Loudoun schools spokesman Wayde Byard said the CIA indicated the nature of the material but asked the school system not to disclose it. Byard described it as a “putty-type” material designed for use on the battlefield and which requires a special detonator; such putty, or plastic, explosives — including the well-known C-4 — are used in demolition and are considered stable.Stable is not "inert"--it was an explosive that but lacked a detonator.
Also, plastic explosives are flammable and produce toxic fumes when burned. Thus, while there was no real risk of detonation, it wasn't as safe a situation as the officials pretend, either. If it had fallen onto a catalytic converter, exhaust manifold or exhaust pipe, it could have caught on fire.
Of more concern, though, is why there were no protocols in place to ensure that the same quantity of explosives checked out at the start of the exercise were not checked back in at the conclusion.
Sovereign immunity.
ReplyDeleteGenerally sovereign immunity applies to civil lawsuits and damages; I was thinking more in the line of criminal charges. My theory being that what is good for the goose is good for the gander; and we all know what would happen to John Q. Public if he/she left an explosive (even sans detonator) on a school bus.
DeleteAll I'm saying is that since this was done by government officials, nothing will happen. Even if the explosives had harmed a child, there would most likely be no criminal charges against those responsible for leaving the explosives on the bus. Sure, the government may pay civil damages to quiet the plaintiffs.
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