Stochastic Terrorism?
Angela Reading
Is Angela Reading a security threat to the United States? According to Lt. Col. Christopher Schilling the leadership of nearby Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst believes, “[T]he current situation involving Mrs. Reading’s actions has caused safety concerns for many families. The Joint Base leadership takes this situation very seriously and from the beginning have had the Security Forces working with multiple state and local law enforcement agencies to monitor the situation to ensure the continued safety of the entire community.” What has Angela Reading, a previously law-abiding wife, mother, and member of the school board, done to require such scrutiny from the military and local law enforcement?
In November of 2022, Angela Reading attended a school event at Upper Elementary School (UES) in North Hanover, New Jersey with her 7-year-old daughter. According to The Epoch Times, children at the school made posters, “which included pride flags representing transgender, pansexual, ‘genderqueer,’ ‘bisexual,’ and other sexual orientations.” At the main entrance, her daughter noticed a poster and asked what “polysexual” means. Soon afterward Angela Reading made a Facebook post.
I encourage everyone to read the Facebook post by clicking on this link. (Click on the image to enlarge it.) The post is a calm telling of the facts and her concerns. However, apparently, free speech is not allowed in New Jersey. Angela’s objection to LGBT posters in an elementary school brought on the wrath of the military. In an email to Air Force officers, Schilling declared, “There is a growing concern among many parents at all of these schools that her (Angela Reading’s) rhetoric is going to inspire someone to act out.”
Angela Reading
In early December, Joseph Vazquez, the installation antiterrorism program manager at the McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst base notified the North Hanover police about Reading’s Facebook post. Lt. Col. Schilling eventually spoke with sixteen government agencies about the threat, including, the Army, Air Force, Homeland Security, and local law enforcement. Emails uncovered through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, show that both the military and police thought that mentioning the school name might expose its families to “attack by far-right extremists.”
While the school has not suffered any such attack, Mrs. Reading has been labeled a “stochastic terrorist.” “I’m getting harassed. People are sitting outside my house.” By making the posters an issue, she has been accused of exposing children to harm. Others have said she should die. According to the Epoch Times, “military officials encouraged school superintendents to demand Reading’s resignation from the school board.”
School superintendent Helen Payne stated that the district has, “been in continuous close contact with the North Hanover Police and they have been very supportive and present for us,” she said. “They are taking any risks very seriously, are aware of our concerns and have been working on their end to provide any support we need.” Mrs. Reading did resign from the school board on December 7, 2022.
Posters from the Upper Elementary School (UES) in North Hanover
Angela Reading is not a stochastic terrorist but the military might be. In a recent interview, Mrs. Reading said, “I’m so scared. Like, why is the military coming after me?” That is an excellent question. School security is not the purpose of the military. Lt. Col. Schilling should be relieved of duty and the military should return to the base. Ensuring school security is the job of the local police but, the North Hanover Department should be reminded that speech is a God-given right covered by the First Amendment. In posting her concerns Angela Reading did nothing wrong. She plans to file a lawsuit against the federal government with the Thomas Moore Society. We at The Conservative Alternative hope she wins.
Is there a First Amendment on social media? By writing the Facebook post did Angela Reading create a reasonable threat to area children? Is that possibility worthy of military and police action against her? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
Note: While researching this post I found articles listing Christopher Schilling as a lieutenant, a major, and a lieutenant colonel. I remain uncertain of his correct rank.
