New Zealand: Drug Books Earn Man $6000 Fine

[Ferre]

absurd?????

 

Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 07:42:45 -0800

From: "D. Paul Stanford" <stanford@crrh.org>

Subject: 003 New Zealand: Drug Books Earn Man $6000 Fine

 

Pubdate: Fri, 28 Feb 2003

Source: Daily News, The (New Zealand)

Copyright: 2003, Independent Newspapers Limited

Contact: editor@tnl.co.nz

Website: http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/index/0,1008,0a1803,FF.html

Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1056

Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/New+Zealand

 

DRUG BOOKS EARN MAN $6000 FINE

 

John Setters loves studying how ancient cultures such as the Aztecs

and Incas used drugs in their religious rites.

 

But yesterday his passion cost him dearly. The 32-year-old Tauranga

man was fined in Tauranga District Court for importing drug-related

books which the Customs Department said were objectionable.

 

The currency trader copped a $6000 fine after admitting eight Customs

and Excise Act offences.

 

Setters had a fascination for Shamanism -- an ancient religion based

on witchcraft -- and mind-altering plants for the past 15 years.

 

His passion also covered how ancient cultures such as the South

American tribes, the Aztecs and Incas, combined drugs and religion.

 

Setters was charged after he used the internet to buy and import books

discussing the cultivation, manufacture and use of drugs such as magic

mushrooms, opium, cacti, methamphetamine and cannabis.

 

Crown prosecutor Simon Bridges told community magistrate Kevin Hurley

that on January 21, 2002, a package addressed to Setters was

intercepted at Auckland's International Mail Centre.

 

It contained seven books on a variety of drugs. Customs officers

raided his home, found the books, and arrested him.

 

Mr Bridges gave a brief synopsis of each book, adding that Setters

also had a vapourizer for smoking cannabis, and three cannabis plants

in his yard.

 

Defence counsel Craig Tuck argued that five of the books were

gardening-related, and said "the implication of sentence has an impact

on all the citizens of this country".

 

The prosecution meant New Zealanders "can't read about a whole genus

of mushroom, and can't read about ancient religions" and "much of the

(printed) material is part of registered religions in the US".

 

Setters said he had no illegal intention when he ordered the books,

but Mr Hurley fined him a total of $6000, plus court costs of $130.

 

Speaking outside the court, Setters said his convictions "set a

dangerous precedent" and asked if "in 1000 years will it be illegal to

have a Bible?".

 

"I'm sure people do it every week," he said, adding that Customs

decided the books were illegal after he had paid for and received them.

 

He felt the law was "making people accountable for input and what goes

into your head".

 

He had no interest in taking the Class A drugs the books discussed.

 

"The bits of no interest to me are what I'm being held responsible

for," he said, adding that if he wanted to make methamphetamine "why

would I get a book sent to my house when I can get the recipe off the

internet?".

 

SO KNOWLEDGE IS A CRIME??? :angry:

[pipeman]

of course tboat, enlightenment is not an effective tool to control the people, so is discouraged by governments in general at all costs.

[wall]

Any knowledge that is freedom of speech is a crime in the eyes of the so called Government. They only tell you what they want you to know, and expect you not to want to learn the truth. Then they charge ppl to discourage the public for doing so.

What do they think we are "sheep" ?. If only they'd spend their time and Our money on more important issues and tell the truth, the world would be a better place.

 

Cheers Shttp://smilies.jeeptalk.org/contrib/blackeye/hippy.gif

[Ferre]

of course tboat, enlightenment is not an effective tool to control the people, so is discouraged by governments in general at all costs.

..not here, but I'm really wondering how long it will take before the brown nosed prime minister here get's these idea's. (is there any way to get off this planet?,...it's getting nazi time again.)

 

they can call their politix whatever they want, I recognise fascism also if it's called something else.

 

Crown prosecutor Simon Bridges and community magistrate Kevin Hurley are proving their lack of respect for humanity, and their own stupidity. (it makes ya wonder if these dudes are capable of reading themselves, if so I would suggest them to get some information on European history, 1940-1945 and find out what happenes if you doing what they are doing.)

 

 

..be awawe mr Bridges&co,... there's so many of us and so little of you, be aware, you are outnumberd by millions and loosing controle!