Abu Ghraib in Beantown

Submitted by Bill St. Clair on Wed, 28 Jul 2004 12:00:00 GMT

# Matthew Williams at boston independent media center - Second Day of Protests, July 26th - they pulled off the Abu Ghraib in Boston protest theater piece. Also reports of a couple of other protests.

# soldier at boston independent media center - Morning Action at Free Speech Pen - a more detailed description of the hooded protest at the "free speech zone".

Here is the text that was read at the action this morning. More info can be found at www.saveourcivilliberties.org.

Begin statement:

We are gathered here today in solemn and silent protest at the incarceration of pro-democracy demonstrators in the barbwire cage known as the DNC "Free Speech Zone."

The extremist crackdown by the US government on civil and political freedoms in the wake of 911 and the war on terror ushers in the age of a "Guantanamo Bay/Camp X-Ray" approach to marginalizing grassroots movements. It is the latest in a series of harsh actions taken to constrain the world of ideas and alternatives by fences, walls and wire.

What does it mean when Boston, a city built on the history of revolutionary dissent, builds a barbaric confine for people who want to express their freedom?

Why do the Democrats remain mute while this assault on democracy occurs in the shadow of the Fleet Center itself?

From Abu-Ghraib to Camp X-Ray, Guantanamo Bay to the streets of Boston: Is this what democracy looks like?

# I received a notice in the mail from Bank of America that my Fleet accounts will be switching soon to Bank of America because of their merger. Let me tell you what I know of mergers. I had a BayBank account for over ten years when I lived in Boston, including a credit card. When I moved to upstate New York, I opened a checking account at the local Norstar Bank, a nice local bank with local management. I took out a signature loan to pay for my house (cheap house, leased land). Norstar was acquired by Fleet, who refused to renew my signature loan. I opened a line of credit from First Aggie Bank, another local operation. First Aggie was acquired by Bank of Boston, and my line of credit went with the acquisition. Then Bank of Boston merged with BayBank to become BankBoston, and my BayBank credit card and Bank of Boston line of credit moved there. Fleet acquired BankBoston. My credit card moved to Fleet and my line of credit became a home equity loan (but without any equity contracted away), that being the only label Fleet could put on my line of credit. And now the whole kit and caboodle is moving to Bank of America. Whew!

# Mary Kay Kare at Gallimaufry - It's gotten even worse - roll your eyes at a Taking Scissors Away goon, get threatened with a visit by his supervisor, who can declare you hostile and forbid you to fly. [lrtdiscuss]

# John Antczak of Associated Press via Yahoo News - SpaceShipOne's Rutan Seeks $10M Prize - first launch: September 29. Second launch: October 4 or soon thereafter. [claire]

The SpaceShipOne craft that cracked the commercial space flight barrier will be launched in September in a bid to win the $10 million Ansari X Prize, pioneering aviation designer Burt Rutan announced Tuesday.

The prize is being offered for the first privately developed, three-seat spacecraft to soar beyond an altitude of 62 miles and repeat the feat within two weeks.

# Charley Hardman - keeping and bearing arms, SW style - the drill Mr. Hardman has gone through in Arizona after telling the cop at a traffic stop that he has a handgun in the car. [saltypig]

As you probably know, Az. is less restrictive than most states in this regard. In the last decade I may have been pulled over 4-5 times- tho' not cited any of those times. About the 3rd. question they ask now- uniformly- is whether one's armed, carrying 'splosives, drugs or any other such nonsense. Sooner or later I'm gonna' learn, but til now I've always acknowledged that I had a firearm in the vehicle. On one occasion this was of no consequence to the officer- and he went back to do his radio or computer check. This changed once the supervisor arrived- and we got to go thru the whole procedure. Ofc. Friendly takes said item from holster handling it as if it were some new life form and proceeds to demonstrate that he doesn't know how to unload a single-action. Meanwhile, we're in a convenience store lot near where I lived-- the whole damn community gets to see my car along with 2-3 units w/ lights flashing-- and they're waving around a hogleg for all to see. Too--each time they've handed me the rounds and told me not to reload til they've left! In the meantime--they've unloaded your gun and recorded the serial #--thanx!

I posted the following comment:

Sounds like time to start excercising your right to remain silent. Packing.org's Arizona and New Mexico pages say that neither state mandates informing a police officer that you're carrying. Alternatively, you could slow down so you wouldn't get stopped, but that makes for mighty slow going out in them big western states.

# GeekWithA.45 - Fort Boston - some photos of the sekurity force in Boston and commentary on the coming elektion. [geekwitha.45]

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Quotes

Government doesn't work. Never did. Never will. Can't. But there are lots of good people. Love them.

-- Bill St. Clair

The Atlanta Declaration

Every man, woman, and responsible child has an unalienable individual, civil, Constitutional, and human right to obtain, own, and carry, openly or concealed, any weapon -- rifle, shotgun, handgun, machinegun, anything -- any time, any place, without asking anyone's permission.

-- L. Neil Smith

Reread that pesky first clause of the Second Amendment. It doesn't say what any of us thought it said. What it says is that infringing the right of the people to keep and bear arms is treason. What else do you call an act that endangers "the security of a free state"? And if it's treason, then it's punishable by death. I suggest due process, speedy trials, and public hangings.

-- L. Neil Smith

A Penalty Clause for the Bill of Rights

Any official, appointed or elected, at any level of government, who attempts, through legislative act or other means, to nullify, evade, or avoid the provisions of the first ten amendments to this Constitution, or of the Thirteenth Amendment, shall be summarily removed from office, and, upon conviction, deprived of all pay and benefits including pension, and sentenced to imprisonment for life.

-- L. Neil Smith

Based on 253 journal articles, 99 books, 43 government publications, and some of its own empirical work, the panel couldn't identify a single gun control regulation that reduced violent crime, suicide or accidents.

-- John Lott, commenting on the National Academy of Sciences report on gun control laws.

Who is a libertarian?

Zero Aggression Principle ("Zap")

"A libertarian is a person who believes that no one has the right, under any circumstances, to initiate force against another human being, or to advocate or delegate its initiation. Those who act consistently with this principle are libertarians, whether they realize it or not. Those who fail to act consistently with it are not libertarians, regardless of what they may claim."

-- L. Neil Smith

(Formerly called the "Non-Aggression Principle", or "NAP")

Why Did It Have to be... Guns?

Make no mistake: all politicians -- even those ostensibly on the side of guns and gun ownership -- hate the issue and anyone, like me, who insists on bringing it up. They hate it because it's an X-ray machine. It's a Vulcan mind-meld. It's the ultimate test to which any politician -- or political philosophy -- can be put.

If a politician isn't perfectly comfortable with the idea of his average constituent, any man, woman, or responsible child, walking into a hardware store and paying cash -- for any rifle, shotgun, handgun, machinegun, anything -- without producing ID or signing one scrap of paper, he isn't your friend no matter what he tells you.

If he isn't genuinely enthusiastic about his average constituent stuffing that weapon into a purse or pocket or tucking it under a coat and walking home without asking anybody's permission, he's a four-flusher, no matter what he claims.

What his attitude -- toward your ownership and use of weapons -- conveys is his real attitude about you. And if he doesn't trust you, then why in the name of John Moses Browning should you trust him?

-- L. Neil Smith

Concise

"Tell me," I was once asked, "What do you think about gun control? Give me the short answer." To which I replied, "If you try to take our firearms we will kill you."

-- Mike Vanderboegh

Also from The Atlanta Declaration:

... like going to the bathroom, breathing, eating, sleeping, or making love, it turns out that self-defense is a bodily function one cannot safely or effectively delegate to a second party.

-- L. Neil Smith

This does not mean that "Marijuana should be available by prescription." It means that morphine sulfate should be available in five pound bags at the supermarket for a couple of bucks, like sugar... but probably in a different aisle, to avoid confusion.

-- Vin Suprynowicz

If you refuse to pay unjust taxes, your property will be confiscated. If you attempt to defend your property, you will be arrested. If you resist arrest, you will be clubbed. If you defend yourself against clubbing, you will be shot dead. These procedures are known as the Rule of Law.

-- Edward Abbey

The state can only survive as long as a majority is programmed to believe that theft isn't wrong if it's called taxation or asset forfeiture or eminent domain, that assault and kidnapping isn't wrong if it's called arrest, that mass murder isn't wrong if it's called war.

-- Bill St. Clair