South Carolina now requires ’subversives’ to register

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Five-dollar registration fee for persons planning to overthrow US government

Terrorists who want to overthrow the United States government must now register with South Carolina's Secretary of State and declare their intentions -- or face a $25,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.

The state's "Subversive Activities Registration Act," passed last year and now officially on the books, states that "every member of a subversive organization, or an organization subject to foreign control, every foreign agent and every person who advocates, teaches, advises or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States ... shall register with the Secretary of State."

There's even a $5 filing fee.

By "subversive organization," the law means "every corporation, society, association, camp, group, bund, political party, assembly, body or organization, composed of two or more persons, which directly or indirectly advocates, advises, teaches or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States [or] of this State."

The law also gives subversive organizations "subject to foreign control" 30 days to register with the state after setting up shop in South Carolina.

While the intention of the law is apparently aimed at Islamic terrorists, it's unclear in the law's wording whether it can be applied to right-wing militias, some of whom have reputedly called for the overthrow of the US government. The law states that "fraternal" and "patriotic" groups are exempt from the law, but only if they don't "contemplate the overthrow of the government."

While the law is clearly redundant -- there are plenty of statutes at the state and federal level through which terrorists can be prosecuted -- it reflects a not-uncommon pattern in some states of "doubling down" against particular crimes.

For instance, South Carolina is among those states which require drug dealers to declare their illegal income, or face additional criminal penalties on top of the already established penalties for buying, possessing and selling drugs.

The South Carolina blog FitsNews describes the new law as "bureaucracy for terrorists."

"In the long and storied history of utterly retarded legislation in South Carolina, we may have finally found the legal statute that takes the cake for sheer stupidity, which we think you’ll agree is saying something," the unsigned blog posting scathingly commented.

pdf form here

http://rawstory.com/2010/02/south-carolina...tion-act-force/

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

it seems that could apply to the average voter too.

[scandal 951]

South Carolina. Our expectations really aren't set very high, to be honest.

Caitlin Upton, Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2007

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford

[PhiLandShiR 18]

This is just like Iowa's drug stamp laws...

If you want to sell illegal drugs in the state you must get a drug stamp to do so...

Hundreds of collectors snapped up the stamps when the law was first published and pissed off the legislators, they amended the law so as to not require an actual stamp...

This law generates large revenues these days. Every drug case also adds the charge for no stamp....

Five-dollar registration fee for persons planning to overthrow US government

Terrorists who want to overthrow the United States government must now register with South Carolina's Secretary of State and declare their intentions -- or face a $25,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.

The state's "Subversive Activities Registration Act," passed last year and now officially on the books, states that "every member of a subversive organization, or an organization subject to foreign control, every foreign agent and every person who advocates, teaches, advises or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States ... shall register with the Secretary of State."

There's even a $5 filing fee.

By "subversive organization," the law means "every corporation, society, association, camp, group, bund, political party, assembly, body or organization, composed of two or more persons, which directly or indirectly advocates, advises, teaches or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States [or] of this State."

The law also gives subversive organizations "subject to foreign control" 30 days to register with the state after setting up shop in South Carolina.

While the intention of the law is apparently aimed at Islamic terrorists, it's unclear in the law's wording whether it can be applied to right-wing militias, some of whom have reputedly called for the overthrow of the US government. The law states that "fraternal" and "patriotic" groups are exempt from the law, but only if they don't "contemplate the overthrow of the government."

While the law is clearly redundant -- there are plenty of statutes at the state and federal level through which terrorists can be prosecuted -- it reflects a not-uncommon pattern in some states of "doubling down" against particular crimes.

For instance, South Carolina is among those states which require drug dealers to declare their illegal income, or face additional criminal penalties on top of the already established penalties for buying, possessing and selling drugs.

The South Carolina blog FitsNews describes the new law as "bureaucracy for terrorists."

"In the long and storied history of utterly retarded legislation in South Carolina, we may have finally found the legal statute that takes the cake for sheer stupidity, which we think you’ll agree is saying something," the unsigned blog posting scathingly commented.

pdf form here

http://rawstory.com/2010/02/south-carolina...tion-act-force/

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

it seems that could apply to the average voter too.

By "subversive organization," the law means "every corporation, society, association, camp, group, bund, political party, assembly, body or organization, composed of two or more persons, which directly or indirectly advocates, advises, teaches or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States [or] of this State."

[chri'stina 190]

South Carolina. Our expectations really aren't set very high, to be honest.

Caitlin Upton, Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2007

I love that so much. She is on the show The Amazing Race this season, it just started last Sunday. (One of my fav shows). She is saying she hopes to change her image and show that she is actually intelligent and was just too nervous while answering. From what I have seen so far, I am not convinced. We will see.

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

By "subversive organization," the law means "every corporation, society, association, camp, group, bund, political party, assembly, body or organization, composed of two or more persons, which directly or indirectly advocates, advises, teaches or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States [or] of this State."

the average voter overthrows the government quite often.

the key word missing in the entire thing above is "violently"

[Peikko 1,575]

$5? How so? Surely this is an error and should be a doubloon?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

the average voter overthrows the government quite often.

We're not talking about voters.

Once again...

By "subversive organization," the law means "every corporation, society, association, camp, group, bund, political party, assembly, body or organization, composed of two or more persons, which directly or indirectly advocates, advises, teaches or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States [or] of this State."

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

We're not talking about voters.

Once again...

By "subversive organization," the law means "every corporation, society, association, camp, group, bund, political party, assembly, body or organization, composed of two or more persons, which directly or indirectly advocates, advises, teaches or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States [or] of this State."

so when is the democratic and republican party organizations of that state gonna get arrested?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

so when is the democratic and republican party organizations of that state gonna get arrested?

It would be interesting to see how the law defined overthrow, wouldn't it?

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

It would be interesting to see how the law defined overthrow, wouldn't it?

exactly my point previously.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Here is an excerpt from the actual law... this clears it up.

"Subversive organization" means every corporation, society, association, camp, group, bund, political party, assembly, body or organization, composed of two or more persons, which directly or indirectly advocates, advises, teaches or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States, of this State or of any political subdivision thereof by force or violence or other unlawful means;

http://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t23c029.htm

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

Here is an excerpt from the actual law... this clears it up.

"Subversive organization" means every corporation, society, association, camp, group, bund, political party, assembly, body or organization, composed of two or more persons, which directly or indirectly advocates, advises, teaches or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States, of this State or of any political subdivision thereof by force or violence or other unlawful means;

http://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t23c029.htm

the prosecution rests, your honor.