Sunday, August 31, 2008

Police state

It seems that police in the Twin Cities are searching, detaining and arresting dozens of people who are in the St. Paul, Minnesota, area to peacefully protest the Republican National Convention, which is scheduled to start tomorrow (depending on the RNC's response to Hurricane Gustav).

The description of the SWAT-geared local, state and federal agents bursting into people's homes, refusing to show warrants, handcuffing everyone, and removing all journals, computers and political-themed publications are chilling and outrageous. Patriotism isn't wearing a flag pin or saying the pledge, but rather it is respecting the ideas and protections of the US Constitution, and these are the actions of a totalitarian government, not a government "of the people, by the people and for the people."

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Unreal. It begs the question: is it China or Minnesota? January 20, 2009 can't come soon enough for me. Like you, I can't envision another eight years of a Bush/Cheney-like regime.

acf said...

If you don't want at least four more years of a Bush/Cheney-like regime, you had better do all that you can to insure that The Obama/Biden ticket wins the White House in November. Don't get sucked into any of the 'If Hillary loses, I'm voting for McCain' nonsense. Failure to vote for Obama is the a vote for at least four more years of Bush like government, plus the chiseling in stone of a right wing Supreme Court for the next generation, at least, and more attacks on Social Security.

Anonymous said...

You're right! Obama would never stoop to such tactics!

Jim said...

McCain was part of the "Keating Five," which seems much worse than these guilt by association charges thrown at Obama.

Anonymous said...

hmmmm... banking scandal... or bombing the Pentagon and killing cops... you're right its a toss up...

Jim said...

You are being disingenuous. McCain was part of the Keating Five; Obama met Ayers years after his radical activity. McCain was found to have exercised poor judgment and to have been influenced by money. Obama worked on civic issues with Ayers. How is that a fair comparison?

Anonymous said...

Obama launched his political career from the living room of an unrepentant enemy of the U.S.
McCain was found to have exercised poor judgement in meeting with regulators on behalf of the failing bank. One account has the chairman of the bank calling McCain a "wimp" for failing to take stronger action.
Obama has exercised his judgement in associating with and seeking the counsel of: Ayers, Rev. Wright and Rezko.
It's been months since you and I decided for whom we would vote. But neither of us will decide the election. The "middle" 20% will. These are the people whom Obama needs to influence and I believe he will be judged by the company he has kept. Can you say, President McCain?

Jim said...

There are still two months to go, and much could happen in that time, but McCain has huge obstacles to overcome: support for an unjust war that has hurt the US economy, military, international influence and killed thousands of people; support for a president who is incompetent, screwing up the economy, energy policy, the Katrina response, the war, the effectiveness of government agencies that regulate food and consumer goods, etc., etc.; and the irresponsible appointment of Sarah Palin to the ticket, sacrificing the national interest to politics.

Any Democrat should win this year, and Obama is an excellent candidate, but his race compromises the situation for some voters and the GOP is a ruthless bunch of thugs who will do anything to win.

Anonymous said...

...and the race card is played... you have your fallback position... game... set... match... for the next eight years you can call us racist opportunists too...

Jim said...

John R...

Why don't you put forward rational argument or well-considered opinion instead of snarky comments? Was my statement incorrect? I have seen polls where voters come right out and say that they won't vote for Obama because he is black, and I personally know voters for whom race is the complicating factor. Do you dispute this?

Anonymous said...

...because snarky and irrational are much more fun...
I believe Obama is in the position he is because of his race... because of liberal white guilt, those of your ilk can assuage their souls by voting for him... while you're frightened by an equally qualified, white, mother of 5 who loves her country and her God... Seriously, Evangelicals scare you but Rev. Wright doesn't?
...I also thought you might address Obama's dealings with Tony Rezko and Bill Ayers (safer to ignore them - right?).
You are right about one thing, any Democrat should win this year... but they've already lost.. and they will have been hoisted by their own petard... affirmative action...

Jim said...

Evangelicals scare me much more than Rev. Wright. Even so, he isn't running for office and Sarah Palin is.

On the subject of affirmative action, I read a piece that noted that John McCain was a poor high school student who was somehow accepted into the Naval Academy, where he was also a poor student but was somehow accepted into the flight program. The explanation? McCain's father and grandfather were Navy admirals. Talk about affirmative action!