Franklin Sinclair's anguished lament about the right-wing policies of President George W Bush, ending up with the wail 'Oh where are John Hinckley and Lee Harvey Oswald when you need them?' has certainly stirred some controversy (see [2005] Gazette, 3 February, 14). A letter to Manchester Law Society's Messenger magazine says Mr Sinclair should not be using his office as president of the society to make such a statement. Local solicitor Mark Lewis said: 'While humour is always subjective and therefore forgivable, I do consider it unforgivable to call for the likes of John Hinckley and Lee Harvey Oswald presumably so that a president of the USA can be assassinated because Mr Sinclair does not agree with the views of President Bush. Whatever one's personal views of Mr Blair and President Bush, a call for assassination (even light hearted, if such can be light hearted) is not only irresponsible but potentially dangerous.' Mr Sinclair replied that the joke was not meant to be offensive or realistic, and apologised 'you have taken it so seriously'. Meanwhile, more positive feedback comes to us from Wolverhampton solicitor Richard Barge, who found Mr Sinclair's comments amusing, but issues a dire warning. He says The Guardian TV columnist Charlie Brooker expressed an almost identical sentiment in October (and later apologised, saying the comments were intended as an ironic joke rather than a call to action), and there have been jokey suggestions since that such comments would interest the CIA, always extremely sensitive to any threat to the president, however unrealistic. Mr Barge says: 'So beware Mr Sinclair - what do you fear most? Accusations of lack of originality or the spooks descending on Tuckers Solicitors' offices and a quick trip to Guantanamo Bay for your 2005 holidays?' Then again, it may be the only way that a defence lawyer can get into the place.