Hondo
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,655
- Location
- Northern California
What an age we live in, I'm glad they caught this one
A California Air National Guard senior airman will no longer serve as the driver for the state's top general and is facing discipline for misusing government computers after being investigated for hosting a Web site - Howtokillpeople.com - that included derogatory comments about gays, women and minorities, a military official said Monday.
Senior Airman Travis Gruber, 27, who worked as a personal assistant and driver for Maj. Gen. William Wade, was told last week that he faces "corrective action," said Lt. Col. Jon Siepmann, National Guard spokesman, who declined to elaborate.
Siepmann said Gruber isn't facing discipline for the content or title of his Web site, but rather for administrative violations relating to excessive personal use of government computers. He has 10 days to appeal, Siepmann said.
"There were no violations of military laws or regulations relative to content, to include the title," Siepmann said. "Essentially, Airman Gruber has similar rights to freedom of speech and expression shared by other Americans. He's entitled to say what he wants to, within reason."
Gruber had no immediate comment Monday.
He has been on paid administrative leave since August and is assigned on weekends to the 162nd Combat Communications Group in North Highlands (Sacramento County).
Much of his Web site's content, which ranges from his thoughts about Paris Hilton and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to his review of the iPhone, is laden with profanity-filled social commentary and crude sex jokes.
The airman also has taken liberties with the photos of politicians and celebrities, including superimposing the head of Schwarzenegger over the stomach of a naked woman with the caption: "Let's face it folks: If this guy can be governor of the 7th-largest economy in the world even I have a chance of holding public office. Travis in 2012."
Gruber has said his Web site's domain name is not meant to be taken literally. "The opinions and views, including those that are controversial (i.e. woman bashing, over-the-top violence, et al), are meant to be so satirical and over the top that one would be hard pressed to take them seriously," Gruber wrote in an e-mail to The Chronicle in August.
The contents of the Web site are "meant to be funny and sarcastic and a forum to vent, but the Web site was never meant to be taken seriously," he wrote.
Gruber was previously warned in July 2006 about using government computers for personal activity, Siepmann said. That investigation also found no violations of military law, although Gruber was counseled about "the impact of negative perception," Siepmann said.
The Air National Guard opened a second investigation earlier this year after receiving complaints, and officials sought to determine whether there was additional content that constituted violations, Siepmann said.
E-mail Henry K. Lee at hlee@sfchronicle.com.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/23/BACLSUAI6.DTL&hw=henry+lee&sn=003&sc=706
National Guard airman faces discipline for misuse of computers
A California Air National Guard senior airman will no longer serve as the driver for the state's top general and is facing discipline for misusing government computers after being investigated for hosting a Web site - Howtokillpeople.com - that included derogatory comments about gays, women and minorities, a military official said Monday.
Senior Airman Travis Gruber, 27, who worked as a personal assistant and driver for Maj. Gen. William Wade, was told last week that he faces "corrective action," said Lt. Col. Jon Siepmann, National Guard spokesman, who declined to elaborate.
Siepmann said Gruber isn't facing discipline for the content or title of his Web site, but rather for administrative violations relating to excessive personal use of government computers. He has 10 days to appeal, Siepmann said.
"There were no violations of military laws or regulations relative to content, to include the title," Siepmann said. "Essentially, Airman Gruber has similar rights to freedom of speech and expression shared by other Americans. He's entitled to say what he wants to, within reason."
Gruber had no immediate comment Monday.
He has been on paid administrative leave since August and is assigned on weekends to the 162nd Combat Communications Group in North Highlands (Sacramento County).
Much of his Web site's content, which ranges from his thoughts about Paris Hilton and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to his review of the iPhone, is laden with profanity-filled social commentary and crude sex jokes.
The airman also has taken liberties with the photos of politicians and celebrities, including superimposing the head of Schwarzenegger over the stomach of a naked woman with the caption: "Let's face it folks: If this guy can be governor of the 7th-largest economy in the world even I have a chance of holding public office. Travis in 2012."
Gruber has said his Web site's domain name is not meant to be taken literally. "The opinions and views, including those that are controversial (i.e. woman bashing, over-the-top violence, et al), are meant to be so satirical and over the top that one would be hard pressed to take them seriously," Gruber wrote in an e-mail to The Chronicle in August.
The contents of the Web site are "meant to be funny and sarcastic and a forum to vent, but the Web site was never meant to be taken seriously," he wrote.
Gruber was previously warned in July 2006 about using government computers for personal activity, Siepmann said. That investigation also found no violations of military law, although Gruber was counseled about "the impact of negative perception," Siepmann said.
The Air National Guard opened a second investigation earlier this year after receiving complaints, and officials sought to determine whether there was additional content that constituted violations, Siepmann said.
E-mail Henry K. Lee at hlee@sfchronicle.com.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/23/BACLSUAI6.DTL&hw=henry+lee&sn=003&sc=706
