Back To The Police State

I'm an older guy and I remember well the government intrusions on private United States citizens back in the 1960s and 1970s.   Back then anyone who opposed the policies of the U.S. government and weren't afraid of airing those views were branded as un-American and were spied upon by the FBI and other policing agencies (at the federal, state and local levels).   But while the spying on American citizens was widespread, the most egregious violators of citizens' rights was the FBI.

I have been a left-winger since those times myself, and I have consorted with many activists who opposed U.S. government policies and engaged in some demonstrations also.   I wouldn't doubt if there was a file in the FBI archives with my name on it.   But those outrageous activities by the FBI were exposed and many believed they had been curtailed from repeating those same police state tactics.

But then a few fundamentalist religious nuts took out a couple of buildings in New York City and another in Oklahoma.   This has terrified many Americans -- most of whom have little or nothing to fear from terrorists.   This fear has caused the government to once again begin violating the rights of its own citizens.   It began with the Patriot Act, then went on to silly and unnecessary airport restrictions and regulations, and now it looks like the FBI is up to their old tricks again.

Americans like to brag about living in a free country, but with each passing day we are living more and more in a country that is starting to look like a police state -- where the government locks up their social and political problems and spies on citizens and conducts unwarranted raids on the homes of citizens.   We are once again letting our fears eat away our freedoms by letting the government assume powers our Founding Fathers never wanted it to have.

Last Friday was a prime example of how bad things are getting.   In Minneapolis and Chicago, several residences and at least one office were raided by the FBI.   While no one was arrested, the places were searched and computer equipment was seized.   The residents were given subpoenas requiring them to testify before a federal grand jury -- and subpoenas were also issued in Illinois and Michigan.

There is no evidence that any of the people raided or given subpoenas have broken any law -- if there was they would have been arrested and charged.   No, this is old-time government harassment of citizens who disagree with government policy.   All of the people were activists and connected to activist organizations such as the Palestine Solidarity Group, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee, and the Students for a Democratic Society.

None of these are violent groups or promote violence in any way.   But that didn't matter in the 60s and 70s and doesn't seem to matter now.   And those on the right shouldn't be celebrating these civil rights violations, because groups on the right are being spied on also.   It is just a sad fact that the present government, like those in the past, will only allow disagreement within a very narrow limit.   That is not only un-American, but it is the definition of a police state.

Americans need to make a decision and act on it.   Do they want to be afraid and let the government control their lives and political beliefs, or do they want to be free.   You can't have both.   I choose freedom over fear.   What do you choose?