ATF rids University of Georgia of ninja threat

[paul_fromatlanta]

http://www.redandblack.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/04/12/443c71ed40b94

ATF agents are always on alert for anything suspicious — including ninjas.

Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearm agents, on campus Tuesday for Project Safe Neighborhoods training, detained a “suspicious individual” near the Georgia Center, University Police Chief Jimmy Williamson said.

Jeremiah Ransom, a sophomore from Macon, was leaving a Wesley Foundation pirate vs. ninja event when he was detained.

Ransom said Williamson told him the incident should not have been handled in such a manner and he would file a complaint with the ATF.

“I was in shock, to say the least,” Ransom said.


EDIT: COPYRIGHT--PLEASE POST ONLY FOUR OR FIVE
PARAGRAPHS FROM THE COPYRIGHTED NEWS SOURCE PER
DU RULES.

[paul_fromatlanta]

1. If this story is accurate, this would seem to be a terrible abuse n/t

[DUHandle]

2. Looks like the Ninja lost

[marmar]

3. Oy vey!

If that's not a snapshot of the nuttiness of America under * then I don't know what is.

:crazy:

[paul_fromatlanta]

11. I thought it was serious- I'm surprised the mods decided it wasnt news

[Mythsaje]

4. See! I've said it for years...

Ninjas are the greatest unrecognized threat posed to this country.

Mark my words. The next thing you know little shops will spring up all across this land selling small metal throwing stars and other ninja gear. It's an epidemic in the making, I tell you.

[jedicord]

5. The ATF guy has the full weight of his body on the kid's neck. n/t

[AValdoux]

6. So the pirates are still on the loose? n/t

[TechBear_Seattle]

9. There had better still be pirates on the loose

My religion, Pastafarianism, says that the planet is heating up inversely to the number of pirates. If the number of priates falls to zero....

:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke:


Perhaps the ATF know this, and are out to make sure the ninjas don't kill of all the pirates.

[Cyrano]

7. Damn ninjas. If it wasn't for them the south would have won the Civil War.

Very few people know that one Ulysses S. Grant's ancestors was a closet ninja. This is one of the most deeply held secrets in American history.

[nashville_brook]

8. apprehended being a dork

that'll learn 'em! :)

[TechBear_Seattle]

10. Yeah. Anyone who goes to a costume party is a dork

:spank:

I can hardly wait to see what the ATF will do to people attending the next frat toga party. Arrest them all for treason, as they are making fun of Fearless Caesar?

[nashville_brook]

12. well, if it was frat event -- dorkery for sure

it just said "pirate vs ninja" event. a fraternity pirate vs ninja event. that makes it so much more, sad.

[GaYellaDawgDem]

16. Even more bizarre...

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution it wasn't a fraternity party...

"Lesson 1: Don't run across a college campus wearing a ninja mask.

Lesson 2: If you must, don't run past a group of federal law enforcement officers.

University of Georgia sophomore Jeremiah Ransom learned both lessons the hard way Tuesday when he sprinted from a ninja-pirate party given by a campus Christian organization to the dining hall wearing a red bandanna across his face.

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, attending a conference on campus, spotted the masked student and gave chase."

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/stories/0413metninja.html

[CottonBear]

22. Y'all need to read before posting: it was a Methodist student center event

on the UGA Campus at the Wesley Foundation, the United Methodist group on campus.

It was part of a weeklong event which was a way for students to meet other students and invite them to the center.

[CottonBear]

18. It was a daytime event at the Methodist student center on Campus.

I'm a UGA grad and live in Athens so I know the exact area where this happened.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

13. There's a federal law...

Against wearing a bandana across your face? Who knew? :shrug:

I wonder if these ATF guys fast-rope from Blackhawks, in full BDUs, webbing and weaponry, to go get coffee for the office?

[CottonBear]

20. It's legal to wear party masks in Georgia. He had been at a party.

He was jogging over to Snelling Dining Hall to meet friends after the event at the Methodist Center.
The picture was taken in front of Snelling. I've been there many times.

[Jose Diablo]

14. Since when do ATF patrol on campus?

Was someone operating a still and the ATF just happened to wander by?

[CottonBear]

19. They were on the UGA campus for Project Safe Neighborhoods training

seminar at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education which is right by Snelling Dining Hall where the poor guy was assaulted by the ATF agents.

[CottonBear]

23. Again. Y'all need to read the articles. The answers are there.

The ATF was on campus at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education for Project Safe Neighborhoods, a training program that the organization put on for state and local law enforcement. Tuesday’s program was hosted by the University of Georgia police.


http://www.redandblack.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/04/13/443dd07e60128?in_archive=1

[MGKrebs]

15. Osama has won.

Our fear in all it's manifestations is more than he could have possibly hoped for.

We are spending ourselves into ruin; we think twice before checking "1984" out of the library; we look for signs of a warrentless search when we enter our homes every day; we breathe a sigh of relief when we are allowed to travel without interrogation; and we plan for the day when our sons will be asked... or required... to fight Osama's sons.

In the meantime, reporters bring radioactive material in through major airports and Americans are killed every day in Iraq.

George Bush has lost. We are becoming just like Baghdad, fearing for our every move.
We need a new leader.

[RubyDuby in GA]

17. Thank God I've been out of school for a while...

We used to stalk people across campus with our Kool-Aid walkie talkies. You had to drink a lot of kool-aid to get the points for those babies.

[CottonBear]

29. LOL!

You're so funny! Stalking by Kool Aide walkie talkie! ;)

[CottonBear]

21. Wesley ninja strikes back (April 13, 2006 - The Red & Black)

News
Wesley ninja strikes back
ATF agents discover guns not preferred weapons for ninja

By CAROLINE ERVIN
Published , April 13, 2006, 06:00:01 AM EDT


Jeremy Ransom stops for a portrait outside the Wesley Foundation building before its weekly praise and worship session Wednesday evening. His shirt reads “Hi Ya: It’s Ninja Time.” (Lauren Felten | The Red & Black)


Ninja vs. Pirate day started as an innocent way to meet people and invite them to the Wesley Foundation, the United Methodist group on campus.

...snip...

Unfortunately for Jeremiah Ransom, the sophomore detained by Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearm agents Tuesday, he was introduced to an agent’s knee.

...snip...

“One of the guys yelled I had a gun, tackled me and asked where my gun was,” Ransom said.

After telling agents he only had his keys, wallet and cell phone on him, Ransom said the agent pinning him to the ground responded that, being trained officers, they would not mistake any of those items for a gun.


more...
http://www.redandblack.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/04/13/443dd07e60128?in_archive=1

[CottonBear]

24. Hilarious opinion from the Red & Black's editorial staff:

http://www.redandblack.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/04/14/443f00c981e19?in_archive=1
Opinion Meter
A wrap-up of the week's ups and downs
Published , April 14, 2006, 06:00:01 AM EDT


Mighty, morphing Power Rangers.
This past Tuesday, sophomore Jeremiah Ransom was accosted by Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents because of his suspicious behavior and attire. Having just left a ninjas vs. pirates social at the Wesley Foundation, Ransom was still in his ninja costume, complete with a bandanna over his face, as he jogged to Snelling.

If a ninja jogging to lunch is a cause for concern, the ATF agents should stay away from downtown on themed sorority and fraternity date nights.



Popularity contest.
Last Friday, former president George H. W. Bush and 2004 vice-presidential nominee John Edwards visited the campus to deliver speeches at two separate events.

But that news was over shadowed Tuesday. Bush-0, Edwards-0, ATF-0, Pirates-0, Ninja-1

[CottonBear]

25. On the previous Friday, both Poppy Bush & John Edwards were at UGA

and absolutely nothing happened. No protests, no arrests, no commotion, no major traffic hassles: nothing. In fat, Poppy was only a 5 minutes walk away from where the student was tackled by the ATF.

These freaking ATF bubbas are idiots and the UGA police have already had words with them.

The nice young (Christian) student may sue the ATF guys for wrongful arrest/detainment.

They kept insisting that he had a gun. :(

[CottonBear]

26. "More ninjas, pirates to be captured" Great LTTE of The Red & Black!

http://www.redandblack.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/04/13/443d9f680bfc4?in_archive=1
More ninjas, pirates to be captured

While the recent apprehension of a ninja threat may appear to be good protection, I must condemn the ATF for its rather token protection efforts.

Said ninja escaped from a known ninja vs. pirate party; however, only one ninja was captured? Either the other ninjas eluded police using their real ultimate power, or the ATF made no effort to stop a larger ninja cell, choosing to capture only a token ninja.

Ninjas may seem more threatening, but if allowed, pirates will pillage the University and make off with our booty. Pirates are not as elusive as ninjas, so I am dismayed that not a one was captured.

Despite my criticisms, I am slightly pleased that the ATF and campus police are making at least some steps in the right direction. I doubt even one ninja would have been captured just a year ago. I look forward to the day when our security is prepared to protect us from any threat, whether it be pirate, ninja, robot, zombie or terrorist.

DAVIS POWELL
Senior, Marietta
Political Science

[CottonBear]

27. More hilarious and sarcastic LTTE from today's Red & Black:

http://www.redandblack.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/04/14/443f003c53b77?in_archive=1

Opinions
Mailbox
E-mail, letters and faxes from our readers
Published , April 14, 2006, 06:00:01 AM EDT



Ninja upset by impersonation

I think everyone at the University agrees cultural diversity and understanding should be promoted. So, as a ninja, I’d like to clear up some misconceptions that may have come up due to recent events. Jeremiah Ransom does not represent us. He was said to be wearing two red bandannas when he was apprehended. C’mon dude, that’s just tacky. Red is a great color for sneaking around on game days, but it’s really not a ninja color otherwise. Upon getting caught (not that ninjas get caught), a real ninja would have done something like throw smoke bombs to aid his escape, or at the very least, wheeled around and kicked the ATF in the genitals (note: I’m not promoting violence against policemen. They are good people).We ninjas are a sensitive people, and we deserve to be understood. We’ve been misrepresented in the media so often (those ninjas in the 80s movies? Totally not real ninjas).But I guess writing this letter kinda kills the whole ninja shtick for me, so I’ll probably have to drop out of the University and go into seclusion in the mountains for like 30 years. Thanks a lot, Ransom.

KAO-WEI CHUA
Sophomore, Johnson City, Tenn.
Undecided

Samurai are the real danger

Fellow students: It is time to come together as a campus. If we do not applaud the ATF’s swift apprehension of the campus ninja, then the ninjas have already won. If we permit just anyone to dress up as ninjas or pirates, then they have already won. If we allow ninjas to disrupt our normal everyday routine, then the ninjas have already won.As a campus, we must emerge from this tragedy stronger and with more resolve.Let the naysayers believe what they will. This student is definitely anti-ninja and anti-pirate. I shudder to think of the possibilities if this issue gets out of control. Therefore, I propose a pre-pre strike against our next foe: the samurai. Their WMD of choice is the sword, and they clearly possess these.Are we to wait until the samurai attack us? I don’t think so. The time has come to take action. It is now in our hands.

CHRISTOPHER MOEDJIO
Senior, Winder
English

ATF has bias favoring pirates

I was appalled when I read about the actions of the ATF officials in their apprehension of the University ninja.While clearly something should have been done, as there is no threat known to man that can equal that posed by the ninja (though a civilian should never be a hero when it comes to ninjas), I think I speak for many students when I say that this blatant pirate-favoritism has no place in a federal agency.

ADAM LILL
YJunior, Richmond Hill
Sociology and Philosophy

[RubyDuby in GA]

31. These are hysterical!

Obviously some of the more liberal students having quite the time screwing with the ATF. :rofl:

[CottonBear]

33. The liberal students had a fine time writing LTTE

but the more conservative students, with whom I spoke, were on the side of the ATF. :(

[RubyDuby in GA]

34. Well naturally. Just like the good little brownshirts they were raised to

be.

[CottonBear]

28. ATF agents take down UGA student wearing ninja costume

ATF agents take down UGA student wearing ninja costume
Training at UGA


After a run-in with federal agents because of his appearance, University of Georgia sophomore Jeremiah Ransom created this image as a joke on his facebook.com profile.

By Rebecca K. Quigley | [e-mail] | Story updated at 12:06 AM on Thursday, April 13, 2006
Federal agents at the University of Georgia for a training exercise Tuesday mistook a ninja-costumed college student as an armed threat, chased him and pinned the sophomore to the ground.

Now, Jeremiah Ransom and his parents are considering filing a complaint against the agents or the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives.

"We're going to talk to a lawyer and see what they recommend," said Ransom, who was cleared of suspicion shortly after the incident.

Ransom was jogging in a ninja costume to meet some friends at Snelling Dining Hall after attending a "spirit week" event at the Wesley Foundation, the campus Methodist organization, where students were encouraged to dress as pirates or ninjas, he said.

more...
http://onlineathens.com/stories/041306/uganews_20060413050.shtml

[Brewman_Jax]

30. When ninja are outlawed...

does this mean that only outlaws will be ninjas--or have ninjas? :shrug:

:rofl:

[CottonBear]

32. Who knows?

:rofl: