Slashdot Mirror
Text Message Brands Quebec Man a Terror Suspect
An anonymous reader writes "Saad Allami likely never expected that a simple text message of encouragement would have turned his life upside down. But as seen in a similar case of absurd overreaction by authorities, a simple text message is all it takes to have yourself branded as a terrorist. From the article: 'The Quebec man says he was arrested by provincial police while picking up his seven-year-old son at school. A team of police officers stormed into his home, telling his wife she was married to a terrorist. And his work colleagues were detained for hours at the U.S. border because of their connection to him.'"
He was actually charged with terrorism for not also send his message in French. This is Quebec after all.
I understand a guy who does not have english as his first language using the phrase and not meaning it literally.
BUT - what excuse is there for north american 'authorities' to misunderstand this very common expresssion ?
there is no excuse. anyone in charge connected to this should be fired.
or, blown away....
--
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
I'm not, I have my tinfoil hat on
I think that must have been done by a non-native English speaker. It's just a mistaken idiom; the correct "core value" is "Cleaning Out the Customer".
Blowing the customer. That's got to be a Nevada casino? No?
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
You mean like THIS guy? http://img3.etsystatic.com/il_fullxfull.111497703.jpg
"Democracy." It's just a slogan.
The first draft said "Blowing the customer". It was a few years before anyone realized the mistake -- it being a casino in Nevada and all.
what the hell am i modded interesting for?
where's my funny mod?
ahhhh... i see
mod me interesting, and therefore flag my comment as a serious one, and therefore get me popped by the security goons
pretty clever slashdot!
jokes on me!
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
Only a terrorist would feel the need to deny being a terrorist. Take him away, boys!
Blank until
My name is Jack. People can get arrested just for saying "Hi" to me.
I like this guy, already. He isn't suing for millions, he is suing for $100,000. And, he wants a certificate of good conduct so that he can work in the field of his choosing. Obviously, he wants to embarrass the fools responsible. Sounds like a reasonable guy to me. I get so disgusted with people who have a legitimate greivance, but blow it all out of proportion by suing for tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. It's like, "Oh, these guys insulted me - I should never have to work again! Set me up with luxury homes, luxury cars, furs, diamonds, yachts and private jets!"
(Emphasis mine.)
You never learn, do you?!
I hadn't the slightest objection to his spending his time planning massacres for the bourgeoisie... (P.G. Wodehouse)