from the...
LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL
"LA Stories"
March 25, 2003

Death Before Duct Tape

Altadena resident and retired political science professor Keith Shirey has never been shy about expressing his views. After all, he has over the years developed quite a little business selling anti-establishment political buttons over the Internet.

But he got more than he bargained for with his latest button, which depicts President Bush, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge with duct tape over their mouths under the slogan "True
Homeland Security."

When Shirey posted this button on the eBay auction Web site in early March, he received an e-mailed threat laced with profanity. Saying Shirey was "a buddy of al Qaeda" it went on, "I hope some 400-pound Dixie boy buys (your button) just to get your address, you traitor."

Shirey said he had never before received any e-mail threats over his buttons and immediately contacted the Altadena Sheriff¹s substation, which began an investigation.

Last week he said he was looking for word that eBay had taken some action, such as suspending the sender's account or turning over the e-mail address to law enforcement authorities.

But no word of any such action came.

EBay spokesman Kevin Pursglove said the company was not responsible for any messages sent over its site.

­ Howard Fine