SF cell shutdown: Safety issue, or hint of Orwell? Aug 14, 7:30 AM (ET) By TERRY COLLINS
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - An illegal, Orwellian violation of free-speech rights? Or just a smart tactic to protect train passengers from rowdy would-be demonstrators during a busy evening commute? The question resonated Saturday in San Francisco and beyond as details emerged of Bay Area Rapid Transit officials' decision to cut off underground cellphone service for a few hours at several stations Thursday. Commuters at stations from downtown to near the city's main airport were affected as BART officials sought to tactically thwart a planned protest over the recent fatal shooting of a 45-year-old man by transit police. Two days later, the move had civil rights and legal experts questioning the agency's move, and drew backlash from one transit board member who was taken aback by the decision. "I'm just shocked that they didn't think about the implications of this. We really don't have the right to be this type of censor," said Lynette Sweet, who serves on BART's board of directors. "In my opinion, we've let the actions of a few people affect everybody. And that's not fair."
Similar questions of censorship have arisen in recent days as Britain's government put the idea of curbing social media services on the table in response to several nights of widespread looting and violence in London and other English cities. Police claim that young criminals used Twitter and Blackberry instant messages to coordinate looting sprees in riots.........................>>>>............................>>>>...........................http://apnews.myway.com/article/20110814/D9P3R3MO0.html
BART is part of a government operations. So much for freedom and democracy folks. We all knew it has been gone for a long time but now they have no problems being out right blatant.
This should scare the $ out of people across the country but nope bet we will lay down and just take it.
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And with all this talk of 'supposed' foreign internet hackers.........don't be surprised if the internet suddenly 'crashes' before the presidential election. Citizen journalists are the 'only' threat to the 'system'!!! Perhaps they/we will be labeled terrorists.
Far fetched? Perhaps. We'll see!
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. -James Madison
Charges of sedition will be the next threat to internet bloggers. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ron Paul’s liberty and small government philosophy and rhetoric will start being considered seditious, especially if Ron Paul supporters begin to get more and more visibly frustrated with the media blackout. They will be considered radical enemies of the state, and the government media complex will attempt to crush them.
It is my opinion that the blackout by the media is a provocation, in hopes of a Paul supporter doing something out of frustration that the media can latch onto to further marginalize them and “crazy” or “fringe”.
A newspaper is a device for making the ignorant more ignorant and the crazy crazier. ~ H.L. Mencken Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard. ~ H. L. Mencken The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary. ~H. L. Mencken
WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE! OMG I HAVE CHILDREN AND AS A MOM I AM DEEPLY OFFENDED THAT YOU WOULD NOT SUPPORT ANY SAFETY REGULATION THAT PROTECTS CHILDREN. God, you individuals make me so upset when I see political vendettas against authuorty and good government take any precedence against the health and well-being of children and families who could be at risk in such circumstances! I am sorry to ventilate my upset feelings but as a mom I am passionate about safety. PLEASE RE-THINK! GG
Why question what the right political leaders have said? Is it the tea party again pulling the strings on the puppets? Or is it Sarah, or is it Michelle? I know the memos are out and they are attacking the very safety of our families.
In the face of a potential threat against a public transportation system or any public or private facility --- I expect my government to take swift and appropriate action to deter it --- such as jamming all cell phones.
“And yet our opponents tell us not to interfere with abortion. They tell us not to impose our morality on those who wish to allow or participate in the taking of the life of infants before birth. Yet no one calls it imposing morality to prohibit the taking of life after a child is born. We’re told about a woman’s right to control her own body. But doesn’t the unborn child have a higher right, and that is to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?” – Ronald Reagan
WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE! OMG I HAVE CHILDREN AND AS A MOM I AM DEEPLY OFFENDED THAT YOU WOULD NOT SUPPORT ANY SAFETY REGULATION THAT PROTECTS CHILDREN. God, you individuals make me so upset when I see political vendettas against authuorty and good government take any precedence against the health and well-being of children and families who could be at risk in such circumstances! I am sorry to ventilate my upset feelings but as a mom I am passionate about safety. PLEASE RE-THINK! GG
I wouldn't expect a mother to think that the world was keeping her kids safe...... that would be dangerous, every animal knows that.....basics,,,,dont let them ever remove the basics otherwise you have no foundation....
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE! OMG I HAVE CHILDREN AND AS A MOM I AM DEEPLY OFFENDED THAT YOU WOULD NOT SUPPORT ANY SAFETY REGULATION THAT PROTECTS CHILDREN. God, you individuals make me so upset when I see political vendettas against authuorty and good government take any precedence against the health and well-being of children and families who could be at risk in such circumstances! I am sorry to ventilate my upset feelings but as a mom I am passionate about safety. PLEASE RE-THINK! GG
GG, thinking about this is what people do. Imagine there was something going on and you were on BARTand you needed to check to make sure your children were ok, but you couldn't. Would you still be in favor? What if you had one of those phones that let's you track your family members, and you're checking it to make sure your children were on their way appropriately, then their service is cut off and you couldn't know where they were. Still in favor? I unserstand your concern, but sometimes, you need to look at things from all angles, not just the one you think is most appropriate. Many people forget this many times.