To Bong or Not to Bong

[popsjumper 2]

I just ran across this story in Rotten.com/library and just had to laugh at the memory of such government stupidity.

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In 2003, comedy legend Tommy Chong (formerly of Cheech & Chong) was sentenced to nine months in prison for selling Middle Eastern-inspired glass bongs on the Internet. There was a modest array to choose from -- none too over the top -- with models like Babe, Big Bamboo, Topanga, and yes, even one called the Cheech.

The sting operation involved exactly the level creativity one might expect from the federal government: law enforcement officers placed orders for bongs from two of Chong's businesses, Chong Glass and Nice Dreams Enterprises. They paid for the bongs, then raided Chong's home once the merchandise was delivered. If the bongs had been fashioned to resemble animated characters from Pixar's Finding Nemo instead of Egyptian or Arab designs, Chong might have remained outside the radar of personnel working at the highest levels of the Bush administration.

Later, Tommy would talk to Playboy magazine: "I heard a bang on the door at 5:30 a.m. When I opened it, DEA agents in flak jackets rushed in with their weapons drawn. They went from room to room yelling clear, clear, clear!"

To streamline Chong's incarceration, prosecutors spoke less about his bong company -- and more about his long history of portraying characters who glamorized drug use in the movies. No genuinely remarkable efforts were made to distinguish Chong from his satirical movie roles or comedy writing efforts; he was presented as someone who regularly trivialized efforts to curtail drug proliferation. Chong's greatest crime was manufacturing decades' worth of pot-related humor in which cops were seen to be bumbling or inept.

When it became clear that prosecutors were actually serious about Chong's bongs, the 64-year-old comedian pled guilty to violating federal paraphernalia laws in an effort to protect his son, whose own water pipe business was next on the authorities' chopping block. Perhaps John Ashcroft and his flak jacket squad might be interested in kicking down the doors of the Smithsonian Institute, which has a permanent bong exhibit. Admission is free.

Prior to the bust, Tommy Chong never had anything resembling a criminal record -- just six comedy records which each went gold, and seven feature films. Of the fifty-five individuals swept up in the Pipe Dream bust, he was the only one jailed and the only individual ordered to pay fines of $20,000. Chong was sentenced on September 11, 2003 -- and placed in a minimum-security prison in Northern California. Lacking even a single prior arrest was something he found slightly embarrassing among his prison pals. When asked what he was in for, Chong would clear his throat and mumble bongs.

"My time in jail wasn't bad," Chong says in the 2006 documentary a/k/a Tommy Chong. "For the most part, I was with my fans. They even had to come up with some kind of rule where guards weren't allowed to talk to me or ask for my autograph. It was like a rest home. When you get as old as I am, you don't need to get stoned to be slow and stupid."

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[jcd11235 0]

I remember Terry Gross interviewed Chong on Fresh Air. IIRC, the bongs water pipes, intended for tobacco use only, were from his son's company, but they carried Tommy Chong's name.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[lawrocket 3]

Chong spoke about it a couple of years ago in an interview with Howard Stern. It was interesting how he didn't seem embittered by it and seemed to look at Club Fed as cathartic.

I myself would have been a lot more pissed off.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[funjumper101 15]

The Tommy Chong story is a fine example of the kinds of restrictions on freedom that the rescums like, and will continue to try to implement, if we let them.

Chong pled out so that they wouldn't arrest and charge his wife and kids. Nice folks, those LEOs. Look up the story for a sickening portrait of law enforcement run amuck.

[lawrocket 3]

Just as a question, do you think the same thing about Ruby Ridge? Or did a guy like that who wanted to be left alone have lesser right to freedom? Did his wife have it coming to her?

Me? I think that the GOP and the D's are both in the business of limiting our rights and freedems. Each side just has different freedoms they want to take away.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[popsjumper 2]

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Me? I think that the GOP and the D's are both in the business of limiting our rights and freedems. Each side just has different freedoms they want to take away.

Boy! You hit THAT nail on the head.
Meanwhile, we "americans" (lower case intentional) sit back and take it...and take it...and take it.

Apathy is the greatest tool for them. They know all we'll ever do is whine on an individual basis and never get together as a cohesive group to change things...even when we are offered an opportunity.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[SpeedRacer 1]

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"I heard a bang on the door at 5:30 a.m. When I opened it, DEA agents in flak jackets rushed in with their weapons drawn. They went from room to room yelling clear, clear, clear!"

Well, thank God these brave government agents are here to keep us all safe!




....From bongs.

Speed Racer
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[downwardspiral 0]

Quote

Quote

Me? I think that the GOP and the D's are both in the business of limiting our rights and freedems. Each side just has different freedoms they want to take away.

Boy! You hit THAT nail on the head.
Meanwhile, we "americans" (lower case intentional) sit back and take it...and take it...and take it.

Apathy is the greatest tool for them. They know all we'll ever do is whine on an individual basis and never get together as a cohesive group to change things...even when we are offered an opportunity.

So when is your next meeting?

www.FourWheelerHB.com

[Andy9o8 0]

Quote

Just as a question, do you think the same thing about Ruby Ridge? Or did a guy like that who wanted to be left alone have lesser right to freedom? Did his wife have it coming to her?

I think that analogy's a bit of a stretch. You see the similarities; I see more dissimilarities.

[lawrocket 3]

There are plety of dissimilarities. I don't deny that.

But that's like saying that I see similarities between Obama and Palin. Sure, there are plenty of differences, but a lot of similarities, i.e., at a base level, they are both human beings.

At a base level, there are people who are fine with abrogations of freedoms that they believe mainly affect others. The right-wing likes to take away freedoms that they don't think they need. The left wing takes away freedoms that they don't think they need.

But it is all about taking freedoms at its base level.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[warpedskydiver 0]

Quote

Just as a question, do you think the same thing about Ruby Ridge? Or did a guy like that who wanted to be left alone have lesser right to freedom? Did his wife have it coming to her?

Me? I think that the GOP and the D's are both in the business of limiting our rights and freedems. Each side just has different freedoms they want to take away.

The are the A and B squads of the same fucking team, we are the opponent.

[normiss 622]

I don't see this one that way...it's more about making a convenience illegal.
I can to a head shop and buy all the bongs I can carry ... legally.
I can go on the Interwebbie and order all the bongs I want - so long as they are from a foreign country...legally.
But go and order one tiny bubbler from an American supplier...now we're both breaking a law.
This (as is typical of many American laws) makes zero sense whatsoever.

I'd be willing to bet I can order syringes over the Interwebbie legally as well.
Our war on drugs is a stupid waste of time, money, and people's lives. Oh wait, the government makes money off of it doesn't it???

[lawrocket 3]

Quote

But go and order one tiny bubbler from an American supplier...now we're both breaking a law.
This (as is typical of many American laws) makes zero sense whatsoever.

Welcome to the world of the dominance of the Commerce Clause, where the federal government can regulate anything that you do. Piss in your backyard? If enough people did it, it woul daffect interstate commerce, so there's probably a rule against it.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[kallend 1,648]

Quote

Quote

But go and order one tiny bubbler from an American supplier...now we're both breaking a law.
This (as is typical of many American laws) makes zero sense whatsoever.

Welcome to the world of the dominance of the Commerce Clause, where the federal government can regulate anything that you do. Piss in your backyard? If enough people did it, it woul daffect interstate commerce, so there's probably a rule against it.

If enough people did it in MY backyard, I'd WANT a rule against it.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[popsjumper 2]

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So when is your next meeting?

So what do YOU care? You're not going to be there anyway!

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[longtall 0]

Saw him fresh out of the slammer on the tonight show. Jay: "you wernt busted for posesion; is that right?" Chong: " Yeah man , just the bongs man." Jay: but you had some weed in the house , right?" Chong: Well yeah , Im Tommy Chong man." Later Cheech joined him onstage. Far-out , man.

" 90 right, five miles then cut."---Pukin Buzzards

[SpeedRacer 1]

Quote

I don't see this one that way...it's more about making a convenience illegal.
I can to a head shop and buy all the bongs I can carry ... legally.
I can go on the Interwebbie and order all the bongs I want - so long as they are from a foreign country...legally.
But go and order one tiny bubbler from an American supplier...now we're both breaking a law.
This (as is typical of many American laws) makes zero sense whatsoever.

I'd be willing to bet I can order syringes over the Interwebbie legally as well.
Our war on drugs is a stupid waste of time, money, and people's lives. Oh wait, the government makes money off of it doesn't it???

WTF??? The War on Drugs COSTS the government a shitload of money! That's one of the main problems with the War on Drugs!

Speed Racer
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[normiss 622]

Given the fines and the per prisoner moneys they get, local governments do get some revenue from this silly war. It's amazing the increase in local courts, jails, prisons, police.
The fed foots the bill! - well - with taxpayer assistance of course.

[Amazon 7]

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My time in jail wasn't bad," Chong says in the 2006 documentary a/k/a Tommy Chong. "For the most part, I was with my fans. They even had to come up with some kind of rule where guards weren't allowed to talk to me or ask for my autograph. It was like a rest home. When you get as old as I am, you don't need to get stoned to be slow and stupid."

I saw this documentary on cable this weekend. The point was made that he was indeed prosecuted for his past thumbing of his nose at law enfoircement. I think it was stated fairly succinctly that the persecuters were more appaled that his movies would be around forever.
This is a PERFECT example of John Ashcroft and a ladder climbing carrer building bitch , Mary Beth Buchanan, prosecuting someone for using their first amendment rights of free speech, and can't figure out the difference between who is a danger to the country and who is not.

For the record... I do not smoke dope... nor do I give a shit what you put into your body as long as it has no effect on me ( this includes all the fucking drunks around here). The morality police need to just get out of peoples lives. Tax the shit... turn a fucking profit on it.. but quit busting people and filling up our prisons with people who are a danger to no one.

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After fully armed SWAT teams raided the comedian's home and his business, Chong Glass, Chong was sentenced to 9 months in federal prison for "conspiracy to manufacture and distribute drug paraphernalia through his family business, specializing in handmade glass water pipes, or "bongs". Of the 55 defendants prosecuted, Tommy Chong of Cheech and Chong was the only one with no prior convictions to receive jail time. Justifying the sentence, George Bush's appointee, Mary Beth Buchanan cited the classic Cheech and Chong comedy Up In Smoke as evidence that Tommy Chong had become wealthy "trivializing law enforcement efforts to combat marijuana trafficking and use." As Roger Ebert said after viewing the film, "You do not have to approve of drugs to be offended."