IT'S CALLED FASCISM
the.Visitor
not charged or received little or no prison time, says a study of more than
6,000 terrorism-related prosecutions in the United States since the Sept.
11, 2001, attacks.
The study, released today, also shows that almost half the suspects referred
to prosecutors were deemed unworthy of prosecution because of a lack of
evidence or criminal intent.
The study was done by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC)
at Syracuse University, using freedom of information legislation to gain
access to justice department statistics.
The study's authors question whether the "big broom" approach favoured by
U.S. President George W. Bush and his attorney-general, John Ashcroft, has
deterred terrorism in this country or was really an indiscriminate round-up.
"The absolute number of terrorism and anti-terrorism situations that have
been recorded by assistant U.S. attorneys around the country in the last two
years is sobering, considerably more sweeping than suggested in
administrative statements and news accounts," the study says.
"Anti-terrorism" is a new category created by the Bush administration to
identify immigration, identity theft, drug and other cases brought by
prosecutors that were deemed to be terrorist-related.
The median sentence for those convicted of offences related to international
terrorism was 14 days in jail. Of the 879 individuals convicted of crimes
classified as falling under either the terrorist or anti-terrorist
umbrellas, 263 were sentenced to the time they had already served waiting
for cases to be resolved.
In addition, eight were sentenced to community service, 23 to drug or
alcohol treatment, 17 to mental health treatment, 30 to home detention and
one to community confinement.
In only five instances, sentences were a minimum of 20 years.
Justice department spokesperson Mark Corallo said yesterday the TRAC study
ignores the value of Ashcroft's aggressive pursuit of suspects before they
can engage in large-scale terrorist acts.
"This strategy has proven to be an effective method of deterring and
disrupting potential terrorist acts," he said.
"Years ago, the government knew Al Capone was a powerful organized crime
boss, yet we prosecuted him with tax evasion to remove him from the streets.
Today, in order to protect the lives of Americans at the earliest
opportunity, the government may charge potential terror suspects with lesser
offences to remove them from our communities," Corallo said.
http://www.thestar.ca/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Articl
e_Type1&c=Article&cid=1070840411078&call_page=TS_World&call_pageid=968332188
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--
"Day by day the case for an independent scrutiny of the lead-up to the war
against Iraq becomes irresistible. Only full disclosure can restore the
reputation of this Government."
-Menzles Campbell, former British Foreign Affairs spokesman
Rick Langel
<the.V...@farpoint.org> wrote:
>WASHINGTON-The Bush administration swept up thousands of suspects who were
>not charged or received little or no prison time, says a study of more than
>6,000 terrorism-related prosecutions in the United States since the Sept.
>11, 2001, attacks.
It's fascism to try to prevent another 9/11? Go away, morons.
the.Visitor
property in his or her department's jurisdiction. That is a tall order,
especially for the chief of the U.S. Park Police, whose 620-member force is
responsible for patrolling the national shrines and landmarks on the Mall,
major parkways in the D.C. area and most of the large plots of public
greenery in Washington. When something stands in the way of a chief's
ability to perform prescribed law enforcement duties as expected, it is
incumbent on the chief to make appropriate recommendations. U.S. Park Police
Chief Teresa C. Chambers, encountering such a situation, recently offered a
set of professional recommendations for corrective action. And for that, she
has had her badge and gun taken away and her police powers revoked. She has
been placed on administrative leave and kicked out of her office by the
National Park Service. A more unworthy and sordid move by Park Service
leadership is hard to imagine.
What did Ms. Chambers do? She told the truth.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51211-2003Dec9.html
Karl Rove
>APOLICE CHIEF'S responsibility is to preserve the peace and protect life and
>property in his or her department's jurisdiction. That is a tall order,
>especially for the chief of the U.S. Park Police, whose 620-member force is
>responsible for patrolling the national shrines and landmarks on the Mall,
>major parkways in the D.C. area and most of the large plots of public
>greenery in Washington. When something stands in the way of a chief's
>ability to perform prescribed law enforcement duties as expected, it is
>incumbent on the chief to make appropriate recommendations. U.S. Park Police
>Chief Teresa C. Chambers, encountering such a situation, recently offered a
>set of professional recommendations for corrective action. And for that, she
>has had her badge and gun taken away and her police powers revoked. She has
>been placed on administrative leave and kicked out of her office by the
>National Park Service. A more unworthy and sordid move by Park Service
>leadership is hard to imagine.
>
>What did Ms. Chambers do? She told the truth.
>
>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51211-2003Dec9.html
>
But she may have told only HALF of the truth, too, . . . . this is the
final paragraph of the story, which left a ton of the facts, left to
speculation:
One more thing. Ms. Chambers did not seek out The Post, which initially
reported the story about the diversion of patrols. Our reporter, David A.
Fahrenthold, acting on reports from other sources, sought out the chief and put
the questions to her. And the chief elected not to lie about a matter so
central to public safety. For telling the truth, she has been punished. That
decision should not stand.
Maybe, . . . . . but not until a determination can be made, as to
whether her decision was based in bureacracy or efficient use of manpower, for
the most impact on the crime rate.
God Bless,
Karl
"Thousands have died for my Freedom, ONE HAS DIED
FOR MY SOUL, I AM ETERNALLYGREATFUL"
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord .. Psalm 33:12
Rick Langel
>Schmidt:
>
>>APOLICE CHIEF'S responsibility is to preserve the peace and protect life and
>>property in his or her department's jurisdiction. That is a tall order,
>>especially for the chief of the U.S. Park Police, whose 620-member force is
>>responsible for patrolling the national shrines and landmarks on the Mall,
>>major parkways in the D.C. area and most of the large plots of public
>>greenery in Washington. When something stands in the way of a chief's
>>ability to perform prescribed law enforcement duties as expected, it is
>>incumbent on the chief to make appropriate recommendations. U.S. Park Police
>>Chief Teresa C. Chambers, encountering such a situation, recently offered a
>>set of professional recommendations for corrective action. And for that, she
>>has had her badge and gun taken away and her police powers revoked. She has
>>been placed on administrative leave and kicked out of her office by the
>>National Park Service. A more unworthy and sordid move by Park Service
>>leadership is hard to imagine.
>>
>>What did Ms. Chambers do? She told the truth.
>>
>>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51211-2003Dec9.html
>>
>
>
> But she may have told only HALF of the truth, too, . . . . this is the
>final paragraph of the story, which left a ton of the facts, left to
>speculation:
And do you think there is a reason that the link is an EDITORIAL
instead of an actual NEWS story?
Rick Langel
>Schmidt:
>
>>APOLICE CHIEF'S responsibility is to preserve the peace and protect life and
>>property in his or her department's jurisdiction. That is a tall order,
>>especially for the chief of the U.S. Park Police, whose 620-member force is
>>responsible for patrolling the national shrines and landmarks on the Mall,
>>major parkways in the D.C. area and most of the large plots of public
>>greenery in Washington. When something stands in the way of a chief's
>>ability to perform prescribed law enforcement duties as expected, it is
>>incumbent on the chief to make appropriate recommendations. U.S. Park Police
>>Chief Teresa C. Chambers, encountering such a situation, recently offered a
>>set of professional recommendations for corrective action. And for that, she
>>has had her badge and gun taken away and her police powers revoked. She has
>>been placed on administrative leave and kicked out of her office by the
>>National Park Service. A more unworthy and sordid move by Park Service
>>leadership is hard to imagine.
>>
>>What did Ms. Chambers do? She told the truth.
>>
>>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51211-2003Dec9.html
>>
>
>
> But she may have told only HALF of the truth, too, . . . . this is the
>final paragraph of the story, which left a ton of the facts, left to
>speculation:
Now here is an actual NEWS story about it:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40048-2003Dec5.html
The statement did not give a reason for the action. But the
announcement came after a meeting between Chambers and her
superior in the Park Service, who said this week that her comments
to reporters broke federal rules.
Why do some people think that there should be no consequences for
their actions?
Karl Rove
>And do you think there is a reason that the link is an EDITORIAL
>instead of an actual NEWS story?
>
Excellent point, Rick! Actually, there probably WAS a news story,
but it was buried, along with all the other bureaucratic garbage. We cannot
lose sight of the fact that the VAST majority of the government employees in
the area of the Beltway are, in fact, hardcore, card- carrying democRAT party
members, whose sole purpose in their employment is to justify continued
employment, and anyone, (i.e.: the chief of the park police), who steps outside
those boundaries is making waves for the others, and is subject to the wrath of
the powers that lay within, which would include the editorial staff of the WP,
I'm sure.
Karl Rove
>Now here is an actual NEWS story about it:
>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40048-2003Dec5.html
>
> The statement did not give a reason for the action. But the
> announcement came after a meeting between Chambers and her
> superior in the Park Service, who said this week that her comments
> to reporters broke federal rules.
>
>Why do some people think that there should be no consequences for
>their actions?
>
>
From Schmidt's position, there have never been consequences for personal
behavior. His sex life requires that approach, and he applies it to
everything.
It would, however, be helpful to understand exactly which rule she
violated by talking with the media, and the reasoning behind its creation. I
would have a tendency to believe that it's there to preserve that bureacratic
infrastructure that the Beltway holds so dear, so that each of them has a
continued existence, beyond the next republican administration, or other
proponent of smaller government. YMMV.
the.Visitor
paralyze Iraq's new labor unions with a series of arrests this weekend.
On Dec. 6, according to a union spokesperson interviewed by phone, a convoy
of 10 Humvees and personnel carriers descended on the old headquarters
building of the Transport and Communications Workers union, in Baghdad's
central bus station, which has been used since June as the office of the
Iraqi Workers Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU). Twenty soldiers jumped out,
stormed into the building, put handcuffs on eight members of the
Federation's executive board, and took them into detention.
"They gave no reason at all, despite being asked over and over," says IFTU
spokesperson Abdullah Muhsin. Soldiers painted over the name of the
federation on the front of the building with black paint, Muhsin says. The
union had few resources, "but we did have a few files, and they took those,"
Muhsin adds. Ironically, the office had posters on the walls condemning
terrorism, which soldiers tore down in the raid.
Although the eight were released the following day, there was no explanation
from the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), the U.S. occupation
government in Iraq, for the detentions.
http://news.pacificnews.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=0ea74f4207000f
2a20cd2bdf4ab0e2a9
the.Visitor
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was pulled from a small-town exhibit over
"insurance issues" after a businessman withdrew his $300 prize and called
the piece a form of "hate speech."
Artist Chuck Bowden's drawing, "The Tactics of Tyrants Are Always
Transparent," won second place in the Redwood Art Association's annual fall
exhibit, held earlier this month in Eureka, Calif. In the 11-inch-by-14-inch
drawing, a crown and halo-topped Bush stands on a grave, his hand dripping
with blood as bodies fall to the ground from the World Trade Center towers
in the distance.
Bowden called it a tribute to those who lost their lives in New York on
Sept. 11, 2001, and he acknowledged the piece was meant to place blame for
the attacks squarely on the shoulders of the president.
But the work upset at least one sponsor. After Bowden's piece was deemed the
second place winner by the lone judge, it was quietly bubble-wrapped and
stuffed into a closet while 193 other works were prepared for the exhibit's
public opening.
"They shouldn't call it `open to art,'" Bowden said of the contest's
original call for entries. "They should call it, `open to Republican art' or
`open to closed-minded art.'"
An anonymous donor gave $300 in cash to replace the rescinded gift
certificate award and Bowden politely accepted. But for the 45-year-old
artist, it wasn't simply about the money, it was about the freedom to
artistically express unpopular views.
"For local business owners to try to stagnate artistic expression according
to their political interpretation of how life should be is not such a good
idea," a Bowden told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
Paul Bareis is the frame shop owner who withdrew his $300 gift certificate.
He defended his right to not have his business endorse Bowden's
prize-winning entry, which he deemed "hate speech."
"You've got to stand up and fight for what you believe in and I think that's
what our president's doing and that's what I'm doing," Bareis said. "That
conspiracy stuff is bunk."
Artist Robert Hudson was the sole judge for the Eureka exhibit. He did not
return calls seeking comment.
David Ploss, president of the Redwood Art Association, insists that Bowden's
work was not censored. He said the decision to pull the piece from the
display was a matter of dollars and cents.
"It did not get displayed because of insurance issues. It had nothing to do
with the content of the work," Ploss said. Bowden priced his work at
$35,000, far exceeding the average cost of the other 193 works on display,
which were covered by a total insurance policy of $142,485, according to the
Humboldt Arts Council.
Ploss said the association asked Bowden for an appraisal of his art's worth,
or receipts from prior sales of similarly priced art. Bowden produced
neither and Ploss said the financial risk of showing the work became too
great.
Bowden plans to show the drawing early next year at another local venue.
The winning piece in the contest was a watercolor by Robert Frederick
Berryman, titled "Spirit Fishing Fading Light."
http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/wire/sns-ap-anti-bush-art,0,344279
6.story?coll=sns-ap-entertainment-headlines
Rick Langel
<the.V...@farpoint.org> wrote:
>SAN FRANCISCO -- An award-winning drawing blaming President Bush for the
>Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was pulled from a small-town exhibit over
>"insurance issues" after a businessman withdrew his $300 prize and called
>the piece a form of "hate speech."
>
>Artist Chuck Bowden's drawing, "The Tactics of Tyrants Are Always
>Transparent," won second place in the Redwood Art Association's annual fall
>exhibit, held earlier this month in Eureka, Calif. In the 11-inch-by-14-inch
>drawing, a crown and halo-topped Bush stands on a grave, his hand dripping
>with blood as bodies fall to the ground from the World Trade Center towers
>in the distance.
That's not fascism, moron, that's pure idiocy on the "artists" part.