Helen Shibut
Does
the government suspect that you might be a terrorist?
When
the United States passed the USA PATRIOT Act following the September 11th
attacks, it empowered the states to create “fusion centers” to collect information
on citizens who the states suspect might be involved in terrorist activity. The
fusion centers coordinate with the CIA, FBI, and Department of Homeland
security to keep an eye on suspicious individuals. So what exactly can get you
a file at one of these centers?
Adam
Schwartz of the ACLU looked through some reports from different states’ fusion
centers. In Maryland, people who oppose the death penalty are scrutinized. In
Missouri, Ron Paul supporters and people who dare to have the popular “Don’t
Tread on Me” flags outside their homes are considered possible domestic
terrorist threats. Here in Virginia, all it takes is involvement in one of the
state’s historically black colleges, because the fusion center considers them
such institutions dens of dangerous radicalism.
I
looked at the Virginia Fusion Center website to see if I could find out about
any specific files. I didn’t have much luck. When I opened the page, a video
entitled “Cost of Freedom, Fighting Terrorism” started playing at the bottom of
the screen, complete with ominous music and images of terrorist attacks. The
video explained how the PATRIOT Act emerged in an attempt to alleviate
citizens’ fear of terrorism. The website told me how to submit a Suspicious
Incident Report if I noticed any of the “7 Signs of Terrorism.”
Ironically,
several of the “7 Signs” pointed to the fusion center itself as a domestic
terrorist threat. Here are the signs that point to this threat (these are taken
directly from the Virginia Fusion Center website!
)
-“Surveillance: Recording or monitoring activities. May include drawing diagrams, note
taking, use of cameras, binoculars or other vision-enhancing devices or
possessing floor plans or blueprints of key facilities.”
-“Elicitation: Attempts to obtain operation, security and personnel-related information
regarding a key facility. May be made by mail, fax, e-mail, telephone or in
person.”
-“Acquiring Supplies: Attempts to improperly acquire items that
could be used in a terrorist act. May include the acquisition of explosives,
weapons, harmful chemicals, flight manuals, law enforcement or military
equipment, uniforms, identification badges or the equipment to manufacture
false identification.”
-“Suspicious Persons: Someone who does not appear to belong in a
workplace, neighborhood or business establishment due to their behavior,
including unusual questions or statements they make.”
Perhaps
I should be worried—according to the website, it sounds like a potential
terrorist organization could be compiling a secret file on me!
In
all seriousness, the fact that our government identifies organizations and
people that conduct surveillance on innocent people and try to find out details
about their personal lives as suspicious, but sees no problem with performing
these activities itself, is a little creepy. If our government discovered that
China or Russia had a similar program, it would attack them for gross
violations of civil liberties. Regardless of your political affiliation or
whether you engage in any peaceable activities that the government might frown
upon, all freedom-loving Americans have a responsibility to stand up to their
government when it gets out of hand. That means protesting irresponsible
government spending, poorly thought out wars, and perhaps most of all,
violations of civil liberties and privacy. A government that spies on its own
people is a government not to be trusted.
