DCF writes:

At 09:12 PM 5/18/97 -0700, Alan Olsen wrote:

...

Some of his statements could have been taken as advocating the killing of federal employees of various sorts. The question is whether he actually tried to arrange it in real life. (Which I doubt.) In the U.S., it is legal to advocate killing anyone except Clinton and his family and maybe the veep. DCF

While I think AP is appalling (I regard all premeditated killing as unacceptable, whether committed by the state or individuals), the following might be fun: Set up a web page which collects names of 'people you'd like to see hit by a bus'. This is a poll, not AP - no money is involved, and there is no suggestion that these desires be carried into action. Allow people to anonymously add their vote to names already on the list, or nominate new ones themselves. While there is the possibility of abuse (someone sets up a 'bot to nominate their ex-wife 10,000 times), clearly you would not want to try to keep track of who voted for who. I expect we'd see The Usual Suspects, and a lot of people who are known in only limited spheres (sports figures, widely disliked bosses and CEOs). There would also be many individuals with a single vote against them, and a lot of people notorious only on the net. One refinement might be to display names only for people with some threshold of strikes against them - say 20 votes. Another would be to allow people to register both 'yea' or 'nay' on names on the list. I don't have a facilities to set this up myself, so don't ask me. If someone else does it, I hope they check to see of there are any legal implications. Peter Trei trei@process.com --------------------------- [ KOKO (the newly appointed Grand High Executioner): I am happy to think that there will be no difficulty in finding plenty of people whose loss will be a distinct gain to society at large. SONG--KO-KO with CHORUS OF MEN. As some day it may happen that a victim must be found, I've got a little list--I've got a little list Of society offenders who might well be underground, And who never would be missed--who never would be missed! There's the pestilential nuisances who write for autographs-- All people who have flabby hands and irritating laughs-- All children who are up in dates, and floor you with 'em flat-- All persons who in shaking hands, shake hands with you like that-- And all third persons who on spoiling tete-a-tetes insist-- They'd none of 'em be missed--they'd none of 'em be missed! etc.... Gilbert & Sullivan, "The Mikado" ]