Or a stupid April Fools prank? You decide.
Police in Sturgis, MI, discovered a number of letters put up on “various businesses, schools, banks and at the post office.” At least twelve went up Monday, another twenty were put up Tuesday. The message on the letters:
All your base are belong to us and you have no chance to survive, make your time
The first part of the phrase is a mistranslated line from a 1989 video game that attained some brief popularity on the Net and in some corners of popular culture.
But the message as a whole led to the notes being sent by the local police to the FBI and US postal inspectors, and the arrest of seven people from the town. Quoth the police chief:
This is no joking matter. During a time of war and with the present concern for homeland security, terrorist acts will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Okay, calling it “terrorism” is kind of a stretch, but since the guys were picked up on “disorderly conduct” charges, I’m not too worried. And, frankly, in the middle of a war and with all the other security concerns going on, yeah, it’s damned stupid to be putting “threatening” letters on businesses and post offices.
Heck, I’ve heard of the phrase, and if I found something like that plastered to my office door, I’d call the cops.
Try making jokes about bombs at airport checkpoints, and see how much of a sense of humor security has. That’s nothing new, and this isn’t any different from that.
I don’t want to see these guys sent down to Gitmo or doing hard time or anything. But cooling their heels for a day in the local lock-up might make them think twice about what sorts of April Fools tricks they should be playing.
(via BoingBoing)