Well, gol danged! What the Hell is this, Russia?

Looks as if the Bush administration is dusting of an 1872 that prohibited pimps from boarding a ship while it was entering a port against two members of Greenpeace who boarded a ship in MIami harbor wearing tee-shirta that read "Greenpeace illegal forest crime unit", trying to draw attention to an illegal importation of Brazilian mahogany.

So the Bush administartion is Hell bent on prosecuting this civil disobedience under a law that has only been used once and that was in 1890 when even the judge in that case felt the language of the law was "inartistic and obscure". But, with the penalties being so harse ($20,000 and 5 years in prison) it's just the kind of law that make Bush, Ashcroft and company smile ear to ear.

Now ain't this something? If I wanta get a bunch of folks together, put white sheets over us with white hoods and intimidate the crud outtta some black folks, that's fine! But if wanta draw attention to an illegal importation of wood cut from the rain forests be peacfully trespassing (at best) with a banner then I'm looking at stiff fines and long prison terms.

Oh, this is going to go a long way towards making people feel like they have 1st ammmendment protections, isn't it.

greenpeaceusa.org

Bobert