path indeed.

On the one hand, it is wise to remember in breaking news stories that initial reports are often wrong and the fog of war can obscure the truth.  Yet on the other hand, the Fort Hood shootings and the Benghazi bungle has shown how the Obama Administration will consciously publicize false stories, obstruct the truth and deny responsibility when it comes to linking the White House to foreign inspired terrorism during President Obama’s watch. 

Initial reports indicated that along with the two bombs that exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, officials reported that there were five undetonated bombs scattered throughout the marathon route.  Officials later denied that report.  Additionally, Boston Police were tipped off to look for a Yellow Penske Truck with unidentified drivers but dark skinned wearing black clothes which attempted to deliver medical supplies earlier in the day but had been turned back.  Police later dismissed that tip.

In its quest for information about the Boston Bombings, the media focused on one of the two hospitals treating terror victims which had a significant cordon of security.  Reports centered around a young Saudi man as a “person of interest” who was being treated for burns on the hand.  These injuries were different from other blast injuries which involved lacerations to the lower extremities.  

There were reports that the “person of interest” was cooperating with authorities.  The police conducted a search in Revere, Massachusetts (where several of the 9/11 bombers lived) and several bags of evidence were taken.  

There was some controversy about labeling the individual as a “person of interest”.  Commentators with police background noted that once a person is categorized as a suspect, it tips off others who are involved and begins to institute legal protections for the suspect which can kill cooperation and inhibit a quickly moving investigative dragnet.  Since the Saudi person of interest comes from a prominent Saudi family, the tortured lexicon in not calling him a suspect may be to avoid embarrassment to these international elites, the Saudi government or an embarrassment to the Obama Administration. 

Yesterday was a strange day in the Lamestream Media.  Major news organizations like CNN and Fox News were reporting at 1:30 EDT from tips from high placed police sources that a suspect in the Boston Bombings was going to be arrested.  CNN’s John King reportage revealed that it was a “dark skinned man, but he did lingustical gymnastics so as not to report that he was foreign or a Muslim.  



The media expected a 1 PM FBI briefing on the impending arrest that was delayed five times then cancelled.  It is strange that two prominent media sources were burned with this explosive information. 

But putting these strange events in the Hub can best be understood by breaking the Bostonian conceit that it is the Hub of the Universe.  Events our nation's Capital, the  District of Calamity (sic) may have severely impacted the Boston Bombing investigations.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State John Kerry had a photo op scheduled with a Saudi counterpart.  At the last minute, the meeting became a closed door meeting and the photo op was explained away as a scheduling mistake.  It is strange that Foggy Bottom would have set up a photo op for a scheduling mistake. 

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama had an unscheduled meeting with the Saudi Ambassador.  It was a “walk by” meeting, so as not to have it on the White House schedule.  The procedure is for a lower level Executive Branch official to have a meeting with an open office door and the Chief Executive walks by and notices someone and then has a closed door meeting.

What makes these instances of Executive Branch minutia relevant is how the story changed in Boston.  Sudden, there was no suspect that was going to be arrested.  In fact, the Saudi who had been a person of interest was suddenly slated to be deported.  





This repatriation to the Saudi Arabia for  20-year-old Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi was being framed as being close to his family.  But  Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi comes from a prominent Saudi family which may be supporters of Wahabbism (the sect of Sunni Islam that inspires Al Qaeda).  So the young Saudi with powder mark burns on his hands would be an embarrassment to the Saudi Kingdom and might cause a diplomatic fissure with the United States. Such a white glove treatment for suspicious Saudis is not unprecedented as President Bush let bin Laden family members flee America immediately after the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001 

A hospitalized Abdul Rhaman Ali Albabi [photo: Okaz]

When Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi was considered a person of interest, an event file was created.  According to ICE, the reason is under section 212 3B — “Security and related grounds” — “Terrorist activities”.   Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi ‘s visa had been revoked and he had submitted to voluntary departure.  But before these public papers were classified and he was quietly shuffled off to Saudi, The Blaze exposed the situation and officials are reconsidering their strategy.   But the Saudi newspaper Okaz reports that the Saudi consulate has been assured that all Saudis have been cleared, including Alharabi and Nura Kahlid Saleh al-Ajaji

The Lamestream Media has been openly rooting for the Boston Marathon Bombings to be attributable to a White Male or the Tea Party.  Soon after the dust settled on the terror attacks, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and MSNBC’s Chris Matthews allowed speculation that  the violence is linked to the right wing since it was Tax Day and Patriots Day.  Salon had a headline that “Let’s Hope the Boston Bomber Is a White American” because it would set back the cause of liberalism for amnesty and gun control.   

So if the reports  about the linkage with the Saudis and dark skinned males are accurate, it does not fit the narrative which the Obama Administration would approve.  The Fort Hood shootings in  November, 2009 where 13 people were killed and by US Army Major (and self proclaimed Soldier of Islam) Abdul Malik Hassan who shouted “Allahu Ackbar” (God is Great) during the attack was simply an instance of workplace violence since terror only happens during President George W. Bush’s Administration.  This convenient conceit keeps those killed and injured from being given Purple Hearts or qualifying for combat benefits.   And the attack the US Benghazi Consulate on September 11, 2012 was due to a YouTube video because the Obama Administration had Al Qaeda on the run in the run up to re-electing President Obama.

Although officials are publically poo-pooing leads about the other undetonated bombs and the rogue Yellow truck lead, those do fit into a pattern typical of Palestinian terrorism. Walid Shoebat, a former Palestinian terrorist turned Evangelical Christian, suggests that Boston Bombing had the hallmarks of a knockout terror attack.  It uses IEDs to inflict maximum human suffering. The staggered explosions to stampede, terrorize and injure the innocent when killing first responders.  And the turned away Penske truck with medical supplies mimics  Hamas tactics to target first responders and use ambulances as tactics of terror. 

Before jumping to conclusions, it would be wise for the facts to shake out.  Unfortunately, experience has taught that the Obama Administration and the compliant Lamestream Media are happy to shun inconvenient truths.  And the hub of strange activity around the Boston Bombing has done nothing to dispel this perspective. 

Strange days indeed.