# Keeping US borders safe **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 7, 2005, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335 "2005-06-07T19:21:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/1 "2005-06-07T19:21:00Z")
[Our crack border guards at work](http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/06/07/man_with_a_chain_saw_that_was_apparently_covered_with_blood_was_let_into_the_us/): > [@](#): > > \*\*Man with a chain saw that was apparently covered with blood was let into the U.S. \*\* > > On April 25, Gregory Despres arrived at the U.S.-Canadian border crossing at Calais, Maine, carrying a homemade sword, a hatchet, a knife, brass knuckles and a chain saw stained with what appeared to be blood. U.S. customs agents confiscated the weapons and fingerprinted Despres. > > Then they let him into the United States. > > The following day, a gruesome scene was discovered in Despres’ hometown of Minto, New Brunswick: The decapitated body of a 74-year-old country musician named Frederick Fulton was found on his kitchen floor. The man’s head was in a pillow case under a kitchen table. His common-law wife was discovered stabbed to death in a bedroom. Nothing to see here, folks, just move along. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/2 "2005-06-07T19:27:44Z")
At least he wasn’t one o’ them arab terrorists. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/3 "2005-06-07T19:31:54Z")
I don’t think the border patrol did anything wrong. He was a US Citizen re-entering the country. He looked suspicious, so questioned him, checked for warrants, etc. before letting him go. I don’t see what else they could do without violating his civil rights, and I’m not about to criticize a government agency for refusing to violate civil rights. Did anyone else laugh out loud at the picture in the link? I mean… If ever I looked at a picture and thought “Yeah, I could see that guy walking around with a bloody chain saw with a blood head in a pillow case” it was that picture. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/4 "2005-06-07T19:32:05Z")
Ok, let me get this straight, despite the fact that the border agents apparently lacked probable cause to arrest this sick fuck, you are suggesting that based on absolutely no info they should have done what exactly? Sheesh I can’t stand the current admin either but this pitting is weak. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/5 "2005-06-07T19:33:14Z")
Yeepers, **Metacom**. I’d support US customs denying entry to anybody who looks like that. They should let the hotties in though. ---
**Author:** ![Phatlewt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a698b9/32.png) [@Phatlewt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phatlewt)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/6 "2005-06-07T19:34:04Z")
Yowsa… that dude looks f-ing NUTS in the picture in the article! But he was a U.S. citizen with no warrants or record… What could the border patrol do? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/7 "2005-06-07T19:37:04Z")
Look **Reeder** , you’ve really got to stop posting these ridiculous articles in your Pittings of the current administ… Oh, it’s **ElvisL1ves**. Sorry, got you two confused for a minute. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/8 "2005-06-07T19:42:18Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > despite the fact that the border agents apparently lacked probable cause to arrest All that blood wouldn’t constitute probable cause to you? ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/9 "2005-06-07T19:42:38Z")
If he showed up at the border with “a homemade sword, a hatchet, a knife, brass knuckles and a chain saw stained with what appeared to be blood” and some white powder in a plastic bag, well now that would different. I’m sure the custom agents would have been all over him like white on rice. ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/10 "2005-06-07T19:44:51Z")
Of course, if they had denied him entry, then certain folks would blubber and whine about how a poor precious homocidal sociopath got his rights violated. You know, the same dumb crybaby motherfuckers who blubber and whine about Abu Ghraib and Guantanomo. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/11 "2005-06-07T19:47:19Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > All that blood wouldn’t constitute probable cause to you? Where do you get “all that blood”? That implies there was a lot of blood; the article merely says the chain saw was “stained with what appeared to be blood.” And stains that look like blood on a chain saw shouldn’t be probable cause. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/12 "2005-06-07T19:48:53Z")
> [@LonesomePolecat](#): > > Of course, if they had denied him entry, then certain folks would blubber and whine about how a poor precious homocidal sociopath got his rights violated. You know, the same dumb crybaby motherfuckers who blubber and whine about Abu Ghraib and Guantanomo. Is this a whoosh? ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/13 "2005-06-07T19:51:30Z")
> [@](#): > > All that blood wouldn’t constitute probable cause to you? Is this just one of your hyperbolizations, or yet another of your inaccuracies? I wanna get this straight up front so there’s no backpedaling later. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/14 "2005-06-07T19:52:17Z")
> [@Metacom](#): > > Where do you get “all that blood”? That implies there was a lot of blood; the article merely says the chain saw was “stained with what appeared to be blood.” > > And stains that look like blood on a chain saw shouldn’t be probable cause. Couldn’t it at elast be prboable cause to, oh I dunno…test it to see if it actualyl IS blood, or just some other red liquid? Luminol works in seconds. Spray it on, shine a UV light on it, and look for a glow. I would think the presense of blood could warrent them holding him for at least a little while for questioning. Granted, he was eventualyl caught so (as long as no other bodies are found) no harm no foul, but that really shouldn’t be the policy. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/15 "2005-06-07T19:54:46Z")
“Police believe the dispute between the neighbors boiled over in the early-morning hours of April 24, when Despres allegedly broke into Fulton’s home and stabbed the couple.” Yep, that could do it. > [@Metacom](#): > > Did anyone else laugh out loud at the picture in the link? I thought Oh hell, Jennifer Wilbanks? Again? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/16 "2005-06-07T19:56:29Z")
The chain oil I use in my chain saw is a deep maroon. There’s always some residual oil on the chain after I’m done; it dries to an even deeper shade of maroon. I’m sure it would look like blood to an observer unfamiliar with chain saws. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/17 "2005-06-07T19:56:34Z")
> [@Metacom](#): > > And stains that look like blood on a chain saw shouldn’t be probable cause. {Looking at your location} Oh, yeah, of course you’d think so, Mister Concealed Carry State. Nope, they’s plenty o’ good reasons for somebody to be carrying a bloody chainsaw around. Like the guy musta \*needed \* killin’, mebbe. Maybe **UncleBeer** can offer another perfectly innocent rationalization, in the name of the right to bear arms (and to automatically tell Elvis he’s wrong, no matter what :rolleyes:). **Lord Ashtar** is not yet that good, obviously. **Finn** , I smell a whoosh too. I hope. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/18 "2005-06-07T20:06:12Z")
I can offer an explanation for the blood. Hunters will sometimes use chainsaws to divide a large kill into manageable portions. > [@](#): > > Maybe UncleBeer can offer another perfectly innocent rationalization, in the name of the right to bear arms . . . How 'bout the “Rule of Law?” Mebbe you’ve heard of it. That article was pretty explicit about what the authorities did when this guy showed up. It said they did eveything they could within in the law to hold onto him. So, lemme ask again, was your phrase “All that blood,” hyperbole, or an inaccuracy? If it was an inaccuracy, was that unintentional, or deliberate? Two simple questions, Elvis. And neither of them have anything to do with proving you _wrong_; just proving that you’re enjoy wallowing in ignorance when it suits your preconceived notions. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/19 "2005-06-07T20:08:29Z")
Oh, sure, hunters routinely use a homemade sword, a hatchet, a knife, and brass knuckles too. That musta been it. Fool. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335/20 "2005-06-07T20:10:39Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Couldn’t it at elast be prboable cause to, oh I dunno…test it to see if it actualyl IS blood, or just some other red liquid? Luminol works in seconds. Spray it on, shine a UV light on it, and look for a glow. I would think the presense of blood could warrent them holding him for at least a little while for questioning. Granted, he was eventualyl caught so (as long as no other bodies are found) no harm no foul, but that really shouldn’t be the policy. Why would they have Luminol in some remote border checkpoint? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keeping-us-borders-safe/307335.md?page=2)