Don't Count on FBI (Letter to the Editor)

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | July 24, 2002 | Joseph Ross

[Kermit]

Editor -- Al Qaeda has the upper hand in the war against terror because the security agencies responsible for protecting us act like a bunch of sissies.

Case in point: I was recently hired for an FBI counter-terrorism position based on my ability to speak several foreign languages, my thorough knowledge of Middle Eastern culture and my extensive travel abroad. Each FBI employee who interviewed me told me, "We're desperately in need of language skills."

[Kermit]

Thank you Drug Warriors. The idiocy and stupidity of the Drug War knows no bounds. The Drug War funds criminals and now terrorists. The Drug War is a continuous assault on our freedoms and not is a threat to our national security and can cost the lives of thousands of Americans.

I'm emailing this letter to my idiot GOP Congressman. I know it won't do any good, but this idiocy is going to cost American lives.

[Skwidd]

Yep, that's pretty dumb. You can be PResident after 'not inhaling,' but you can't be someone who would actually be useful...

[Dialup Llama]

Sounds like BS. Those are the old standards (old as in 20 years ago). The allowances for prior drug use have been loosened and brought up to date. Probably what happened is that he failed the polygraph. They never tell you why you failed that. Of course the polygraph is based on junk science and it generates alot of false positives while allowing the real sociopaths to walk right through. Nevertheless, you still have to pass the polygraph to get in the FBI, NSA etc... There was probably an issue with his age. I'm guessing 35 is the upper limit they'd like to see for new agents.

[Free the USA]

Index Bump

[Shermy]

That's why we get the square traitor-Hansen types in the FBI.

[Kermit]

Why would someone make this up?

I suspect it's because he admitted to 20 times.

[buffyt]

I put marijuana in the same group as beer, wine, and cigarettes! This is just craziness! Plus, pot twenty years ago! What a load of cr*p! If he had tested positive for drugs NOW that would be different, if he was going in for drug testing for a job and didn't care. But twenty years ago for pot! sheesh!!!! Does the FBI only hire boy scouts and Sunday School teachers, or real men and women????

[Blue Screen of Death]

Yep, that's pretty dumb. You can be PResident after 'not inhaling,' but you can't be someone who would actually be useful...

Hell, Ted Kennedy could not get a job as a Greyhound bus driver with his record, but he is qualified to be a senator. Go figure.

[Dialup Llama]

He's not making it up. He just misunderstands the process he just went through.

[AdamSelene235]

If this nation had put the same effort into hunting down U-235, anthrax and smallpox that we have put into hunting down potheads (and confiscating their assets) we might have prevented the democratization of Weapons of Mass Destruction.

But no. Now its too late. We will lose major urban areas in the next 0-20 years. Just watch. The incentives are high and the barriers are low.

Little Boy was never tested. What does that tell you?

[gcruse]

Little Boy was never tested. What does that tell you?

That to test it, they would have to fire it off,
hence they would not be able to use it?

Do I win?

[AdamSelene235]

That to test it, they would have to fire it off, hence they would not be able to use it?

That, plus the fact the u-235 gun design is straightforward. No need to test, they knew it would go. The hard part is getting the u-235 as it is chemically similar to u-238. Today, the world is awash in u-235. Refiners are going broke.

But don't worry, Top Men are working hard to keep us safe.....safe from pot that is.

[galt-jw]

REAP IT, STATISTS!

[Kermit]

The FBI desperately needs people, who understand the Middle East and speak the languages. This is crazy. They hired him, then dumped him after the polygraph. This guy was there, he went through it and he's saying it was the pot. It's nuts.

[WindMinstrel]

I know there were a number of people in my company at DLI (with secret and TS clearances) with histories of past drug use. All they had to do was document it on the initial paperwork, giving dates and all. After that they'd verify the info in the interview.

IIRC, the only people who had trouble were those who denied past drug use on the clearance application, then admitted it during the interview.