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Scary stuff, kids

Roadtoad

Bufo Caminus Inedibilis
Roadtoad
Joined
Nov 27, 2002
Messages
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Location
Citrus Heights, CA
I read with no small amount of interest the tale from Cody Cobb that Randi made a link to in his commentary. Normally, I tend to smirk at some of these stories, simply because it's juvenile posturing in many cases; someone is trying to look like a big dog to his friends. It's the same sort of thing that happens in Fundamentalist Churches, someone trying to impress the pastor.

Not this time.

You can read about it at http://90percenttrue.com/index.php?p=41 , (and my comments, as well). What I said applies everywhere: we cannot fight terrorists, whose goal is the constriction of ideas and intellect, by restricting free thought. Frankly, once the cops admitted that they knew it was a joke, they had pretty much demonstrated that they had NO CASE! If anyone ought to be punished, it's the two cops who pulled off this insane interrogation. They ought to be fired.
 
Personally, the moment anyone took any serious notice of the two cops and their blatant posturing, or the original object of the exercise (i.e. the offended fundie), the situation became patently ridiculous. To me, the whole thing is a tiny storm in a very small thimble, blown all out of proportion.

The first question that should have been asked of the two cops is "What am I being charged with?". If the answer was effectively "Nothing." then the next response is "Thank you and goodbye." to be followed by an immediate exit. Any further action on the cops' part would have been unlawful threat or restraint...and they knew it. End of story, although it doesn't read so well later.

However if the cops WERE going to lay charges then the next action would have been to shut up and get lawyered up. And something to stop them laughing their guts out. Although this was hardly likely to happen.
 
Has anyone considered that the cops may have been pulling a joke of their own? :)
 
Pragmatist said:
Has anyone considered that the cops may have been pulling a joke of their own? :)
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If it was a joke, it wasn't funny.

Sorry, but this is pretty base. It's an attempt to intimidate, and thankfully, it failed.

And while I'm at it, that frigging wuss who walked out of class forgot to actually LISTEN to what the professor said. In fact, the Dr. was quite correct in what he declared, that one was a book of Faith, another was a book of Science. Since he was supposed to be in a SCIENCE class, I hope that young coward actually flunks the class.
 
But is the story true? Sounds like an urban legend. This quote should sound alarm bells '.: Many of you by now have heard this story. Either I told you over the phone, through AIM, or in person. It’s a long story, and for the first time I’m going to write down as much of it as I can'

It also does not say what happened to the professer.
 
You don't shout "Fire!" in crowded theaters, you don't make jokes about bombs and box cutters in airports, those make sense. But you can't make terrorist jokes between friends at a university? This is ludicrous.
 
Often, it seems like woos have no sense of humor.

"Pascal's Wager: Believe in Unicorns, or one might kick you in the nads!"
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Wonderful quote to have in your sig, DarkMagician.
 
BronzeDog said:
Often, it seems like woos have no sense of humor.


Wonderful quote to have in your sig, DarkMagician.
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I am seriously diggin on that avatar BD.

Nice.


Oh and for the OP, yes, "what am I being charged with?" "Thank you." or lawyer up. that's it. you give no statements, you make no statements.

It is the Cop's job to interrogate and possibly pin something (real or not) on you, and they're trained well. Cut them off at the knees, and don't say anything. Let you lawyer deal with it.
 
fowlsound said:
I am seriously diggin on that avatar BD.

Nice.


Oh and for the OP, yes, "what am I being charged with?" "Thank you." or lawyer up. that's it. you give no statements, you make no statements.

It is the Cop's job to interrogate and possibly pin something (real or not) on you, and they're trained well. Cut them off at the knees, and don't say anything. Let you lawyer deal with it.
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While I think that's generally good advice, it was clear that the cops weren't going to charge him with anything..they just wanted to scare him and move on. Perhaps the best strategy would have been to act scared.

However, that assumes that your motivation was to end the affair as soon as possible. And "in this day and age," it might be time for people to get a little more uppity.
 
Is there a town called Baylor where the university is or are these campus cops?
 
manny said:
Is there a town called Baylor where the university is or are these campus cops?
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No. Baylor university is located in Waco, Texas. it is the closest town (150000 pip) to the former home of the Branch Davidian cult.
Waco is the buckle on the "Bible Belt"
 
Seriously? So these were campus cops? Campus cops have been idiots for a pretty long time now. This isn't "scary stuff," it's "someone not having the sense to laugh in the face of an idiot."

Oooh, "they're at our doors." I'm skeered.
 
Zep said:
The first question that should have been asked of the two cops is "What am I being charged with?". If the answer was effectively "Nothing." then the next response is "Thank you and goodbye." to be followed by an immediate exit. Any further action on the cops' part would have been unlawful threat or restraint...and they knew it.
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Nope. At least, not in every state. The cops don't really have to tell you **** at the time of the arrest, aside from the fact that it is an arrest, and not simply questioning, and reading you your Miranda rights. During the "booking" process you're informed of whatever the charges are that you were arrested on; and that's when you're given your opportunity to contact legal counsel.
 
Campus cops here do not have arrest powers or guns. Who knows what floats in Wacko Texas.
That's why I couldn't figure whether this was a greatly exaggerated self-serving story when I first read it
 
Jeff Corey said:
Campus cops here do not have arrest powers or guns. Who knows what floats in Wacko Texas.
That's why I couldn't figure whether this was a greatly exaggerated self-serving story when I first read it
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Cops is cops. Anyone who takes a job where you get responsibility without authority is a fool. A campus cop who has no arrest authority is not a cop.
In New Mexico, they are State Police (or they used to be) and can issue tickets (and they count against the driving record, BTW). In Texas, from what I know and can surmise, the situation is similar.
This is not meant to imply that the campus "Parking Nazi's" are actual cops, however.
 
The explanation for the cops' actions is much simpler than a lack of a sense of humor, or abuse of power. It's the motivation for 90% of government work: cover your ass.

Someone complained to the cops about the letter. Chances are the complaint was not due to a lack of sense of humor, but because the guy had a personal dislike for the author.

A cop gets a complaint and he has to respond to it. He knows he will also have to fill out a report about it. Let's assume it's been a slow day. Absent the Branch Davidians, Waco is not what you would calla hotbed of crime. So the cops have time to kill.

So they pick up the author. They grill him for a few hours and let him go. Then they write a report about how thoroughly they reviewed it. Now, if something goes wrong -- like the complainer trying to say the cops in Wco are anti-Christian, or some nonsense, they can explain that they question the author for hours and took the complaint seriously.

Cover Your Ass. That's all it was.
 
marksman said:
The explanation for the cops' actions is much simpler than a lack of a sense of humor, or abuse of power. It's the motivation for 90% of government work: cover your ass.

Someone complained to the cops about the letter. Chances are the complaint was not due to a lack of sense of humor, but because the guy had a personal dislike for the author.

A cop gets a complaint and he has to respond to it. He knows he will also have to fill out a report about it. Let's assume it's been a slow day. Absent the Branch Davidians, Waco is not what you would calla hotbed of crime. So the cops have time to kill.

So they pick up the author. They grill him for a few hours and let him go. Then they write a report about how thoroughly they reviewed it. Now, if something goes wrong -- like the complainer trying to say the cops in Wco are anti-Christian, or some nonsense, they can explain that they question the author for hours and took the complaint seriously.

Cover Your Ass. That's all it was.
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I wish I could say with confidence that your post is "a vessel infused with that which makes things grow"...
Unfortunately, I feel it is probably closer to the truth than anyone realizes..
 
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