Auburn Trees Poisoned, Perpetrator apprehended

[Danny Serafini]

Originally Posted by Hoosier Red

Your tree can be replaced. Also, you did it to your own property.

If my neighbor has a super cool restored car, that he worked on for 10 years and takes a lot of pride in, the value is not just in the dollar figures associated with the car,(which would be significant) but in the value he places in that car.

If I went and stole the car, then drove it off a cliff, and then called him up to brag about it, there would be value lost. Not just in the assessed value of the car, but in the value he placed in the car which he won't be able to get back, and in the value of destroying the car for no reason other than malicious intent.

If the trees weren't valuable, he wouldn't have bothered to poison them.

I'm not arguing the rights and wrongs of the situation. The guy is a jerk, and what he did was wrong. What I'm saying is that it's a gigantic leap to say that because he killed a plant he doesn't value life and that it's a possible precursor to him attacking people. Plant life does not equate to human/animal life.

Is he an idiot? Yes. Is he a psychopath killer? No.

[Brutus]

Originally Posted by The Operator

It's more than just vandalism, if you ask me. It's destruction of property.

The guy didn't kill anyone, but he did irreparable damage to a portion of land owned by a university and should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

If you go and release termites in someones house and it gets destroyed, you may not have killed someone, but I'd bet there'd be a nice hefty punishment in store for you.

I think it's more than just trees. It's part of campus aesthetics. People get very attached to college campus surroundings, they relate it to one of their happiest times of their life. It's a huge place for Auburn's fans. Now it's going to be destroyed. It's something you can't just replace.

Obviously, he shouldn't face the electric chair but I hope they hit him to the fullest extent of the law.

I'm an OSU fan who hates Michigan, but I'm not going to take a wrecking ball to The Big House. There's a difference between being a loyal fan and a psycho, in my opinion.

Vandalism is destruction of property though

–noun
1.
deliberately mischievous or malicious destruction or damage of property: vandalism of public buildings.

[The Operator]

Originally Posted by Brutus the Pimp

Vandalism is destruction of property though

Stop using facts, they are not welcome when debating with me.

But in all reality, I consider "vandalism" to be more of damaging property, not destroying it beyond all repair. Vandalism is usually something that can be fixed, ya know? Sounds like these trees don't stand a chance.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by Brutus the Pimp

Experts on the subject have said that none of those things are really a concern.

For me, a crime is a crime. Terrorism is just a silly adjective to describe things we already know are wrong. Committing a criminal act of any kind shouldn't need the added "terrorism" label slapped on.

He vandalized property. He should be punished for that. Not as some environmental terrorist.

No they haven't. They've said it's unlikely that the herbicide that has soaked into the soil will leach down to the water table.

That does not address those who were exposed soon after application nor does it address the run off.

He didn't key a car. He deliberately applied poison to a place where thousands pass daily. Then he deliberately went out of his way to incite fear and outrage to further an agenda.

[Brutus]

Originally Posted by jojo

No they haven't. They've said it's unlikely that the herbicide that has soaked into the soil will leach down to the water table.

That does not address those who were exposed soon after application nor does it address the run off.

He didn't key a car. He deliberately applied poison to a place where thousands pass daily. Then he deliberately went out of his way to incite fear and outrage to further an agenda.

He "deliberately" committed a crime of which he'll be punished. That's the extent of it.

It was a stupid thing to do by a an idiot that takes things too seriously. Let's not make it out to be bigger than it was.

Throwing around terms like environmental terrorism is hyperbole and really exaggerates the severity of the crime.

He killed a tree. The risk of someone getting sick over what he did is extremely minimal and that has, in fact, been said.

From the report:

Manufacturer Dow Chemical says the substance should be applied with proper clothing protection and a typical use of the herbicide is to kill trees along fence lines. There is no reason to suspect any human danger from the herbicide.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by Brutus the Pimp

He "deliberately" committed a crime of which he'll be punished. That's the extent of it.

It was a stupid thing to do by a an idiot that takes things too seriously. Let's not make it out to be bigger than it was.

Throwing around terms like environmental terrorism is hyperbole and really exaggerates the severity of the crime.

He killed a tree. The risk of someone getting sick over what he did is extremely minimal and that has, in fact, been said.

From the report:

Dow basically recommends application with your eyes protected, mouth ventilated and body covered. They also caution to avoid contact with eyes and skin.

You know what also happened a couple of weeks after the Iron bowl when "Al" was dumping several gallons of concentrated herbicide on Toomer's corner? Something called graduation. Do you know what that means? People were lined up in the Samford courtyard getting their pictures taken. Children were hugging the oaks. You know what they weren't wearing? The type of protective clothing Dow recommends someone should wear when applying the diluted herbicide. How is someone supposed to avoid contact with their eyes and skin if they don't know they're standing in an area dowsed with the concentrated stuff?

"Al" poisoned a city block and intentionally tried to incite the community by calling a radio station and making several calls to the university. Environmental terrorism is much more accurate than calling this a simple act of vandalism. Dismissing this as a simple act of vandalism is a gross understatement.

Is there anyone who would pour a gallon of that stuff in their backyard and then let their child play in the area? Heck who would even let their pet in the area? Clearly this rises above simple vandalism.

[Sea Ray]

Originally Posted by jojo

Again, raise your hand if you want tebuthiuron dust in your eyes or tebuthiuron in your drinking water (or in the eyes and water of your children or pregnant loved one)....

Raise your hand if you want urine in your drinking water? How show it be treated if my dog took a leak at that tree? No one has said that this (I agree criminal) act will cause human health problems. You're jumping the gun by assuming that at this time

[Brutus]

Originally Posted by jojo

Dow basically recommends application with your eyes protected, mouth ventilated and body covered. They also caution to avoid contact with eyes and skin.

You know what also happened a couple of weeks after the Iron bowl when "Al" was dumping several gallons of concentrated herbicide on Toomer's corner? Something called graduation. Do you know what that means? People were lined up in the Samford courtyard getting their pictures taken. Children were hugging the oaks. You know what they weren't wearing? The type of protective clothing Dow recommends someone should wear when applying the diluted herbicide. How is someone supposed to avoid contact with their eyes and skin if they don't know they're standing in an area dowsed with the concentrated stuff?

"Al" poisoned a city block and intentionally tried to incite the community by calling a radio station and making several calls to the university. Environmental terrorism is much more accurate than calling this a simple act of vandalism. Dismissing this as a simple act of vandalism is a gross understatement.

Is there anyone who would pour a gallon of that stuff in their backyard and then let their child play in the area? Heck who would even let their pet in the area? Clearly this rises above simple vandalism.

Perhaps it needs reiterated...

"There is no reason to suspect any human danger from the herbicide."

Vandalism.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by Sea Ray

Raise your hand if you want urine in your drinking water? How show it be treated if my dog took a leak at that tree? No one has said that this (I agree criminal) act will cause human health problems. You're jumping the gun by assuming that at this time

Tebuthiuron is toxic to humans in concentrated levels. It's reasonable to assume individuals who gathered around the spot of application shortly after "Al" committed his criminal act were exposed to levels that Dow would consider unsafe.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by Brutus the Pimp

Perhaps it needs reiterated...

"There is no reason to suspect any human danger from the herbicide."

Vandalism.

Perhaps it needs reiterated that the quoted statement refers to the present.

Are you willing to stand in the saturated spot shortly after application of the levels "Al" criminally dumped?

[Brutus]

Originally Posted by jojo

Perhaps it needs reiterated that the quoted statement refers to the present.

Are you willing to stand in the saturated spot shortly after application of the levels "Al" criminally dumped?

The comment refers to the herbicide in general. There was no reason to believe it was a threat to humans.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by Brutus the Pimp

The comment refers to the herbicide in general. There was no reason to believe it was a threat to humans.

So you're answering yes, you're willing?

[Brutus]

Originally Posted by jojo

So you're answering yes, you're willing?

The experts seem to think there's not any harm in it, so yes absolutely.

No one of any credentials has said there's really much to be concerned about by this. So anyone suggesting otherwise seems to be spinning the circumstances of the incident into something it's really not: i.e. a danger.

A chemical was applied to a plant... a chemical that is legal where it was purchased and applied in such a way that experts have said is not a threat to humans. That includes the individuals that were around that area after the fact.

Really nothing to see here. An idiot vandalized a well known placemark on the Auburn campus and will assuredly be punished for doing so. That's really where the crime begins and ends. No one was hurt and the odds are that they wouldn't have been.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by Brutus the Pimp

The experts seem to think there's not any harm in it, so yes absolutely.

Knock yourself out.....

[Brutus]

Originally Posted by jojo

Knock yourself out.....

As much as I appreciate the gracious invitation, I'll have to wait until the next time an Alabama loony pulls a harmless prank.