Mars Hill Student Loses Computer Over Bush Criticism
POSTED: 8:27 am EST March 16, 2006
MARS HILL, N.C. -- A college student who used modified song lyrics to describe the violent death of President Bush on a Web site said he meant no harm -- but the U.S. Secret Service seized his computer nonetheless.
Tim Willis, a freshman at Mars Hill College, said he made the posting to myspace.com in late February in response to a posting by a friend, whose computer also was seized.
The lyrics were from "Bullet," a 1978 song by the punk band The Misfits. Willis replaced references to President Kennedy with Bush's name.
"Even though I don't like the president and I don't like his policies ... I don't want to hurt anybody," Willis said. "I'm very peaceable. I don't desire any conflict or anything."
A Secret Service agent who seized Willis's computer on March 7 declined to discuss the case.
"We don't comment on any ongoing investigations," Jamie Cousins said.
Willis said he was contacted by Cousins early this month.
"He said he needed to talk to me because I threatened the president," Willis said. "At the time I didn't think I was threatening the president. It's just lyrics to a song."
Willis met Cousins at the college on March 7 and signed papers agreeing to turn over his computer.
Dan Lunsford, president of Mars Hill College, said he had little information about the case.
"The only thing I would be able to say is we certainly will look into the case and we will cooperate with law enforcement officials," he said. "But we certainly want to protect our students' rights as well."
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/8056476/detail.html
POSTED: 8:27 am EST March 16, 2006
MARS HILL, N.C. -- A college student who used modified song lyrics to describe the violent death of President Bush on a Web site said he meant no harm -- but the U.S. Secret Service seized his computer nonetheless.
Tim Willis, a freshman at Mars Hill College, said he made the posting to myspace.com in late February in response to a posting by a friend, whose computer also was seized.
The lyrics were from "Bullet," a 1978 song by the punk band The Misfits. Willis replaced references to President Kennedy with Bush's name.
"Even though I don't like the president and I don't like his policies ... I don't want to hurt anybody," Willis said. "I'm very peaceable. I don't desire any conflict or anything."
A Secret Service agent who seized Willis's computer on March 7 declined to discuss the case.
"We don't comment on any ongoing investigations," Jamie Cousins said.
Willis said he was contacted by Cousins early this month.
"He said he needed to talk to me because I threatened the president," Willis said. "At the time I didn't think I was threatening the president. It's just lyrics to a song."
Willis met Cousins at the college on March 7 and signed papers agreeing to turn over his computer.
Dan Lunsford, president of Mars Hill College, said he had little information about the case.
"The only thing I would be able to say is we certainly will look into the case and we will cooperate with law enforcement officials," he said. "But we certainly want to protect our students' rights as well."
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/8056476/detail.html
