THE POSTAL WORKER WHO GYROCOPTERED ONTO THE CAPITOL LAWN

The pilot of a small gyrocopter who landed on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday was a postal worker from Florida named Doug Hughes. He had posted on a website that he was delivering letters to all 535 members of Congress in order to draw attention to campaign finance corruption. “As I have informed the authorities, I have no violence inclinations or intent,” Hughes wrote on his website, the democracyclub.org. “An ultralight aircraft poses no major physical threat — it may present a political threat to graft. I hope so. There’s no need to worry — I’m just delivering the mail.” Hughes had not been in contact with air traffic controllers and the FAA didn’t authorize him to enter restricted airspace. House Homeland Security panel Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said, “Had it gotten any closer to the speaker’s balcony they have long guns to take it down, but it didn’t. It landed right in front,” McCaul said.
* Long guns. Long. Guns.
* What does he mean “no threat”? Ever heard of a paper cut?
* Like all postal workers, the guy sounds perfectly sane.
* He wanted to deliver messages to every member of Congress, and also the new Pottery Barn catalogue.
* He would have sent them via regular mail but he wanted to make sure they got there and, well, you know the Postal Service.
* The ONE postal worker who goes above and beyond to deliver the mail, and they bust him.
* He would have landed on the White House lawn but some other people were there jumping the fence.
* I love how this guy thinks he’ll be okay if he just explains it nice.