Keep an eye out while you read this - 'the man' is watching


A nice pair of articles from Salon.com - if you aren't a member you should be. Great articles and comics and some good political columnists. And everytime you give them money, Rush Limbaugh dies a little inside.
These article deal with the White House's assault on civil liberties under the guise of the war on terror - which is rapidly becoming the war on anyone who disagrees with Karl Rove.

Part one http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/02/11/cointelpro/index.html
and part two
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/02/12/dissent_two/index.html


Obviously, the U.S. is trying to invade Canada via terrorist infiltration, that or this woman is too dumb to be allowed out of the trailer park. Tell me that the wife of a Canadian soldier who made the same kind of mistake going into the U.S. wouldn't have gotten a one way ticket to Guantanamo Bay.
Grenade found in car closes border

This one from the Associated Press really tell you that something is going serious Orwell when you can get arrested and convicted for planning to protest. Thoughtcrime anyone?

Five convicted of violating city ordinance

02/17/2004

Associated Press


Five peace activists arrested last year en route to a demonstration outside President Bush's ranch were convicted Monday of violating the city's protest ordinance.

A jury deliberated about 90 minutes before returning the guilty verdicts for the five on the Class C misdemeanor of violating Crawford's parade and procession ordinance.

"It's an overall picture of the complacency of our nation and how the president has this sort of no-protest zone around him at all times," Amanda Jack, 23, of Austin, one of the defendants, said in a story in Tuesday's Waco Tribune-Herald. "It's completely absurd that you can't even get near the peoples' president. You can't even petition your own government representative."

The Crawford ordinance required 15 days' notice and $25 before the chief of police could issue a permit to protest within the city. The rule has since changed to allow for a seven-day notice.

The five, who were given fines ranging from $200 to $500, plan to appeal.

Tricia Major, who was the first of the five arrested, wasn't surprised by the verdict.

"I think that we had a jury of people who live in a small town, so they're going to have to face their neighbors and their public officials and their law enforcement personnel every day," said Major, 43, of Dallas. "We're not the most popular people in this town, and it would take an enormous amount of courage to bring back an innocent verdict."

The attorney for the five said they were not demonstrating at the time of their arrests. They were stopped by a police blockade in May and some had gotten out of their cars to try to negotiate with the officers, according to testimony. Trip organizer Lisa Fithian had testified that some took out their protest signs to show them to the officers.

Tidmore testified that a person wearing political buttons without a permit could violate a city ordinance that requires prior notice before a protest or parade.