Detainees, Personal Libertarianism, and Vengeance

[Tim May]

On Wednesday, October 17, 2001, at 08:59 PM, Declan McCullagh wrote:

> On Thu, Oct 18, 2001 at 01:00:12AM +0200, Nomen Nescio wrote:
>> In fact, the other day you threatened to murder a reporter who 
>> misquoted
>> you; in fact, you further suggested you would torture him and kill his
>> entire family.  These are innocent children who never did a thing to 
>> you,
>> and you would kill them in cold blood.  Only a subhuman animal, devoid
>> of any semblance of morality and decency, would suggest such a thing.
>
> I remember that post Tim made. I hope it was, and expect it was,
> hyperbole.
>
> Torturing and murdering the innocent children of someone who may --
> let's even stipulate a moment of malice -- have written an article
> that misquoted you is not exactly behavior that civilized society
> should applaud.
>

Both of you are using my comments out of context, Nomen much more so.

I threatened no reporter, despite what Nomen says above.

I phrased it as "you can always tell them...." This is a standard 
hypothetical. The complete quote is below:

--begin--
You can always tell them that if they willfully and substantively 
misquote you, you will visit their home, wait until they are are away, 
kill their wife and children, wait until they return home, force them to 
the floor at gunpoint, put tape around their mouth and nylon tie wraps 
around their hands, let them see what has been done to their family, let 
them think about it for 10 minutes, then put tape over their nose and 
wait for them to suffocate.

The danger is in telling them. It may be best to not tell them, but then 
to carry out punishment some appropriate time later.
--end--

However, I continue to be amused that Sandy, Seth, John, and poor Nomen 
are all predicting that I'm about to be arrested.


--Tim May
"Extremism in the pursuit of liberty is no vice."--Barry Goldwater