Teen banned from US for abusive email !
This is a strange one.
I don't think he should have used abusive language, but what about free speech and right of expression? Should he be banned for using abusive language ? Remember all the names poor Dubya was called during his tenure .......
A British teenager who sent an e-mail to the White House calling President Obama a "pr*ck" was banned from the U.S. for life, The Sun reported Monday.
The FBI asked local cops to tell college student Luke Angel, 17, that his drunken insult was "unacceptable."
Angel claims he fired off a single e-mail criticizing the U.S. government after seeing a television program about the 9/11 attacks.
He said, "I don't remember exactly what I wrote as I was drunk. But I think I called Barack Obama a pr*ck. It was silly -- the sort of thing you do when you're a teenager and have had a few."
Angel, of Bedford, in central England, said it was "a bit extreme" for the FBI to act.
"The police came and took my picture and told me I was banned from America forever. I don't really care but my parents aren't very happy," he said.
A Bedford Police spokesman confirmed they had spoken to Angel about the e-mail. Officers will take no criminal action.
Joanne Ferreira, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said there are about 60 reasons a person can be barred from visiting America.
She said, "We are prohibited from discussing specific cases."
Source: Fox News
Classes of Aliens Ineligible to Receive Visas
http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/ineligibilities/ineligibilities_1364.html
CHAPTER 1 - SELECTION SYSTEM
CHAPTER 2 -- QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMISSION OF ALIENS; TRAVEL CONTROL OF CITIZENS AND ALIENS
CHAPTER 3 -- ISSUANCE OF ENTRY DOCUMENTS
CHAPTER 4 -- INSPECTION, APPREHENSION, EXAMINATION, EXCLUSION, AND REMOVAL
CHAPTER 5 -- ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS
CHAPTER 6 -- SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO ALIEN CREWMEN
CHAPTER 7 -- REGISTRATION OF ALIENS
CHAPTER 8 -- GENERAL PENALTY PROVISIONS
CHAPTER 9 -- MISCELLANEOUS
TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 41 > § 871
Prev | Next § 871. Threats against President and successors to the Presidency
(a) Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits for conveyance in the mail or for a delivery from any post office or by any letter carrier any letter, paper, writing, print, missive, or document containing any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States, the President-elect, the Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President of the United States, or the Vice President-elect, or knowingly and willfully otherwise makes any such threat against the President, President-elect, Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President, or Vice President-elect, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
(b) The terms “President-elect” and “Vice President-elect” as used in this section shall mean such persons as are the apparent successful candidates for the offices of President and Vice President, respectively, as ascertained from the results of the general elections held to determine the electors of President and Vice President in accordance with title 3, United States Code, sections 1 and 2. The phrase “other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President” as used in this section shall mean the person next in the order of succession to act as President in accordance with title 3, United States Code, sections 19 and 20.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/uscode18/usc_sec_18_00000871----000-.html
There is nothing saying about mutants! We will be observing you!
which is par for my course. lol
;)
Let's agree to disagree .. :O)
That kid is the next phantom for the neo conservative lobby.
"Freedom of speech and being allowed into US is something very different...
He said what he said... they didn't sue him or anything like that, but they just don't want him in the US...."
Well said.. Good point and I have to agree with you there..
i agree with danabell
I agree with Xena.
P.s. I agree with Mandi!
I'm sure the remarks were far more than calling the president a prick. He must of used language the was inulting beyond what was mentioned in the article and maybe included some remarks that no matter how mild, could of be perceived as a threat.
Had he been a American citizen he still could of faced disciplinary action, maybe even in the form of a prison sentence.
You can't just go firing off emails to the white house. Had he expressed his opinion in a newspaper, etc. the result would of been much different. Freedom of speech trust me is thriving, far beyond what most of us would like.
Does the punishment seem a bit harsh, yes. However, everyone should take this seriously. If I sent a similar email to the president of Russian I would expect some action to be taken.
I think it's harsh but I also stand by it.
of people throwing into any and every conversation that is started on here about the US and ME...
because west is more demorcratic, its like people expect us to just take the cr*p.
If something is wrong... its wrong, democratic, liberal, conservative, whatever....
Constitutions are there to live by yes, but laws and governments are in place to be able to use their discretion at what is allowed and what isn't.
Swearing at the US, UK, South African, or whoever's president, Prime Minister or what ever the designation is not considered free speech - who taugh you your manners? What you say about them is a different matter, but directly is just considered bad manners so don't be surprised when you get rapped over the knuckles for doing it....
I want to rant more... but i have run out of steam;-P
Xena: well said. Thank you.
LP: There is no way to please all the people all of the time. Even the most popular president will have detractors.
doing what he did, 'I don't think he should have used abusive language, but what about free speech and right of expression? '
Freedom of speech and being allowed into US is something very different...
He said what he said... they didn't sue him or anything like that, but they just don't want him in the US....
I don't understand, why people get so upset if they are denied rights to entering US, when they don't have civility towards the country anyway... There is a big difference in being in a country and critisizing it and sending abusive mail to its ruler.... try that here, and your punishment is definately going to be more than just deportation.
They do the same thing here when they ban certain Visas... as Genesis said.... their country, their rules;-P
ex.expat LP is old enough to remember Lincoln not just Kennedy :D
I know, ex. But why do people hate their leaders? Is there something wrong with the 'leaders', or with the people?
Kennedy (and the attempt on Reagan), not to mention Lincoln, McKinley and Garfield :P
Hahaha, why are the 'leaders' so afraid? Don't their people love them anymore like they used to do?
all the 17 year old murderers we have running around back home. You seem to be implying he is just a little lad having a lark, but he's a 17 year old who drunkenly threatened the US President. Not surprising the consequences are stiff.
every country has its own penal code and offences have to be dealt as per the law.
am i to believe that this punishment is specified in america's penal code for such an offence..?
Do you think if someone made threats to the Queen we would grant them a visa?
There's got to be more to this story, I can't believe they would ban him for life for a rant on email. He probably did threaten the president.
Their country, their rules ;)
brit: you may be right. The Secret Service certainly went overboard when they investigated Eminem for his rap lyrics. But when it comes to threatening the president, they take it seriously. Besides... drunk, stupid teenager or not, what did he think he would gain by emailing the White House?
Your point is valid. Howeevr, don't you think that in this instance, the authorities are taking it a bit too seriously. After all, he's a teen and we all did/said stupid things at that age...
khawaga, now it seems i didnt..:)
Know it well, do you, Rishi?
this is not the US of A .. i have known so far.
Too bad that's not the whole story. Simply calling the president a name isn't enough. However, if you threaten him, they take that seriously. Sorry, folks, but there are limits to free speech.
""The individual had sent an email to the White House which was full of abusive and threatening language," a police spokesperson told the British newspaper, Bedfordshire On Sunday."
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/09/13/2010-09-13_british_teen_luke_angel_banned_from_united_states_for_life_for_offensive_email_t.html#ixzz0zTJDSVxQ
Threats are never taken lightly, which is understandable.
I seriously doubt that will stick. I even question whether this "punishment" isn't being made up by the Bedford Police to scare him.
I'm sure I would be deported.
Speech may be free but entry to the US is a privilege, not a right.
Mandi