I am no longer amazed at how upside down our country has become in the last 9 years, and I am just waiting for the “godsmack” to bring it back to the center. Well there goes The Monster, I suppose.
Proposal ‘comes close to making it federal offense to log onto Internet’
A new proposal in Congress is threatening fines and jail time for what it calls “cyberbullying” – communications that include e-mails and text messages that “cause substantial emotional distress.”
But it already is being condemned as unconstitutional, unrealistic and probably ineffectual.
At Wired.com, in a report labeled “Threat Level,” writer David Kravets criticized the plan to demand “up to two years in prison for those whose electronic speech is meant to ‘coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress.'”
(a) In General- Chapter 41 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
`Sec. 881. Cyberbullying
`(a) Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person, using electronic means to support severe, repeated, and hostile behavior, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
`(b) As used in this section–
`(1) the term `communication’ means the electronic transmission, between or among points specified by the user, of information of the user’s choosing, without change in the form or content of the information as sent and received; and
`(2) the term `electronic means’ means any equipment dependent on electrical power to access an information service, including email, instant messaging, blogs, websites, telephones, and text messages.’.
Meanwhile the FBI is letting terrorists through the gates.
Nearly eight years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the FBI’s terrorist watch list is so flawed that at least 10 people who should have been kept out of the United States were allowed to cross its borders, an internal audit released Wednesday shows.
Department of Justice Inspector General Glenn A. Fine concluded that the bureau also was slow to remove names that should not have been on the list, leading to outcries from civil libertarians who have long been critical.
…
The results of the audit came from an analysis of 216 terrorism cases from 2006 to the first half of 2008. The report said that the subjects of terrorism investigations, even those in the earliest stages, generally are put on the list.
The inspector general’s investigation found that the terrorism suspect was never added to the list in 15 percent of the cases analyzed, amounting to the FBI’s failure to add a total of 35 names. At least three people with names matching those of terrorism suspects who should have been on the list subsequently entered the U.S., the inspector general said.
“We believe that the FBI’s failure to consistently nominate subjects of international and domestic terrorism investigations to the terrorist watch list could pose a risk to national security,” the report stated. “The failure to nominate terrorism subjects can also lead to missed opportunities in gathering important intelligence, and it can place front-line law enforcement and screening personnel at increased risk.”
This just proves the point that there is no difference between Bush II and Bush III, and that “we” are the new threat, not islamic jihadists.
(Author’s Note: I would like to give a warm welcome to the National Cyber Forensics And Training Alliance for visiting the Monster!)
These are truly perilous times in America. We no longer have the right of free speech, we have no rights at all, not even the right to security. Security is the one thing that the Federal Government has the responsibility and authority to dispense, yet it is no longer even in their rear view mirror. Their idea of security is to secure US with invisible chains that at their discretion may become visible and real. The Federal Government has abandoned all of it’s mandated authority and assumed those of a totalitarian fascist dictator.
We are not to be kept safe from “terrorists” (I for one question even the reality of these “terrorists” given the overwhelming proof that 9/11 was a covert government operation), but rather to be kept safe from ourselves. This government has decided that we are the threat and we must be contained at all cost, even that of our own free will and security in our freedom.
The greatest threat in the eyes of our great government is an intelligent, thinking person with an idea of what freedom is and the knowledge of what the constitution is supposed to secure for us us in the fulfillment of those ideas. They would rather have a constituency of American Idol worshiping mouth breathers that have no ideas (or thoughts) and follow blindly into whatever harmful whim the government conceives for them.
The FDA approves aspartame for our food, demands irradiating our vegetables, fluoridating our water, and demands injecting us with an ever increasing volume of unproven “medicinal” witch’s brews. The government covertly sprays all kinds of chemicals into our air, and denies that there is even any truth to this even though we can physically see the effects and residues. Soon we will no longer have the choice of eating organic REAL food, or taking nutritional supplements, and to do so will be considered treasonous.
Yes we are living in perilous times. Our founding fathers were willing to die and pledged their fortunes and their honor and lives to secure the freedoms that have been removed from our use. What are we willing to do to re secure these for our decedents?
There are already laws on the books for Cyber stalking ect., what would be the point of “bullying” legislation to lock up trolls? That’s funny, I think most of them are in some kind of self imposed prison already.
The Constitution does not give the right, not to be Offended, it’s the beginning and the end of it.
Damn that Constitution/sarc GRIN.
no-nonsence-nancy on May 7, 2009 at 12:05 pm
I’m willing to do whatever it takes to protect my grandchildren who are very dear to me. I’m prepared to fight whatever battle becomes necessary. A lot of our forefathers and mothers gave thier lives for freedom. So be it.
Leaping Spark on May 7, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Diamond Tiger,
This is #1 on the list I sent you and it’s coming faster then I thought it would. Say isn’t it funny that Pelosi and the rest of the losers think they are getting over on the Republicans and Conservatives and all the while Obama and the Nation of Islam are getting over on them. I can’t believe my great grandfather and great grandmother Glass walked the trail of tears so a bunch of scumbags could turn America into a third world cesspool.
Monster, I don’t know if you got my email since you’ve been having all this interference on your site, but I’ve not been commenting or reading for about a week, since I moved, and injured my back in the bargain. But I have thought about you often and wondered how you took the “Islam Day” decision in Hawaii. I was shocked and stunned by the action. But then Teh One professes to come from Hawaii, so maybe someone there is trying to curry favor. As Shtuey says, the truth is emotionally stressful for a lot of people, and this vote is unbelievable. It seems we not only have financial jihad, but politically also.
Will Cyber Bullying shut us down? Who knows? They may think we don’t know what their real aim is, but we do. They’re interested in shutting us down, not the obots. I’ve fallen behind in my reading, but will catch up on it in the next day or so. Until I am forced to do so, I’ll keep speaking my piece. More later.
Lee? Did you get my phone message? Call me if you still have my number! Mahalo!
As for Hawaii Islam Day? I cannot decide which is worse, honoring islam with only 3500 muslims in the islands and the country at war with radical islamic jihadists OR having an illegal alien in the white house. Hmm….gonna have to think about that.
These are truly perilous times in America. We no longer have the right of free speech, we have no rights at all, not even the right to security. Security is the one thing that the Federal Government has the responsibility and authority to dispense, yet it is no longer even in their rear view mirror. Their idea of security is to secure US with invisible chains that at their discretion may become visible and real. The Federal Government has abandoned all of it’s mandated authority and assumed those of a totalitarian fascist dictator.
We are not to be kept safe from “terrorists” (I for one question even the reality of these “terrorists” given the overwhelming proof that 9/11 was a covert government operation), but rather to be kept safe from ourselves. This government has decided that we are the threat and we must be contained at all cost, even that of our own free will and security in our freedom.
The greatest threat in the eyes of our great government is an intelligent, thinking person with an idea of what freedom is and the knowledge of what the constitution is supposed to secure for us us in the fulfillment of those ideas. They would rather have a constituency of American Idol worshiping mouth breathers that have no ideas (or thoughts) and follow blindly into whatever harmful whim the government conceives for them.
The FDA approves aspartame for our food, demands irradiating our vegetables, fluoridating our water, and demands injecting us with an ever increasing volume of unproven “medicinal” witch’s brews. The government covertly sprays all kinds of chemicals into our air, and denies that there is even any truth to this even though we can physically see the effects and residues. Soon we will no longer have the choice of eating organic REAL food, or taking nutritional supplements, and to do so will be considered treasonous.
Yes we are living in perilous times. Our founding fathers were willing to die and pledged their fortunes and their honor and lives to secure the freedoms that have been removed from our use. What are we willing to do to re secure these for our decedents?
There are already laws on the books for Cyber stalking ect., what would be the point of “bullying” legislation to lock up trolls? That’s funny, I think most of them are in some kind of self imposed prison already.
The Constitution does not give the right, not to be Offended, it’s the beginning and the end of it.
Damn that Constitution/sarc GRIN.
I’m willing to do whatever it takes to protect my grandchildren who are very dear to me. I’m prepared to fight whatever battle becomes necessary. A lot of our forefathers and mothers gave thier lives for freedom. So be it.
Diamond Tiger,
This is #1 on the list I sent you and it’s coming faster then I thought it would. Say isn’t it funny that Pelosi and the rest of the losers think they are getting over on the Republicans and Conservatives and all the while Obama and the Nation of Islam are getting over on them. I can’t believe my great grandfather and great grandmother Glass walked the trail of tears so a bunch of scumbags could turn America into a third world cesspool.
nv-wa-do-hi-ya-da
Color me guilty! The truth is emotionally stressful for a lot of people.
Monster, I don’t know if you got my email since you’ve been having all this interference on your site, but I’ve not been commenting or reading for about a week, since I moved, and injured my back in the bargain. But I have thought about you often and wondered how you took the “Islam Day” decision in Hawaii. I was shocked and stunned by the action. But then Teh One professes to come from Hawaii, so maybe someone there is trying to curry favor. As Shtuey says, the truth is emotionally stressful for a lot of people, and this vote is unbelievable. It seems we not only have financial jihad, but politically also.
Will Cyber Bullying shut us down? Who knows? They may think we don’t know what their real aim is, but we do. They’re interested in shutting us down, not the obots. I’ve fallen behind in my reading, but will catch up on it in the next day or so. Until I am forced to do so, I’ll keep speaking my piece. More later.
Lee? Did you get my phone message? Call me if you still have my number! Mahalo!
As for Hawaii Islam Day? I cannot decide which is worse, honoring islam with only 3500 muslims in the islands and the country at war with radical islamic jihadists OR having an illegal alien in the white house. Hmm….gonna have to think about that.
Diamond Girl, how about…all of the above?
Happy VE Day all. The gift that keeps on giving.