Government spying and the Homeland Security local "task forces"

Gone essentially from my computer for the last several days, I've been busy on some local fronts.  All basically OK with us and, so far, no nearby threatening forest/brush fires.  Whatever the source of the attempted break-into our 'way up home at 1:30 am a few weeks ago, there have been no further efforts.  I arise very early, sometimes about 1 a.m., and I keep my revolver handy.

I found Barack Obama's comments on the NSA etc. et al. government spying situation to be pretty empty.  His history of broken promises is coming close to rivaling the number of U.S.-broken treaties with the Indian nations in the 19th Century.

So far the unfolding revelations about government spying have featured the NSA entity and its vast number of tenacles and the nefarious cooperative activities by IRS and DEA.  Much more is certain to appear.

One area, hardly mentioned if at all, that warrants very close examination, is the grassroots role of Homeland Security.  Recently I wrote this to a quite law-abiding younger friend in another part of the country who had just experienced a mysterious night-time break-into his vehicle.  Nothing was taken but a packet of papers was throughly rifled.  He surmises it might be the Feds.  My response:

"Your reasoning is right on target.  I'd see this as definitely stemming from your commendable stance on several solid issues.  While there is a some Congressional concern and media coverage of the NSA situation, I think the basic answer to your serious event, and to our many years of harassment -- including our postal mail and much more --  have a lot to do with "controversial" civil rights and civil libertarian endeavors.  In our case, it's my whole social justice activist record in addition. (That goes back to early 1955.)  Your situation sounds like the behavior of a local Homeland Security "task force."

So far, there's been little open examination of those very dubious entities.  The local "task force" concept came from Bill Clinton in the latter 1990s: ostensibly secret bodies made up of primarily selected local lawmen and officially focused on guns. The FBI loosely supervised them -- but basically the task forces had and have carte blanche. I am sure that long ago, they began assembling their own local staff persons.  The presence of the task forces was picked up early on by astute people -- including myself -- and then publicly revealed in 2000 at Portland, Oregon.  Portland has a city ordinance that requires local law enforcement to publicly report any outside connections.  It was learned that the task force at Portland was spying on the ACLU, NAACP, and labor unions and much more.  Shortly, FBI admitted that there were 36 task forces around the country.  I am sure there are many more now.  Bush ostensibly dismantled those briefly but, if so, then quickly reinstituted them -- under Homeland Security. Obama has continued them, probably expanding them greatly.  FBI, I am sure, is still much involved.

We've kept a log of these nefarious events, and the log goes back to when we first came here 16 years ago with some mention of North Dakota and planted poison from Mississippi.  You may want to do that.  I'd keep your firearms, except when you have direct possession of them, in your home and avoid revealing their specific location therein.  You've got eagle eyes and likely a fine six sense and all of that is very helpful.  The camera sounds great.  We have floodlights outside.  We also have a big, ferocious dog.

Before long, there may be some Congressional attention to the sorry role of the local task forces and their Federal managers.  We also need plenty of non-violent direct action.

Keep me closely posted.  This is something I know a great deal about -- hard earned experience in dealing with the often crude events stemming from these local operators.  (Hunter)

HUNTER GRAY [HUNTER BEAR/JOHN R SALTER JR] Mi'kmaq / 
St. Francis Abenaki / St. Regis Mohawk 
Member, National Writers Union AFL-CIO

Check out our massive social justice website with much
material on grassroots organizing techniques:
www.hunterbear.org  The site is dedicated to our
one-half Bobcat, Cloudy Gray, and to Sky Gray:
http://hunterbear.org/cloudy_gray.htm
.
See the new expanded/updated "Organizer's Book," 
JACKSON MISSISSIPPI -- with a new substantial 
introduction by me. This book is a full, very detailed 
discussion of the rise and development of the Jackson  
Movement of 1962-63.  And this book is also an organizer's
how-to manual:  http://hunterbear.org/jackson.htm   

And see the related http://crmvet.org/comm/hunter1.htm 
and also "Fifty Years: Remembering Medgar Evers" :          
 http://www.solidarity-us.org/site/node/3876

See the Stormy Adoption of an Indian Child [My Father]:
http://hunterbear.org/James%20and%20Salter%20and%20Dad.htm
(Many photos.)