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RNC Policing Tactics Ravage St. Paul and the Constitution
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by Bill Sorem, W A M M
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During the Republican National Convention (RNC) in St. Paul the “War on Terror” reached a new low. The ashes of our once sacred Constitution lay in the gutters of the city. We were shocked to see 3,700 unbelievably well-armed police, apparently directed by the (federal) secret national police. Our local governments stood by and let the secret police take over the cities on behalf of the RNC. They arrested over 800 people, another entry for our shame list to join the 35W bridge collapse. The fact that most were totally innocent, many were professional journalists doing their job as protected by the Constitution, the only profession so honored, is not important. St. Paul will join historical infamy. In Minneapolis they smashed doors of homes, handcuffed hundreds, had them face down on the ground.
In response to a scathing voice mail message left on his voice mail, I received a two-page letter from Mayor Coleman, ironically dated September 11. All nonsense about the “appropriate action and measured response.” He goes on to trumpet the wonderful image of St. Paul from this experience. Sadly, the reality is that St. Paul has been defiled by the days of secret police terror.
Many warned of the creeping loss of liberty as the “War on Terror” unfolded. The water temperature on a pot of frogs is increased so gradually they never catch on to what is happening. Many U.S. citizens meekly accepted library searches, phone tapping, the silliness of removing shoes at the airport, and the many forbidden travel items – bottled water, baby formula, shampoo. Freedom-loving Americans watched as personal items were pawed by federally employed “security forces.” We stood silently and obediently as our bodies were prodded – all of this very expensive stupidity “to make us safer.” It’s now clear that we are far less secure but millions poorer than when this sham began.
Some recognized that the primary purpose of these security exercises was to soften us up. If we were willing to be stripped and groped, be surrounded by black-shirted police and subject to all sorts of minor violations of our personal liberty as guaranteed by the Constitution, we would certainly not object if the secret police came in the night and violated our homes. Just like the frogs in the kettle, we endure the heat as our freedom is slowly boiled away. How big a step is it to be ordered to put your hands on your head, be handcuffed, and lie face down in the street? Invasion of and loss of personal property is just collateral damage.
The equipment and air support of the blackshirts was a sight to behold! Would that the troops fighting Bush’s war were as well equipped. We are used to the defense companies profiting from our wars, but here we have police equipment suppliers enjoying the “security” largess.
Yes, there were some troublemakers among the peaceful crowds. The FBI’s acclaimed infiltration of these groups supplied a lot of actionable intelligence. They should have been arresting as appropriate. But why is it necessary to have secret police infiltrating the 10,000 law-abiding citizens? Preventative arrests used to be science fiction (Tom Cruise in Minority Report, 2002). If we are allowed unfettered wars of aggression, why not arrests on a whim? What a sad day for this country!
There have been several patronizing press conferences by our mayors and the St. Paul attorneys. They carefully follow their script: “Appropriate police response. Cases will be processed normally and according to law.” Does any thinking person believe this? Fortunately for freedom and not so good for the storm troopers, hours of video have been recorded by brave independent journalists (such as Amy Goodman, who was arrested while coming to the aid of a colleague). These are real journalists, not stenographers, and the footage is being assembled into a damning documentary about what really happened. |
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Co$ts of War
Italy has agreed to pay Libya nearly $5 billion in compensation for its 30-year occupation of the country which ended in 1943.
—The Guardian Weekly, 5/09/08
(This begs the question: How much money would the U.S. be looking at if it agreed to pay for its past occupations of the following countries: Honduras, Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, the Philippines, Panama, Guam, China, Puerto Rico, Vietnam, El Salvador, etc?)
To implement a truly effective missile defense system would bankrupt the United States, just as the arms race helped bring down the Soviet Union. The U.S. has spent between $120-$150 billion on the program since 1983. The Pentagon has requested $62 billion for the next five years, bringing the total cost between 2003 and 2013 to $110 billion .
The federal government is a vast corporate welfare program, rewarding the industries that give millions of dollars in political donations with contracts that are worth billions. In order to justify the enormous expense, the administration must exaggerate the threats of nuclear war.
—The Guardian Weekly, 8/29/08
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© 2008 Women Against Military Madness. All rights reserved.
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Complete October 2008 Index - click here
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