Be careful what you write here...

[marshall3]

Just a reminder to everyone to be careful about what you write or say about government officials:

Here's some law:

"...Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits for conveyance in the mail or for a delivery from any post office or by any letter carrier any letter, paper, writing, print, missive, or document containing any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States, the President-elect, the Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President of the United States, or the Vice President-elect, or knowingly and willfully otherwise makes any such threat against the President, President-elect, Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President, or Vice President-elect, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."

There was a fellow living in a small town near me who wrote a letter to the editor (Chattanooga Times Free Press) criticizing Pres. Bush a bit to sharply, and he got visited last week by the Secret Service and local deputies.
So, watch it.

 

[whm1974]

There was a fellow living in a small town near me who wrote a letter to the editor (Chattanooga Times Free Press) criticizing Pres. Bush a bit to sharply, and he got visited last week by the Secret Service and local deputies.
So, watch it.

So we can't criticize the govenment anymore? How come we didn't hear about this sort of thing about Clition when he was in office?

-Bill

 

[Janitor]

So we can't criticize the govenment anymore? How come we didn't hear about this sort of thing about Clition when he was in office?

We didn't hear about it because his diversionary tactics were too effective. He continually strove to keep our attention elsewhere. Sort of like a 'Three Card Monty' dealer would.

-

 

[Sleeping Dog]

How come we didn't hear about this sort of thing about Clition when he was in office?

He had, uh, better things to do.

 

[pcf]

There was a fellow living in a small town near me who wrote a letter to the editor (Chattanooga Times Free Press) criticizing Pres. Bush a bit to sharply, and he got visited last week by the Secret Service and local deputies.
So, watch it.

What did he write? Two sides to every story.

 

[boofus]

So we can't criticize the govenment anymore? How come we didn't hear about this sort of thing about Clition when he was in office?

We did hear about. Instead of having a chat with Secret Service, Reno/Clinton had them burned alive in their homes in Waco.

 

[shermacman]

Yeah, I want to see what was actually written: "...criticizing Pres. Bush a bit to sharply..." (despite the spelling mistakes), does not a threat make.

 

[ScottsGT]

Well the Democratic Underground must keep them hoppin'!!

 

[buzz_knox]

So we can't criticize the govenment anymore? How come we didn't hear about this sort of thing about Clition when he was in office?

-Bill

We didn't hear about it because the media wouldn't use it against him. They look for anything against Bush.

The Secret Service has been doing this for decades, regardless of who is President. The only difference is that Bush's critics aren't getting IRS audits like Clinton's did.

 

[MikeIsaj]

There was a fellow living in a small town near me who wrote a letter to the editor (Chattanooga Times Free Press) criticizing Pres. Bush a bit to sharply, and he got visited last week by the Secret Service and local deputies.

And then what happened? Was he detained? Arrested? Charged? Convicted? Sentenced? Is he currently serving time in a federal penitentary?

Are you saying the secret service should not contact people who write things about the president that bring them up on the radar? This has been going on for a very long time.

Let's turn down the paranoia. There are too many real things to be afraid of.

 

[jsalcedo]

This has been the case for many many years.

I remember it happening with president Ford.

Any percieved threat is investigated.

 

[geekWithA.45]

I've been on this forum a long time, and people here are pretty circumspect.

Somehow, much hated figures like Sarah Brady, Fienstien, Schumer, Boxer, and Kerry have all failed to collect death threats from the denizens here.

Just so ya know.

 

[Geno]

I think most people know the difference between free speech and tangental rage

I've never seen, nor have I searched for though, examples of the latter. I figure we're all big "boys and girls". If some people are so foolish as to write something of that nature, the Secret Service should visit them. That way they can verify if it's talk or if it's intent and forewarning. Better safe than sorry. I've never heard of people being arrested who were blowing off steam. But, we have to undrstand, we are at war. And, in times of war, standards change. It's bad enough to have enemies outside, let alone inside as well. I've always said, "Don't say or write anything that you wouldn't want your mother or your grandmother to see or hear." It has served me well.

Doc2005

 

[armoredman]

He had, uh, better things to do.

Cigars, blue dress......

 

[buzz_knox]

I've been on this forum a long time, and people here are pretty circumspect.

Somehow, much hated figures like Sarah Brady, Fienstien, Schumer, Boxer, and Kerry have all failed to collect death threats from the denizens here.

Just so ya know.

There's been a few which have approached the line. But the authors either never crossed it, or got called on it when they did.

 

[Bigreno]

Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits for conveyance in the mail or for a delivery from any post office or by any letter carrier any letter, paper, writing, print, missive, or document containing any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States, the President-elect, the Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President of the United States, or the Vice President-elect, or knowingly and willfully otherwise makes any such threat against the President, President-elect, Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President, or Vice President-elect, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."

Why is this news to anyone? When has it even been legal to threaten the life of safety of the president?...or anyone for that matter. You can't legally say in public that you intend to kidnap and shoot your neighbor, so why should it be ok for a Govt. official? This says nothing about criticism, rants or anything else. It states if you threaten to "take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the president..." Call them a-holes all you want just don't make threats and there will be no problems.

Some people need to spend less time looking out the windows for black helicopters.

 

[antarti]

any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon

The operative words above do include "threat".

I'm no grizzled veteran of THR, but I haven't ever seen anything that rises to the above on this forum.

I send letters amounting to "your policies hug <insert uniquely male anatomy here>" to plenty of politicians, and the President too. The only implied "threat" is no vote next time around.

Bottom line: It's no different than what would happen after opening my own mail and getting a death threat, you better believe that I'd get the police (and a PI) involved real quick to find out who I'm dealing with, and what their true motivation was.

 

[Omni04]

I too would like to know what was said in the letter. Any chance of typing it up? I hope it wasn't anything foolish like "i plan to kill president bush" or anything like that.



Jsalcedo- In all honesty if they would like to investigate me or my posts i don't mind. The context of what i said should be a blatant flash of the obvious that i am not conspiring anything.

 

[jsalcedo]

Omni04

What you just wrote is something they can and will investigate I suggest you
edit your post.

 

[buzz_knox]

Omni04

What you just wrote is something they can and will investigate I suggest you
edit your post.

Actually, that would get a quick glance via the web search engine and then a pass once the context was seen. It's kind of like Echelon: look for key words and evaluate based on the whole conversation.

 

[Nathaniel Firethorn]

There was a fellow living in a small town near me who wrote a letter to the editor (Chattanooga Times Free Press) criticizing Pres. Bush a bit to sharply, and he got visited last week by the Secret Service and local deputies.
So, watch it.

What, exactly, did he write?

The paper was kind of stupid for allowing the LTE to go to print, BTW, if it contained threats of that sort.

- NF

 

[walking arsenal]

He had, uh, better things to do

I'd hardly call monica a better thing, maybe somthing, but not better.

 

[thumbody]

During the Clinton Years a high school girl in Midland MI wrote a threatening letter to or about Pres. Clinton. I believe she got time behind bars for that.
If I remember correctly jefnvk said he went to school with her.

 

[Sinsaba]

I'd hardly call monica a better thing, maybe somthing, but not better.

LOL!!! +1

 

[jefnvk]

During the Clinton Years a high school girl in Midland MI wrote a threatening letter to or about Pres. Clinton. I believe she got time behind bars for that.
If I remember correctly jefnvk said he went to school with her.

Nope, she was a few years ahead of me. Might have known her, but I can't remember who it was, or if they even released a name because she was a minor. Secret Service was at the school about four hours after it happened, with the computer name the e-mail was sent from. Alls it took was to look up the log of who was on it, and she was in trouble.

IIRC, she got like 90 days.