# Ashcroft declares all out war on the REAL threat to America! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 6, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashcroft-declares-all-out-war-on-the-real-threat-to-america/238645 "2004-04-06T23:42:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2004, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashcroft-declares-all-out-war-on-the-real-threat-to-america/238645/101 "2004-04-11T08:26:17Z")
> [@theR](#): > > Actually, what he just did is illegal and if he hasn’t already I strongly request that mods or whoever has that power delete that post and any other that quotes it. It is obvious to us that he is not seriously advocating what he said, but the Secret Service takes all such threats seriously. It would be better for everyone if this whole thread was deleted. > > See the following link for a perfect example of what can happen: [kuro5hin.org](http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2001/12/20/211923/84) No, it isn’t. Advocating violence is only illegal when imminent threat (ie. “we’re going to storm City Hall on Thursday at 6”) is present. Saying that somebody _ought_ to kill the President is technically not illegal. Obviously not a good idea, and I think he wants his head examined, but it isn’t illegal. Will the Secret Service come and question you anyway? Quite possibly. In any case, the “look what happened to this guy” link was a different case. That guy was discussing actual methods for the “kill the Veep” scenario. If anyone in the Service is reading this, by the way, I am not in any way advocating the killing, incapacitation, kidnapping, or causing any harm whatsoever to the personage of the President or anyone for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2004, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashcroft-declares-all-out-war-on-the-real-threat-to-america/238645/102 "2004-04-11T10:07:04Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > _Au contraire, Sir!_ As anyone who listens to Pat Robertson knows, [porn was the CAUSE of 9/11!](http://www.revlu.com/911-GOD.html) If only he could have stamped it out in time! :rolleyes: I actually saw a couple of low grade TV evangelists say that the Northridge earthquake was God stamping out the mighty porn industry. (most porn in the US is created in the San Fernando valley and most of the video and DVD are produced in nearby Chatsworth) Of course, none of the buildings that collapsed belonged to the porn producers. The industry never skipped a beat. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2004, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashcroft-declares-all-out-war-on-the-real-threat-to-america/238645/103 "2004-04-11T13:14:33Z")
C’mon, guys, you’re being too hard on these fearless fosdicks. It’s a LOT more fun to look at pictures of naked women than it is to study terrorists, and MUCH safer to go after video producers than it is to go after terrorists. They just want to have fun on the job and be safe, is all. The Dems of course should be bashing the administration mightily for using law enforcement resources on such frippery at a time when people really, really want to kill us in mass numbers. It’s as if the Army decided to fight the dairy industry instead of the Germans and the Russians in WWII. What a buncha morons! Unfortunately, without Howard Dean to drive the Dem Party, the Dems are resorting to their “roll over and spread 'em” ways. ---
**Author:** ![laigle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@laigle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/laigle)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2004, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashcroft-declares-all-out-war-on-the-real-threat-to-america/238645/104 "2004-04-11T16:25:48Z")
> [@The Man With The Golden Gun](#): > > The thing that gets me on this war on porn thing isn’t so much that Ashcroft wants to get rid of porn, but that while there are people who want to crash planes into skyscrapers, and yet Ashcroft is wasting the government’s time and resources going after pictures of girls slurping on each other’s clitorises. _Clitorii._ ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2004, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashcroft-declares-all-out-war-on-the-real-threat-to-america/238645/105 "2004-04-11T16:47:31Z")
Well, if you’re going to be fussy about the correct Latin form, I believe it’s actually _clitores_. (AFAIK “clitorii” would be the plural of “clitorius”, if that were a word.) ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashcroft-declares-all-out-war-on-the-real-threat-to-america/238645/106 "2004-04-12T03:08:55Z")
or, stuff you can’t make up: > [@](#): > > NEW YORK – A publisher has canceled plans to reissue a racy novel by Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney, after she said the book did not represent her “best work.” > New American Library, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), was going to reprint Sisters, a historical romance published in 1981 that includes brothels, attempted rapes and a lesbian love affair. from [Publisher cancels reissue of racy novel by Lynne Cheney](http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/ae/2486820) Thanks to [thememoryhole.org](http://thememoryhole.org) for the above. ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashcroft-declares-all-out-war-on-the-real-threat-to-america/238645/107 "2004-04-12T17:57:52Z")
> [@Really Not All That Bright](#): > > No, it isn’t. Advocating violence is only illegal when imminent threat (ie. “we’re going to storm City Hall on Thursday at 6”) is present. > > Saying that somebody _ought_ to kill the President is technically not illegal. Obviously not a good idea, and I think he wants his head examined, but it isn’t illegal. Will the Secret Service come and question you anyway? Quite possibly. Well, I think we’re both partially right. There is no requirement for imminent threat, though you are probably right that what was written is not actually illegal (and even if it is technically illegal I suspect that they would not press charges if they determined it not to be a credible threat). > [@](#): > > Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits for conveyance in the mail or for a delivery from any post office or by any letter carrier any letter, paper, writing, print, missive, or document containing any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States, the President-elect, the Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President of the United States, or the Vice President-elect, or knowingly and willfully otherwise makes any such threat against the President, President-elect, Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President, or Vice President-elect, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. From [http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/871.html](http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/871.html). Notice that there is no mention of whether the threat is credible or imminent, just that it is illegal to threaten the President and VP. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashcroft-declares-all-out-war-on-the-real-threat-to-america/238645/108 "2004-04-12T19:51:52Z")
[hijack] The word clitoris is an English word and the proper plural in English is _clitorises_. The derivation of the word comes from Greek, not Latin: _kleitoris_. An alternative and archaic possible plural form would therefore be _clitorides_. [/hijack] Yeah, Ashcroft is one frightening SOB. The troglodytes Bush choices to assist his government are a big reason why I am hopin–for the sake of liberty and prosperity–that he is defeated in the next election. I am horrified thinking of what these people will do if they server another term, and are free from worrying about reelection issues. ---
**Author:** ![laigle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@laigle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/laigle)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashcroft-declares-all-out-war-on-the-real-threat-to-america/238645/109 "2004-04-12T23:57:04Z")
For pete’s sake, doesn’t dry wit carry over the internet at all!?!?!?! Clitorii. It’s a friggin punchline. He made this whole big post ending in “clitorises.” I responded with “clitorii.” Surely I can’t be the only one that gets this? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashcroft-declares-all-out-war-on-the-real-threat-to-america/238645/110 "2004-04-13T11:06:39Z")
**laigle:** _Clitorii. It’s a friggin punchline. He made this whole big post ending in “clitorises.” I responded with “clitorii.” Surely I can’t be the only one that gets this?_ Of course not; it was clear that you were trying to make a joke. Nobody’s saying it wasn’t funny; I just pointed out that the word you used was incorrect. As was my attempt at a correction, it turns out. Thanks for the Straight Dope, **Knorf**! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashcroft-declares-all-out-war-on-the-real-threat-to-america/238645/111 "2004-04-17T19:44:18Z")
I bet this recent HIV scare in the porn industry is going to give Ashcroft more ammo. He can say he’s trying to shut them down for their own good. HIV story: [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=598&e=3&u=/nm/20040416/film\_nm/leisure\_porn\_dc](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=598&e=3&u=/nm/20040416/film_nm/leisure_porn_dc) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashcroft-declares-all-out-war-on-the-real-threat-to-america/238645.md?page=5)