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posted by n1 on Friday May 22 2015, @07:07AM   Printer-friendly
from the too-small-to-prevail dept.

Glenn "Cannon Balls" Hughes, a mail carrier that took it upon himself to fly a gyrocopter into restricted space in Washington, D.C. to deliver messages to Congress, is now facing more charges and possible prison time, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Shortly after being arrested, he was charged with crimes that could have put him behind bars for up to five years. Now additional charges have been added to raise that to a possible nine-and-a-half years, almost double the time he faced at first.

Amid the debate, lawmakers have suggested that the laws under which Hughes faced charges should be updated with tougher penalties.

When Hughes was first charged in April, he faced fewer counts and a possible sentence of fewer than five years in prison.

The list of charges seems a bit over the top, but that level of vindictiveness from our government seems the norm these days, OMO.

"I am more convinced than ever that I did the right thing," Hughes said in a Wednesday evening interview.

The charges include two felonies: one count each of operating as an airman without an airman's certificate and violating registration requirements involving aircraft. In addition, he was indicted on four misdemeanor counts: three counts of violation of national defense airspace, and one of operating a vehicle falsely labeled as a postal carrier.

If Hughes is convicted of either of the two felonies, he will be required to forfeit his gyrocopter to the federal government.

Hughes called his potential sentence "excessive" because of the nature of his action: an act of civil disobedience where no one was hurt, and no property was damaged.

"How is that worth 9½ years?" he said. "I think the prosecutor has an uphill battle."

Hughes said he is not certain what will happen at Thursday's arraignment. But he said he is open to the idea of a plea bargain, if it means no jail time. But he also is prepared for the possibility that his case could go in front of a jury.

I'm not certain I would have his optimism about the prosecution having an uphill battle, but I do hope he is right about that.

Disclaimer: I take full blame for the 'Cannon Balls' moniker in the title summary. It was meant to be a statement and show of my admiration for G. Hughes, who I see as worthy of respect, whether you agree with his cause, or not.

Related Stories

Protester Lands Single-Passenger Gyrocopter on US Capitol Lawn 41 comments

A protester landed a one-man gyrocopter on the Capitol lawn in Washington D.C. to deliver letters to Congress urging real campaign finance reform:

A 61-year-old Florida mailman was arrested Wednesday after he landed a gyrocopter on the US Capitol west lawn. The gyrocopter was carrying the pilot and 535 stamped letters for members of Congress urging "real reform" to campaign finance laws.

Doug Hughes told the Tampa Bay Times ahead of the afternoon stunt that he notified authorities "well over an hour in advance of getting to the no-fly zone, so they know who I am and what I'm doing."

Bloomberg has this analysis of the aftermath, and Tampa Bay Times has video of the incident from multiple angles. Hughes live streamed his flight on a blog entitled The Democracy Club. Ben Montgomery, a reporter from the Tampa Bay Times, knew about the planned flight for months and traveled to D.C. to witness it, but only informed the Capitol Police and Secret Service after Hughes was in the air. Hughes contacted Montgomery after Secret Service questioned him in 2014. The FAA is investigating the incident.

How long before copycats start doing the same at the personal addresses of Congressmen, Supreme Court Justices, and others?

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  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by nyder on Friday May 22 2015, @07:24AM

    by nyder (4525) on Friday May 22 2015, @07:24AM (#186348)

    I imagine they will keep piling on stupid charges and keep raising the amount of time they are going to threaten him with, since this is how they do business. They will freeze his assets so he can't defend himself, paint as a traitor and try to get him to plea bargain something for them.

    Guess they don't really want this to go to trial, because this guy isn't a traitor, he isn't a terrorist, and it was part of a peaceful protest.

    At least, this is how I see it.

    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by wantkitteh on Friday May 22 2015, @07:49AM

      by wantkitteh (3362) on Friday May 22 2015, @07:49AM (#186354) Homepage Journal

      As peaceful a protest as it may have been, and as shoot-the-messenger as this whole thing has become, protesters initiating direct action have to expect this sort of digging through the rule book to identify everything they can possibly be charged with. I suspect pretty much everything they charge him with will stick and his fate will come down to the discretion and leeway given to the sentencing judge.

      IANAA, but offering plea bargains while interfering with someone's ability to properly defend themselves seem to have become something of a 1-2 punch for prosecutors that side of the pond. This case, however, would seem to me to be the one time a prosecutor wouldn't want to offer a plea bargain - in poker terms, that's fronting strong to protect your weak hand, and this case doesn't look weak at all; it's all technical violations and they've got him bang to rights on all of them. No plea bargain, no interference, the guy goes down and everyone involved walks away able to look directly into the cameras and say "anyone else planning a stunt like that, this is what happens, no dirty tricks, no heavy-handed tactics" with a completely straight face.

      • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @10:47AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @10:47AM (#186394)

        >and they've got him bang to rights on all of them.

        Yippie fucking do.
        They write the statutes.

        They got us all dead to rights.

        EVERYTHING we would want to do is Illegal.
        Marry pretty young girls. Prison.
        Have machineguns. Prison.
        Think of it. Prison.

        This is a horrible CUNTry.
        Like every western cuntry.

        Men are not respected and are not ALLOWED to EVER have what they might want.

        The only solution is to destroy the country, make it a ruin,

      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @01:12PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @01:12PM (#186428)

        Jury Nullification.

    • (Score: 5, Interesting) by mendax on Friday May 22 2015, @08:56AM

      by mendax (2840) on Friday May 22 2015, @08:56AM (#186376)

      The piling on of charges against a person is a common tactic used by district attorneys and U.S. attorneys to force a plea bargain. I know a guy (one of the people I regularly correspond with in prisons since that's something I do to make the world a better place) who when arrested was facing four federal indictments which, if convicted on all four would have sent him to prison for 120 years PLUS several state charges which would have sent him away for considerably longer.

      As the case dragged on, a plea bargain eventually was offered: Essentially 5 years in state prison at 50% and 7 years in federal prison at 80%. Prosecutors do not want to take cases to trial because they are very expensive and consume a lot of resources, money in their budgets as well as in the public defender's budget since most people don't have the money for a private attorney. If everyone demanded a speedy trial (in other words, did not waive time) and refused plea bargains, the criminal justice system would literally fall apart.

      --
      It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @09:10AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @09:10AM (#186377)

        Sure go ahead and spend money on a private attorney. Your attorney will tell you to take the plea bargain because attorneys don't want the criminal system to fall apart either. There's so much money to be made in telling defendants to take the plea bargain!

      • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @10:43AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @10:43AM (#186392)

        > and refused plea bargains, the criminal justice system would literally fall apart.

        No, they would just start extrajudicial executing men.

        This is a woman's country, a feminist state. They will not take the heel off our knecks no matter what.

        I really hope for an invasion.

        I hate this country.

        • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday May 22 2015, @07:25PM

          by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday May 22 2015, @07:25PM (#186614) Journal

          With your views, I'm sure they would be happy for you to leave.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @08:42PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @08:42PM (#186660)

            >With your views, I'm sure they would be happy for you to leave.

            They're bombing every country where men could marry little girls.

            Go where?

  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Bot on Friday May 22 2015, @07:37AM

    by Bot (3902) on Friday May 22 2015, @07:37AM (#186350) Journal

    The most official way to unofficially say "we are fascist" is to pile up charges against normal people who dare criticizing authorities.

    I propose a motto for the USA:

    WE DEFEATED FASCISM
    WE DEFEATED COMMUNISM
    'CAUSE WE DON'T LIKE COMPETITION

    --
    Account abandoned.
    • (Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @04:40PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @04:40PM (#186531)

      The most official way to unofficially say "we are fascist" is to pile up charges against normal people who dare criticizing authorities.

      Like this? Okay, Who's Gonna Go Argue That the Nun Threatened National Security? [loweringthebar.net]

      I propose a motto for the USA.

      THEY HATE US FOR OUR FREEDOMS.
      SO WE GOT RID OF THEM!

  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by bradley13 on Friday May 22 2015, @07:49AM

    by bradley13 (3053) on Friday May 22 2015, @07:49AM (#186355) Homepage Journal

    The way the prosecutors pile on charges is just embarrassing. Really, shouldn't they just have to "pick one"? It's all meant to force someone to plea bargain, so that the government doesn't actually have to prove its case.

    I hope he gets piles of pro bono help, and forces this to trial. Of course, he is technically guilty, but if there was ever a case for jury nullification, this is it.

    --
    Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
    • (Score: 5, Interesting) by pTamok on Friday May 22 2015, @08:28AM

      by pTamok (3042) on Friday May 22 2015, @08:28AM (#186371)

      I think it is useful that the prosecution itemise all the charges so ordinary folk can see just how many over-reaching laws there are.

      He is technically guilty on many counts, and this is a problem with 'strict liability' laws - it captures the inadvertantly guilty as well as those where a 'mens rea' is in place. It indicates laziness on the part of the law-makers, because in any reasonable jurisdiction, there is room to accommodate acts which are strictly illegal but made with good intentions. I do not consider the USA a set of reasonable jurisdictions.

      I would also say that there is another questions: where is the harm? While he is surely technically guilty of many offences, the main question that really should be decided by a jury of his peers is whether he did any harm, and the punishment should be commensurate with the harm caused. As you say, the only weapon left here is jury nullification, and that is a pretty sorry state of affairs.

      There used to be very many hanging offences in the UK, and it was eventually realised that over-strict punishments did not act as deterrents. If anything, they encouraged law-breakers to maximise their 'take' and so increase the harm to society - "might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb".

      In my view, the question that should be put before a jury is not 'did he break the law', but 'did he do any harm'; and the punishment be commensurate wih the degree of harm as determined by the jury, and downgraded (if necessary) by the judge, but never upgraded. However, that is not how the legal system operates: it is interested in whether you broke the law, or not, and the judge determines sentencing. Wishing for a different legal system isn't going to get me very far.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @07:19PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @07:19PM (#186608)

        >Wishing for a different legal system isn't going to get me very far.
        Killing for one might though. It is, infact, the one and only way. There is no substitute, and nothing else works. Nothing else at all.

    • (Score: 5, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @08:31AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @08:31AM (#186372)

      if there was ever a case for jury nullification, this is it.

      Clearly you have never witnessed jury selection. Any potential juror who is even capable of pronouncing the word "nullification" will be rejected. Juries don't just magically happen, you know. There's a whole process to make sure the jury is biased.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 23 2015, @03:50AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 23 2015, @03:50AM (#186761)

        Now, add in -where- the trial will be held.
        The area around DC is full of locked-step types.
        These folks have to pass security screenings to get the gov't|gov't contractor jobs they hold.
        You don't get clearance with activism on your record.

        -- gewg_

    • (Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Friday May 22 2015, @09:54AM

      by PinkyGigglebrain (4458) on Friday May 22 2015, @09:54AM (#186387)
      little know fact. If everyone charged with a crime in the USA refused to bargain and instead demanded their Constitutionally mandated trial by jury the criminal legal system (note that it has never been a criminal justice system) would grind to a halt.

      Think of all the people who would have to be called for jury duty, all the labor and time of vetting and seating a single jury.. The prosecutors try to cut a deal because if they had to take every case to court it would overload the courts to the point of effective stand still. And then the defendants could sue because their Constitutional right to a speedy trial was being violated.
      --
      "Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
      • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @10:03AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @10:03AM (#186388)

        Sure OK. Good luck convincing people to demand trial by jury.

        Hey guess what. If everyone stopped voting for Democrats and Republicans, the two party system would suddenly collapse. Just because it's true doesn't mean it's ever going to happen.

    • (Score: 2) by GungnirSniper on Friday May 22 2015, @03:05PM

      by GungnirSniper (1671) on Friday May 22 2015, @03:05PM (#186481) Journal

      Judges can block the use of the nullification defense, preventing you from even mentioning it during the trial.

    • (Score: 2) by Reziac on Saturday May 23 2015, @08:00PM

      by Reziac (2489) on Saturday May 23 2015, @08:00PM (#186946) Homepage

      Last time this story went around I looked up the regulations on this type of small craft (too lazy to do it right this instant) per the FAA, and there are NO licensing or certification requirements. So that much at least is bogus. But (last I paid attention) it looked like prosecutors might be trying to go around that by reclassifying his aircraft after the fact.

      Jury nullification, and a judge capable of reading FAA regs, both would be good here...

      --
      And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
  • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @08:40AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @08:40AM (#186374)

    When will Obama pardon him, declare that the prosecution acted "stupidly" and invite Hughes over for beer?

  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by kaszz on Friday May 22 2015, @09:17AM

    by kaszz (4211) on Friday May 22 2015, @09:17AM (#186378) Journal

    This smells Aaron Swartz case, overzealous prosecution [wikipedia.org] a long way..

    If this civilization fails, this is will be one contributing factor. Namely punishing people doing acts to improve society. Just study control systems with faulty feedback mechanism.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @09:29AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @09:29AM (#186381)

      Do you remember what Hughes was doing to improve society? Does anyone? His motivation is completely forgotten already. Now he's just Gyrocopter-Guy. The only thing you need to remember about Gyrocopter-Guy is that Gyrocopter-Guy is guilty, guilty, guilty. And if Gyrocopter-Guy is guilty then you must vote to convict.

      • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday May 22 2015, @11:17AM

        by kaszz (4211) on Friday May 22 2015, @11:17AM (#186398) Journal

        He wanted to ruge Congress to reform to campaign finance laws for real.

        Can't have that.. how else would politicians get-rich-quick ? ;-)

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @07:17PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @07:17PM (#186607)

        People often don't even remember the truth about high-profile cases. Remember Lizzie Borden, who took an ax and gave her mother forty whacks, and then when she saw what she had done she gave her father forty one? She was found innocent.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 23 2015, @01:46AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 23 2015, @01:46AM (#186745)

        Bullshit, you are wrong. Everybody knows he was bringing attention to campaign finance reform. That was actually very well covered in the media. no one is just saying he's "gyro-copter guy" without knowing anything about why he did it.

  • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @10:40AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @10:40AM (#186391)

    There needs to be an armed revolution.
    Then the people running/controling the government and the agencies need to be tortured until they are dead:

    For CPS stealing men's children.
    For all the men in prison for feminist crimes (sex with young girls (first things the feminists banned), marital rape, rape (man should keep unmarried/unbethrothed girl he raped, not be put in prison or killed, this is in the bible), domestic violence, possing weapons women and their government don't like (machineguns, anything useful)).
    Waco.
    Etc etc.

    There NEEDs to be a war.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @11:21AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @11:21AM (#186399)

      Too bad for you that everyone is already busy eating bread and watching circuses.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @07:16PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @07:16PM (#186605)

        Well now that's the solution to the solution, aint it.

        Peasant revolts happen when the food runs out, not before.

        Or...
        No, YOU start an army. I'm a joiner, not a starter.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 23 2015, @02:41PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 23 2015, @02:41PM (#186874)

          No, YOU start an army. I'm a joiner, not a starter.

          I've tried, but nobody else cares.

  • (Score: 2) by subs on Friday May 22 2015, @12:08PM

    by subs (4485) on Friday May 22 2015, @12:08PM (#186407)

    While being one the of oldest extant democracies gives America bragging rights, it also has the downside that it is settled with some fairly outdated models of government. In many more modern justice systems this sort of "heaping on" of charges was recognized and corrected by clamping the punishment at the most severe of the charges brought forward. Charges do not add up, so non-sensical sentences like "5 x life + 300 years" are impossible. While in extreme cases it really doesn't matter (a life sentence is a life sentence), in the more casual stuff, the difference is huge. You can't get sent to prison merely for drug possession for decades.
    In this particular case, rather than tearing than tearing that guy's life apart, putting him behind bars for ten or so years while he sits and drains our prison system of money (prison time ain't free!), he'd probably just get a 1-2 year suspended sentence, tons of community service and a hefty fine. A non-violent offender being rehabilitated and remaining productive in society. You tell me which is a better solution.

    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by hemocyanin on Friday May 22 2015, @12:40PM

      by hemocyanin (186) on Friday May 22 2015, @12:40PM (#186416) Journal

      That sounds much better, but I rankle at the suggestion that this guy needs rehabilitation. It is our political system that needs rehab.

  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @01:00PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @01:00PM (#186421)

    rts008: So nobody but you calls him "Cannon Balls"? Any why is this in the summary?

    vindictiveness from our government seems the norm these days,

    Breathless dumbassery right there. You should stop embarrassing yourself.

    The charges include two felonies: one count each of operating as an airman without an airman's certificate and violating registration requirements involving aircraft. In addition, he was indicted on four misdemeanor counts: three counts of violation of national defense airspace, and one of operating a vehicle falsely labeled as a postal carrier.

    Which of these charges don't apply? First one, check. Second one, check. Four misdemeanors, I don't know, I don't know what his flight path was. Last one? Check. Look, I can get the fact that you have a psychological need to blindly attach hero worship to someone, but you look pretty foolish prattling on like you are. Before he took off, he knew the consequences of his actions. Now he has to face those consequences. It can be admirable that he was willing to face these kind of consequences to make his statement, but your article submission just makes yourself look like an ignorant dumbass.

    • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday May 22 2015, @04:21PM

      by bob_super (1357) on Friday May 22 2015, @04:21PM (#186519)

      A fly came buzzing around me, therefore it deserves to die.

      A peaceful protest in which authorities were warned beforehand, should carry a fine (and suspended sentence, to ward off copycats) for flying in a crowded/sensitive area and not respecting the "peaceful protest safety" regulations. He should get away with a decent slap on the wrist.
      Threatening a man with 10 years for it is a terrible sign of a dysfunctional prosecutorial system, overreaching zero-tolerance laws which violate the spirit of "cruel and unusual", and sends a horrible message about politicians living in a bunker with spikes rather than listening to people.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @03:27PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @03:27PM (#186491)

    "US jail system spends $45,000 a year per prisoner but refuses to buy prisoners books."

    http://boingboing.net/2015/05/22/what-i-learned-about-leadershi.html [boingboing.net]
    "What I learned about leadership when I interviewed the biggest drug dealer in history"

  • (Score: 3, Informative) by Alfred on Friday May 22 2015, @03:52PM

    by Alfred (4006) on Friday May 22 2015, @03:52PM (#186497) Journal

    one count each of operating as an airman without an airman's certificate and violating registration requirements involving aircraft

    Usually an auto gyro is so small the FAA doesn't much care like an ultralight aircraft. There are some requirements to be an ultra light (1 person capacity, less than 250LBS. less than 5 Gallons of gas) but the FAA doesn't care about the small stuff. No registration number, no design review, build it in your garage, no pilots license needed, no flight plan needed and no airworthiness certificates. I have not looked into it but his craft but I bet it falls in a similar category meaning the airman charge is bogus because there is zero training required. Typically auto gyros are in the experimental category with a special airworthiness certificate.

    operating a vehicle falsely labeled as a postal carrier.

    uh... that sticker is parody work.

    three counts of violation of national defense airspace

    Yeah, he is toast on that one

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultralight_aviation [wikipedia.org]

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Phoenix666 on Friday May 22 2015, @03:52PM

    by Phoenix666 (552) on Friday May 22 2015, @03:52PM (#186498) Journal

    We really ought to documenting all this sort of thing and compiling it into a list for the Second Declaration of Independence. I feel we have a really, really robust list to inveigh against the king's men here.

    The way this government is going after this man for a peaceful act of protest reeks of public intimidation and the behavior of a tyrannical system served by out-of-control prosecutors. It makes a mockery of justice.

    --
    Washington DC delenda est.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @04:41PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @04:41PM (#186532)

      The way this government is going after this man for a peaceful act of protest reeks of public intimidation and the behavior of a tyrannical system served by out-of-control prosecutors. It makes a mockery of justice.

      Uh, this is 'Merkuh. That's what they do to protestors who think free speech is free. Free speech takes money. If you want your voice to be heard, just buy your senators like a normal "person" (i.e. - "corporations are people, my friend!").

    • (Score: 1) by gtomorrow on Friday May 22 2015, @05:50PM

      by gtomorrow (2230) on Friday May 22 2015, @05:50PM (#186562)

      The way this government is going after this man for a peaceful act of protest...

      Really? The guy flew a gyroscope into guarded airspace and landed it on the White House lawn.

      While i'd tend to agree it seems a bit heavy-handed the proposed penalties after seeing the outcome, let's look at it this way: what would you do if someone, with only IIRC +/- 2 hours advance notice, landed a stinking gyroscope on your lawn?

      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by lentilla on Friday May 22 2015, @06:57PM

        by lentilla (1770) on Friday May 22 2015, @06:57PM (#186596)

        what would you do if someone [... landed a gyroscope on my lawn]

        I'd go out and talk with him, that's what I do. And, after admiring his toy, I'd probably ask him why.

        I swear, so many problems could be settled with a cup of tea and an honest conversation, if only the parties were willing to listen.

        • (Score: 1) by gtomorrow on Friday May 22 2015, @07:20PM

          by gtomorrow (2230) on Friday May 22 2015, @07:20PM (#186609)

          With all due respect, if someone drove up onto your lawn, you'd be at least 1) cursing up a storm nine ways to Sunday and 2) on the phone to the cops if not 3) looking for that souvenir baseball bat from Opening Day. Therefore, racheting it up a few notches, you can see this is not a "tea and honest conversation" situation; this is an actual act against national security (unlike most of "security theatre" in these times).

          I can appreciate everyone's frustration in the seemingly futile act of contacting your local (add politician here) but let's not lose sight of that this wasn't lawful protest. This person flew a gyroscope over Washington D.C. with next to no advance warning and landed his aircraft on the White House lawn.

          An aside: why does Francis Gary Powers come to mind?

          BTW, any tea by me is fine. Even coffee.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @11:58PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @11:58PM (#186715)

            This person flew a gyroscope over Washington D.C. with next to no advance warning and landed his aircraft on the White House lawn.

            He made every effort to inform [wfae.org] authorities in advance of what he would be doing.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @07:13PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @07:13PM (#186604)

        He landed it somewhere near congress, the mall, not the whitehouse.

        • (Score: 1) by gtomorrow on Friday May 22 2015, @07:24PM

          by gtomorrow (2230) on Friday May 22 2015, @07:24PM (#186611)

          My mistake. He landed on the US Capitol west lawn. I stand corrected, Anonymous Coward.

      • (Score: 1) by J053 on Friday May 22 2015, @10:59PM

        by J053 (3532) <dakineNO@SPAMshangri-la.cx> on Friday May 22 2015, @10:59PM (#186698) Homepage

        The guy flew a gyroscope into guarded airspace and landed it on the White House lawn.

        Uh, actually he landed on the grounds of the US Capitol Building, which are IIRC public property.

  • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @04:45PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @04:45PM (#186534)

    I don't think calling him "cannon balls" is a particularly helpful show of admiration for someone the government is desperately search for any possible reason to classify as an enemy combatant. Next thing you know he will be charged with firearms violations.

  • (Score: 2) by halcyon1234 on Friday May 22 2015, @05:00PM

    by halcyon1234 (1082) on Friday May 22 2015, @05:00PM (#186539)
    What's with the massive overreaction to a Gyrocopter? Are they actually afraid of a gyrocopter attack? Unless you're trying to hijack a post-apocalyptic oil tanker in Australia, you are under no threat of death by gyrocopter.
    --
    Original Submission [thedailywtf.com]
  • (Score: 1, Troll) by jmorris on Friday May 22 2015, @05:47PM

    by jmorris (4844) on Friday May 22 2015, @05:47PM (#186560)

    Talking about this moron's fate is merely a distraction from the bigger, more embarrassing question of why the moron is still breathing.

    DC is supposed to be closed airspace. DC is Capital City, it is said to be impregnable, all seeing, all knowing, all wise. One idiot on a gyrocopter flies right in and lands unharmed. This idiot was just a protester without much common sense, but it doesn't take a lot of imagination to see how bad this lapse in security could have been. But allowing people to think along those lines is dangerous. If Capital City isn't impregnable, perhaps it isn't all seeing either?

    When the entire 'rational' basis behind most government policy rests on a belief that the State is all knowing and absolutely the only entity who can know how to manage our lives due to their superior knowledge, wisdom and compassion, demonstrations of their utter incompetence must be swept under the rug quickly.

    No, the question which must be hammered at them again and again with the zeal of a grilling a Republican about buttsex is "Why is this guy still alive?" But don't expect The Party's media/PR shops to do it because they are part of the same governing machinery. We need to be doing it. Start going to to town hall meetings with your Congresscritter and bring it up. Break the illusion they are a higher order of 'Ruling Class Elite.'

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @07:25PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @07:25PM (#186613)

      Talking about this moron's fate is merely a distraction from the bigger, more embarrassing question of why the moron is still breathing.

      Peaceful civil disobedience is definitely a crime deserving of execution. How DARE these bootlickers not roll over and bow down to the authority of the masters? Taking them out into the street and blowing their heads off in public will surely solve that problem, nobody would dare challenge the power$ that be ever again.

      • (Score: 2) by jmorris on Friday May 22 2015, @08:33PM

        by jmorris (4844) on Friday May 22 2015, @08:33PM (#186655)

        Way to miss the point. We are told over and over about how teh teroristz wil kilz us all and we have to totally close the airspace over places like DC. And they do have a point, that gyrocopter was more than big enough to disperse any of a number of nasty things right in the heart of the Capital. So of course he should have been identified and blown out of the sky by the all powerful, all seeing State. The photo of him on the grounds of the Capital refutes all of that narrative. They aren't all powerful, they aren't all seeing. They are merely an illusion of competence. And that is what we should be hammering home, over and over again.

        You want to stop the growth and intrusiveness of the State, that is the weak spot in their armor, if ye have the courage to strike. Decide, do you want to stop the abuses by the State; even if it means weakening it everywhere, including the parts you want so very much for it to rule you and make your decisions for you? Or do you want to shut the hell up and hope your chains wear easily upon you?

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @08:48PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @08:48PM (#186663)

          I want to marry a cute young girl or two and rule over *her*.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @11:24PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @11:24PM (#186706)

          They aren't all powerful, they aren't all seeing. They are merely an illusion of competence. And that is what we should be hammering home, over and over again.

          And how, exactly, does rallying for the execution of a peaceful protester do that?

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @11:46PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @11:46PM (#186713)

      When the entire 'rational' basis behind most government policy rests on a belief that the State is all knowing and absolutely the only entity who can know how to manage our lives due to their superior knowledge, wisdom and compassion, demonstrations of their utter incompetence must be swept under the rug quickly.

      Now that's a strawman if i ever saw one. Who, besides idiotic sophistic conservatives and authoritarians (groups which have an overwhelming amount of overlap), thinks that the basis behind any government policy is that "the government knows best"? That's certainly the thinking behind conservatives banning abortions, [motherjones.com] fighting to make birth control unavailable, [usatoday.com] dictating how people can spend their money, [soylentnews.org] trying to dictate who one is allowed to be in a relationship with, [vice.com] what people are allowed to do behind closed doors, [slate.com] what they can put in their body, [fff.org] etc - you know, the literal nanny state they have implemented, expanding government over and over again just to interfere and dictate how people can live their lives like an actual nanny - but for non-conservatives is all about the idea that people in society should help each other, and that whichever tool is best for this, be it government or whatever, is what should be used.