Man With Stained Chain Saw Let in to U.S.
 

http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/s...=wn_wire_story

Man With Stained Chain Saw Let in to U.S.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005 10:54 p.m. ET
By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press Writer
BOSTON (AP) -- On April 25, Gregory Despres arrived at the U.S.-Canadian border crossing at Calais, Maine, carrying a homemade sword, a hatchet, a knife, brass knuckles and a chain saw stained with what appeared to be blood. U.S. customs agents confiscated the weapons and fingerprinted Despres. Then they let him into the United States.

The following day, a gruesome scene was discovered in Despres' hometown of Minto, New Brunswick: The decapitated body of a 74-year-old country musician named Frederick Fulton was found on Fulton's kitchen floor. His head was in a pillowcase under a kitchen table. His common-law wife was discovered stabbed to death in a bedroom.
...
At a time when the United States is tightening its borders, how could a man toting what appeared to be a bloody chain saw be allowed into the country?

Bill Anthony, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said the Canada-born Despres could not be detained because he is a naturalized U.S. citizen and was not wanted on any criminal charges on the day in question.

Anthony said Despres was questioned for two hours before he was released. During that time, he said, customs agents employed "every conceivable method" to check for warrants or see if Despres had broken any laws in trying to re-enter the country.

"Nobody asked us to detain him," Anthony said. "Being bizarre is not a reason to keep somebody out of this country or lock them up. ... We are governed by laws and regulations, and he did not violate any regulations."

Anthony conceded it "sounds stupid" that a man wielding what appeared to be a bloody chain saw could not be detained. But he added: "Our people don't have a crime lab up there. They can't look at a chain saw and decide if it's blood or rust or red paint."

What a sick and bizarre situation. But I think Customs behaved appropriately in this case.

I agree. It's the price we pay for being free.

Some people would say that security hassle is the price we pay. But that isn't really the right way of looking at it. The price that we pay for being free is that someone may use their freedom destructively. They caught up with the guy eventually; it was a good outcome, and appropriate procedure.

The BBC has the a pic of the guy arrested. I don't want to profile or anything but this ain't a good look for a person.

I always get a laugh when I hear a fellow American make the "price of freedom" comment. It is a product of brainwashing.

America is not the free country it used to be. Not even close. More Americans are in prison than any country on the planet (2,079,000 at last count). In the last 10 years, California has built 19 prisons but only one university. Americans are leaving the country in droves to countries that are truly free, like Costa Rica.

Too bad the chainsaw guy did not have a marijuana seed in his car. THEN he would have been in real trouble.

LOL. Now I KNOW he's guilty.

Thats a freaky looking dude :eek:

I guess he won all his staring contests :eek:

I'll still take the U.S. over Costa Rica.

I'm guessing from your comment about rhe marijuana seed that you're opposed to the way that most drug laws are administered, so I won't go there. I'm just wondering what you would propose for the other people in prison that are not there for drug-related offenses? I'm not totally opposed to your viewpoint, but I'm wondering what you would propose to do with offenders that you don't think should be in prison?

I am not offering solutions. Only facts. How can anyone say the US is free when more of its citizens are in jail than any other country, including China with 5 times the population?

I don't have a viewpoint either way on the marijuana issue, obviously, you do.

At least in Costa Rica, you are responsible for your own actions. If you step in a pothole in broad daylight and break your ankle, guess what, it is YOUR fault. You can't sue the city, or the state, or the asphalt company, or the paving company or anyone else. (Well you can but your lawsuit will take many years to be heard then laughed out of court)

I had no idea just how restricted my life in the US had become until I lived in CR for 5 years or Europe for 2 years. The best thing I ever did was to pack up my family and leave. My kids don't have to go through metal detectors to enter their school. My nieces can walk alone at night in Malta and not have any worry of being kidnapped and raped.

The US is still the easiest place in the world to make money. That is where I make mine. I just don't care to live in a country where things like the TSA and Homeland Security exist. Very scary. Very 1934 Germany.

Nice Hair!

Facts are great things. How about a cite for your quote above from your first post in this thread? How many expats make up a drove?

Send them to Canada! :eek:

*ducking and donning flame resistant kevlar suit*
:p ;) :D