terrorism

Hello friends -

This week on Chicago Public Radio/Public Radio International's This American Life, they debuted a story on Brandon Darby, the infamous RNC snitch. It's the second story in the show; it focuses on Brandon going from Katrina "hero" to informant. TAL is pretty liberal, and has been good to the cause before, so it's disappointing how apologetic it is toward Brandon. It's also pretty horrible how they glaze over activist theories in a way that put them down (i.e. "diversity of tactics" at around 39 minutes).

The FBI today revealed its latest marketing campaign with the arrest of four easily manipulated dupes recruited at a New York mosque.  Special Marketing Expert, Robert Fuller of the FBI, expertly concluded a year long project to induce a collection of disaffected mentally disadvantaged anti-Semites into an attempted act of terrorism.  Keeping with FBI post 9/11 marketing policies, all weapons and explosives used in the feigned attack were harmless duds, in contrast to their marketing event of September 11, 2001, wh

Update 11:30AM: Your county prosecutor/DFL2010 contender sez: MPR: http://tinyurl.com/df3r6p

The terrorism law, enacted by the 2002 Minnesota Legislature, provides longer sentences for felony crimes that involve premeditation and violence to persons or property and which are intended, among other things, to intimidate the public and disrupt the right of lawful assembly. In this case, however, the state's Sentencing Guidelines provide for stayed prison sentences with jail time, fines and other sanctions as possible conditions of probation. Thus, the defendants would not face longer prison sentences if convicted under the terrorism sentencing enhancement.

Huzzah! [Updates to follow] Minnesota Independent posts this morning: Breaking: Terrorism charges against RNC Eight will be dropped By PAUL DEMKO 4/9/09 9:58 AM @ http://tinyurl.com/freernc8

The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office is preparing to drop terrorism charges against the so-called RNC Eight, according to a source close to discussions about the high-profile prosecutions. The group of activists, who have been accused of a criminal conspiracy to disrupt the Republican National Convention, will still face felony charges of criminal conspiracy to riot and damage property.

This means that the defendants will no longer be subject to a possible 50-percent enhancement in their prison sentences if ultimately convicted of the charges. The RNC Eight (pictured) are believed to be the first defendants ever charged under the Minnesota version of the federal PATRIOT Act.

The decision to reduce the charges comes as the terrorism prosecutions have received heightened scrutiny from the media. It also comes as the calendar for Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party gatherings gets crowded, including a debate for gubernatorial candidates next week at St. John’s University. Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner is hoping to win the party’s backing for governor and has been receiving criticism from party activists for the prosecutions.

In the time of Moses, Egypt was a dictatorship ruled by an absolute ruler: The Pharaoh.  Over the course of time, before the time of Moses, many tribes had been drawn to Egypt.  It was a thriving Kingdom.  Like the Egyptians themselves, many of those who came to settle in Egypt became slaves.  Slave or not, all were subject to the Pharaoh.  It was the Pharaoh who made the laws.

About 90 people came to Cowles Auditorium on the University of Minnesota's West Bank last Thursday to hear journalist and activist Will Potter speak about the "Green Scare" and the use of terrorism laws to silence political activists. Potter is an independent journalist who authors GreenIsTheNewRed.com and earlier in the day spoke at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul.

Potter was introduced by Dallas Rising of the Animal Rights Coalition, who told of how her organization was targeted in a terrorism investigation last year by the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office. The organization only found out about the investigation after being contacted by a Pioneer Press reporter, she said, and the "investigation" as she knew it mostly consisted of pages from the ARC website, including a nonviolence pledge and articles about animal abuse. The targeting of such groups shows that state and corporate interests "are trying to destroy the entire animal rights and environmental movement," not just underground groups, said Potter.

Related Video: Will Potter on the Green Scare and RNC 8

I remember a time when protesting was not a form of terrorism. To the minds of a people brainwashed by Fox News since the events of 9/11/2001, this claim may be shocking. Yes, there was a time when an American could stand in the street with a sign and protest the government's actions without being considered a terrorist. Perhaps we were naive back then? I held signs and marched against things like U.S. Intervention in El Salvador and the first Gulf War. Maybe I was a terrorist and didn't know it?

Last Friday a buddy of mine had an exhibition of his photography from travels around the world. He had some great work and it instilled in me a desire to improve my skills with the camera. Since I don’t have the budget, currently, to travel to Peru and Chechnya, in order to expand my portfolio, I decided to snap some photos locally. I grabbed my camera (a Canon S3is) and hopped on my single-speed bicycle, with the intent of taking photos along the river and Victory Memorial Parkway.