Welcome to Beijing USA. This news just about floored me until I remembered that this is only the naturally progression of U.S. freedoms and liberty that are rapidly being sucked down the drain under the guise of national security protocol since 9/11 unleashed the bogeymen fear-mongers from withing the NeoConn elements of the GOP — A crowd most interested in distracting criticism of flawed U.S. policies of global interventionism than they are about the basic tenets of the U.S. Constitution and its roots in individual and liberty. To hell with the First Amendment if it gets in the way of the cause.
Anyway — here’s the news from SFGate:
Activists and civil rights organizations had criticized police for a series of pre-emptive raids on Friday and Saturday on the homes of suspected demonstration organizers and at the meeting place for the “RNC Welcoming Committee,” an umbrella organization of dozens of activist groups and individuals from around the country. It has been planning convention demonstrations for over a year.
Police seized several laptop computers, digital cameras, schedules and 7,000 “welcoming guides” organizers planned to distribute to people coming to the Twin Cities for demonstrations. They also seized several gallons of urine and various tools activists use to link themselves together during protests.
How wonderful, Now, I’m no fan of what these folks were probably planning with their urine, but on the other hand I find far more egregious the idea that the Police can simply decide to preemptively strike homes of protest organizers and seize laptops, cameras, and literature. THIS IS NOT BEIJING, PEOPLE! Where do they get off on violating the constitution for the convenience of stamping out the work of protesters?!??
And then there’s this exchange:
Asked whether law enforcement used undercover infiltrators to obtain information on the suspected demonstrators, [St. Paul Police Dept spokesperson Tom] Walsh said “that’s an irresponsible question” and declined to answer.
Are you kidding me? How about a bloody straight answer vs. that one couched in flaccid moral high ground nonsense. Were you infiltrating or not? Or is this, too, covered under some expansion of the Patriot Act?!? Where the people cannot know the tools the police state is using on them — for national security, of course!
Welcome to America 2008, where most will simply yawn at this kind of news. And you progressives, don’t wash your hands with criticism of the GOP without looking into the mirror. It was your man Clinton who started segregating protesters away from spots that were too close and inconvenient to where he might be visiting — all under the guise of security. Your acceptance of pushing the Monica Lewinsky protesters to the other side of town in authorized protest areas paved the way for this so go take a hard look in the mirror.
What a sad point we’ve reached. If there is no reflexive reaction to what is transpriing, I fear we’ve crossed the Rubicon. The last one out, please turn off the light of liberty.
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