When you are consumed with fear, this is what you become...
TAMPA - A U.S. Marine reservist attacked a visiting Greek Orthodox priest he believed to be a terrorist, Tampa police say.
When the priest tried seeking directions from Jasen D. Bruce, 28, of Tampa, on Monday, Bruce struck the priest with a tire iron and chased him.
Police say he attacked the Rev. Alexios Marakis, 29, of Crete, Greece, who was visiting St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Tarpon Springs and wound up lost in Tampa.
Marakis had performed a blessing of another retired Greek priest in the West Shore area and then accidentally exited Interstate 275 north into downtown Tampa. He followed cars into the Seaport Channelside Apartments on Twiggs Street and got out to ask Bruce for help.
Bruce hit him over the head with a tire iron and chased him for three blocks, to the corner of Madison and Meridian avenues, police say.
"During the chase, the suspect called 911 and claimed an Arabic male attempted to rob him and he was going to take him into custody," a Tampa Police Department news release states. "When officers arrived, the suspect claimed the man was a terrorist."
Marakis, who speaks limited English, was treated at Tampa General Hospital and released.
When it comes to people like Lance Corporal Bruce, the terrorists have won. Rationality leaves and reasons to justify your fear are searched for in the most obscure and least dependable of places. You can succumb to fear and paranoia and live life suspecting everyone that bears a certain last name or particular look or you can recognize and address the threat,
acknowledge the risk, and live life without being constantly afraid.
You are 13 times more likely to die in a railway accident than from a terrorist attack
You are 12,571 times more likely to die from cancer than from a terrorist attack
You are six times more likely to die from hot weather than from a terrorist attack
You are eight times more likely to die from accidental electrocution than from a terrorist attack
You are 11,000 times more likely to die in an airplane accident than from a terrorist plot involving an airplane
You are 87 times more likely to drown than die in a terrorist attack
You are 404 times more likely to die in a fall than from a terrorist attack
The events of last week and the resulting hysteria and, quite frankly, cowardice that some have shown as a result, has given me pause to think about how we are probably being viewed by the real terrorists out there. And how they are probably smiling.
It's been over 8 years since 9/11. Never forget, but never ever give the enemy the satisfaction of seeing you so frightened, so scared, that you can't even think straight.
We're Americans. Let's start acting like it.

******
Now that Mr. Bruce has hired an attorney, he's got an explanation for what happened. The online story has been updated.
TAMPA - The priest was lost in the Channel District and needed directions to Interstate 275, so he tapped a U.S. Marines reservist on the arm and, in a thick Greek accent, asked for help.
That's how police say the incident began.
But Lance Cpl. Jasen Bruce said the man, who was wearing a robe, sandals and a long beard, propositioned him in English and grabbed his genitals.
[...]
When officers arrived, police say, Bruce told them he heard the man say "Allahu Akbar" – Arabic for "God is great."
"That's what they say before they blow you up," Bruce said, according to police.
But at a news conference today, Bruce's attorney said his client didn't understand what Marakis said.
"Lance Cpl. Bruce defended himself with the full legality of the law for being sexually attacked and potentially robbed," lawyer Jeffrey Brown said.
[...]
In 2007, Bruce was accused of pushing a tow truck driver in the back and chest when his Jaguar was about to be towed, records show. Bruce told police the truck driver had grabbed him to stop him getting in his car.
Bruce pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery, records show. Adjudication was withheld.
So the Greek priest, who doesn't speak much English, grabbed Mr. Bruce [who understands Greek??], sexually propositioned him and then later yelled "Allahu Akbar."
Uh huh.
And Iraq has WMD.
******
From the comments we get a tip that someone who uses Mr. Bruce's name and looks a lot like him may have done some
[NSFW] modeling. If this is the same guy, you gotta wonder if the Corps knows about this.
.