My Country Fought the War on Terror and All I Got Was This Crummy Police Surveillance
Emboldened and perhaps inspired by the Patriot Act, the Sheriff's Department in Fresno, California launched a bold strategy to infiltrate shadowy organizations. Using an alias, Deputy Aaron Kilner joined a suspicious local group and attended their meetings and rallies, all the while jotting notes about the cell's inner workings. He even grew long hair and a goatee to move more freely among this sketchy element. Kilner's cover was eventually blown after he died in a motorcycle accident, and his photo accompanied his obituary in the local paper. The spy was revealed. When the infiltrated organization cried foul, the Sheriff issued this statement:
The department will continue to utilize legal methods for collecting, evaluating, collating, analyzing and disseminating criminal intelligence of terrorist and organized crime organizations to accomplish its mission, while respecting the rights of all persons.
And just what was this "terrorist and organized crime" outfit that required the government to spy on its own citizens? The group is Peace Fresno, who according to the Los Angeles Times are a "mix of retirees, teachers, college students and social workers." Foremost among their threatening activities are holding a monthly protest against the war at a busy intersection in Fresno. Membership is open to anyone willing to pay the twelve buck fee.
So let's review: in Fresno County, publicly expressing a political opinion that dissents from the ruling party is now tantamount to terrorism, and grounds for secret police surveillance. Sounds alarmingly like what used to go on in the Soviet Union. Is this the way of life with which we hope to lead and inspire the rest of the world?
Peace Fresno, along with the ACLU, has filed a civil lawsuit against the Sheriff's Department and a complaint with the State Attorney General. According the Times, the department will neither confirm nor deny whether or not their officer was a spy, and claims that it has no files on Peace Fresno, and no policy requiring officers to keep their notes.