The Poster Police

Independent Online ^ | November 21, 2001 | Jon Elliston

[Tweedle_Dumb&Dee]

Now we have agents from the Federal government visiting houses because a woman has a poster on the wall. Tyranny does not feel all the compassionate, does it? While I do not agree with all of this woman's politics, is that reason enough for the SS to come and pay a visit?

[What about Bob?]

Then: Knock, knock ... unexpected guests at Brown's Duke Manor apartment. Opening the door, she found a casually dressed man, and a man and woman in what appeared to be business attire. Her first thought, she says, was, "Are these people going to sell me something?"

But then the man in the suit introduced himself and the woman as Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, FBI Agents.

[What about Bob?]

Actually she sounds like a dumb b1tch. I don't give a rat's ass what happens to her.

[thusevertotyrants]

so in other words, what you're saying is ... as long as they dont come knocking on MY door, I dont give a rats a** what happenes to other people's freedom?

[Chad Fairbanks]

Oh hell, what a crybaby - when she gets dragged out of her 9th grade Spanish class in cuffs by the Secret Service, THEN I might be impressed...

Chad "Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt" Fairbanks

[speedy]

I have a feeling this slanted story is probably leaving out some key piece of information about this junior Commie. Isn't this how Hillary got her start?

[JRandomFreeper]

Do you remember the freeper called grassontop?

The Secret Service pays a visit to all reports of possible threats on the POTUS. Which is as it should be. grassontop was not a threat, he just ran his mouth when he should have bit his lip.

/john

[Chad Fairbanks]

At least when it happened to me, I knew I deserved it... why can't people just own up to their mistakes and move on????

Of course, now that she's on their list, she's on their list forever... ;0)

[Tennessee_Bob]

Opening the door, she found a casually dressed man, and a man and woman in what appeared to be business attire.

What did it actually turn out to be? Was it body paint? Huge tattoos? An illusion (paging Doug Henning..oh, wait, he's dead, isn't he?)

She's "politically aware," and she knows a lot about publicity too. Just another leftist looking for her moment in the sun, and something to be oppressed about.

[KellyAdmirer]

I fully support the Secret Service investigating all tips regarding threats against the President. In this case, they investigated a false tip properly. We do not know what they were told, and neither do you. Perhaps they were told something incorrect that sounded very menacing. They investigated, and end of story. And this Brown woman no doubt now has an entry in her FBI file, her reward for having stupid posters hanging on her wall.

I believe they absolutely did the right thing and hope they keep doing it, and if that means knocking on "activists" doors at 5 p.m. on a Friday, more power to them.

[Chad Fairbanks]

oooh... now you've been and gone and done it. The local "A.J. Brown November 17th People's Liberation Freedom Front Army Against Oppressive Capitalistist Yankee Running Dogs Group Organization Cell" is gonna get you for that....

[Tennessee_Bob]

That ain't no big thing. I'm under attack right now from some inDUHvidual who keeps sending me magister32 thinking I'll open it. Ahh well, the democrats never learn...LOL

[Exigence]

We do not know what they were told, and neither do you.

What? You think this nice lady didn't tell the whole story to the courteous representive of the liberal press? /sarcasm

[Chad Fairbanks]

I've been getting hit a lot lately, too... buncha ama-choors iff'n ya ask me ;0)

[TADSLOS]

The Secret Service doesn't have the luxury to second guess some dim-wit college chick's political motives. They get a lead, they check it out. They make an assessment and take a course of action that meets the requirement of protecting the President. That's what they do and, they do it for all sitting and living past Presidents, including EX 42.

[Exigence]

From your title, I just knew this was another thread about duplicates posts on FR.

Given the contents of this lady's "poster," I wish it was just another annoying thread.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Does the name Daniel OQuinn (or ORuinn) show up on any of them???

He's hit my hotmail and my home address a couple times. I warned him he was infected when he hit the hotmail address and I got no response. Then he started hitting my home address as well...that's when I decided it was an attack. That, and the fact that he's changed the way the name appears on the return address (but the SMTP details still show it from the same induhvidual and host)

I've got him located in Raleigh, North Carolina...just a little piece up the road...hmmm...lol

[BluesDuke]

While I do not agree with all of this woman's politics, is that reason enough for the SS to come and pay a visit?

The answer, regardless of which government agency: No, of course. What a surprise: the State's phasers are set on dumb.

[kwyjibo]

Keep moving, nothing to see here...

I'm guessing the whole thing happened something like this:

Policeman investigating the loud noise complaint sees the poster, doesn't study it closely enough to get the idea being expressed, which appears to be "Capital Punishment is Bad." Instead, he simply sees GWB, a noose, and the words "George Bush... Wanted... Dead."

So the policeman reports it to the Secret Service, who are obligated to investigate further since it certainly could be interpreted to be a threat by a person or group of people to the president.

Once the Secret Service had the opportunity to talk to the girl and scrutinize the poster, they realized that it was simply a political message, and left.

So I think everyone involved with this probably did everything they should have. It's important to note that the SS never suggested that the poster be taken down. This is not a free-speech issue at all. It is a national security issue.

I am somewhat puzzled that this person was able to get into college. Durham Tech must be a liberal-arts school at heart.

[caseyblane]

Pretty scary stuff!! The knock at the door and the girl's mentors

Brown and fellow activists often discuss government encroachments on free speech and political organizing, she says, as do some of her favorite hip-hop artists.

I had no idea how political astute hip hop artists are. LOL! I think these people have good intentions, they are just severely mislead.