Serpico Decries Anti-Terror Measures

Las Vegas Sun ^ | 7/6/02 | AP

[PJeffQ]

Serpico Decries Anti-Terror Measures
ASSOCIATED PRESS

CHATHAM, N.Y.- Frank Serpico, the whistle-blowing ex-New York City cop, criticized the government's anti-terrorism measures at a July Fourth reading of the Declaration of Independence.

"It is my opinion that never before have we, as a nation, stood in greater danger of losing our individual liberties as we are today," he said. "We, the people of this great nation, are being punished for the transgressions of our leaders and their consorts."

Despite catcalls from the audience, he continued with his statement before moving on to the text of the historic document.

"When I still have the freedom to speak, I'll always use it," said Serpico, best known for fighting corruption within the police department in the 1960s.

Peter Maas wrote the book "Serpico," about Serpico's battle against departmental corruption. The book became a hit movie starring Al Pacino.

The organizers of Thursday's event, which also featured a performance of the play "1776," were surprised by Serpico's statements, and some were disappointed that he used the occasion as a soapbox.

"The politicking was totally unexpected," Barbara Peduzzi, assistant producer at the Mac-Haydn Theatre, told the Register-Star of Hudson.

[Thinkin' Gal]

"It is my opinion that never before have we, as a nation, stood in greater danger of losing our individual liberties as we are today," he said. "We, the people of this great nation, are being punished for the transgressions of our leaders and their consorts."

Despite catcalls from the audience, he continued with his statement before moving on to the text of the historic document.

Amos 7:8-13

8 And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:
9 And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.
10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.
11 For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.
12 Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:
13 But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court.

[KirkandBurke]

Frank knows. He's seen inside the belly of The Beast. Feed The Beast with more power and you herald your own destruction.

[Chad Fairbanks]

"We, the people of this great nation, are being punished for the transgressions of our leaders and their consorts."

Hmm... wonder who he is referring to... any guesses??? ;0)

[sakic]

Serpico was an honest NY cop. It's a dying species.

[silver fox two]

I'll take a wild guess........somebody inside the beltway?

[razorbak]

I don't remember hearing Serpico complaining about all of the anti-freedom measures Clinton, Reno, etc. had enacted or tried to have enacted during his 8 years. Did he complain about the endangerment of our entire nation by giving, selling, or allowing to be stolen, our nuclear and military secrets.

[johnboy]

frank serpico was THE ONLY honest new york cop. that's why his fellows set him up.

[CharlesI]

Did he complain about the endangerment of our entire nation by giving, selling, or allowing to be stolen, our nuclear and military secrets.

Serpico did his thing years ago as an NYPD Detective, that's history. He is nothing now but an aging hippie.

In the words of another famous detective, the Pet Detective, he is a "looosssser".

[eddie willers]

THE ONLY honest new york cop.

WOW!...the only one?

you need rest.

[Great Dane]

I thought Sepico died a year or two back, of course that doesn't mean he can't give a speech.

[SkyBlue]

Unfortunately the police have special rights which the rest of us don't have. One being is they and their spouses almost never get tickets. This can be proven by fact of records. Also, I know directly from the source, police families, this is fact. They also usually pay less for car insurance since they don't get tickets. The spouse always carries the officer's business card which is given to the ticketing officer and then no ticket is issued. Then the "ticketing officer" puts the business card in the officier's locker. This officier repays the "ticketing officier" with a gift. Bottle of boose or something.

(I've just joined freerepublic and I'm sorry this was my first post but it was the first article I've read here and I didn't think it was moral for me to ignore it. I dislike corruption so much I would do anything to help stop it.)

[Jhoffa_]

"We, the people of this great nation, are being punished for the transgressions of our leaders and their consorts."

Amen.

Ya know, we didn't do anything wrong. We didn't drop the ball. We didn't turn INS into the welcome wagon. We didn't ignore warnings. We didn't turn down Osama's head on a platter.

But yet, WE are supposed to solve this dilema by losing some of our "liberties"

Of course..

[Jhoffa_]

I thought Sepico died a year or two back, of course that doesn't mean he can't give a speech.

Hey, if he can still vote in chicago..

[newwahoo]

"frank serpico was THE ONLY honest new york cop"

Yeah, there was only one out of about the 35,000 NYPD officers in service back then. Everyone else was either taking money, shooting up heroin or sending love letters to the Viet Cong.

I have every reason to believe that the department is cleaner now than it ever was, but that is not enough to justify disparaging the THOUSANDS of cops that served honorably during some very difficult times for both the city and the country.

[upchuck]

I've just joined freerepublic...

Welcome aboard SkyBlue. Yer gonna like it here!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Fascinating!

Welcome and glad you are joining us!

[J. L. Chamberlain]

Yo Charley,

Serpico was an honest cop who stood fast and did his duty in the face of the most awful corruption. If you can't deal with that, I suggest you put your head in the can, flush and take a swirl!

J

[not-alone]

welcome

[Great Dane]

Hey, if he can still vote in chicago..

It's been done before, hasn't it....... again, again and again.