Like most Americans, accused terrorist mastermind Russell Defreitas had a dream.
In fact, his life was a series of dreams. Several of them fulfilled, one of them cruelly denied.
He left Guyana 30 years ago, seeking a dream of a better life in the US, which he realized. Then, he realized his dream of becoming a citizen of his new country. And after getting a job at JFK Airport as a cargo handler, he realized – as most working Americans eventually do – that his dream sucked. So he got a new dream.
Blowing up JFK Airport.
Sure, it’s probably not YOUR dream, and it’s definitely not mine since it contains neither cheerleaders nor Reddi-Wip, but does that really matter? Does our Constitution not say that “all dreams are created equal”? Are they not therefore all equally deserving of respect and admiration?

And what of Russell’s motivation? He said that one reason for doing this was that he “wanted to do something to get those bastards”. Who among us has NOT gone to work at one time or another thinking just that very thing? True, most people limit themselves to passive-aggressive pranks like unplugging someone’s mouse or putting Ex-Lax in the coffee, but – magnitude aside – we can ALL relate, right?
The fact is, Russell was a visionary ahead of his time. The seeds of his ambitious plan to wreak deadly havoc on innocent civilians actually sprouted several years before the 9/11 attacks. One can just imagine his frustration on that September morning, realizing that his goal of grabbing world attention had been overshadowed by 19 people who had done it first and done it better.
But did he give up? Did he just sigh and mope and say “I’ll never be as good as those lucky Saudis”?
HELL no!
He did what any good American would do. He cranked it up a notch! He dared to dream bigger! Bolder! Blow-uppier! He vowed to create a terrorist attack that would make 9/11 look like a damp firecracker!
He envisioned a plan to destroy not just an few planes, but terminal buildings, fuel tanks, and miles of fuel pipeline.
His lofty ambition, however, was not without its share of equally lofty obstacles to overcome.
He needed help bringing his project to fruition. Sadly, thanks to the depradations of George Bush’s Crusade on Islam, the Al Qaeda members he tried to contact were either too busy or too dead to provide him with the assistance he needed. Still, his pluck and determination would not allow his hope to die. So, in the best MacGuyver-like tradition of Yankee ingenuity, he managed to make do with what he could find – some wide-eyed idealists from Trinidad. Yes, Russell had indeed taken lemons and made lemonade.
Things were looking up for this eager beaver. He even won the admiration of the FBI, who described Russell and his crew as “a very determined group”. It’s such determination which built this nation, so why shouldn’t it destroy it, too?
Unfortunately, Russell’s dreams were crushed under the jack-booted heel of President Bush, who had known about the project for months. I can’t believe the thoughtlessness of this man! Why didn’t he say something right away instead of teasing the poor guy and stringing him along like that? Even worse was Bush’s complete lack of support for this plan. I mean, Russell played by the rules in coming to this country and he actually became a citizen. I’ll bet that if Mr. Defreitas had snuck into the US illegally, Bush would’ve given him government grants and all the explosives he wanted, just like he did for all the Mexicans!
My theory is that, since the target was JFK airport, Bush couldn’t stand the thought of competing for attention with headlines about a president who makes him feel inferior! Too bad Russell didn’t plan to take out the Hoover Dam!
I think it’s tragic that in Bush’s America, Russell couldn’t get the help or explosives he needed to reach his goal. More good American terrorist jobs go overseas, and our President does nothing!
Most of all, though, it makes me ashamed to live in a country where chasing your dreams is no longer considered a laudable objective. When Joey Chestnut broke the world hot dog eating record, he got a year’s supply of hot dogs and a $250 gift card to the mall. But all Russell Defreitas got for trying to set a record for killing people in a domestic terrorist attack was the short end of the stick.
Shame on you, George Bush, you dirty dreamstealer.
Shame on you.
Harvey is a non-disabled Navy veteran accidentally hired to fill an affirmative action quota at IMAO.us. He is also the author of such books as “”Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, and Exploded Pipelines: What America Means to Me”” and “Terrorists in Trinidad: A Shopper’s Guide”.