From: Toto <toto@sk.sympatico.ca>
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 1997 08:28:13 -0700 (PDT)
To: Rich Graves <llurch@stanford.edu>
Subject: Re: Another Article on Jim Bell from the Oregano
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.3.95q.970406232935.15941A-100000@quixote.stanford.edu>
Message-ID: <3348FE42.ABA@sk.sympatico.ca>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Rich Graves wrote:
> On Sat, 5 Apr 1997, Alan Olsen wrote:
 
> >>On Thursday, Environmental Protection Agency agents were at Bell's home with
> >>a hazardous waste removal contractor analyzing chemicals found by the IRS
> >>raiders. One of the chemicals reportedly was cyanide.

  Since the article doesn't mention the quantity, or other details, one
has to wonder if it was a type of rodent or roach poison that many
people commonly keep around the house.
  Did Ma and Pa Bell purchase a little something to take care of a 
mouse problem? Does this make them co-conspirators? Did the local
hardware man suggest the product? Is he part of the plot against the
government?

  I am reminded of the Campaign Against Marijuana Production in
Northern California, where TV's and chainsaws were regularly seized
as "articles used in marijuana production."
  At least in Northern California the small town newpapers were honest
enough to poke fun at the federal bullshit rather than using it as an
opportunity to overblow every minor aspect of the situation.

> >They seemed to be unable to nail Jim on free speech issues, so they nailed
> >him on "other things".
> 
> No, they never tried to nail him on free speech issues. Read the Friendly
> Affidavits at http://www.parrhesia.com/jimbell/
> 
> The government wasn't even aware of the AP essays until seven months after
> they began legal proceedings on "other things." You have it backwards. The
> government is using his speech in an attempt to nail him for tax evasion
> and conspiracy. It's hard to get an all-encompassing search & seizure
> warrant merely to fish for evidence of tax evasion and conspiracy to
> harass IRS agents, but throw in an alleged Internet-based murder racket
> and the judge will happily bend over and allow you to seize everything of
> value.

   There was so much bullshit in the application for the search warrant
that it had to be done by a real fisherman, practiced in the art of
enlargening the size of the one that got away, in an attempt to justify
asking the judge to let him use a net, instead of trolling.

-- 
Toto
"The Xenix Chainsaw Massacre"
http://bureau42.base.org/public/xenix/xenbody.html