Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 16:07:10 -0400
To: Matthew Gaylor <freematt@coil.com>
From: Matthew Gaylor <freematt@coil.com>
Subject: Are bad jokes now illegal?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 10:02:55 -0700
To: letters@sjmercury.com, freematt@coil.com
From: Les Earnest <les@cs.stanford.edu>
Subject: Are bad jokes now illegal?
Cc: mrroadshow@sjmercury.com, aclu@cs.stanford.edu, lisam@aclunc.org

There is not much left of the First Amendment but the recent 
terrorist attacks are being used as an excuse to stomp its remnants 
into the ground.  Many people deal with anxiety by making jokes about 
their fears.  It is human nature.  However, that apparently is no 
longer acceptable conduct.

San Jose Mercury News columnist Gary Richards reports (9/19/01) about 
an incident at San Francisco International Airport on 9/13/01 where 
"two men aboard a National Airlines flight preparing to depart for 
Las Vegas commented, `This one's headed for the White House, right?'" 
The plane, which was waiting to take off, returned to the gate and 
the two offenders were removed.  They reportedly were not charged as 
a result of this incident but police were able to find traffic 
warrants against one of them and arrested him for that.

It his hard to understand how two people could make the same 
statement simultaneously, as reported, but Mr. Richards made it a 
point to identify them by name in his column so that others can now 
heap derision on them for their offense.

I'm heading for Tahiti tomorrow provided that the FAA, airlines and 
terrorists allow it.  I may tell a few jokes along the way but 
apparently will have to be careful not to make fun of any of those 
entities or say anything else that might offend someone within 
earshot.  I look forward to swimming with the sharks, which appears 
safer.

-Les Earnest

P.S.  I won't be able to access my regular email account while 
travelling till Oct. 9 but plan to occasionally check my separate 
travel account, lesterearnest@yahoo.com, from internet cafes along 
the way.


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