Here's a Homeland Security story...

[TreasonousBastard]

that won't make the news, but should scare the crap out of us. And piss us off.

The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America is among the good guys. Decidedly anti-war and anti-Administration, they hold a "peace camp" every year.

This is part of an email exchange over an incident on the way to the camp:

"Every year, BPFNA creates a new banner for our peace camp, designed with the logo of the theme for the year in question. Each year we hang the new banner front and center where we gather for worship during peace camp and the other banners elsewhere on the walls. We've had 20 years of existence and 19 years of peace camps. We should have 19 banners, but we don't. We have 18. This year's banner, "The Stones Will Cry Out," is in the hands of U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft's minions at the Chicago Terminal Security Authority. "

<...>

"Franklyn was informed that our banner and his luggage was being held by TSA as a potential security threat and that he was to show up at their Midway offices this coming Tuesday (27 July 2004) for a hearing as to whether the banner will be returned or destroyed. (Potentially, they could also decide to hold Franklyn without bail, lawyer, etc., under the mis-named "U.S.A. PATRIOT Act.") When Franklyn tried to find out over the phone just what about our banner TSA found so threatening, the man on the other end of the phone cursed him and threatened to put the banner in a shredder without waiting for a hearing if Franklyn didn't just shut up and do as he was told without asking impertinent questions! (Can you say, "police state?"


It turns out that the banner was made of Kevlar, which set off the alarms.

So, OK, some of the reaction to this may been been getting on the hysterical side, and it's not as bad as some seem see it, but it is still scary as all hell. Is it the material or the message, or both, that is bending TSA out of shape? Do we all have to worry that an alarm will go off and a peace button will get them on us?

Is this poor guy now in a database for the rest of his life?

[7th_Sephiroth]

1. last i heard

kevlar (body armor atleast) was illegal co cops can have a better chance at killing people for minor things