Hardscrabble Rockford

The Rolling Stone just published an engaging article about the federal government's quixotic pursuit of "home-grown terror suspects." It points out that this colossal waste of resources is only resulting in a string of trumped up charges against Arab pizza delivery drivers and video-store clerks with militant Islamic leanings. It's a good read, so check it out.
The reason I noticed it is because the writer, Guy Lawson (an investigative journalist who usually writes for GQ) focused on the Derrick Shareef case. If you'll recall, he's the loser that planned to "bomb" CherryVale Mall during the holidays by dropping two grenades into a garbage can and "speed-walking" away. Um, yeah.
Did I mention that he planned to acquire these grenades from an undercover FBI agent who was willing to trade them for a set of stereo speakers? At what point do you start to get suspicious that your terrorist plot is just a set up? Maybe when you haven't got a single c-note to your name and the "arms dealer" is willing to exchange explosives for your speakers?!! Man, if it were that easy to get guns and bombs, I never would've made it past 13 years old.
But the best part about reading these kinds of articles is the cheap shots that hotshot writers take when they parachute into Rockford and zip out the next day. From the article:

Finding a meaningful target to blow up in Rockford isn't easy. A hardscrabble town in the middle of America, the place is not much more than an intersection of interstates and railway lines, with little of note that might attract the attention of terrorists. So Jameel suggested the main attraction in town: CherryVale Mall, a sad-sack collection of clothing stores and sneaker shops on the outskirts of Rockford.

Tell me what mall in America isn't a "sad-sack collection of clothing stores?" Apparently, Mr. Lawson failed to stop by Machesney Park Mall.