Sitting in the Dock of the ‘Bay
Simple Justice: One of the problems with doing something kinda witty is that stupid people won’t get it. That isn’t a problem from the perspective of their getting the point, but it can be troubling if the stupid people have the power to arrest and prosecute you.
And so it happened to 19 year old University of Minnesota student, Max P. Sanders. From this CNN report, via Turley, after putting his vote up for auction on eBay, with a minimum bid of $10, Sanders was arrested and charged “with one count of bribery, treating and soliciting under an 1893 state law that makes it a crime to offer to buy or sell a vote” in Hennepin County District Court. It was a witty little protest, except to the Hennepin County Attorney.
“We take it very seriously. Fundamentally, we believe it is wrong to sell your vote,” said John Aiken, a spokesman for the office. “There are people that have died for this country for our right to vote, and to take something that lightly, to say, ‘I can be bought.’
“It’s a real shame,” he said. “I can imagine the conversations being held in American Legion Clubs and VFWs about whether this is a joke or not.”
Really? I can imagine those old geezers, who watched as their friends gave their lives for this country, wondering aloud whether the Hennepin County Attorney is a moron. People who fought and died in wars did so for serious reasons. And they could tell the difference between a joke and a crime.
The charge carries up to five years’ imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.
Do they take paypal?