Secret Service Reads Livejournal 277
Prong_Thunder writes "A livejournal post written on October 18th (google cache, scroll down to 'a prayer for dubya') resulted in a visit from the US Secret Service nine days later, as it 'constituted a possible threat to the president'."
Charlie Brooker - The Guardian -- too (Score:3, Interesting)
I suspect Charlie Brooker -Screen Burn- from the UK Guardian (original expired from the Google cache) is going to get a visit too. Plus be on the watch-lists for an indeterminate time. Fool -- does he expect policemen to have a sense of humor?
I can see why (Score:3, Interesting)
She specifically asks for something bad to happen to George Bush. Not just a "I wish he was dead, so I wouldn't have to deal with his shit anymore." But in fact a full blown, "God please kill George Bush." Followed by other self-described snarky comments advocating his death.
I think it looks like more of a consistency thing. She was consistently asking for someone to kill George Bush, which could technically incite someone to violence, which might be construed as a threat. (IANAL)
And while I think most people have made jokes about some president or other important official, friend, neighbor, etc dying, being assasinated, etc for the greater good. I think most people rarely couch it in terms of doing or asking someone to do it.
Perhaps the best speculative difference.
"I wish they were dead."
"God, please kill George Bush."
It's tough to say if I think it is a good/bad thing that the Secret Service checked up on this. Hopefully they also read the rest of her livejournal first. Hell that may have been why they *did* check up on her. If the rest of her livejournal had been a total peacenik LJ, they may have just gone on their way. Yet some of the other posts supported at least asking questions of whether or not she is truly a violent individual.
Wake up call. Violent ranting on the internet can be completely misconstured (much like email). Please confine all future rants to actual conversations with known audiences, so that when you make outrageous statements you audience knows you well enough to not turn you into the Secret Service.
So are we supposed to worry about the Secret Service checking up on all of us now?
Re:Not all free speech is free, eh? (Score:3, Interesting)
Just so you know, the Secret Service does more than just protect the President. They are also responsible for investigating counterfeiting, forgery, and various other crimes.
As for the issue at hand, one of my college profs was ex-Secret Service and he described stuff like this happening all the time. Write something like that about the Pres and get a visit. If you're not a threat, as apparantly was the case here, they move on. Seems to me, as you did, that they were just being diligent in their work.
Re:*NOT* a Free Speech and/or Patriot Act Issue (Score:2, Interesting)
A) The "Hitman" here is "God". There are no legal proscriptions whatsoever about god killing someone. Hence it wouldn't actually be murder (murder is by definition illegal killing - as long as its legal it can't be murder). If this were not the case then the FBI shpould be looking for god as he has several billion suspicous deaths to answer for.
B) No law can possibly apply as any law that applied to a request made to god would be to make a law 'respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof' (which is also why point A is the case..)
C) Satire
Read the post. This is obviously not even a serious prayer as it begins with a statement that the prayer does not believe in the existance of the prayee (herein refered to as "god"). Hence this is more of a stylized wish than a prayer. I am aware of no proscriptions about wishing bad things would happen to people.
Can I conspire with a hitman that I don't believe exists? Maybe. What if there is reason to believe that I didn't know he was serious and was joking? Think, throw
momma from the train.
-Steve
Re:RIP some civil liberties (Score:4, Interesting)
Crimes have been known to be committed in the name of God.
I can see why the FBI might take this seriously. I think they just want to cover their rear-ends. If something did happen, they would be in deep trouble if it was known that they knew of a threat previously (kind of like what happened with Sep. 11 incident).
-Morty
Re:RIP some civil liberties (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:RIP some civil liberties (Score:3, Interesting)
IRS Prohibits Churches from Praying for the Re-Election of President George Bush
WASHINGTON, October 28, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Internal Revenue Service says churches praying for God to grant President Bush four more years as President, during their church services, is a violation of the federal tax code. The IRS issued their ruling in response to a formal request from the Christian Defense Coalition seeking clarification on this issue.
The Christian Defense Coalition is being represented on this issue by the American Center for Law and Justice.
Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, commented on the ruling saying, "This decision by the IRS is a tragic crushing of the First Amendment and religious freedom. The federal government is now telling churches how they must pray and conduct their services. This is clearly censorship. Churches should be allowed to pray according to the teachings of Scripture and the dictates of their conscience without government intimidation or harassment. Regardless if that prayer is offered for President Bush, Senator Kerry or any other candidate."
--
Evan