Hey now...You have to realize why the Patriot Act was envisioned and passed in the first place. It had been 60 years since the USA was attacked on it's home soil by a foreign entity. This time, in 2001, it was not by a country, but by a loose faction of folks hell-bent on trying to take us down by any means necessary.
Did the pols take it too far in the ensuing years? Perhaps. But here we are, no worse for wear from it. We're still typing our silly nonsense online, enjoying our freedoms.
Bottom line, these protesters should not have used fireworks in the protest. That is their folly on this.
The Patriot Act basically authorized spying on all Americans, in my opinion. I have talked with two people involved in a project where extensive information was and apparently still is collected on every American and put into a dossier. My concern about these activities is the potential to suppress political expression. Especially political expression that is based on fact and has the potential of changing the status quo. It seems most Americans believe there is massive corruption with our political leaders as implied by polls and conversations I’ve had. Epstein and the two suicided DC prostitutes who were witnesses to extensive illicit conduct of a sexual nature are recent, more egregious examples of corruption I can think of. In the end, the child molesting, videotaped, and likely blackmailed politicians names will never be exposed. Anyone feel here safe to investigate and report the Epstein Scandal to the maximum?
It appears to be ok to shine investigatory light on all Americans without probable cause, but when it comes to actual evidence of wrong doing involving most insider US politicians, it is swept under the rug. Witnesses quickly die. Evidence is suppressed by the court (DC Prostitutes), or locked away and “forgotten” in a evidence room (Epstein video tapes?). Even when there is probable cause to believe a significant number of current politicians are likely being blackmailed, little progress seems to be made. The implications of Congressional politicians being blackmailed means some legislative votes may not have been the result of true consent. There may be some laws that exist, or that don’t exist, some funding that exists, or doesn’t exist that because of undue influence on compromised lawmakers. Can anybody spell “Constitutional Crisis”? Our media is downplaying the significance of this scandal that has to rank one of the greatest in human history. Where are the prominent women and mothers that make up part of our top political leadership? Child molestation is ok if my own daughter is not involved kind of thinking? Or is it more “practical” than that? If child molesting and blackmailed politicians are exposed, they may talk, before all of them get a chance to suicide themselves. These politicians could expose the identity of the blackmailer and the concentration of power in US politics that effectively denies the American people of true representation. Our propagandized media shit shows on the Left and the Right, with fingers pointing at each other are, in a way, right. Both sides are to blame.
Even an effective blogger with a large follower base can expect to face repercussions over their expression of political beliefs if these beliefs are harmful to the status quo. Hell, according to my mom, the FBI in the Sixties and Seventies were extensively involved in dismantling Leftist organizations. My mom blames the FBI for a break where a film of a Vietnam era Pentagon march was taken because it showed when the mainstream media packed up, the police batons came down on protestors. I don’t want to even think about the capabilities of our intelligence and police forces now. Check out CIA.gov, do a google search on NSA, and check out some Wikipedia.org articles if you haven’t already. Your mind my be blown. Completely away.
As far as the Arizona protestors and their use of fireworks are concerned, it seems the most damning aspect is their apparent decision to quickly leave after using fireworks. This may imply conscious guilt that they knew what they were doing was illegal. If these protesters are young, say below the ages of 25 and there is little evidence of wider organizational influence, perhaps the justice system could cut them a break.
