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Freedom Action of the Week
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Free-Market.Net's F r e e d o m A c t i o n o f t h e W e e k
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Edited by Mary Lou Seymour. To subscribe or unsubscribe to this
and other lists, click to: http://www.free-market.net/features/lists/
Fourth week of July, 2002: TIPS for tat
That uncomfortable, warm feeling you got last week was the latest
upward temperature adjustment to the "frog-boiling pot." A lot of
people noticed and a lot of the froggies started jumping for the rim.
On Sunday, July 14, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the
Bush administration was planning a national "citizen spy network"
(Terrorism Information and Prevention System) as part of its new
"Citizen Corps" initiative. Naturally, this news immediately became
the dominant subject of Internet political discussion.
By Monday the ACLU was calling TIPS an "end run around the
Constitution" and articles, editorials and talk show hosts were --
accurately -- comparing TIPS to the the old STASI informant network
that made life in East Germany the horror it was.
Noticing that the ripples of unease were disturbing even the normally
placid general public, the Department of Justice immediately began
to backpedal, downplaying TIPS (and coming up with some great
euphemisms for "citizen spies"). By Wednesday, even the U.S. Post
office felt compelled to denounce TIPS and inform the public that
its letter carriers wouldn't be participating.
Too late. The commotion continued throughout the week, with
petitions, cartoons and parodies appearing on the Web and in print.
By this time the politicians were getting into the act and, on
Friday, the final House "markup" of the bill creating a new Homeland
Security Department included language that would allegedly prohibit
programs such as Operation TIPS.
So ... is TIPS dead? Well, reports indicate that the Justice Dept. is
still going ahead with the project. But the water temperature is
back down to a simmer, and most Americans will, more than likely,
turn their attention to other things (like the meltdown of their
stock portfolios), at least for the moment.
Which is where we come in. TIPS deserves our continued attention. The
roil and boil has settled down, but the danger that TIPS presents
hasn't disappeared. It's just lost it's "latest new thing" shine
with the media. They've moved on. We can't.
For this week's action, I've compiled several of the action
ideas that liberty activists came up during last week's tumult.
Citizen Corps remains. TIPS is still out there.
If you have any doubts that Citizen Corps is more than Neighborhood
Watch on steroids, just have a look at the project's site. The
"manual" for "local officials," for example; and especially the
creepy "Record of Service" option that allows would-be stormtroopers
to heap accolades on themselves (theoretically in private --
nothing like your own shrine, eh)?
OK, now for the action ideas...
First, sign Wayne Madsen's online petition "No cooperation with
the U.S. Stasi," which says "we categorically reject President
Bush's Freedom Corps, Citizens Corps, Citizens Corps Councils,
Operation TIPS (Terrorism Information and Prevention System),
Volunteers in Police Service, and Neighborhood Watch Program."
Sign it and forward it to everyone you know.
Second, Kent van Cleave's wonderful "Bush Brigades" poster. Print
that sucker out and post it on every bulletin board you can find
in meatspace.
The third action is prospective: if TIPS does start up August 1,
(as DOJ is insisting it will), get ready to mark the vehicles of TIPS
informants with a chalkmark (or run off the "eye" emblem as a "fink
sticker" for their bumpers) and register them at Brad Templeton's
"Operation TIPS-TIPS" site, an online registry for informing on
the informers.
Fourth, think about joining other activists who are starting
their OWN version of the "Coordinating Councils"... Bill of
Rights Enforcement Coordinating Councils and "registering" these
councils with the Citizen Corps... "to support the war on terror
by monitoring, reporting on and promoting intervention against a
particularly pernicious form of terrorism: violation of citizens'
constitutional rights by government officials and employees."
Last week was an exciting one for activists ... the maneuverings of
Leviathan as it sought to placate the froggies, the surge of activism
from left and right, the sense that all is not lost, not yet, that
enough of "us" are still ready to take action on a moment's notice
to make Leviathan pause. Let's keep the momentum going.
Til next week
For freedom!
Mary Lou
== Citizen Corps: http://www.free-market.net/rd/635408755.html
The Sydney Morning Herald Story -- July 15:
http://www.free-market.net/rd/937876945.html
Amanda Bowen: The Stasi are coming:
http://www.free-market.net/rd/812051830.html
Petition: No cooperation with the U.S. Stasi:
http://www.free-market.net/rd/547724113.html
Operation RATS: http://www.free-market.net/rd/385094308.html
A week in the life of a TIPS volunteer:
http://www.free-market.net/rd/11691982.html
The Bush Brigade (poster) by Kent van Cleave:
http://www.free-market.net/rd/968902351.html
Operation TIPS-TIPS -- Report TIPS informants:
http://www.free-market.net/rd/142004828.html
Normandy Township Bill of Rights Enforcement Coordinating Council:
http://www.free-market.net/rd/634048701.html
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