The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
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    Stunning DHS News

    By Michael Maiello on Wed, 03/21/2012 - 2:15pm | Politics

    The news here is only preliminary and, of course, much might be redacted, but a Freedom of Information Act request from Gawker shows that the civil rights and liberties leadership at the Department of Homeland Security, seems to have taken its job seriously with regards to Occupy Wall Street.

    Count me as stunned that any DHS employees were actually pulling back on the reigns and reminding people, both within DHS and within interested government agencies that:

    "Arrests being made at these protests are a criminal matter and the protesters are engaged in constitutionally protected activity.... DHS should not report on activities where the basis for reporting is political speech."

    Of course you can choose to believe that this is all the result of selective disclosure and that DHS is pulling the wool over the eyes of the American sheeple.  But it also kind of makes sense to me that somebody who would take on a thankless job like internally monitoring DHS to make sure it is not abusing peoples rights and liberties might actually take the job seriously.

    Our problems, in that case, may have less to do with DHS or the rest of the nation's intelligence apparatus and more to do with the laws that we allow them to operate under.  After all, if there are good people working at these agencies, then we can at least hope that they will police their own behavior if we give them the proper boundaries.

    I'm pleased by this news and since I'd be the first one howling if the FOIA request had resulted in revelations of systematic abuses, I figure I should share this with you all.  Also, I'm curious as heck to know what you all think.

    Topics: 
    Politics

    Comments

    Hopefully, this 'news' is on point.  It's a good thing for all, although I'm sure that some of the Occupy participants will not join us in giving kudos to DHS.

    Please keep us updated if you learn more.

    Appreciate.


    by Aunt Sam on Wed, 03/21/2012 - 3:10pm

    I hereby render unto [destor] the Dayly Phrase of the Day Award for this here Dagblog Site, given to all of him from all of me for this gem:

    THE AMERICAN SHEEPLE.

    hahahah


    by Richard Day on Wed, 03/21/2012 - 3:34pm

    Baa!Baa!Baa!

    (I stole it from South Park.)

    I hereby Award My Latest Dayly Phrase of the Daw Award for this here Dagblog Site to Matt Parker and Trey Stone.  I'll hold onto it for them, though.


    by Michael Maiello on Wed, 03/21/2012 - 4:05pm

    Ahhhhhhhhh that's all right. I mean I thought Donal wrote it anyway. hhahaah

    I have to pay more attention to bylines I guess.

    At any rate, as usual, great blog.

    Besides Roman Catholic Bylaws forbid me from watching cartoons. hahahah


    by Richard Day on Wed, 03/21/2012 - 4:12pm

    During the 90's  I recall a Jack Mclamb using the term sheeple

    Jack McLamb, founder of "Police Against the New World Order"

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_Order_(film)

    I remember reading something about "Operation Viper" 

    Police departments nationwide, were being coerced to participate in a defense program to counter - American insurgency.

    Police were being trained to control the sheeple and Mclamb and ohers, were sounding an alarm   

    Around the same time the Highly decorated Bo Gritz was running under the Populist Banner for Vice President 

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Gritz


    by Resistance on Wed, 03/21/2012 - 7:21pm

    WELL DONE RESISTANCE. HA

    This took some time and some memory.

    Well Done!


    by Richard Day on Wed, 03/21/2012 - 8:00pm

    Good news, as far as it goes. Thanks for sharing it.


    by Doctor Cleveland on Wed, 03/21/2012 - 10:21pm

    This reminds me of the agents/employees who tried to pull back the reins at Gitmo once they discovered some of the techniques of torture being used. Government like any large organization will tend to reflect the diversity, for better or for worse, of the society at large.

    I would also point out that from the beginning, there were those in the Occupy movement who willingly adopted the symbol of Fawkes - the guy who liked to blow things up.

    Anyone with a bit of an IQ should know if one adopts symbols of violent resistance, it will get the attention of some within the law enforcement sector.  And as the fellow in Toulouse, France shows, it only takes one fellow to do commit some heinous actions. 


    by Elusive Trope on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 9:15am

    The symbol of Fawkes is the effect, be CAUSE the downtrodden have been ignored. 

    Anyone with a bit of an IQ should know if one adopts symbols of violent resistance, it will get the attention of some within the law enforcement sector.

    DUH! The law enforcement sector, at the behest of the ruling class, wants the sheeple to obey. 

    Law enforcement works a one way street, protect the royalty class.

    Our generation knows, just as our forefathers knew, when the Governed no longer feel, that their petitions and grievances are acted upon and not ignored; the people will rise up. 

    Anyone with an IQ, only has to remember history.

    The governed will finally rebel.

    Anarchy is the label given to the rebels, by those who want to maintain control. 

    A happy populace is non- threatening, Imagine that! 

    Imagine King Georges court "How dare you colonists, reject the good graces and the crumbs of the Royalty class."

    Founding Fathers: "Ignore the people (governed ) at YOUR OWN PERIL."  

    How much longer do you suppose the sheared sheep; will act as  the ruling class wish? While the rich have waxed fat from a system built and controlled by them, a system for the sole benefit, to grind to dust, those beneath them. 

    A royalty class that sold us into slavery.  

    * I do not wish or will I promote violence. The Royalty class will reap what it sowed.  Disdain

    I will not overthrow it, but I will not shed a tear for it either.

    The Great has fallen;  to bad.  


    by Resistance on Fri, 03/23/2012 - 2:51pm

    Timothy McVeigh did not obey.  He was no sheeple.  He took it to the ruling classes. 

    As you put at the end of your little rant, you do not promote violence.  But here is the question: do you support law enforcement in their attempt to prevent the violence like that of Timothy McVeigh? If you do, then you support their investigation of evidence and leads that would indicate the possibility of such violence.

    Another question for you (and people of like mind): if law enforcement had been able to intervene and arrest Timothy McVeigh before he was able to act, would law enforcement been acting for the benefit of the royalty class? 

    You want your cake and eat it, too.  You want the blood, but not on your hands.  You sir, are a nothing but a blood-lusting coward.


    by Elusive Trope on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 9:04am

    One can always count on your name calling to cover your ignorance.

    People like McVeigh are not the cause of Americas ills , they are the result. 

    You may not like the result, but America is reaping what it sowed.

    If America wants it's citizen to love America , then America must lead by example. 

    Wheres Americas universal healthcare; maybe a healthcare system to match what the royalty class and there representatives in the senate. They know how to take care of "their own"

    The average American citizen is not Americas own, the Average american is OWNED 

    Dont be surprised when some of the slaves and gladiators rebel  

    Burning alive the kids at the Branch Davidian, or killing the Weavers at Ruby Ridge doesn't instill trust in some folks.

    I suppose you'd call our forefathers at Concord Bridge, or Kent State students, blood lusting cowards too.

    America IS reaping what it sowed, it planted the seeds of discontent.   It forced the draft, it fed some of the Nations children to the monster. 

    So don't cry to me about blood lusting, Its what America teaches. It's what America does to those it has contempt for.

    Only the blind cant see that.   

    I wont raise an arm against America.

    America will reap what it sowed;  all by itself, because those are the seeds it sowed.

       

      


    by Resistance on Mon, 03/26/2012 - 11:36pm

    One can always count on your name calling to cover your ignorance.

    At first I thought this was someone responding to what you wrote. Seriously. Go back and read what you wrote and see if you can figure out why that sentence is so hilarious.


    by Verified Atheist on Tue, 03/27/2012 - 6:36am