WASHINGTON -- Bowing to public outcry, a militant gay activist site has deleted a Web page that says prominent conservatives "deserve" painful deaths.
The site, usqueers.com, had ranted against public figures such as President Reagan, senators Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond, and Pat Robertson. A representative excerpt: "Ronald Reagan, ex-President, deserves to experience a horrible death soon, and is getting what he deserves. We're listing him as wounded because the way he is dying is horrible (Alzheimer's) and irreversible...."
But now the "Het Supremacists wish list" page merely says: "That page is offline while we contemplate design changes which will allow us to freely express our opinions...."
The campaign against usqueers.com seems to have started with conservative attorney John B. Thompson, who wrote a letter to the Justice Department this week suggesting it prosecute the site's owners on charges of "left-wing domestic terrorism."
"If immediate action is not taken, then there will be a legitimate concern about the FBI's resolve to do something about domestic terrorists, regardless of ideological bent," Thompson wrote. (He seems to be readily outraged: Thompson has written letters denouncing CBS comedy shows and Howard Stern.)
The sheriff of Dickson County, Tennessee, was one of the outraged readers who wrote in and asked to be included in the lineup of people who needing killing, saying it would be an honor, according to usqueers.com.
Says the site: "Tolerance is not our goal. This website is not anti-heterosexual. We are anti-supremacy, including the heterosexism which defines 'normal' relationships as opposite-gender."
- - -
Jim Bell update: One of the Internet's most famous essayists is now in the same prison that once housed the most famous hacker.
Jim Bell, the author of Assassination Politics, has been moved to the Lompoc ("lahm-poke"), California federal prison. It's the same place that convicted cracker Kevin Mitnick once called home.
"I'm assigned out in the rec yard, the recreation yard, but there's really not much work to be done, occasionally picking up a cigarette butt or two," says Bell, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison this year for allegedly stalking federal agents. Bell says he was trying to investigate government wrongdoing.
Bell describes Lompoc, located between Los Angeles and San Francisco, as "old and decrepit, and the place is corrupt and the guards are lazy."
Previously, Bell was being held at the SeaTac prison near Tacoma, Washington, where his trial took place.
Since he's got some time to kill, Bell has busied himself by filing civil lawsuits against people he alleges were involved in an orchestrated plot to deny him a fair trial and an unbiased, court-appointed defense counsel. So far he's targeted two judges, at least two prosecutors, and his former probation officers and defense attorneys.
Bell says he hasn't had any response yet -- and is going to try to obtain a default judgment against the defendants. "I continue to remain astonished that I haven't received any answer out of my lawsuit yet. It doesn't bother me as long as I collect the money. I think I've hit a nerve."
He's looking forward to "garnishment and putting liens on various people's property. If they wanted to write me a check, I'd take a check, I guess. But if they want me to go through the usual methods to collect it, I'll do that too."
- - -
Briefly noted: After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Americans want press censorship, according to a survey performed by the Pew Research Center.... Most Americans also like the idea of trying suspected terrorists before secret military tribunals.... Former top FBI officials are criticizing the bureau's new anti-terror tactics.... A leaked Justice Department memo says that some of the 5,000 men wanted for voluntary questioning may be held without bail if they don't "voluntarily" cooperate.... Post-Watergate limits on the FBI's ability to investigate domestic groups, such as news organizations and churches, may be disappearing.... Almost-Supreme Court Justice Robert Bork has written an essay defending military tribunals.... California has posted the birth records of over 24 million residents online, raising the possibility of identity fraud. It's an excellent reason never to rely on your mother's maiden name as a security mechanism.... This week's news of a successful effort to clone six human cells has renewed calls for a ban, with President Bush calling the accomplishment "morally wrong."
- - -
Next week: The Cato Institute is hosting a panel discussion on Thursday. It's titled "Terrorists, Military Tribunals and the Constitution," and it includes the Army's former Judge Advocate General.... The same day at noon, the Democracy Online Project is organizing "Privacy and Online Politics: Is online profiling doing more harm than good for citizens in our political system?"... The National Press Club in Washington is holding a panel discussion next Thursday. It's titled "The State of Cybersecurity" and begins at 6:30 p.m.... On Tuesday, the Independent Institute will host a lecture in Oakland, California, titled "Why Freedom Matters More Than Ever" (admission $12-$30 per person).... The Business Software Alliance's annual tech summit is in Washington.
