Thanks to a long-time listener and frequent emailer for turning me on to this little story in DC.
According to the story, the police were setting up “safety zones” in the Trinidad neighborhood of the district.
That initiative, which involved setting up a checkpoint in and out of the Trinidad neighborhood, drew criticism for the American Civil Liberties Union, some council members and other groups.
Isn’t this akin to what we’ve been doing in Baghdad? And weren’t there civil liberties questions raised about it there? Are we really turning into Russia?
Back to the email; the writer said, “The Mayor of Lockport could take this as a precedent to have a barricade around Lockport so that those pesky blacks from Niagara Falls and Buffalo could be screened out. Then the police department could give up the ruse of a traffic stop.”
Mayor Tucker had previously said something along the lines of increasing traffic stops coming into the city as a means of finding out who’s coming here (paraphrased).
In case you can’t tell – the writer is being sarcastic with the “pesky blacks” comment, referring to a previously filed complaint by the NYCLU against Lockport PD, alleging racism. At the time, NYCLU said “driving while black” appeared to be a crime here.
On that note, Lockport Police Chief Larry Eggert will be a guest on Dialog on June 18th. Remind me to ask him whatever became of that NYCLU complaint.
Back the Washington … for further proof that DC is turning into a police state, check out this story about a TV reporter who was doing a story at Union Station about photographers being hassled by secururity … who was hassled by security while interviewing an official from AMTRAK.