babble: Land of the Prison

FAQ | Forum Home

»	babble » current events » international news and politics » Land of the Prison

Email this thread to someone!

Author

Topic: Land of the Prison

al-Qa'bong
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3807

posted 03 September 2003 11:14 PM

Young US Webmaster Imprisoned for his Political Views

quote:
Despite recommendations from the FBI and Justice Department that Austin receive 4 months in jail and 4 months in community confinement, the judge sentenced him to a one-year sentence.
“We went back to court,” said Austin. “And the judge said, you know, ‘what kind of a message would four months in jail send to other revolutionaries?’ And he pretty much made it clear that he wanted to set an example out of me and again stated that he wanted to give me at least a year in prison.”

From: Saskatchistan | Registered: Feb 2003 | IP: Logged

clersal
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 370

posted 04 September 2003 12:19 AM

That is scary as hell. The think police.

From: Canton Marchand, Québec | Registered: Apr 2001 | IP: Logged

DrConway
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 490

posted 04 September 2003 01:15 AM

WHAT THE FUCK?

This is it. The United States is officially the United Soviet States. Kicking someone into jail for divergent political views is something a banana republic or totalitarian state does, not a free multiparty democracy.

The thing that makes this even more ridiculous is that Austin is being made the scapegoat for all this by John Ashcroft's minions who just wanted a flashy arrest and a face to parade before the cameras. The fact that Austin is black just puts the icing on the cake because it just plays into the subtle race-baiting the Repubs love to pull.

From: You shall not side with the great against the powerless. | Registered: May 2001 | IP: Logged

clersal
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 370

posted 04 September 2003 01:19 AM

As I said, VERY SCARY.

From: Canton Marchand, Québec | Registered: Apr 2001 | IP: Logged

Gir Draxon
leftist-rightie and rightist-leftie
Babbler # 3804

posted 04 September 2003 02:32 AM

molotov cocktails and drano bombs. harmless means of political protest i guess

From: Arkham Asylum | Registered: Feb 2003 | IP: Logged

DrConway
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 490

posted 04 September 2003 02:52 AM

Dude, I could figure out how to make a Molotov cocktail in about 30 seconds at a library. As it is, it's not hard to figure out. You dump some gasoline in a bottle, stuff a rag in the top, light a match to the works, and toss it.

There. I'm a TERIST now, even though the info can be found most anywhere.

Hell, your Encyclopedia Britannica (remember that bigass set of books your parents probably spent a fortune on? Yeah, that set.) will tell you the basic theory of how you make a fairly high-powered explosive.

You take some ammonium nitrate fertilizer (but any alkali metal nitrate will work), soak the works in gasoline and toss a match on.

For greater effect you can toss on some potassium perchlorate.

I mean, let's face it. This is just a way of waving a bogeyman in front of the media while ignoring the fact that a great deal of the basic theory of explosives not under current military research programs is available as follows:

1. Any chemistry student (that's me!)
2. Anybody who can read a book in the library (that's you, Mr. Britannica)

So if the government were really serious about curbing the knowledge of explosives they'd start by terminating any chemistry major program at university (If that happened I'd just switch to physics. ), and yanking all the encylopedias at all the libraries across the country.

From: You shall not side with the great against the powerless. | Registered: May 2001 | IP: Logged

al-Qa'bong
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3807

posted 04 September 2003 02:55 AM

The guy had links to sites that said how to make Molotov Cocktails.

Sorta Like This

Psst, Gir, in case you now want to visit the States, don't bend over for the soap.

From: Saskatchistan | Registered: Feb 2003 | IP: Logged

Jingles
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3322

posted 04 September 2003 03:09 AM

quote:
Austin will be barred from “associating with any person or group that seeks to change the government in any way be that environmental, social justice, political, economic, etc.”

Run for the border, my American cousins! Run for Freedom!

From: At the Delta of the Alpha and the Omega | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

Meowful
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4177

posted 04 September 2003 11:30 AM

quote:
he will be banned from associating with anyone who wants to “change the government in any way.”

Unbelievable! This sounds more like something coming from some fundamentalist country (not America!!) like Iran...

American people, WAKE-UP!! Your losing everything that "America" stands for! Your rights are being eroded... and nobody is doing a damn thing about it!

From: British Columbia | Registered: Jun 2003 | IP: Logged

Lima Bean
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3000

posted 04 September 2003 11:50 AM

I think they're cracking up, though. I like to think that they're on the brink of some sort of collapse. I can't see how they can keep up the facade of the "land of the free, home of the brave" if they're afraid of all the people living in the country, and all the people in all the other countries, and half the population is in jail.

Think Roman Empire.

From: s | Registered: Aug 2002 | IP: Logged

Black Dog
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2776

posted 04 September 2003 03:42 PM

quote:
he will be banned from associating with anyone who wants to “change the government in any way.”

Does that include Democrats?

From: Vancouver | Registered: Jun 2002 | IP: Logged

jeff house
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 518

posted 04 September 2003 04:39 PM

I thought that this must be impossible because, among other things, the terms of probation are so blatantly illegal as to be laughable. And a prison term more than double what the prosecution was requesting?

Then I looked at the article. The defendant was black, and this was Texas. Ohhhhhhhhhhh, so that's why.

From: toronto | Registered: May 2001 | IP: Logged

Michelle
Moderator
Babbler # 560

posted 04 September 2003 07:11 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Jingles:
Run for the border, my American cousins! Run for Freedom!

I swear, it's time to start a sanctuary movement in Canada.

I've got a spare couch.

From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001 | IP: Logged

All times are Pacific Time

Hop To: