From the LA Times (reg. required…try bselig for both userid and password): Our boy Ashcroft has decided to use an 1872 law to stifle Greenpeace, and by extension, any other group inclined to object to Administration activities.
A New York court in 1872 described the law as both “inartistic and obscure.” An Oregon court in 1890 described the purpose of the law as preventing “the evil” of “sailor-mongers [who] get on board vessels and by the help of intoxicants, and the use of other means, often savoring of violence, get the crews ashore and leave the vessel without help to manage or care for her.”
Of course, there did not appear to be many sailors on the APL Jade being lured out to join Greenpeace. But proceeding against two protesters on trivial misdemeanor charges wasn’t enough for the Justice Department. So it decided to treat Greenpeace activists not as protesters but as sailor-mongers.
This man has become the most dangerous enemy the First Amendment has had in years.
It’s hard to decide which of the president’s men (himself included)is more unbalanced. This has to be the most surreal period in American history.
Spooky, ain’t it? This crowd needs to be tossed out in 2004, and we have got to figure out how to win back the Senate (the House is gone, thanks to Delay and his redistricting criminality).
How is it that so many of us have become hostage to so few narrow-minded, greedy, liars?! It’s disgusting.
Linkmeister, thanks for the update to that LOE story. I bring to your attention my next story about how I think this government is planning to intimidate and suppress protest: my writeup about the strange events surrounding the Mayor of Santa Cruz.
As I said there:
They looking for ways to shut us up. Let’s not let them do that.
I’m going to go around saying “sailor-mongers” all day long!