Fla. Officer Indicted for Bush Threat >>>What's Freedom of speech??

What ever happened to our first admendment rights??? I guess we have to be aware that even hearsay can get us into trouble>>>


Fla. Officer Indicted for Bush Threat

August 29, 2004, 2:34 AM EDT


TAMPA, Fla. -- A police officer who mouthed off while picking up his uniform at the cleaners has been indicted on a charge of threatening President Bush for allegedly saying he would shoot him and his father if someone gave him the bullets.

Joseph Mazagwu, 35, surrendered Friday on charges of threatening the president and lying to investigators. The rookie officer has been suspended from the force and could lose his job.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. He had no comment after his first court appearance and was released on $25,000 bail. The prosecutor said there was no evidence Mazagwu pursued the threat.

His lawyer, Deeann Athan, said the charge stemmed from "a huge misunderstanding."

On July 15, a day before Bush visited Tampa, Mazagwu was picking up his dry cleaning when the owner asked if he would be part of the president's security detail.

The 11-year U.S. Army veteran and Nigerian native answered that he would not work it under any circumstances and criticized the war in Iraq and U.S. policies in Africa.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert O'Neill alleged that Mazagwu said words to the effect: "The president needs to be shot. His father needs to be shot. If someone gave me bullets, I would do that."

The cleaner reported the remarks to another Tampa officer on the day of Bush's visit, police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said.

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And the Cleaner reported it like a good little NAZI even though the officer said he WOULDN'T work on any security detail for Bush.

The NAZIs were supported by the German people before WWII too.
.

Great. The man comes over from Nigeria, presumably to live in a freer, more prosperous land, defends our nation for 11 years in the army, then joins the police force, defending our people. He makes one bad joke at the laundromat, and american freedom suddenly doesn't taste as sweet as it should.

-koji K.

this is the great hights that our society has now reached........'land of the suspicious, home of the snitch.' lazy, uninformed, paranoid...this is just were 'they' want society......................

Like the old guy in Farenheit 911 that said 'Bush was an A-hole" in a conversation with his conservative "friends" at the gym and got a visit from the FBI for his trouble.

Try a joke like that cop did on an AOL board sometime. I dropped a one liner once that "A bullet in hand is worth two in Bush" and got over a dozen e-mails like...

I just reported you to the FBI.

I hope you rot in jail for saying that.

Expect a visit soon.

Stupid nanny, nanny, boo, boo crybabies.

Originally posted by RANT
Like the old guy in Farenheit 911 that said 'Bush was an A-hole" in a conversation with his conservative "friends" at the gym and got a visit from the FBI for his trouble.

Try a joke like that cop did on an AOL board sometime. I dropped a one liner once that "A bullet in hand is worth two in Bush" and got over a dozen e-mails like...

I just reported you to the FBI.

I hope you rot in jail for saying that.

Expect a visit soon.

Stupid nanny, nanny, boo, boo crybabies.

RANT,

There is a big diff. between calling the Pres. an A-hole as opposed to saying if you gave me the bullets.....Granted, you should be able to call him what you like because of your first amendment rights. But to my knowledge, regardless of who the president is at the time, and whether or not he is liked, you can not make idol threats the the president or anyone else for that matter. Call the guy a Nazi if you want, but if something is taken as a serious threat, then it has to be checked out. I don't think the guy at the cleaners did the wrong thing by reporting this. If someone said the same thing in regard to you and I over heard it, would you not want me to report it in case it is real so it might be stopped? Just my view is alll, Late, Boba

Actually, there's not a lot of difference. This is like Minority Report only without the twins. Are we moving toward every malcontent being assumed dangerous?

I can't believe the cleaner reported this...unless there was more specificity and alarm to the conversation than we are being told.

Originally posted by bobafett1972

Originally posted by RANT
Like the old guy in Farenheit 911 that said 'Bush was an A-hole" in a conversation with his conservative "friends" at the gym and got a visit from the FBI for his trouble.

Try a joke like that cop did on an AOL board sometime. I dropped a one liner once that "A bullet in hand is worth two in Bush" and got over a dozen e-mails like...

I just reported you to the FBI.

I hope you rot in jail for saying that.

Expect a visit soon.

Stupid nanny, nanny, boo, boo crybabies.

RANT,

There is a big diff. between calling the Pres. an A-hole as opposed to saying if you gave me the bullets.....Granted, you should be able to call him what you like because of your first amendment rights. But to my knowledge, regardless of who the president is at the time, and whether or not he is liked, you can not make idol threats the the president or anyone else for that matter. Call the guy a Nazi if you want, but if something is taken as a serious threat, then it has to be checked out. I don't think the guy at the cleaners did the wrong thing by reporting this. If someone said the same thing in regard to you and I over heard it, would you not want me to report it in case it is real so it might be stopped? Just my view is alll, Late, Boba

but the guy didnt say he was going to kill the president. he said something along the lines of, "IF i was in his guard duty, i'd kill him". it was obviously an answer to a question conveying his hate for bush, not a confession about some plan he had. idle threats are not a crime, under the law, and this doesn't even rise to the level of idle threat.

-koji K.

Originally posted by RANT
Like the old guy in Farenheit 911 that said 'Bush was an A-hole" in a conversation with his conservative "friends" at the gym and got a visit from the FBI for his trouble.

Try a joke like that cop did on an AOL board sometime. I dropped a one liner once that "A bullet in hand is worth two in Bush" and got over a dozen e-mails like...

I just reported you to the FBI.

I hope you rot in jail for saying that.

Expect a visit soon.

Stupid nanny, nanny, boo, boo crybabies.

HAHAHAHA.

Sorry to say, but what the hell were you thinking? Posting on the AOL boards? Damn man, have you no self respect? :p



Its really wierd that people are so uptight and as stated in several posts here "snitches" that police eachother to that degree.

Many people dislike David Icke, but you really should listen to what he sais, take in what you can comprehend and dismiss what you think is "out there".

His lectures are very good to open your eyes on what a governing or power body needs to do to control a population up to a degree where they have full control and most of the people think they, as the people, have the power and are free.

Heres one of the things he sais:
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For a small group of people to control the many its imposible to do so by yourself as this small group of people.

But because you want your people to think that they are free, using a large police or military force to do it will make the many uneasy and makes them wake up that the world around them is not the land of the free at all.

The best way to control the many is by making the many police eachother trough fake value's and morals. By making the many spy and snitch on eachother because they think its their duty as a patriotic citizen.
-----------------------------------------

Offcource these fake value's and morals don't mean "ALL" the value's and morals of the people in the US and other country's around the world where these tactics are being used are bad, but that certain value's and morals are sneaked into the common census to impose the will of the few to the life of the many.

These fake value's and morals are the illusions people like this "snitch" have, that its their duty or with some just that they will be rewarded and famed, for snitching and policing the other person.

Might I point out that this was not some average joe mouthing off?

This was a SWORN OFFICER basically saying that he would not do his job (if required) which is not an option in his position and then saying he would do just the opposite if opportunity allowed.

As for the person who relayed the story to another officer, it was the second officer who made the judgement call on the situtation.

This really does go a little deeper than the face value of freedom of speech.

Yes! One less Florida vote for Kerry! But seriously, the last thing we need is a police officer threatening to kill anyone much less the president.

Originally posted by bobafett1972

RANT,

There is a big diff. between calling the Pres. an A-hole as opposed to saying if you gave me the bullets.....Granted, you should be able to call him what you like because of your first amendment rights. But to my knowledge, regardless of who the president is at the time, and whether or not he is liked, you can not make idol threats the the president or anyone else for that matter. Call the guy a Nazi if you want, but if something is taken as a serious threat, then it has to be checked out. I don't think the guy at the cleaners did the wrong thing by reporting this. If someone said the same thing in regard to you and I over heard it, would you not want me to report it in case it is real so it might be stopped? Just my view is alll, Late, Boba

So, if he had threatened to do the same to Yassar Arafat, Saddam Hussein, Ariel Sharron, he would have found himself in the same position?

I think not...!!

There are probably millions of people in the states who have similar thoughts and thousands that have made flipant statements along the same lines.

He obviously thought he was talking to someone with a bit of intelligence, but was actually talking to a Republican clone.

I am Not a Bush lover, and Im Not going to Vote for him. But this doesnt mean that I can make Idle threats to or about our Commander in Chief. Laws are different in every corner of the globe. In this corner, it is agianst the law to make these kind of threats aimed at the president. Now I know that this steps all over the first ammendment and the freedom of speech, but thats the law. If you dont like the laws, the solution is simple. Find another country to live in, where you can respect the laws a little better.

Here is an example of a Police Officer's Oath (sorry I couldn't nail down Tampa's, but this is the FHP and most oaths are quite similar:

Oath of Office


Florida Highway Patrol
"I do solemnly swear: I will support, protect and defend the constitution and government of the United States and of the State of Florida; I will render strict obedience to my superiors in the Florida Highway Patrol, and observe and abide by all orders and regulations prescribed by them for the government and administration of said Patrol; I will always conduct myself soberly, honorably and honestly; I will maintain strict, punctual and constant attention to my duties; I will abstain from all offensive personality or conduct unbecoming a police officer; I will perform my duties fearlessly, impartially and with all due courtesy, and I will well and faithfully perform the duties of a Florida Highway Patrol Officer on which I am now about to enter. So help me God."

In light of a person having sworn an oath to that of their own free will, do you see any problems now with the officer's actions?

Originally posted by Relentless
Here is an example of a Police Officer's Oath (sorry I couldn't nail down Tampa's, but this is the FHP and most oaths are quite similar:

Oath of Office


Florida Highway Patrol
"I do solemnly swear: I will support, protect and defend the constitution and government of the United States and of the State of Florida; I will render strict obedience to my superiors in the Florida Highway Patrol, and observe and abide by all orders and regulations prescribed by them for the government and administration of said Patrol; I will always conduct myself soberly, honorably and honestly; I will maintain strict, punctual and constant attention to my duties; I will abstain from all offensive personality or conduct unbecoming a police officer; I will perform my duties fearlessly, impartially and with all due courtesy, and I will well and faithfully perform the duties of a Florida Highway Patrol Officer on which I am now about to enter. So help me God."

In light of a person having sworn an oath to that of their own free will, do you see any problems now with the officer's actions?

Well put.

I dont see what the big deal is. Everyone has made threats, that they would never have the heart to complete. People really dont want this to happen. If everyone was hasled for things they have said to people, there would be no unemployment.

I think if this kind of Reporting by the people should not be done. Some will do it, just to do it. If it does, I think the security should be a bit tighter(SS should do thier Jobs)(I Love how its the SS).

Originally posted by Relentless
In light of a person having sworn an oath to that of their own free will, do you see any problems now with the officer's actions?

Yes. It tells me he should get a stern talking to, a slap on the wrsit and fired at worst. It says nothing about getting an Indictment and facing 5 years in jail.

This punishment has nothing to do with "his loyalty oath to God" (which is a load of crap anyway). Are you saying the criminal charges are BECAUSE of his employment?

Let's take a quote from the mouth of Barbara Bush:

And you can criticize me, but don't criticize my children and don't criticize my daughters-in-law and don't criticize my husband, or you're dead.

That would be real productive, Barbara. Blah.

Bush should be charged with numerous counts of theft... for stealing oxygen :-)

Originally posted by Indy
Bush should be charged with numerous counts of theft... for stealing oxygen :-)

AMEN!