I am sure I will irritate more than a few folks with these comments.

While it may come as a great surprise to many when you are in another country
one is subject to their laws and customs. In case you have not noticed other
venues carry different laws, customs, crime definitions, and punishment.  Many
Americans seem to think they are somehow above the laws and customs of the lands
they visit.  Hence, the very real term  "Ugly American"! And, they really get
upset when they are prosecuted and imprisoned in a foreign place for small
violations of law like sedition and treason, drug running, and so on. These are,
of course, defined by the country one is in. The ideas of appropriate
imprisonment  and punishment is decidedly different in other places folks. If
you don't want to go to prison in another place then don't violate their laws.
How is the Berenson case any different than the US incarcerating other foreign
nationals for violating our laws? Perhaps we should free some of these people
and send them back to their own country? Let's see should we send terrorists,
spies, murderers, rapists, and so on home? Lets see, (now this is said with
tongue in cheek)  I think we should send Pollard to Israel, the Los Alamos spy
back to China, Trade Center bombers to the Mid East, the railway killer to
Mexico, Noreiga to Panama, and the Cardinal back to the Kremlin, to name a few.
I would bet some of you would scream at that!  When in this country one is
expected to abide by the laws of the land. Unless, of course one is a diplomat!
Get real and try to appreciate that the US social milieu is not the only set of
rules in the world!

Here is a question. If Berenson had committed the same crime (treason and
sedition I believe- I may be wrong here) in the US would you want to free her
from prison?

The comments by some that the world is improperly imprisoning Americans for
crimes committed in other countries betrays a lack of experience outside of the
US and an appreciation for the variety of the human condition.

Now, I want you to notice that I did not say that I agree with other country
definitions of appropriate crime and punishment. However, I will state that I
believe other countries have the right to define crime and punishment as they
see fit within their cultural and social milieu.

Thanks for your time and I expect the flames will fly.

While I think the original post was inappropriate for this list I also think
that perhaps my response is also inappropriate since it has nothing to do with
Historical Archaeology.

Jim Chase


I want it to be perfectly clear that these comments are purely my own and in no
way represent my employer.