The worst part is that the Colombs were not in fact charged with dealing drugs, they were charged, tried and convicted of conspiracy to deal drugs. The topper is that only one of the "overt acts" used to prove this conspiracy even resulted in a conviction.

The only act listed in the federal indictment that resulted in a conviction at the time came in 1993, when a sheriff’s deputy pulled over a car occupied by Ann Colomb’s son from a previous marriage, Sammie Davis Jr., who was 26 at the time; Ann and James Colomb’s son Edward Colomb, then 20; and two other men. A subsequent search found cocaine and marijuana on the other two men and some residue in the car but none on Davis or Colomb. Sammie and Edward were nevertheless arrested and charged with drug possession. Ann and James Colomb say their attorney told Sammie and Edward that if they fought the charges, they would almost certainly be convicted and sent to prison. The two pleaded no contest to a felony possession charge and were sentenced to probation.

Which just goes to show, The Man doesn't need secret courts and prisons. They openly convict people of "conspiracy" to commit crimes that they couldn't even have been indicted for all the time.

The use of federal conspiracy statutes in this way needs to stop. Now.

@128

Antinous, while it is certainly true that the sponsors don't want a boycott, staging one would indeed hurt the athletes. Don't get me wrong, I'm sickened by "The Commercials brought to you by The Olympics" just like anybody else.

However, please consider that for many Olympic sports, the window in which one can compete at the world class level is quite small. This may be the only chance at an Olympic gold medal for some of these kids.

There can be no doubt that the Olympic Committee made a mistake in the selection of China. I'll never forgive the Chinese government for Tienanmen Square. Never. Chinese behavior in other matters, especially Tibet, is even more deplorable.

Still and all, the kids who will run the races just want to run. They should be allowed to run while they may.