Posted on 02/05/2003 2:02:05 PM PST by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
LUFKIN, Texas (AP) - Two Texans were indicted Wednesday on federal charges they stole pieces of space shuttle Columbia that had dropped onto the countryside. Federal officials in Texas also declared an amnesty period extending until 5 p.m. Friday, during which people who have collected shuttle debris can turn it in without fear of being prosecuted. After that, prosecutions will resume, they said. Merrie Hipp, 43, of Henderson, was charged with theft of government property for allegedly stealing a shuttle circuit board on Saturday.
Bradley Justin Gaudet, 23, of Nacogdoches, was charged in a separate incident with stealing a piece of thermal insulating fabric. Gaudet is a student at Steven F. Austin State University. "The issue here is the thermodynamics of the space shuttle and any piece of that is important to this investigation," said U.S. Attorney Michael Shelby. "No one knows which piece will unravel the mystery." The charges carry a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Both defendants awaited arraignment Wednesday afternoon.
Authorities said they are conducting at least 17 investigations into reports of people taking shuttle debris as souvenirs. They would not give specifics or comment on whether those cases were related to attempts by people to sell purported shuttle debris on eBay. "These two individuals are first," Orwig said. "There is no particular threshold. They are an example, whether it's our intention or not. Authorities urged members of the public to take advantage of the amnesty period. "If you turn the piece over and describe where you found the piece, we will not prosecute you," Orwig said.
Osama's scalp is another matter. I'd love to hang that on my wall.
Anybody collecting debris from this national disaster reminds me of the dkheads that were trying to sell photos of people falling from the World Trade Center.
Get your priorities right!
Authorities said they are conducting at least 17 investigations into reports of people taking shuttle debris as souvenirs. The author's words not mine. The article does not state that they were trying to profit from it. It was bad judgement and morally wrong, but to go after people to that extent is excessive. You don't think ten years in prison is excessive? In the meantime there are people in this country that mean us real harm and you would prefer that the Feds focus their energies on locking up anyone that happens upon a piece of debris and doesn't turn it in? I think that you and the government need to get their priorities straight.
I am not excusing what these people did, my problem is with the way that the government is handling this.
No, they don't. They choose to make flippant remarks about toilet paper, and feed paranoid visions of Nasa prosecuting anyone who finds parts of the shuttle after Friday.
They are trolls. I am done with this discussion because they cannot be made to understand.
Well, being a Freeper, you've automatically got a good jump with some 97,000 registered voters (less troll quotient) on your side.
There is no particular threshold. They are an example, whether it's our intention or not.
From what the article says, these were not the people trying to sell debris on e-bay. I am not excusing what these two people did, but I think there are better ways to go about this than telling people that if they find any debris and don't turn it in they will serve ten years in prison. In the meantime there are a lot of people in this country that should be higher priority targets for the Justice Department, specifically potential terrorists.
Your "argument" drips with emotion. Try arguing the facts.
The country has too many "laws" already. We don't need more, especially 10 year sentences for "possession of a shuttle lockwasher".
The law doesn't make gradations. Most of the posters on this thread are in favor of handing the persecutors a white paper.
What the heck are you doing on the Free Republic, newbie?
This is a forum given to discussions of a Constitutional Republic, not emoting over detritus from a shuttle accident.
Not only are you lousy at argumentation, you're lousy at analytic reading. If you examine my quote, you'll see that I'm asking you what you're hanging around a Constitutional forum for. Strict interpretation of the Constitution argues for less laws, not more laws.
Free men don't need a bunch of laws to throttle their freedoms - our forefathers saw that clearly.
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