Finally.
Austin Police Chief On Bomber: 'He Was A Domestic Terrorist'
Despite previous calls from the community after a string of bombings killed 39-year-old Stephan House and 17-year-old Draylen Mason, Manley hadn't used the term. At the panel [hosted by KUT], he said he's now "very comfortable" calling Mark Conditt a terrorist.
"I actually agree now that he was a domestic terrorist for what he did to us," Manley said to the crowd gathered at the George Washington Carver Museum in East Austin for a panel examining the bombings' impact on communities of color.
At a press conference after the bomber's death, Manley called him a "challenged young man," sparking widespread criticism. On Thursday, Manley said he didn't call Conditt a "domestic terrorist" because the term has a legal definition and he is not a prosecutor.
"Knowing that it might end up in a legal system at some point, I was being very specific on legal definitions that exist under federal law," Manley said.
The years 2017 and 2018 are emerging as historic tipping points.
From the #metoo movement, to the spectacularly defensive, flatfooted public relations of the NRA, to the courageous, smart and strong Parkland survivors, to Facebook being held accountable for its fake news and to calling a domestic terrorist, a domestic terrorist, we are witnessing cultural ground shifting under our feet and old ways tumbling down.
