Silly Caucasian Girl Likes to Play with Samurai Swords
by Scott Hardie on October 25, 2006
I heard that a teenager was questioned by the Secret Service after she posted an icon saying "Kill Bush" on her myspace page. My companions were up in arms over it, saying that's a violation of free speech and how dare they scare her, et cetera. I don't see how she was charged with any crime or how this how this disrupts anything but her school day. Yes, it's silly that the Secret Service had to investigate a 14-year-old, but even they say it's silly: (link)
When I was 16, Speed was a big hit in theaters. One day my friend and I drove past a school bus, and for laughs we scribbled "bomb on bus" on a scrap of paper and held it up to the window. I absent-mindedly put the scrap in the back window of my car and left it there until a few days later when I was pulled out of class by the dean and questioned over my "bomb threat." They knew it was just a dumb kid being a dumb kid, and I knew they were just doing their job by asking about it.
Now, if that teenager wants to make a real killing, she should put her artwork on a CafePress t-shirt and soak in the free publicity.
Three Replies to Silly Caucasian Girl Likes to Play with Samurai Swords
Denise Sawicki | October 25, 2006
I probably mentioned at the time, Scott, that a guy I knew in high school suffered a similar fate shortly before the 2000 election. He had printed an article in his college newspaper saying he advocates the killing of the winning presidential candidate (whichever one was to win) because he felt the vice-presidential candidates were better. It was meant to be a "Modest Proposal" style satirical piece but of course the Secret Service took it seriously. He was banned from attending a presidential appearance later, because of it. I can't find any links to that story in the news anymore though. I wonder if this 14-year-old will have a similar ban on her head.
I guess at the time I was extremely dumb and didn't realize these kinds of words were a big deal but I do understand now why they have to investigate. :P
Jackie Mason | October 26, 2006
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Logical Operator
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