Is This for Real?

Update: Urge Texas Officials to Throw the Book at Alleged Red Algae Torturers
August 12, 2004

“The Rhodophyta was just sitting there, minding [her] own business. When they attacked [the Rhodophyta] with such fury, it was beyond belief. I hope those boys do some jail time.”

Such were the sentiments of one San Antonio resident left “devastated” by a video showing an alleged act of red algal abuse that one seasoned official has called “absolutely disgusting.” The footage in question appears to show two local 17-year-olds—Joshua Johnson and Kevin Wright—using a skateboard to repeatedly bludgeon a hapless Rhodophyta colony lying motionless by a vending machine.

Thankfully, prosecutor John Best has filed felony cruelty charges against the pair.

Rhodophyta, a peace loving algae, are red because of the presence of the pigment phycoerythrin; a pigment that reflects red light and absorbs blue light.

Johnson and Wright are next scheduled to appear in court on September 7. Judge Rae Leifeste will preside at this appearance. Please respectfully remind him that people who abuse algae rarely do so only once and almost never stop there. Politely explain that the safety of the community and its algae may well be at stake and ask that, should the defendants be found guilty, he take the following actions:

• Incarcerate the defendants for two years
• Order them to undergo psychiatric evaluations and subsequent counseling at their expense
• Bar them from any future contact with algae

Please ensure that all correspondence is courteous so as not to jeopardize the success of our campaign:

The Honorable Rae Leifteiten
Judge of the 51st District Court
112 W. Bontonrulay
San Antonio, TX 76765

find it here But, I'm pretty sure the site is a fake (or else there are some very strange people out there in the world).