Justin Hallman, 16, wanted to show how the United States is turning into a police state. He succeeded all too well in not only receiving an A+ in his American Government class but also allegedly a visit from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) confirming the very premise of his film posted on YouTube (below).
Hallman is a civil libertarian who supports Ron Paul, criticized an array of measures including the National Defense Authorization Act, crackdown on free speech, and attacks on the hacktivist group Anonymous. I have raised many of the same concerns, but I never got the interest that Hallman appears to have generated from the good people at the FBI.
Hallman’s house was promptly visited by two FBI agents, according to Hallman and his mother. The teenager stayed inside the door and refused to answer the door. His mother later called and was told by the agents that “We need to talk to your son.” They came back to the house and said that they wanted the teen to work for the FBI as an informant and spy on others, particularly Anonymous. He says that the agents closely questioned him about his support for Ron Paul as well as a conversation he once had with his teacher about the Illuminati secret society.
I have tried to find a response from the FBI denying the underlying facts of the boy’s account. If this visit occurred, I would have hoped to see a response on the conduct of these agents in allegedly seeking to turn a high school student into an informant or investigating such a film (including apparently interviewing his teachers).
Bron, Feingold was the only senator.
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/09/gop-congressman-appears-white-nationalist-radio-show Speaking of Ron Paul, one of his buddies that wants to impeach Obama appears on a white nationalist show.
Didnt Ron Paul vote against it as well?
There had to be more than just one democrat who voted against it?
Bron, The only candidate to vote against the Patriot Act was defeated in 2010. Russ Feingold was defeated by a tea party republican.
Isn’t there some kind of law about attempts to corrupt a minor that could be enforced against these two agents?
Yeah, I know … I know.
Wouldn’t it have been great if he’d filmed it all and stuck that up on YouTube! Since they were inside his home I don’t think he would have been breaking any legitimate laws … as opposed to illegitimate ones LEs makeup on the fly.
why cant we eliminate the DHS? And rescind the Patriot Act?
What is the problem? Almost every single person I know, except for a very few, wants the DHS disbanded and the Patriot Act done away with. Why do they both still exist?
Why hasnt a politician run on a platform of disbanding them? I would vote for a socialist democrat who would make that his reason for running.
Malisha,
There have been terrible failings in this nation since it’s inception. There have also been times when more people were brought under the protection of the rule of law. At this time, the Constitution is a piece of toilet paper with which the vast majority of people wipe their butts. They’re proud to do so.
Without forgetting the past you point out, building on that knowledge of past injustice, we have only right now to change the injustice of the present. We actually could restore parts of the rule of law which were in effective not 9, not even 2 years ago. We should go much further in making this nation be for justice and we should do so.
Malisha,
The Constitution? September 10, 2001.
The rule of law though has been on shaky ground for quite a while. The attack on it has been pretty much perpetual since the ratification but this is to be expected. As Andrew Jackson noted early on, “I weep for the liberty of my country when I see at this early day of its successful experiment that corruption has been imputed to many members of the House of Representatives, and the rights of the people have been bartered for promises of office.” The forces of tyranny are always hacking away at the rule of law. Like rust, they never sleep.
Roger
That WAS a submittal for Joke of the Day, right?
Gene H, the only single word I can possibly take issue with is “restore.”
When did we have them? [Feel free to go as far back in time as you like]
The visit sounded better in the original German.
Repeal the Patriot Act.
Disband the DHS & TSA.
Prosecute domestic war criminals no matter who they are.
Restore the Constitution and the rule of law.
Roger,
Check out this idea: “…all people fed up with lying candidates, can take to heart the truth (repeated endlessly by Zinn while he was alive and by Chomsky until he dies) that our power to challenge unaccountable power does not come from voting “for one fool or the other,” but from living lives of resistance, and organizing for direct action to get what we need. The fact that they allow us to vote does not mean we give up direct claims for justice in every other arena of life.
This means personal risk! It’s not “safe” like voting for selected candidates. Insert Frederick Douglass quotes: “Power concedes nothing without a demand… Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them… The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress…” “Those who profess to favor freedom, and deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning.”
We can wait for candidate Godot, or we can work our whole lives to make our world into something that works for us, and to hell with the competing “presidential candidates” who want to be the face of the ruling oligarchy.”
It is a wholly different approach. We don’t need any candidate to win but we do need to act together for the common welfare.
This comment was by webwalker on CD.
I’m very much saddened that Ron Paul didn’t make it. He was my only hope to restore our freedom.
Wait…everyone doesn’t get such visits after posting political criticism???
War on Whistleblowers, Democracy & Enlightenment: US Authoritarianism’s Rapid Institutionalization Unstoppable? http://theglobal99movement.blogspot.com/2012/07/21st-century-american-authoritarianism.html
Bron,
I agree, except it may already be too late. The idea of turning one young person against another is exactly like the things I was told as a child were wrong–you know, things the Soviet Union did!
shut down the department of homeland security now, before it is too late.
Interesting bit of propaganda the kid produce, like so much of the Paulistas work much more heat than light. I think these guys would be a lot more effective if they worked with the actual reality instead of Illuminati fantasies and disjointed violent images
like fight club the first rule of police state is you don’t talk about police state
WOW exactly how Ruby Ridge started…and when he refused to be a informant they set up a sting to get him arrested, and then when he didn’t go to court, they surrounded his place.
Ended up killing his 15yr old kid & wife!
Watch your back kid….
And you think “Person of Interest ” is just a tv show….. The government has ways of tracking you that you haven’t even thought of yet…….