[Am-info] Re: Hmmmm...

[Mitch Stone]

--- From a message sent by Simon Cooke on 10/28/01 9:07 PM ---

>Certainly. Please do state chapter and verse.

Title 18 Secs 875-876, as quoted to me by the FBI agent who investigated 
my case. I will leave it to someone else to look up the text of the law; 
the agent seemed to know what he was talking about, so I did not think to 
check his work.

Incidentally, I have not mentioned this to benefit Simon, as I know that 
he wouldn't appreciate it for a moment if I did. I mention it so that 
others will know that they have recourse when they are faced with 
individuals who do not recognize the inappropriateness of using 
threatening language. I say this as someone who has been threatened not 
just once, but twice, during the past year. It gave me some sense of 
comfort to know that our federal law enforcement officers have no sense 
of humor where threats of violence are concerned. 

They also do not appear to care much about the context of the threatening 
language. Everything has a context, but context does not create 
permission to say whatever foul or foolish thing that comes to mind. I'm 
certain that the people who used threatening language against me felt as 
though they had entirely just cause for doing so. Fortunately, FBI agents 
are not in the business of making these distinctions. If someone feels 
like they've been threatened though the mails or electronic media, they 
will investigate. It's their job.

 Mitch Stone  
 mitch@accidentalexpert.com