# What. The. Fuck. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 3, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck/166251 "2003-04-03T17:46:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck/166251/1 "2003-04-03T17:46:53Z")
[Oregon Law Would Jail War Protesters as Terrorists](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030403/ts_nm/life_protests_dc_1) > [@](#): > > PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - An Oregon anti-terrorism bill would jail street-blocking protesters for at least 25 years in a thinly veiled effort to discourage anti-war demonstrations, critics say. Senate Bill 742 identifies a “terrorist” as one who “plans or participates in an act that is intended, by at least one of its participants, to disrupt” business, transportation, schools, government, or free assembly." What’s the justification for this? Apparently we need stronger laws to break down protests. By defining them as terrorists and giving them 25 to life. Jesus, fucking “terrorists”! Hopefully Oregon, the state that gave Ralph Nader more votes than any other, will not let this bill leave committee. But if it does: fuck you gummint. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck/166251/2 "2003-04-03T17:52:56Z")
I believe the bill is an attempt to keep protestors from getting rowdy and blocking access to roads, schools, office buildings, etc. I would assume if pro-war protestors got out of hand the bill would apply to them as well. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck/166251/3 "2003-04-03T17:54:49Z")
I’m hardly a Constitutional expert, but wouldn’t this be violating that particular piece of paper if they attempted to apply it to your average protestor? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck/166251/4 "2003-04-03T17:56:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Blackeyes \* > \*\*Senate Bill 742 identifies a “terrorist” as one who “plans or participates in an act that is intended, by at least one of its participants, to disrupt” business, transportation, schools, government, or free assembly." \*\* Which ironically would make the police enforcing this proposed law terrorists (what with disrupting free assembly and all). ---
**Author:** ![BickByro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@BickByro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BickByro)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck/166251/5 "2003-04-03T17:57:35Z")
Particularly disturbing is the “by at least one of its participants” bit. One bad apple spoils the bunch, you know… ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck/166251/6 "2003-04-03T18:00:55Z")
It’s a paradox. You have the right to free assembly, but if you do you will be seen as a terrorist and abdicate your rights. Talk about a Catch-22!!! ---
**Author:** ![Maximum\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b77776/32.png) [@Maximum\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maximum_C)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck/166251/7 "2003-04-03T18:01:06Z")
Hey, ivylass. News flash. THOSE THINGS ARE ALREADY ILLEGAL. All this bill does is sets up a mandatory 25 year jail sentence to get rid of those rowdy kids once and for all. Can you say “Orwellian”? -C ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck/166251/8 "2003-04-03T18:03:28Z")
So if you exercise your right to freedom of assembly, but disrupt someone _else’s_ right to freedom of assembly, you get thrown in jail for 25 years? You get less jail time for trafficking cocaine… ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck/166251/9 "2003-04-03T18:06:58Z")
Some moron wants to get his name out there so he can be seen as patriotic by the simpletons of his district. Secretly he knows that the law wouldn’t stand up to even the slightest challenge. He also knows he has seen his name plastered on newspaper throughout his state and the nation. He will nurse this thing along until the reporters tire of it. Then he will come up with some other numb nutted scheme. Free publicity helps name recognition, which vastly increases the chances of reelection. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck/166251/10 "2003-04-03T19:03:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NurseCarmen \* > \*\*…He will nurse this thing along until the reporters tire of it. \*\* They won’t get tired of it when somebody realized it makes the anti-abortion protesters outside of a clinic terrorists. Or strikers. Or any number of people who protest various businesses. ---
**Author:** ![Yumanite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b487fb/32.png) [@Yumanite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumanite)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck/166251/11 "2003-04-03T19:08:17Z")
There’s a GD thread on this topic as well, just so y’all know: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=174626](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=174626) ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck/166251/12 "2003-04-03T22:21:08Z")
Read some of the comments posted on the Yahoo story… holy fucking christ I love this board… ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck/166251/13 "2003-04-03T23:13:34Z")
Gutsy legislation. I live on the East coast. ---
**Author:** ![Maxxxie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@Maxxxie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maxxxie)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck/166251/14 "2003-04-04T12:33:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Blackeyes \* > **Senate Bill 742 identifies a “terrorist” as one who “plans or participates in an act that is intended, by at least one of its participants, to disrupt” business, transportation, schools, government, or free assembly."** Hmm. Well there goes the Veteran’s Day parades, 4th of July parades etc etc. :rolleyes: