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Page 27
Campus Review
May 7, 2013
of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., the mem-
bers of the East Suburban Atlanta
Chapter, in conjunction with ROB’d With
Kindness, Inc., engaged in a competition
to see who could perform the most Acts of
Kindness by April 2013. ESAC have
blogged about their acts of kindness at
www.robsmemory.com.
One post reads, “Homeless veterans were
ROB’d With Kindness. They were provid-
ed with hygiene items.” As if this wasn’t
enough, the comments under this post
emulated every type of kindness. People
were posting their support for Curry, their
remembrance of her son, and Acts of
Kindness they had received or given.
Curry has committed herself to encourag-
ing young people to choose kindness and
avoid violence ever since she lost her son
at age 21 through a senseless act of vio-
lence. “Robert was a young man of prom-
ise,” reads Curry’s website, www.rob-
smemory.com. “He was a talented musi-
cian and was often referred to as a young
renaissance man. He was honored to be
featured on the CBS Early Show during a
weeklong segment called “People Doing
Extraordinary Things.” Robert had enlist-
ed in the Army, but missed the opportuni-
ty to serve due to his untimely death.”
ROB’d With Kindness seeks to provide
community outreach, events and initia-
tives designed to positively impact the
lives of others through Acts of Kindness.
The non-profit claims to be more than an
organization, but movement built from a
mother’s vision to actively memorialize
her son, continue the legacy of kindness
he was known for, and combat violence in
communities, especially among young
men and women.
“ROB’d With Kindness seeks to empow-
er residents, officials, schools and local
partners to make a difference in their com-
munities by being of service to others,”
reads a ROB’d With Kindness press
release.
Tsarnaev Brothers Represent a
New Form of Terrorism, Says Rodger Bates
“Lone-wolf terrorists have emerged as the
major threat to America as they are diffi-
cult to identify and require little or no
external support in mounting serious
threats to our nation,” says Dr. Rodger
Bates, Clayton State University professor
of Sociology.
Bates recently published online in Journal
of Public and Professional Sociology an
article entitled, "Dancing with Wolves,
Today's Lone Wolf Terrorists." An expert
in the field of homeland security and ter-
rorism, Bates’ 2012 article presages the
bombings by the Tsarnaev brothers at the
Boston Marathon. In the abstract to his
article, Bates writes:
“Terrorism takes many forms. However,
the rise of the self-radicalized lone wolf
terrorist has created an increasing dilem-
ma in today’s security environment. This
type of emerging terrorism is increasingly
found among right-wing reactionaries and
religiously radicalized jihadists. With
increasingly effective security environ-
ments, leaderless resistance has emerged
as a threat and tactic facilitated by the
internet and other modern information
outlets. The unabomber, Oklahoma City
bomber, Fort Hood and Oslo assailants
are examples of this new form of terrorist.
Through the development of a sociologi-
cally informed typology that categorizes
lone wolf terrorism in terms of motiva-
tion, extent of radicalization, form and
risk-awareness, a more relevant under-
standing of this form of non-normative
behavior is proposed.”
Bates also notes that, “with the extensive
Al Qaeda presence on the internet and
with many sites which provide motivation
and training, the Tsarnaev brothers may
well have become self-radicalized
jihadists who took advantage of the sym-
bolic nature of Patriot’s Day in Boston to
attack the Boston Marathon and
America.”
Bates is a graduate of The College of
William and Mary (B.A.), the University
of Memphis (M.A.) and the University of
Delaware (Ph.D.). All of his degrees are in
the area of sociology. Prior to coming to
Clayton State, Bates was a long-time fac-
ulty member at Lambuth University in
Jackson, Tenn. He also has served as the
vice president for academic affairs at
Dakota Wesleyan University, dean of the
faculty at Pikeville College, and provost
at Richard Bland College of The College
of William and Mary. From 2000 to 2006,
Bates served as president of New Mexico
State University at Alamogordo, N.M., a
branch campus in the NMSU System.
While at New Mexico State University,
Dr. Bates coordinated the development of
distance education opportunities for U.S.
Air Force personnel in Afghanistan and
Iraq via iPod.
Bates came to Clayton State in 2008 as
dean of the College of Professional
Studies. With the closing of the College of
Professional Studies in 2009, he returned
to teaching as professor of sociology and
homeland security and has been active in
promoting the development of online edu-
cation within the College of Arts and
Sciences and the development the sociol-
ogy and homeland security programs. His
recent research interests have focused on
leadership, terrorism and counter-terror-
ism building upon his earlier experiences
as an officer in the U.S. Army, instructor
at the Kennedy Center for Special Warfare
and as a propaganda development (PSY-
OPS) officer in Vietnam.
Homeland
Security/Emergency
Management is now an approved minor in
sociology at Clayton State, as well as a
concentration in both the Clayton State
B.A.S. Administrative Management degree
and in the Criminal Justice major.
Kindness, cont’d. from p. 13