'Gotcha'

Here's an outtake from the transcript of the Friday, March 4, edition of Dateline NBC, dealing with the reaction to the Lefkow murders on the far right, including people like Hal Turner, whose activities in this case are already cause for concern:

[DENNIS] MURPHY: (Voiceover) There's no question that white supremacist Web sites and forums buzzed this week with the news of the Chicago murder. Bloggers like Hal Turner, writing his Web page form his house in New Jersey, put up a picture of Judge Lefkow with the caption, "Gotcha."

(Web pages; Hal Turner working at computer; Web page)

MURPHY: In the names of all things decent in civilization, where does that kind of sentiment come from?

Mr. HAL TURNER: Because it was factual.

MURPHY: You were happy that...

Mr. TURNER: No.

MURPHY: ...those people were murdered?

Mr. TURNER: No, not at all. "Gotcha" was more of a ribbing, a zing, a...

MURPHY: A ribbing? This..

Mr. TURNER: Yep. This judge chose to make rulings in--in a case against people that I know. It was almost as though she had gotten a comeuppance.

MURPHY: (Voiceover) Turner says he's been questioned by federal agent this is week about the murders of judge Lefkow's family. He denies any involvement. But Matt Hale vs. the judge has been regular fodder for Turner's rants, going back to 2002 when he had a shortwave radio show. He said then that while killing the judge might be illegal, it wouldn't be wrong.

(Turner; Lefkow home; Turner working at computer; photo of Turner wearing earphones; photo of Joan)

Mr. TURNER: I have rendered an opinion that what she did on the bench makes her worthy of being killed, yeah.

MURPHY: Do you still believe that?

Mr. TURNER: Yeah. Yep, that's my opinion.

Turner's sentiments, obviously, tell us all we need to know about these wretches. Even if the Lefkow killings turn out to be unrelated to the World Church of the Creator, people like Turner are clearly using the event to intimidate the judiciary. They're saying: "See? This is what happens when you don't rule in our favor." It's a form of terrorism.

If that isn't a crime, it ought to be.