Sedition? Okay, this IS scary

Parent Cafe
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<p><a href=“http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001995631[/url]”>http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001995631&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Nurse Investigated for ‘Sedition’ After Writing Letter to Editor </p>

<p>By E&P Staff </p>

<p>Published: February 11, 2006 9:00 PM ET </p>

<p>NEW YORK Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) has asked Veterans Affairs Secretary James Nicholson for a thorough inquiry of his agency’s investigation into whether a V.A. nurse’s letter to the editor criticizing the Bush administration amounted to “sedition.” </p>

<p>Merely opposing government policies and expressing a desire to change course “does not provide reason to believe that a person is involved in illegal subversive activity,” he said. Bingaman said such investigations raise “a very real possibility of chilling legitimate political speech.” </p>

<p>Laura Berg, a clinical nurse specialist for 15 years, wrote a letter in September to a weekly Albuquerque newspaper criticizing how the administration handled Hurricane Katrina and the Iraq Wwr. She urged people to “act forcefully” by bringing criminal charges against top administration officials, including the president, to remove them from power because they played games of “vicious deceit.” She added: “This country needs to get out of Iraq now and return to our original vision and priorities of caring for land and people and resources rather than killing for oil…Otherwise, many more of us will be facing living hell in these times.”</p>

<p>The agency seized her office computer and launched an investigation. Berg is not talking to the press, but reportedly fears losing her job.</p>

<p>Bingaman wrote: “In a democracy, expressing disagreement with the government’s actions does not amount to sedition or insurrection. It is, and must remain, protected speech. Although it may be permissible to implement restrictions regarding a government employee’s political activities during work hours or on government premises, such employees do not surrender their right to freedom of speech when they enlist in government service.” </p>

<p>He said he wants the matter investigated so V.A. officials will have guidance about handling similar situations in the future. </p>

<p>Berg signed the letter as a private citizen, and the V.A. had no reason to suspect she used government resources to write it, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, which last week asked the government to apologize to Berg for seizing her computer and investigating her. </p>

<p>V.A. human resources chief Mel Hooker had said in a Nov. 9 letter that his agency was obligated to investigate “any act which potentially represents sedition,” the ACLU said.</p>

<p>Peter Simonson, executive director of the ACLU of New Mexico, told The Progressive magazine: “We were shocked to see the word ‘sedition’ used. Sedition? That’s like something out of the history books.”</p>

<p>In a press release, Simonson also said: “Is this government so jealous of its power, so fearful of dissent, that it needs to threaten people who openly oppose its policies with charges of ‘sedition’?”</p>

<p>E&P Staff </p>

<p>So, if you write you want Bush out, be warned, they WILL come after you</p>

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<p>He knows when you are sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been good or bad
so be good for goodness sake…</p>

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<p>yep, as good as his little republican friends are</p>

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<p>Oh this poor country…when a 6-year old can be accused of “sexual assault”…when a grade-school kid’s essay can get him investigated by Secret Services…when an ordinary adult can be harrassed and have her job endangered because of a letter to a newspaper…we live in scary times.</p>

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<p>notice how NO driver, fundingfather, etc have any comments…that is telling</p>

<p>even they can’t think this is okay</p>

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<p>Nah, I for one will ignore all your posts that are mere cut and paste jobs. </p>

<p>Ignoring you does not amount to a tacit approval; it simply means that I ignore you and your post.</p>

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<p>So when you write to a newspaper you get more results than writing to the President??? I wrote a rather lengthy letter to the President last May thoroughly criticizing our embargo on Cuba. Among other complaints, I noted that we trade with every other communist country and that virtually every country in the UN has denounced our embargo. I got a polite nothing in the form of a short letter from his office this August. :mad:</p>

<p>Then again, I didn’t tell him he needed to be removed from power. :rolleyes:</p>

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<p>I cut and pasted an article…it was the way to do it, so I wouldn;t get accused of plagerism or picking and choosing something to skew the article, something you Xiggi, have never ever done</p>

<p>once again XIGGI, ignore the issue and blast me…so typical of you</p>

<p>XIGGI XIGGI XIGG, can’t even look at the issue I see, attack the messenger once again and ignore the topic</p>

<p>So for you Xiggi, a summary, a nurse who works for the government wrote a letter to the editor of a paper saying that Bush should be removed from office,not killed, but removed, her computers were taken, her hose searched, her friends interviewed and she is afraid to say much because she is afraid of losing her job</p>

<p>that help you?</p>

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<p>CGM, you see, we live in a post 9/11 world. The woman who wrote the critical letter should be happy that she’s merely being investigated for sedition, not thrown into a camp as a security risk. All Right-thinking citizens will approve.</p>

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<p>Hey, she could have been “RE…”, oh, whatever that word is, “Re-edited”, I think that to utter the word can lead to very great trouble…</p>

<p>What about Clinton?</p>

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<p>"I cut and pasted an article…it was the way to do it, so I wouldn;t get accused of plagerism or picking and choosing something to skew the article, something you Xiggi, have never ever done</p>

<p>once again XIGGI, ignore the issue and blast me…so typical of you"</p>

<p>CGM, your attack is wasted on me. </p>

<p>However, as a long term member of this forum, allow me to TELL you that is NOT the way to do it. Here are the rules to follow when trying to avoid copyright violations. </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>You must have an Guardian Angel on CC … with wide wings.</p>

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<p>Again Xiggi, you ignore the reason for the post and go after me…mymymy</p>

<p>So you have no comment whatsoever regarding the nurse who wrote a letter?</p>

<p>Your attacks on me are your way of ignoring some real events that are happening and people are discussing. If you want to keep critisizing how I post, go for. I could care less. Making it personal is your way of not talking about an issue.</p>

<p>The nurse wrote a letter, and was investigated, her home searched, her computers taken, her friends questioned, for writing a pretty tame, but pointed letter. I find that wrong.</p>

<p>Guess you don’t, but at least admit that out loud instead of constantly going after my style.</p>

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<p>Rotten break for the nurse…sounds like a girl-scout got pinched by a knucklehead-flatfoot. </p>

<p>Nice to know; thanks for sharing.</p>

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<p>Not just pinched, just imagine, if they came after you for writing something in your school paper…just imagine that</p>

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<p>[“pinched” is hipster chic–circa 1930–for arrested, not for a cheeky pass]</p>

<p>Anyhow, happens all the time; just not by the federal flatfoots but rather by our liberal-administration-flatfoots: Including a good beating. It went to court; The Review won (sorry).</p>

<p>Do a google.</p>

<p>I have had my own unwarranted run ins with fellas who claim to be liberal apparatchiks of the Dems…just intimidation…no actual beatings (they do it because they care–god love 'em). Comes with the territory…a guy named Thoreau wrote a book about it…a long, long time ago; no need to look it up.</p>

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<p>Still, I think Citygirlsmom has a definite point here. This IS scarey. And I don’t believe it “happens everyday”. Things are definitely looking a bit more Orwellian as a by-product of our efforts to prevent another 9/11. The fact is, some in positions of authority have used THE WAR ON TERROR (monolithically speaking) as an excuse to allow the “Little Benito” to come out in them. Our system of checks and balances is still functioning adequately as evidenced by the fact that the ridiculous case against this woman was thrown out in review. But only the most diligent oversight will prevent the wholesale removal of our most basic civil liberties. The fact that this particular canary in the mines didn’t actually die (merely passed out) shouldn’t foster a mere shoulder shrug.</p>

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<p>“V.A. human resources chief Mel Hooker had said in a Nov. 9 letter that his agency was obligated to investigate “any act which potentially represents sedition,” the ACLU said.”</p>

<p>If I disappear from cc, I hope someone will consider inquiring where I am. </p>

<p>(AND will also take up my question: What about…:))</p>

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<p>I’ll write another letter to the president on your behalf. Of course, be prepared to wait another 8 months for them to respond… :p</p>

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<p>Xiggi, I am surprised–trying to dodge the post. BS about copyrighted material.</p>

<p>Why not either remain silent or just say something like; “even though I am a conservative and love President Bush loyally, the government might have gone too far with this nurse.”</p>

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<p>I met Jeff Bingaman today!!! :D</p>