Re: Husband/Wife jailed for saying Clinton Sucks

[jim bell <jimbell@pacifier.com>]

At 02:47 PM 8/21/96 -0400, Brian Davis wrote:
>On Tue, 20 Aug 1996 Scottauge@aol.com wrote:
>
>> Rush Limbaugh reports:
>> 
>> That a husband and wife are being jailed for yelling to Clinton "You Suck".
>> 
>> The Secret Service states additional words (yet un-uttered to the rest of 
us)
>> were mentioned that they deemed threatening.
>
>
>"I hope you die." 

Doesn't sound much like a "threat" to me.

> And the couple was arrestd for disorderly conduct by 
>Chicago police. 

It sounds to me like the Chicops were just showing their "loyalty" by 
sitting on somebody, not that they believed any real crime had been committed.

> Any possible federal charges for threatening a president 
>in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 871 await a determination of the 
>seriousness of the statement, in context with the wife's conduct, by 
>prosecutors.  I predict no action.

But it isn't even a "threat", regardless of how "serious" it was.   The "I 
hope you die"  part is, presumably, a statement of fact:  She did, indeed, 
hope he dies.  But I don't see how hoping this can be considered a threat, 
or even SAYING she's hoping this is, likewise.


Makes me wonder whether visiting one of these appearances with a "Clinton 
Doll" and a bunch of pins, and visibly inserting those pins into the doll 
(while uttering various strange incantations), would constitute a "threat."

Frankly, I'd rather have a president who didn't feel the need to be 
protected by thugs.

Jim Bell
jimbell@pacifier.com