August 08, 2003
Activist sent to Federal Prison for 1yr
“Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon & pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants. It is it’s natural manure.” Thomas Jefferson wrote that in a letter while in Paris about his present state of American democracy to William Smith. Yet, a mere two centuries later, repeating his statements and ideology could land you in federal prison. And it has cost Sherman Austin of RaiseTheFist.com, one self-proclaimed revolutionary his bodily freedom for one year, and political freedom of speech for three years.
The synopsis of Austin’s crime is linking to sites that contain information on building bombs. Federal proscecutors argued that his political beliefs were the violent overthrow of the government, or a revolution combined with information on how to acheive it. Austin’s account and rebuttal of the case (lots of comments) can be found on RaiseTheFist.com’s website. Extrapolated within reason, this case lays the foundation requiring political journalists to navigate a political minefield when reporting terrorism acts and U.S. policies. For example, any site that has information on weapons (e.g. - CNN’s article on the risks of building dirty bombs and the difficulty in acquiring material), combined with an acerbic or dissenting viewpoint of the government’s policies (e.g. - a CNN article on the U.S. helping Saddam in the 80s) could be grounds for proscecution.
So watch what you say, the First Ammendment is officially abridged. Is it going to get better? Apparently not (a Q&A concerning Patriot II).
Posted by Stephen VanDyke at August 8, 2003 02:01 PMThe difference between Jefferson and Austin is that one plea bargained. I can’t see TJ backing down from his convictions, even in the face of +20 years for a ‘terrorism related’ offense, and the quotation you site proves that. Some things are worth dying for, some things are worth doing time for. Mr. Austin hasn’t fought for his right to free speech, he’s rolled over and let the government strip him of it, and he’s spending a year in prison for the pleasure of letting them.
-kd
Posted by: Karl at August 9, 2003 11:26 AMI wouldn’t presume to think what Mr. Jefferson would do, Karl, but your comments come from the suspiciously comfortable position of not having your own life on the line. 20 years does not accomplish anything more than 1 in an inherently corrupt system populated by 300+ million people who are too apathetic to do anything.
ciaran
Posted by: ciaran at August 10, 2003 02:55 PMThe quote that the editor cited tells you exactly what Mr. Jefferson would do. And, my point was not that 20 years would make a difference, but that fighting the charge rather than plea bargaining would have done so. He accepted his guilt, now why are we sorry for him? The government forced him to plea bargain? No…his lack of courage in the face of a political fight forced him to. He does haven’t the guts of the patriots that the editor is trying to compare him to.
-Karl
Posted by: Karl at August 11, 2003 11:40 AMExcept that Jefferson was facing death, not twenty years of constant anal rape.
Posted by: satan at October 11, 2003 05:02 PM
