Notes on Plundering
From “The Radical Fringe”
Capitol Area Christian News,
Spring, 1999
Notes on Plundering
Robert E. Cook
Consider, then, the unregenerate thief. Surely God has given him skills with which to plunder for righteousness sake rather than to steal for his own pleasure. But in a fallen world, God’s people don’t generally use their gifts perfectly. The example of Robert E. Cook comes to mind. He was sentenced on 22 March, 1996 to 176 months in prison by a federal court in Milwaukee under FACE for soliciting violence against abortuaries. Prosecutors claimed that Cook had vowed to terminate abortionists (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 23 March, 1996). He had “stockpiled [read: acquired] weapons, including an AR-15 assault weapon, a Glock pistol, a .45 caliber pistols . . . bought two bullet-proof vests . . . had collected close to two dozen knives, four Samurai swords, and books on commando tactics” according to prosecutors.
Where did Mr. Cook go astray? (Our criticism here admittedly lacks a panoptic view of the situation; we cannot see what is not recounted in the news report.) Much of the money used to buy these tools “came from $260,000 Cook robbed in 1994 in Kenosha from an armored van owned by a company Cook had once worked for as a part-time guard and driver” according to prosecutors. We are not aware of Mr. Cook being convicted of these allegations. It seems he was only charged and convicted under the perverse FACE law. In such a case Mr. Cook’s deeds, as proved in court, merit praise regarding intent. Criticism must be exclusive to execution of the goal. Although robbing banking facilities which do not serve evil purposes might be justifiable in some extraordinary circumstances if the resources were put directly and fully into the service of saving innocent lives, the loot was not apparently so expended.
A much more morally palpable deed is the employment of the gift of plundering in the service of two godly purposes; viz., the stopping of child slaughter the divestment of the industry.
The gnawing question here is, Why didn’t Mr. Cook plunder an abortuary? But who are we to judge? We are ignorant of all the facts related to his means, intentions, childhood, family life, etc. And if he robbed the armored van just because it was more convenient, what was the cause of this kind of intemperate choice? ADD? Childhood sexual abuse by sodomites? Liberal parents? We just don’t know what kind of dysfunctional associations in his background may have contributed to the composite situation which gave rise to this so-far unsuccessful venture.
Letter from a Confessed Plunderer
One Mark D. Pinhey was one of several from around the country who contacted your editor with accolades following the 60 Minutes airing of “The Minister’s Blessing.” Writing from jail in San Luis Obispo, California he revealed that he had been in prison for robbing a bank and an abortuary two decades ago; he is to be released in June and in search of help on the outside to re-enter normal (?) society.
To the point. Whether his story be fictional or not, it serves to illustrate the need for teaching in the use of this gift. Yea to abortuary plundering; nay to bank robbing. And were we to evaluate the matter further, we would want to know what was done with the spoils; e.g., after expenses, including the tithe, were investments made for more abortuary divestments? Donations to the Army of God? What was really in the heart of the man?
Plunderers of the Northwest?
AP report out of Spokane way back in ’97 (30 Sept.) says that Brian Ratigan, Verne Merrell, Charles Barbee, and Robert Berry were found guilty of bombing a Planned Barrenhood abortuary and robbing a bank on 12 July, 1996.
Same problem with the bank thing. But we hesitate to judge. Was this a Robin Hood thing? Jesse James?
Jihadists and Anti-abortionists? Hmmm. Austria in Wilmington
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