A visitor feels the heavy hand of John Ashcroft

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04192/344406.stm

Today, Joe Black was supposed to be a lector at his niece's wedding in Crafton.

Instead, he's sitting in a federal prison in Philadelphia, a man transformed by America's post-9/11 obsession from a reader of the Epistle into a prayer for intercession.

Here's how an innocuous man, once caught up in the violent politics of a place where violence and politics were long indistinguishable, ended up in jail on his way to church.

Joseph Henry Black, 47, of Belfast, Northern Ireland, arrived around 3 p.m. Wednesday at Philadelphia International Airport via a British Airways Flight. With him were his wife, Geraldine, their son, two daughters and one daughter's boyfriend.

[Tsiyu]

1. Wow

Guess you don't forgive seventy times seven when you're John Ashcroft...

Hope this all works out

[Sir Craig]

2. Just when you thought America couldn't look any dumber...

I cannot wait to see Ashcroft handed his ass when he's forced out along with the rest of BushCo come November...

[Elidor]

3. I'm supposed to feel sorry for an aging IRA kneecapper?!

Fuck the bastard. I don't care if he did his time. I don't care that he's being screwed by John Ashcroft. Couldn't happen to a nicer motherfucker. Fuck Joe Black and everything he has empowered in his violent life. There are too many good people being screwed by this administration for me to get upset over some thug catching a small taste of What Goes Around Comes Around.

[cap]

4. but you do want peace in Northern Ireland, don't you...

the IRA are the representatives of the Catholics there. Sinn Fein is their political arm. These are the people that you have to make peace with.

[RamboLiberal]

5. Look I have no sympathy either but

But the point is - it was 28 years ago that he got out of prison. He did his time. Other convicted IRA'ers have visited the U.S. If we had a problem with him - why not just stick him on a plane back to the UK instead of imprisonment just cause he screwed up on his entry form?

We're managaging to piss off everyone including allies and probably still not stopping real terrorists.

[JSJ]

6. kinda orange, ain't ya? n/t

[lumpy]

7. How about puce?

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