Saturday, July 09, 2005
Who, indeed?
Who's Watching the Watch List?
By John Graham, AlterNet. Posted July 7, 2005.
Graham tells about an incident where he tried to catch a plane to visit relatives. His ID was put into the computer and he finds he's on the "national terrorist No Fly Watch List" and that he's on the list of people "who posed, or were suspected of posing, a threat to civil aviation or national security."
I am reminded of the following poem.
By John Graham, AlterNet. Posted July 7, 2005.
Graham tells about an incident where he tried to catch a plane to visit relatives. His ID was put into the computer and he finds he's on the "national terrorist No Fly Watch List" and that he's on the list of people "who posed, or were suspected of posing, a threat to civil aviation or national security."
....So how hot does the water have to get? When the feds can rifle through your library reading list? When they can intimidate journalists? When a government agency can keep you off airplanes without giving you a reason? When there's not even a pretense of due process? We're not talking about prisoners at Guantanamo; this is you and me. Well, after last week, it sure as hell is me and it could be you, next....
...In all the press about identity theft, I find myself railing at having my identity as a patriot stolen--by my own government. This must not stand.
I am reminded of the following poem.
First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.
by Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945
