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What constitutes "suspicious activity" in Missouri

Yes, to the folks who made comments on my recent post on Missouri citing third-party bumper stickers as potential evidence of militia membership, I am fully aware that Alec Jones at PrisonPlanet is ... nuts.

But so, apparently, are some of the folks in the Missouri Information Analysis Center.

Before you access their Terrorist Tip Page to turn in your neighbor, you might want to download their open source document on how to recognize suspicious behavior.

Some of the things you might want to rat out your neighbors for are pretty routine for law enforcement:

* Attempts to enter secured or sensitive premises or area without authorization (i.e., “official personnel,” closed off areas of airport, harbor, secured areas at significant events such as appearances by politicians, etc.).

* Attempts to smuggle contraband through access control point (airport screening centers, security entrance points at courts of law, sports games, entertainment venues, etc.).

* Attempts to acquire sensitive or restricted items or information (plans, schedules, passwords, etc.).


Others, however, go a bit further off the deep end of the surveillance state mentality:

* Pursues specific training or education which indicate suspicious motives (flight training, weapons training, etc.).

* Stockpiles unexplained large amounts of currency.

* Engages in suspected coded conversations or transmissions (email, radio, telephone, etc., i.e., information found during a private business audit is reported to police).

* In possession of, or solicits, VIP Appearance or Travel Schedules.

* In possession of coded or ciphered literature or correspondence.


Let's break these down:

Flight training or firearms training is now de facto evidence of suspicious intent? Funny, in most cases it has to do with people getting a new job, taking on a hobby, or planning to defend yourself.

Taking money out of your 401K and stuffing it in your mattress is now de facto evidence of suspicious intent? Last I checked, I didn't have to explain to the law why I wanted to keep any amount of cash in my house.

Wanting to know when the President is coming to town is now de facto evidence of suspicious intent? This would pretty much make journalists all the objects of suspicion, not to mention the 50,000 people who turned out in Delaware or the 2 million who turned out in Washington DC to watch Barack Obama....

Fantasizing that you might be able to crack the Beale code is now de facto evidence of suspicious intent?

Intelligence-gathering is all about patterns--I know that. But what has been lost in Missouri and throughout the rest of the country is a sense of proportion and a general respect for either privacy or civil rights.

If I followed Shirley's example and went to one of Delaware Patriot's pistol classes, followed by making an application for a concealed carry permit, according to MIAC (and the Department of Homeland Security, for that matter), I am engaging in suspicious activity that warrants both informing the government and potentially having them investigate me.

We know that this mentality leads to law enforcement agencies conducting clandestine (and even illegal) surveillance of completely peaceful individuals and groups. It already happened in Baltimore.

The surveillance state has been privatized, as well.

So here's my point: crackpots like Alec Jones in possession of real documents sometimes function as canaries in a coal mine or blind squirrels finding nuts.

And if that causes us to look a bit closer at MIAC or DHS, and how they are subtly reshaping the contours of American life, I'm OK with that.

Comments

Bowly said…
You're a better man than I am for following up on this. I confess that I can't overcome the initial negative impression. But if you say there's something there, I'll keep reading.

I think I'm certainly among the more deontological Rothbardians among your regulars (and would wager that I'm #1), and I'm therefore cognizant that I should be careful about labeling something as "out there."
Anonymous said…
A Jonesian once came upon my old blog circa 2004 (apparently via I link to them I made in a post calling them out for their nuttery) and quickly became a hateful troll.

His most consistent comment was that *I* couldn't be taken seriously because ... I read comics!
Anonymous said…
I listened to Alex Jones last night. No matter what you think of the guy, he really is the canary in the coal mine. What blew my mind were the callers who had contacted the Missouri Police Dept. to verify if the "alert was true". Capt. Hull (Police) didnt deny it. Anyone with a Ron Paul bumper sticker can be pulled over. Any person carrying the Consitution are suspicious. Huh!

This morning I put my pocket copy of the Constiution in my pocketbook. Call me nuts!

They are blaming this on militia groups who are supposedly forming, as if Ron Paul had called on them to do it. Its a ruse my friends.

Alex Jones has a new movie, the Obama Deception. Its a real eye opener. I hope Obama's policies work cuz I want to live a decent life in my old age, and want my kids/grandkids to live under a nation where the Consitution is still the rule of law.

I believe this economy will continue going down the tubes and the banksters/gangsters and multi nationals are at fault. Why arent we focusing on making sure they are jailed for their treasonist activities. So, if they believe we wont have a recovery and we slide into a full blown depression, and the people wake up and hit the bricks, they will have a plan for us. There is a reason why those Fema camps are at the ready. Some on the left and on the right believe there will be riots this summer, which will bring on martial law. Bush threatened it and put this in place. This is not a right/left shuffle...this is about "we the people", having the courage to remain patriotic and standing on the Consitution. Glen Beck, Hannity, Oreilly, and many in the extreme right of the republican party are in my view, treasonists. Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinch both calling for nationalizing the Federal Reserve. There is middle ground here, lets not get hooked up with the extremes on both sides.

Liz
Call me nuts!

Liz, you should know better than to offer people that kind of encouragement.

:)
Anonymous said…
Bob Barr has come a long way from CIA agent to terrorist leader.
Anonymous said…
Glen Beck, Hannity, Oreilly, and many in the extreme right of the republican party are in my view, treasonists

Imagine that. For their SPEECH!

Typical contemporary "progressive" for 'ya.

Liz, you should know better than to offer people that kind of encouragement.

Yeah, after all, if Beck, et. al. should be arrested for treason, Liz should have been locked in a padded cell years ago.

But hey, maybe that's just the "Zionist" in me talking! ;-)
Anonymous said…
Here's a new website for police and military who plan to OBEY the Constitution and not the false government of by and for the banksters...

http://oath-keepers.blogspot.com/

Please check it out and refer friends - especially those who've taken the oath to defend the Constitution from ALL enemies. Actually, they explicitly state that they WILL NOT OBEY certain orders. I think I hear the thunder of horses off in the distance....

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