...I'm okay with being REALITY-based.




Tuesday, March 18, 2003
      ( 1:48 PM )
 
Speaking of Principle Threats
And now for some local news. Evidently our own state legislature now has before it a bill introduced by Sen. Minnis and ready for a public hearing on 3/24/03 - condemns at least 40,000 of us who showed up in Portland last Saturday as terrorists: here's how the bill states it:

A person commits the crime of terrorism if
the person knowingly plans, participates in or carries out any
act that is intended, by at least one of its participants, to
disrupt:
(a) The free and orderly assembly of the inhabitants of the
State of Oregon;
(b) Commerce or the transportation systems of the State of
Oregon; or
(c) The educational or governmental institutions of the State
of Oregon or its inhabitants.
(2) A person commits the crime of terrorism if the person
conspires to do any of the activities described in subsection (1)
of this section.
(3) A person may not be convicted of terrorism except upon the
testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act or upon
confession in open court.
(4)(a) A person convicted of terrorism shall be punished by
imprisonment for life.
(b) When a person is convicted of terrorism under this section,
the court shall order that the person be confined for a minimum
of 25 years without possibility of parole, release to post-prison
supervision, release on work release or any form of temporary
leave or employment at a forest or work camp.

One more thing that will really help our state, which is currently falling apart economically, dealing with failing schools, and generally wasting away. Not to put too fine a point on it - but I wonder if our legislature might get something more done towards dealing with all the hungry people in Oregon, rather than trying to put war protestors away for 25 years to life?


| -- permanent link