Democracy for Vancouver

The government will soon be able to sue parties involved in “hoaxes” that are mistaken for terrorism if a new bill is passed by Congress. The bill, entitled “The Terrorist Hoax Improvements Act of 2007,” was introduced by the Senate and will amend the federal criminal code to include a number of new clauses meant to up the ante on wasting government resources. The amendments include extensions to the prohibitions on the spread of false information and mailing threats, increases to maximum prison terms, and allowances for civil suits so that local and federal governments can attempt to recoup expenses related to an incident.

The bill’s introduction comes several months after the city of Boston made headlines over a “bomb scare” that turned out to be something not quite so serious. The Great Mooninite Scare of 2007 was, in fact, a guerrilla marketing campaign carried out by a marketing agency employed by the Cartoon Network for its popular late-night show Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Circuit boards with LED lights in the shape of a Mooninite were placed all over 10 cities in the US: Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco, and Philadelphia.

More here.

A stupid, misguided law that serves as proof that the dorks who volunteered for hall monitor in high school are running things.
There are laws on the books that cover disrupting he peace or otherwise committing malicious mischief. The only people upset over the Mooninite prank were the police and the terminally stupid. Are we going to lock up kids for doing throwies? Anyone who thinks that terrorist would make colorful blinking, attention getting bombs probably watches way too much 24 and/or ate paint chips as a child.