(no subject)

[essayel]

This has jolted me out of my recent silence because i find this so unbelievable that it has to be worth mentioning:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/anniesj/331112.html

One would think that the US secret service have more important things to do than to doorstep people who make a few jokes at the governments expense - it must cost a lot too. Haven't they got better things to spend their money on?

Of course, in the UK it's still techinically treason to disparage the Royal Family but I've never heard of anyone getting a knock on the door in the night over it - otherwise half the country's comedians would be perpetually banged up.

Anyway, since this is a country with NO constitution and NO rights to free speech and so forth, if anyone would care to email me their opinions of George Dubyah I will post them here for them - anonymously of course.

If the opinions are just yikky I can't promise not to edit - I'm like that. You'll just have to take the chance that they fall within the bounds of what I consider to be good taste.

Comments

[casfic.livejournal.com]

This is quite horrific. As if anyone would be dumb enough to make serious threats against anybody in a public post.

I'm gobsmacked.

[mynuet.livejournal.com]

The Secret Service, like any other government agency, is legally required to investigate any reports it receives - including the ones that are obviously ludicrous. Yeah, it was a few stupid jokes - but as soon as someone called them up and reported it, they didn't have the option to just say "Eh, it's obvious this is just someone being stupid and petty and pointing out someone's jokes as being a threat" and then just crumple it up and toss it in the garbage; they have to send someone out to investigate, or they are themselves breaking the law. These regulations were put in place to prevent officers from ignoring actual threats - say, for example, an agent's sister was printing money in her garden shed, the neighbors call the Secret Service, the agent can't pull strings to get dear ol' sis a ticket out of being investigated. It's a pretty rough experience to have law enforcement show up on your doorstep, but the problem here isn't the law or the administration (the laws involved pre-date Bush by a long, long time), it's the person who thought it was somehow okay to make a false report.

Personally, I'm not voting in this election - I like Bush slightly better than Kerry, but as long as the election is over I don't really care who wins. Yay for apathy!

[whiskeygirl8.livejournal.com]

Well, it really depends on what was said. They have to investigate what is reported and different factors can determine how they investigate. It's very possible this person said something in a way that most people took as facetious that, without knowing the person, could be taken as a serious threat. If so, they HAVE to investigate. Because, if they didn't, and the person WAS serious and acted on it, they would be in BIG trouble.

So, without knowing what was said and what was reported, there's no way to know for sure if the investigation was necessary (although, the person's reaction to it indicates that it was understandable based on the report the Secret Service got.)

I can say, however, that the Secret Service did not investigate this person only because they don't like Bush and said negative things about Bush. There was more than likely something in the post that could be construed as an actual threat to Bush, not just calling him stupid. Otherwise, a lot of the country would be investigated and they just don't have the time for that.

[whiskeygirl8.livejournal.com]

You would be surprised at how dumb people will actually be. Not to mention that someone with psychiatric problems would be very likely to do something like that. And, of course, they HAVE to investigate these kinds of things when they are reported, otherwise they could let someone who IS serious through the cracks.

I mean, a lot of these folks write to the president to threaten him. Who knows when one of them will act on what they write.

[whiskeygirl8.livejournal.com]

You said exactly what I was trying to say, only a whole lot better.

[essayel.livejournal.com]

Apathy has a lot to be said for it - except I can't be bothered.

[essayel.livejournal.com]

Otherwise, a lot of the country would be investigated and they just don't have the time for that.

Well, I should hope not.

For instance, in this post I could express a wish to hide a small thermonuclear device in George Bush's under the bed chamber pot, but surely even a cursory glance through my previous posts on my live journal would show that I am unlikely to have either the expertise to build such a thing or access to the necessary materials?

If the secret service - such as it is in the UK - want to investigate me they are welcome - I'm paying their wages after all. In the meantime I will continue to say that our goverment has it's bollocks firmly in the grip of whichever President you care to elect but our hearts and minds don't necessarily have to follow.