Kelly writes “Two uniformed men strolled into the main room of the Little Falls library in Bethesda, MD one day last week and demanded the attention of all patrons using the computers. Then they made their announcement: The viewing of Internet pornography was forbidden.
The men looked stern and wore baseball caps emblazoned with the words “Homeland Security.” The bizarre scene unfolded Feb. 9, leaving some residents confused and forcing county officials to explain how employees assigned to protect county buildings against terrorists came to see it as their job to police the viewing of pornography. For more: See The Washington Post“
Enforcing Sexual Harassment Laws
Ah, another well-intentioned idea that slowly turns into a nightmare. Next up, hate crimes enforcement.
It is a testament to the dysfunction of government employment that these two individuals have not been fired but have been reassigned.
Hee-larious
I would have laughed at them. I’m sure I would have thought it was some college kids playing a prank.
Re:Enforcing Sexual Harassment Laws
The fact they were reassigned instead of fired implies another scenario beside government incompetence: rather a trial balloon, an experiment, to see how far government security/thugs can be extended into the face of the public before it rebels. They would have fired these guys if they were acting on their own, but instead, they were taking orders. Wouldn’t be fair to fire them if the latter. More of these kinds of events or permutations thereof can be expected all around the US as time goes on. Like I’ve said in other posts here, the water in the pot is getting warmer and warmer, the tyranny is getting closer.
Re:Hee-larious
It does seem like street theatre or some sort of prank. How bizarre!
Re:Enforcing Sexual Harassment Laws
Your comment, Kelly smacks too much of conspiracy theory; it violates Occam’s Razor. Although, for the life of me, I honestly can’t figure out how these two bozos took it upon themselves to decide their duties included acting as porn police under sexual harrassment policy. For that matter, I do have to wonder how badly briefed they were that they did not have a clear understanding of their assignment. That does tend to be in keeping with government incompetence following the example set by the Bush regime, however.
In any event, the reassignment was probably just due to routine disciplinary action.
Re:Enforcing Sexual Harassment Laws
Fang, fang, with all do respect, your explanation “smacks” of wishful thinking. At another time in our history if this happened, I’d probably agree with you about the incompetence.
In any case, if I am right about this, you will be seeing more and more of this stuff happening. And I just heard on the news tonight the “wonderful” efforts to put up federal money to train bus drivers and truckers to spot “terrorists.” I am certain after they declare the “success” of this program, they will draft many other categories of workers, e.g., taxi drivers, mailpersons, teachers, maybe even – egads – librarians! And then did you hear about this week the Houston police chief who seeks to have cameras put into people’s HOMES, monitoring them?
Illegal conspiracies happen all the time, so much so there are even laws created to deal with it. I never understand people who think even the slightest mention of a conpsiracy, especially when there is plenty of evidence for it, *always* and automatically warrants utter condemnation, invoking even the violation of almost cosmic principles (e.g, occam’s razor). The only way I can figure out this Pavlovian phenomena is that it is very useful for sparing those who invoke condemnation of conspiracy the effort of thinking or/and merely seeing clearly what’s right before their face.
Re:Enforcing Sexual Harassment Laws
Oh, you will be seeing more of this stuff, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s due to a conspiracy. Not yet. As I point out in several comments I make at my web site about U.S. government violations against civil liberties: a command will take on the characteristic of its commanding officer. Let’s face it: Bush is the worst president ever, and is so in large part because of the people surrounding him. At the moment, however, actions by civil authorities — such as this one and the one you mentioned from Houston — are still isolated incidents. They are merely following the example set by their “leadership”, but not following directives. There is no co-ordination just yet; although the trend in that direction is building momentum.
Because conspirarcy theory is the result of sloppy thinking. It is also a hallmark of the right-wing itself. The concept of the homosexual agenda and liberal press are conspiracy theories. Bush’s lies about Iraq and the WTC attacks are conspiracy theory. Conspiracy theories stem from misinterpretations or distortions of the data.
There is a conspiracy afoot, but it is still centered in the presidency and certain — not all — elements of the American right-wing; the elitist elements. People like the two gung-ho, butt heads from the library are not party to that conspiracy. They are merely cannon fodder who are expected to fall into line. They are dupes, not recruits. And many of the so-called conspiracies to which you allude are not deliberate and wilfull efforts to violate laws protecting civil liberties, they are merely the result of well-intentioned stupidity.
Re:Enforcing Sexual Harassment Laws
But Fang, it is part of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy , trust me it is. I’ve been sending my check (or cheque) in every month to support it.
We also want to repeal the 22nd Amendment.
There now the cat is out of the bag. I’ll probably have to give back my decoder ring.
Re:Enforcing Sexual Harassment Laws
Sorry, mdoneil, but there is no Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy, just a bunch of uncoordinated nuts doing their best to screw everything up for everybody. (Some of whom are on the ultra-left wing, BTW.) It’s a social movement. As for repealing the 22nd Amendment, the 25th will go first.