And we thought we were having fun....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4703328.stm

That's awesome. I love how they act like it would have been ok but she neglected to declare her cargo. Good stuff-thanks for sharing.

I once saw a real shrunken head in an antique store. I did not buy it because I did not want to bring some bad vibe into my house. Plus my wife would have killed me!

I love how they act like it would have been ok but she neglected to declare her cargo.

Since 15 years prison time is rather a lot for failing to declare an item to Customs, the charges must have been something else. Still, they didn't even mention what the charges were, which was weird. Maybe voodoo is illegal in the U.S., like churches of Satan? Great example of how the U.S. is less tolerant than many other countries in matters of religion! I have a hard time even thinking of what the charges might be. Something related to murder? Disturbing a grave? Possible disease vector? That's probably why the article strangely neglected to say what the charges were: the charges would've been so ridiculous (especially to justify a 15-year prison sentence) that the public would've been more appalled at the laws than at the lady. What a bunch of B.S. harassment.

Look at all of the trouble you can get into for just a little head. Yuk Yuk.

On 2006-02-11 11:22, mbonga wrote:

Possible disease vector?

More than anything else, this is probably why they're making it such a big deal. A dead body is practically a biohazard, at least when they're not properly preserved.

Yeah, it's hard to get a head in this world! Yuk yuk.

On 2006-02-11 11:22, mbonga wrote:

... they didn't even mention what the charges were, which was weird.

The article did mention what the charges were. In addition to the "failing to declare" charge, she was charged with "transporting hazardous material".

In addition to the "failing to declare" charge, she was charged with "transporting hazardous material".

You're right. I might have assumed she was carrying something else that was hazardous, in addition to the head, since I didn't initially equate a head as being hazardous, and the article didn't quite make that connection clear.

Gee, I guess most of us don't realize how dangerous our bodies are. Just don't let it go to your head, though. Yuk yuk.

Whatever happened to religious freedom in this country? What if a Catholic travelled from Florida to Haiti and was discovered with a vile of Holy Water that their government declared to be "hazardous material"?...it could happen. At this point in time, my only guess is the Catholic would get the same advice from the the US Govt as the sheriff did from the preacher in the movie Blazing Saddles..."sorry son, yer on yer own".

It looks like you may be right:

http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rsd/print.html?CATEGORY=RSDCOI&id=437c9cf234

"A small number of Bahamians and Haitians, particularly those living in the Family Islands, practice Obeah, a Bahamian version of voodoo. Practicing Obeah is illegal under the Penal Code."

...

"The practice of Obeah is illegal under Chapter 84, Section 232 of the Penal Code. Those caught practicing Obeah, or attempting to intimidate, steal, inflict disease, or restore a person to health under the guise of Obeah, may receive a sentence of 3 months' imprisonment.

There were no reports of religious prisoners or detainees."