Posted on 12/18/2005 12:13:41 AM PST by Deek1969
What do you get when you try to check out Mao Tse-Tung's infamous "The Little Red Book" from the library?
A visit from Homeland Security agents.
At least that's what happened to a senior at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, according to the Standard-Times newspaper of New Bedford, Mass.
The college student was visited by federal agents two months ago, after he requested a copy of Mao's tome on communism. Two history professors at UMass Dartmouth, Brian Glyn Williams and Robert Pontbriand, said the student told them he requested the book through the college library's interlibrary loan program. The student, who was completing a research paper on Communism for Pontbriand's class on fascism and totalitarianism, filled out a form for the request, leaving his name, address, phone number and Social Security number.
He was later visited at his parents' home in New Bedford by two agents of the Department of Homeland Security, the professors told the Standard-Times. The professors said the student was told by the agents that the book is on a "watch list," and that his background, which included significant time abroad, triggered them to investigate the student further.
Although the Standard-Times knows the name of the student, the paper declined to name him because he is not coming forward because he fears repercussions should his name become public. He has not spoken to The Standard-Times.
The student told Pontbriand and Williams that the Homeland Security agents told him the book was on a "watch list." They brought the book with them, but did not leave it with the student, the professors said. Williams said in his research, he regularly contacts people in Afghanistan, Chechnya and other Muslim hot spots, and suspects that some of his calls are monitored. "My instinct is that there is a lot more monitoring than we think," he said. Williams said he had been planning to offer a course on terrorism next semester, but is reconsidering, because it might put his students at risk.
I call BS on this too. Total BS!
I wonder what happens when a student requests, say, "The Black Book of Communism" or "The Gulag Archipelago". Or could that question even arise?
From experience, no. I've read Gulag Archepelago before, got it from the local library since I'd often seen it recommended.
No spooks showed up at my doorstep and no request was needed. It was right there on the shelves for anyone to get.
Bought my copy in 1973 ( first english printing ,) while serving in th USAF in CA., before Nixon went to Red China. Wanted to know how the opposition thought. Got it at Tower Books, still have it today. Interesting reading at the time. Can still see lots if its principles at work in China today, can also see lots that has changed. Does this make me a Commie? Even though I'm really slightly to the right of Rush Limbaugh
Wonder what it would it sell for on EBay?
Don't click on that link!
What exactly are we protecting, a police state?
Don't buy it. Sorta like Black Helicopter stuff.
Book alert (not a little red one) to all FReepers! After reading a very favorable review of it in "Commentary", I purchased "Mao: The Untold Story". This is a very well researched yet very readable book written by two people who had first-hand experience with Communist China. It tells how Chairman Mao was directly and indirectly responsible for the death of some 70 million Chinese. It's been largely overlooked by many in the West (some of whom even succumb to a phony Mao kitsch) that this monster makes Hitler and Stalin look like pikers! Equally important, it helps one to better understand why China is the way it is today.
"The Standard-Times of New Bedford, Massachusetts seems to have not checked the story in any way. I found this in ten minutes using Google:"
Somehow, I doubt that this ever happened. It's a leftist propaganda piece that does not have a shred of truth to it.
***Any freepers that defend this action better keep their hypocrital mouths shut when Democrats abuse this power against conservatives.***
I neither defend nor disagree with this action because the article does NOT give complete information. It was written solely to bash Bush and our Homeland Security.
It is on line. Took two seconds to find multiple sources on Yahoo. Here's one link:
http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/works/red-book/
Yeah, my BS meter is very active on this one. Something else going on.
When you see his contact list, I can only thank the folks at Homeland Security for letting this creep know that it's not about the library but his contacts.
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