That's one way of making sure the revolution will be televised...
South Carolina is often maligned and mocked by The Daily Show among others for its political eccentricities. I don't think their state government and elected officials are any worse or better than any other state's AND SC is the birthplace of the beloved Stephen Colbert. However, I couldn't let this one go by! Their legislature took the American bureaucracy and paperwork fetish to a new and ridiculous place by passing The Subversive Activities Registration Act in 2009. The Act requires that
"every member of a subversive organization, or an organization subject to foreign control, every foreign agent and every person who advocates, teaches, advises or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States ... shall register with the Secretary of State" and pay a (quite cheap actually) $5 filing fee.
If you're wondering if this means YOU, "subversive organization" is defined as "every corporation, society, association, camp, group, bund, political party, assembly, body or organization, composed of two or more persons, which directly or indirectly advocates, advises, teaches or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States [or] of this State."
Obviously enforcement of this Act seems impossible and I doubt it will survive any legal challenge to its constitutionality but bless them for entertaining us.
For more go to http://www.popehat.com/2010/02/09/as-an-attorney-i-cannot-fill-out-this-form/ OR http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2010/02/all_subversive.html
*****ETA: It seems the folks at Volokh Conspiracy have picked up on this story and corrected the previous stories. South Carolina has actually had the Act on the books since 1951 (!?!?!?!?! Ah, the joys of McCarthyism in action). A bill has been introduced in the South Carolina House this year to repeal the Act. Apparently they have previously attempted (and failed!?!?!?) to repeal the act multiple times, most notably in 1976 and 1993. Also, I was right (oh, I love that feeling) and the Act is unconstitutional per SCOTUS' holding in Yates v. United States, 354 U.S. 298 (1957).
Also for your reading pleasure:
Painful and outlandish ways criminals have attempted to remove their fingerprints (http://womenincrimeink.blogspot.com/2010/02/extreme-measures-taken-to-hide.html). I fully expect one of the CSIs to rip this article off soon. I have to think that having your fingertips sutured to your chest for a week is only going to make law enforcement more suspicious. Talk about probable cause! I had an inmate last year who did it with chemical solvents. Don't try this at home, kids!
AND a photo of the cookies a friend made (with my editorial and creative assistance) for a friend of ours to enjoy after a final. Gold star to whoever can correctly identify the cookie that was all my concept. LOL.
"every member of a subversive organization, or an organization subject to foreign control, every foreign agent and every person who advocates, teaches, advises or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States ... shall register with the Secretary of State" and pay a (quite cheap actually) $5 filing fee.
If you're wondering if this means YOU, "subversive organization" is defined as "every corporation, society, association, camp, group, bund, political party, assembly, body or organization, composed of two or more persons, which directly or indirectly advocates, advises, teaches or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States [or] of this State."
Obviously enforcement of this Act seems impossible and I doubt it will survive any legal challenge to its constitutionality but bless them for entertaining us.
For more go to http://www.popehat.com/2010/02/09/as-an-attorney-i-cannot-fill-out-this-form/ OR http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2010/02/all_subversive.html
*****ETA: It seems the folks at Volokh Conspiracy have picked up on this story and corrected the previous stories. South Carolina has actually had the Act on the books since 1951 (!?!?!?!?! Ah, the joys of McCarthyism in action). A bill has been introduced in the South Carolina House this year to repeal the Act. Apparently they have previously attempted (and failed!?!?!?) to repeal the act multiple times, most notably in 1976 and 1993. Also, I was right (oh, I love that feeling) and the Act is unconstitutional per SCOTUS' holding in Yates v. United States, 354 U.S. 298 (1957).
Also for your reading pleasure:
Painful and outlandish ways criminals have attempted to remove their fingerprints (http://womenincrimeink.blogspot.com/2010/02/extreme-measures-taken-to-hide.html). I fully expect one of the CSIs to rip this article off soon. I have to think that having your fingertips sutured to your chest for a week is only going to make law enforcement more suspicious. Talk about probable cause! I had an inmate last year who did it with chemical solvents. Don't try this at home, kids!
AND a photo of the cookies a friend made (with my editorial and creative assistance) for a friend of ours to enjoy after a final. Gold star to whoever can correctly identify the cookie that was all my concept. LOL.