If your kid's in colleged, the feds might visit you.

By AARON NICODEMUS, Standard-Times staff writer

NEW BEDFORD -- A senior at UMass Dartmouth was visited by federal agents two months ago, after he requested a copy of Mao Tse-Tung's tome on Communism called The Little Red Book.
Two history professors at UMass Dartmouth, Brian Glyn Williams and Robert Pontbriand, said the student told them he requested the book through the UMass Dartmouth library's interlibrary loan program.
The student, who was completing a research paper on Communism for Professor Pontbriand's class on fascism and totalitarianism, filled out a form for the request, leaving his name, address, phone number and Social Security number. He was later visited at his parents' home in New Bedford by two agents of the Department of Homeland Security, the professors said.
The professors said the student was told by the agents that the book is on a watch list, and that his background, which included significant time abroad, triggered them to investigate the student further.
I tell my students to go to the direct source, and so he asked for the official Peking version of the book, Professor Pontbriand said. Apparently, the Department of Homeland Security is monitoring inter-library loans, because that's what triggered the visit, as I understand it.
Although The Standard-Times knows the name of the student, he is not coming forward because he fears repercussions should his name become public. He has not spoken to The Standard-Times.
The professors had been asked to comment on a report that President Bush had authorized the National Security Agency to spy on as many as 500 people at any given time since 2002 in this country.
The eavesdropping was apparently done without warrants.
The Little Red Book, is a collection of quotations and speech excerpts from Chinese leader Mao Tse-Tung.
In the 1950s and '60s, during the Cultural Revolution in China, it was required reading. Although there are abridged versions available, the student asked for a version translated directly from the original book.
The student told Professor Pontbriand and Dr. Williams that the Homeland Security agents told him the book was on a watch list. They brought the book with them, but did not leave it with the student, the professors said.
Dr. Williams said in his research, he regularly contacts people in Afghanistan, Chechnya and other Muslim hot spots, and suspects that some of his calls are monitored.
My instinct is that there is a lot more monitoring than we think, he said.
Dr. Williams said he had been planning to offer a course on terrorism next semester, but is reconsidering, because it might put his students at risk.
I shudder to think of all the students I've had monitoring al-Qaeda Web sites, what the government must think of that, he said. Mao Tse-Tung is completely harmless.

Contact Aaron Nicodemus at anicodemus@s-t.com

• If your kid's in colleged, the feds might visit you. - American Woman
  • Correction -- *College* (nm) - American Woman

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...that already has an airport!

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/25/federal-government-funds-new-million-airport-alaska-town-residents/

Never think that you've seen the stupidest waste of our money by the government. There's something even dumber coming tomorrow.

Next time you make some colossal blunder at work, here's your excuse:  "I was rushed".  Apparently, that's good enough for the feds, who have sent around 10,000 checks to dead people...some of whom were never even in the Social Security system.  Wonder where they're getting the names?

Of course, we knew that the fraud, abuse and waste would be gargantuan since the government has never been able to handle our money without fraud, waste and abuse.

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/your_money/consumer/090514_Dead_People_Get_Stimulus_Checks

the entire thread beginning with:

I try not to visit the bog of eternal stench. Funny though...sm

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Posted By: Nan on 2005-06-30,
In Reply to: Obviously they are not happy - American Girl

And Ending with:

Frankly, AG, they kind of give me the creeps. sm

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Posted By: Nan on 2005-06-30,
In Reply to: Man, Am I good or what? - American Girl

    The following was copied from the website:

Operation Truth is a non-profit 501c(4), non-partisan veterans' organization that seeks to amplify the soldiers' voice in the American public dialogue. Paul Rieckhoff, a First Lieutenant in the Army Reserves, founded Operation Truth in June 2004, only months after he returned from a year-long tour in Iraq. As of January 2005, Operation Truth represents well over 300 OEF/OIF veterans, and has over 26,000 supporters.

This web site is a real eye opener.