[governance] Caution on Twitter urged as tourists barred from US

Carlos A. Afonso ca at cafonso.ca
Tue Jan 31 11:31:38 EST 2012


... or with shovels (which incidentally of course weren't there)?? The
limits of idiocy... are there any limits?

--c.a.

On 01/31/2012 02:21 PM, Koven Ronald wrote:
> Dear Wolfgang --
> 
> 
> The problem is that the Homeland Security people can't seem to tell the difference between "crying fire in a crowded theater," which is not protected by the 1st Amdmt. and a genuinely funny or unfunny attempt to be humorous. Given 9/11, can they really be blamed for erring on the side of not laughing ? 
> 
> 
> I really hate what we now must go thru to get on a plane, but I might not even be around to hate it if someone got on a plane with a bomb. So I'd rather just keep the hating to myself.
> 
> 
> 
> Bests, Rony
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Kleinwächter, Wolf
>  gang" <wolfgang.kleinwaechter at medienkomm.uni-halle.de>
> To: governance <governance at lists.igcaucus.org>; Riaz K Tayob <riaz.tayob at gmail.com>
> Sent: Tue, Jan 31, 2012 5:00 pm
> Subject: AW: [governance] Caution on Twitter urged as tourists barred from US
> 
> 
> Hi
>  
> is "joking" protected by the first amendement of the US constitution and part of 
> Article 19 (right to freedom of exression) of the UN Human Rights Declaration?  
>  
> wolfgang
> 
> ________________________________
> 
> Von: governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org im Auftrag von Riaz K Tayob
> Gesendet: Di 31.01.2012 16:23
> An: governance at lists.igcaucus.org
> Betreff: [governance] Caution on Twitter urged as tourists barred from US
> 
> 
> 31 January 2012 Last updated at 12:51 GMT 
> 
> 
> Caution on Twitter urged as tourists barred from US
> 
>   Post-9/11 USA is highly cautious of any perceived threat, Abta said 
> 
> 
> Holidaymakers have been warned to watch their words after two friends were 
> refused entry to the US on security grounds after a tweet.
> 
> Before his trip, Leigh Van Bryan wrote that he was going to "destroy America".
> 
> He insisted he was referring to simply having a good time - but was sent home.
> 
> Trade association Abta told the BBC that the case highlighted that holidaymakers 
> should never do anything to raise "concern or suspicion in any way".
> 
> The US Department for Homeland Security picked up Mr Bryan's messages ahead of 
> his holiday in Los Angeles.
> 
> The 26-year-old bar manager wrote a message to a friend on the micro-blogging 
> service, saying: "Free this week, for quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy 
> America."
> 
> The Irish national told the Sun newspaper <http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4095372/Twitter-news-US-bars-friends-over-Twitter-joke.html>  
> that he and his friend Emily Bunting were apprehended on arrival at Los Angeles 
> International Airport before being sent home.
> 
> "The Homeland Security agents were treating me like some kind of terrorist," Mr 
> Bryan said.
> 
> "I kept saying they had got the wrong meaning from my tweet."
> 
> No joke 
> 
> Abta, which represents travel companies in the UK, said holidaymakers need to 
> learn to be ultra-cautious when it comes to talking about forthcoming trips, 
> particularly after 9/11.
> 
> Continue reading the main story <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16810312#story_continues_2>  
> 
> 
> "Start Quote
> 
> 
> 	Airport security staff do not have a sense of humour when it comes to potential 
> risk"
> 
> Abta 
> 
> "Posting statements in a public forum which could be construed as threatening - 
> in this case saying they are going to "destroy" somewhere - will not be viewed 
> sympathetically by US authorities," it told the BBC.
> 
> "In the past we have seen holidaymakers stopped at airport security for 'joking' 
> that they have a bomb in their bag, thoroughly questioned and ending up missing 
> their flights, demonstrating that airport security staff do not have a sense of 
> humour when it comes to potential risk."
> 
> In another tweet, Mr Bryan made reference to comedy show Family Guy saying that 
> he would be in LA in three weeks, annoying people "and diggin' Marilyn Monroe 
> up".
> 
> Mr Bryan told the newspaper that he was questioned for five hours about his 
> Twitter messages.
> 
> 'Tweeter account' 
> 
> After the interview, Homeland Security's reported: "Mr Bryan confirmed that he 
> had posted on his Tweeter website account that he was coming to the United 
> States to dig up the grave of Marilyn Monroe. 
> 
> "Also on his tweeter account Mr Bryan posted he was coming to destroy America."
> 
>   Paul Chambers was fined after posting a message about Robin Hood Airport 
> 
> The US Customs and Border Protection agency said in a statement that it tried to 
> maintain a balance between "securing our borders while facilitating the high 
> volume of legitimate trade and travel that crosses our borders every day".
> 
> It added: "We strive to achieve that balance and show the world that the United 
> States is a welcoming nation."
> 
> Mr Bryan is not the only person to suffer from a misjudged tweet. In January 
> 2010, Paul Chambers tweeted that he would blow snow-affected Robin Hood Airport 
> in Doncaster "sky high!" if it was not reopened in time for him to see his 
> girlfriend.
> 
> He was fined £385 plus £2,600 in costs - a sum which actor Stephen Fry offered 
> to pay on Mr Chambers' behalf.
> 
> 
> 
>  
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