News rants

I woke up in a good mood today. Then I opened the newspaper. No, I didn't even open it; I read the first page.

A 17 year old high school girl who gave her friend (via Instant Messenger) a 65-member hit list she had made, and said she would blow up her school, is being prosecuted for charges of "false reports or threats ofa bomb/harmful device, a 4-year felony, and conspiracy to maliciously use a telecommunications serivices [sic], a 1-year misdemeanor."

The article notes that "police quickly determined the threats were not credible," but "Genesee County Prosecutor David S. Leyton told The Flint Journal that he wants to send a message that such activity won't be tolerated."

So she was charged under a terrorism law. "Law enforcement officials say the law against threatening terrorism, enacted [after September 11, 2001], gives them a vital tool to avert shootings." It also gives prosecutors the tools to gain political capital at the expense of a messed up girl. "It is not a defense to a prosecution under this section that the defendant did not have the intent or capability of committing the act of terrorism," neither of which the girl had. In other words, they want to be able to put a felony on the criminal records of girls like this, when they know she didn't mean it.

But that's ridiculous. State law considers threats to be assault.

"Michigan Law [MCLA 750.81] defines a criminal assault and battery as an attempt or offer to do bodily injury with a present intention and ability to do so. See above. Assault is an attempt or threat, with unlawful force, to inflict bodily injury upon another, accompanied by the apparent present ability to carry out the intent if not deterred by another. A threat coupled with present ability may be considered an assault."
Any person who shall assault another with intent to commit the crime of murder, shall be guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for life or any number of years.
- source

Why couldn't prosecutors use the law against "assault with intent to commit the crime of murder"? Because this girl had no intent or ability to carry out her "plan", so for good reason, she couldn't be prosecuted under assault law. But the prosecutor has an image to keep up, a re-election to win in 3 years, and knee-jerk parental reactions to placate, so he has to prosecute. At least he was nice enough to let her plea down to a single misdemeanor after the story got enough front-page newspaper mentions.

I could kill idiots like that. Note I don't say "that idiot", but "idiots like that." Maybe that caveat will save me from prosecution for a terrorist threat, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $20k fine.

You can encrypt instant messages over all popular messaging services, with encryption so strong that even the NSA probably can't decrypt them, using Gaim and a plugin.

An auction house has cancelled its agreement to sell an estate after finding out what was being auctioned: Ku Klux Klan - related items.

There is an Auschwitz museum. These KKK items should be used in a similar way.

Good news: Three people will be recognized for heroic efforts to save two young people from a burning car, which is cool.

Funny news: A Department of Transportation message sign was hacked yesterday morning to display the message "speed limit 1000 mph go go go." The DOT turned the sign sideways after it was corrected, to keep it from further confusion. The DOT spokesman "apologized for the inappropriate message, adding: "We want people to drive a safe speed on our roads."

keywords that will make me the subject of federal interest: Hit list, bomb, felony, terrorism, September 11, 2001, Auschwitz, high school girl, encryption, assault, NSA, Ku Klux Klan.