Sometimes people read a news story and become convinced the story proves, once and for all, that their prejudices were founded.

For example, check out these two reader responses to Monday's story about the explosives found near West Chester's Mostellier Garage.

From "Just An Observation" of West Chester:

"There is a trend here and while the numeous bomb threats at the Courthouse and Government Services buildings don't always make the paper, it appear the VOICE of Chester County seems to be silent on a lot of things. The truth is we are growing too fast here and everyone is profitting off the boom in West Chester not to mention that there is a lack of sensatrivity to the needs of those that live here in the borough.

"What's the big picture story here and why don't we feel safe in our little town any longer? Well the truth is with popularity comes unforseen issues that we often take forgranted and then progress breeds other issues.

"After 25 years in West Chester, I tend to miss the old woolworth days when things were kinder and gentler here in 'Sleepy Hollow'

"This incident has reminded us that we need to be aware and that not just the borough is a target we have a university here that could be a target too...WHOSE MINDING THE STORE and with all those cameras up town how is it that the Police didn't see this stranger walking around the garage...YES THEY HAVE STREET CAMERAS in WC and they eye the borough...

"Progress...ask yourself how much are you willing to pay for progress?"

This writer seems to be implying that with population increases come bombings. This is an extreme form of a common sentiment: "We, the longtime residents, are good and peaceful people. You, the developers and development-happy goverment officials, will make it possible for who knows what kind of riff-raff to come to our community. (In Tredyffrin, substitute "riff-raff' for "apartment dwellers.")"

From Raoul Deming, of Chester Springs:

"The old "Declare War On America" Students For A Democratic Society are coming back to WCU. The same SDS that went around their 60's convention holding up four fingers like a fork and exchanging the phrase "FREE MANSON" as in Charles Manson.

"Why? Because Manson's followers KIlled The Rich, where SDS would just chant "Kill The Rich".

"Pretty sick stuff, when you find out that SDS Bernadine Dorhn had the SDS doing that to show solidarity with Manson, when you realize that the rich was a pregnant Sharon Tate who pleaded for the life of her baby.

"And why a "fork salute"? Because one of the manson followers stuck a fork in Tates stomach after they killed her.

"And oh yeah, SDS had their NYC townhouse explode back in the day. They were building bombs for use at an NCO dance at Fort Dix, which would have killed hundreds of Soldiers.

"And take a look at the Chester County Peace Movement. The CCPM's Tompson Bradley, who went to Europe back in the 60's to meet with the Vietnamese Communists was not al that long ago on a panel at Swathmore with Carthrine Wilkerson, one of the SDS'ers in that townhouse working on bombs to kill Soldiers.

"CCPM has members who travel to meet those countries hostile to the USA. They go not to defend our country but to show solidartity with the America haters. Go to YouTube and find "VFP Calutes Chavez" to see Veterans For Peace leader John Grant grovel for Hugo Chavez.

"Other CCPM members go to Syria, Iraq, Iran and Lebanon, even North Korea. And CCPM's leader Karen Porter even commented on the meber's North Korea trip that she "covets it".

"It's take a hard look at the "Blame America Firts" crowd. In the 60's, the SDS leaders were frustrated over their lack of public support for their anti-war ideas and they went underground, as in Weather Underground. There they "Declared War on America" and were directly tied to 250 bombing, with the suspected number as high as 500.

"Can WCU's SDS Faculty Adivser for SDS, Prof Davidson, account for all his charges yesterday? Or was Davidson out of town visiting the dictator of Syria again?"

Yes, of course! The Chester County Peace Movement members are responsible for the attempted bombing. Or, if not them, then the more liberal, America-hating WCU students.

Anoter person who posted on the comments section worried that the rest of Chester County would try to blame someone from Coatesville.

The moral is, in cases of attempted bombing, blame the person or group you hate the most (Fat Paul ... )

And, as always,

Blame America Firts!

What a sexy title for a blog post.

I got an email from Mark Campbell earlier this week asking me why in my last post on the subject I didn't explain why it was OK that Roggio left blank Schedule IV of his Financial Disclosure form.

Here's the response I sent him:

The directions on Schedule IV specify that none of Roggio's positions (unless there are ones we don't know about) need to be reported.

The Schedule IV directions:

"Report all positions, compensated or uncompensated, held on or before the date of filing during the current calendar year and in the two prior years as an officer, director, trustee of an organization, partner, proprietor, representative, employee, or consultant of any corporation, firm, partnership, or other business enterprise, any nonprofit organization, any labor organization, or any educational or other institution other than the United States.

"Exclude: Positions held in any religious, social, fraternal, or political entities; positions solely of an honorary nature; and positions listed on Schedule I."

As far as I can tell, Roggio isn't required to list the Senate job because it is with "the United States." And he doesn't have to list the Casey for PA job because it is with "a political entity."

If this analysis, as well as the one in my other post, are correct, then Roggio's first Financial Disclosure was complete and Gerlach's allegations are baseless.

However, not even the Roggio campaign agrees with my analyses.

After the Gerlach campaign sent out its allegations last week, Roggio responded by sending the House Ethics Committee an amendment to Schedule VI of his Financial Disclosure. I maintained that Roggio did not have to disclose either of his jobs in 2006 and 2007 on Schedule IV. The Roggio campaign said its lawyer advised Roggio to disclose these jobs, so he did.

"I'm sorry, I've read the form and the directions on filling it out again and again, and I just don't agree," I told Liz Conroy, Roggio's campaign manager.

"I'm going to defer to our lawyer on this one," Conroy said.

She added that Roggio might be "over reporting."

Better safe than sorry?

Here are a couple of thoughts from our Chester County delegates to the Republican Convention. These were emailed to me today but didn't fit into today's article.

From James McErlane, the high powered West Chester lawyer who serves on the Republican Convention's Platform Committee (the committee that authored the 2008 Republican Platform):

"Ohio, which carried for Bush, is right in front of podium. PA, which didn't carry for Bush, but has 21 electoral votes, is right behind... Location carries a huge message. PA is the largest state considered "in play," and OH is right behind w/ 20 electoral votes. If PA and OH go for McCain, McCain is next President."

From County Commissioner Carol Aichele:

"Two points to consider:

"1. Is a male candidate with five kids asked, 'Who is going to take care of the kids?'

"2. From G. Ferraro: a man at a Hillary event held a sign that said, "Iron my shirt." No member of the press reported it. If a man at an Obama event had a sign that said, 'Shine my shoes,' it would have been on every front page in America."