Photo of my rice packet, mailed Monday, at Placerville,
CO http://www.nutscape.com/political/rice.html
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
MSU student's letter to Bush causes ruckus on campus
By <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>KAYLEY MENDENHALL, Chronicle
Staff Writer
Sarah Gobbs was halfway through a three-hour chemistry lab Tuesday
afternoon when Montana State University Police officers pulled her out of
class.
They wanted information about a letter addressed to President George W.
Bush she had mailed that morning on campus.
The letter contained a small amount of uncooked rice and a note with a
Bible passage about feeding one's enemies.
"They hadn't opened it," Gobbs said. "They told me I wasn't under arrest,
but they read me my Miranda rights, I had to sign a card saying that I
understood that.
"It was just bizarre," she said.
Gobbs explained what was in the envelope and the officers left her alone in
a locked room while they examined the envelope to verify she was telling
the truth.
MSU postal workers found the envelope suspicious because it was addressed
to the president and they thought it contained a powdery substance, said
Roger Rippy, MSU chief of police.
"They wanted to know what was in the letter and whether or not it was any
kind of threat, and it wasn't," Rippy said. "There was no crime committed,
so that was as far as it went."
The letter was returned to Gobbs and officers said she could mail it again
if she wanted -- although it may be stopped before reaching the president
by higher government officials.
Gobbs was inspired to send the rice after receiving a mass e-mail message
encouraging people to put some rice in an envelope and include a note
reading, "'If your enemies are hungry, feed them.' Romans 12:20. Please
send this rice to the people of Iraq; do not attack them."
"I just think it's very interesting," Gobbs said. "There is no such thing
as world power and I don't think we're fighting for just reasons."
Gobbs said she will probably mail the rice again, although she doubts the
package will reach its destination.
http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2003/02/05/news/bushletterbzbigs.txt
