Actor Tommy Chong Reports to Prison

[Liberal Classic]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4191-2003Oct9.html

The Associated Press
Friday, October 10, 2003; 1:08 AM

PITTSBURGH - Actor-comedian Tommy Chong reported to a privately run federal prison to serve his nine-month sentence for conspiring to sell bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet even as his attorneys prepared to argue for his release pending appeal.

...


Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Houghton argued that Chong grew wealthy glamorizing drug use and trivializing law enforcement in his films and said Chong used his characters to promote his business.

---

Everybody knows that making fun of governmental officials is a crime!

How dare he get rich?

The nerve of some people!

[ixion]

1. FREE TOMMY CHONG

That is really a bad scenario. He has done nothing wrong.

[MrBenchley]

12. Chimpy in a nutshell

Osama Bin Laden knocked down the World Trade Center, and pResident Turd can't catch him...doesn't seem to be even trying anymore...

The anthrax killer...Dumbya didn't try very hard to look for him, doesn't seem to be looking for him at all now...

Ken Lay ran the biggest swindle in history...Commander Flightsuit is busily trying to pretend THAT wasn't a crime...

But Tommy Chong sold a bong...and HIM the unelected drunk nabbed.

[Liberal Classic]

20. For once, we agree.

Sort of anyway.

Tommy Chong is a high profile, high-reward low-risk target. It's a lot easier to go after an actor than a bootlegger, and easier still than a terrorist.

[1a2b3c]

29. The best post i have read

that was written by the bench. Made me laugh. :-) thanks.

[DBoon]

15. We need a campaign to get him out

Start with "Free TOmmy Chong" bumper stickers

[Cha]

2. Isn't Legal to sell paraphernalia in head shops and the internet?

Lot's of businesses do it. I don't understand this at at.

[DK666]

5. The problem is

He sold in states where it is Illegal and crossed state lines.

[Cha]

14. Oops! What was he thinking?

Poor guy!

[Liberal Classic]

6. Some federal law prohibiting "paraphenalia" across state lines

They convicted him because he sold them over the internet. Nevermind I can walk to the local pharmacy and get a pipe, cleaners, and tobacco.

[slackmaster]

23. On the Internet it's considered "interstate commerce"

That is the claimed basis for the federal government's prosecution of Mr. Chong.

I think it's bunk.

[DK666]

3. Arnold

Glamorizes death and destruction in his films. Can we send him to prison when someone gets killed in California ?

[11 Bravo]

4. Thank God for John Ashcroft.

I, for one, will certainly sleep better tonight knowing that a man who brought LAUGHTER to millions, is locked away; while Kenneth Fucking Lay, who STOLE millions, will never see the inside of a jail.

[DK666]

8. BTW

Has anyone seen Bin Laden or Sadam Hussen ?

Didnt think so. But the Dread Pirate Tommy Chong is safely Locked Away.

[Liberal Classic]

9. Yeah, I feel safer this menace is off the streets

Sarcasm obviously.

[Fenris]

7. This story is so goddamned awful

:(

[arcane1]

10. "a privately run federal prison "

SOMEONE is making a few pretty pennies off of this arrest...

:grr:

Hey Ashcroft, how's that anthrax investigation going? That crossed state lines too!

[cprise]

19. Would that be Lockheed-Martin?

If you can't bomb the darkies on fake bioweapons charges, then lock them up on fabricated drug charges.

Or both. It's very profitable.

[Evil_Dewers]

11. Chong in prison for selling bongs...not drugs

Rush still spewing hate and remains free (as long as he stays away from Florida) even though he took thousands of drugs illegally.

[cprise]

13. Exxon and Hummer glamorize POLLUTION

Let's lock them up.

I should start a website listing America's political prisoners.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

16. Free Chong

HOughton said Chong was "glamorizing drug use".

did she say glamorizing? she has obviously never seen a Cheech and Chong movie, and if she has she's not using the word "glamorizing" correctly. Cheech and Chong were not glamourous, in fact they were about as far away from being able to glamourize anything as any HOllywood stars I can imagine.

What U.S. Attorney Mary Houghton is saying is that if you DON'T depict MJ usage, in your art, as a drug addiction that forces you to injure yourself and those around you - then you are ENCOURAGING people to use it.

snip>"trivializing law enforcement in his films"<

Here she's suggesting Chong's representation of law enforcement as bungling cowboys has everything to do with his being prosecuted. This CONFIRMS the suspicions anybody might have had that Chong is in prison for political reasons, and not because he posed a threat to the community.

I wish Dems would talk about it, but the fact of the matter is that Dems are going to keep on locking people up as well. Dems bring no new ideas to the table on this country's ridiculous drug laws.

[Liberal Classic]

18. Interesting point

Since I have *cough* seen Cheech and Chong films I wouldn't go so far as to call it glamorization, either. Anyone who is a C&C fan knows that their style is ironic, disguised in slapstick and drug humor. Their characters certianly aren't going to rule the world, rather they stuble around on their good luck. I would say that there are a lot of ficitonal works more critical to authority than Cheech and Chong.

[DK666]

21. What about

Smokey & The Bandit

Glamorizes speeding, smuggling, prostitution, alcholisim, & kidnapping. It also does a good job of making the cops look very bad and inept.

[Liberal Classic]

22. Dukes of Hazzard?

Glamorizes the Confederacy, moonshining, evading arrest, etc, etc.

[DK666]

25. and

car Jumping........yeeeeee haw...


:shrug: Sorry couldnt resist

[Liberal Classic]

27. Blowing up outhouses!

Not exactly politically correct. :)

[DK666]

17. Free Tommy

[Wickerman]

24. trivializing law enforcement in his films

and Ashcroft doing the same in each of his press conferences.

Bus* trivializing the presidency each time he opens his mouth.

The Supreme Court trivialized their collective office in December of 2000.

Cheney the office of the Vice Presidency

The cabinet of Bus* - the same.

Arnold trivializes women, elected to Gov with BBV help.

Rush snubs fed drug laws and he gets a broadcast award.

None of them go to jail - hell, they just get richer. Tommy makes a few bucks selling paraphanelia and he gets 9 months.

:grr: fuck those at the top of the power heap. :grr:

[DK666]

26. What does

BBV stand for....

[Wickerman]

28. BBV = Black Box Voting

The odd occurance we are seeing and will see more of in which data that goes into voting machines may or may not come out the same. many good threads here at DU. See anything started by Bev Harris or check out her site.
blackboxvoting.org or com. Groundbreaking and very frightening stuff.

[rusk2003]

30. Why would a rich Actor

Need too or want to sell drugs it is like celebrity shop lifiting if they are guilty then they need to go to a mental hostpital not the pokey. what is even crazier about this story is he used the internet thus leaving a paper trail.