The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation deputy director Sherwin Smith is warning citizens to think before they start raising concerns about water quality because they could be charged with making terroristic threats. Smith told Maury County resident that unfounded complaints could be considered an “act of terrorism” and turned over the the police and the FBI. The meeting followed complaints about water quality in Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee where children have become ill drinking the water. That left residents with the sense that they were being given a Sophie’s Choice by the TDEC: live with sick children or face a possible charge of being a terrorist.
Smith warned residents “you need to make sure that when you make water quality complaints you have a basis, because federally, if there’s no water quality issues, that can be considered under homeland security an act of terrorism.” One audience member seemed to be in disbelief and asked “Can you say that again, please?” Smtih then repeated the warning.
The residents know something about terror. Joycelene Johns, 68, says that she has had no choice but to drink the cloudy, odd-tasting water for years. She added “I’ll drink it. but I pray before the first sip.”
The comments reflect a fear that the war on terror, like Saturn, inevitably devours its own. Criticism of the government is now viewed as a potentially terrorist act in our new society. The TDEC appears to be paraphrasing Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar: “The fault, dear Joycelene, is not in our water, But in ourselves.”
Of course, the worse thing is if Johns is arrested and water-boarded with the same contaminated water. The least they could do is use some bottled water so not to add insult to injury.
Source: Tennessee
So any criticism of the government can be viewed as a terrorist threat? The framers of the constitution never anticipated that this nation would be willing to curtail freedom of speech and the right to petition the government as a response to some vague fear of terrorism. The police state has arrived
“The comments reflect a fear that the war on terror, like Saturn, inevitably devours its own. Criticism of the government is now viewed as a potentially terrorist act in our new society.”
This is why those who would condone laws abrogating our rights in the name of safety from terrorism are themselves terrorists and traitors. Sherwin Smith is merely stretching the new paradigms a “little bit” further to stifle dissent and presumably cover up his own incompetence. When complaining to ones municipal authorities becomes a “terrorist threat” than citizenship means nothing except do as you are told by your “betters”.
Please follow the link in the blog above to listen to a recording of this that I find chilling. The sound and texture of Mr. Smiths voice would be a bravura performance of a banally evil character in a film. The State Representative who organized the meeting:
“Rep. Butt, who organized the meeting, also was shocked.
“I think that we need to be very careful with how we use the words ‘terrorist’ and ‘terrorism,’ ” she said. “I thought it was out of context. That did not apply to anything that we were discussing at the meeting.”
Butt said the water issue had been marred by “communication breakdowns” by both sides, which wouldn’t be made easier with such inflammatory comments being made.”
Welcome to twenty-first Century America.
Don’t drink the water in TN. Go with the apple flavored moon.
http://www.tn.gov/environment/srf/lpcontacts.shtml
Sherwin Smith, Deputy Director
Division of Water Resources
615-532-0445
sherwin.smith@tn.gov
This kind of abuse of the powers of the GWOT is an insidious cancer on our society (not just in the U.S.) and it better get nipped in the (already blooming) bud or we’re screwed (even worse than we already are).
The Orwellian DHS will probably be utilized for all manner of suppression of the citizenry as this abuse continues. The new National Police Force. Wonderful.
First the animal enterprise protection act, then the AG-GAG legislation now complain about the water, go to prison. The fourth horse of the apocalypse should be along anytime now.
the thing to do is to gather 2 or 3 gallon jugs of water and send them to an independent company outside of Tenn. for an evaluation of the chemical make-up.
The following can be used:
http://www.wtlmd.com/locations-water-testing-maryland-md-virginia-va.php
Or:
STATE CERTIFIED LABORATORIES FOR WATER TESTING
LAB ADDRESS PHONE MISC.
BLUE RIDGE WATER TESTING INC. 332 Pilot Mountain Ln Fancy Gap, VA 24328 540-398-3098 toll free – 888-882-3098
CLEAR WATER TESTING, LLC P.O. Box 6122, 17B West Main St. Christiansburg, VA 24068 540-381-5700
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES PO Box 704 Wytheville, VA 24382 276-228-6464
ENVIRONMENTAL OPTIONS PO Box 879 Rocky Mount, VA 24151 540-483-3920
ESS LABORATORY SERVICES 500 Stone Street Bedford, VA 24523 540-586-5413
MID-ATLANTIC LABORATORIES (by mail) 224 Main St. Suite 1 Port Royal , VA 22535 804-742-5599 to order kits 1-800-928-3710
PROCHEM, INC. 6040 North Fork Road Elliston, VA 24087 540-268-9884 540-268-2755 fax
PROCHEM, INC. 1401 Municipal Rd Roanoke, VA 24012 540-265-7211
SAFE WATER INC. 6580 Valley Center Drive, Box 16 Radford, VA 24141 540-633-6739 540-633-6768 fax
WATER CHEMISTRY 3404 Aerial Way Dr Roanoke, VA 24018 540-343-3618
sorry about the formatting.
If that man is a civil engineer he has violated ethical standards if the water is unsafe for human consumption.
Sec 0120-2-.02 Proper Conduct of Practice
(1) The registrant shall at all times recognize the primary obligation to protect the safety, health and welfare of the public in the performance of the registrants professional duties.
http://www.state.tn.us/sos/rules/0120/0120-02.pdf
the thing to do is to gather 2 or 3 gallon jugs of water and send them to an independent company outside of Tenn. for an evaluation of the chemical make-up.
The following can be used:
http://www.wtlmd.com/locations-water-testing-maryland-md-virginia-va.php
Or:
STATE CERTIFIED LABORATORIES FOR WATER TESTING
LAB ADDRESS PHONE MISC.
BLUE RIDGE WATER TESTING INC. 332 Pilot Mountain Ln Fancy Gap, VA 24328 540-398-3098 toll free – 888-882-3098
CLEAR WATER TESTING, LLC P.O. Box 6122, 17B West Main St. Christiansburg, VA 24068 540-381-5700 web site: http://www.clear creekwater works.com
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES PO Box 704 Wytheville, VA 24382 276-228-6464
ENVIRONMENTAL OPTIONS PO Box 879 Rocky Mount, VA 24151 540-483-3920
ESS LABORATORY SERVICES 500 Stone Street Bedford, VA 24523 540-586-5413
MID-ATLANTIC LABORATORIES (by mail) 224 Main St. Suite 1 Port Royal , VA 22535 804-742-5599 to order kits 1-800-928-3710
PROCHEM, INC. 6040 North Fork Road Elliston, VA 24087 540-268-9884 540-268-2755 fax
PROCHEM, INC. 1401 Municipal Rd Roanoke, VA 24012 540-265-7211
SAFE WATER INC. 6580 Valley Center Drive, Box 16 Radford, VA 24141 540-633-6739 540-633-6768 fax web site : http://safewater.inc.com
WATER CHEMISTRY 3404 Aerial Way Dr Roanoke, VA 24018 540-343-3618
Labs listed above are a sample of local laboratories. The health department has a complete list of state certified labs or visit
sorry about the formatting.
Send Mr. Smith to Washington.
Coop boards in NYC have been doing this for years.:). But seriously, the side of government that helps people and builds roads and schools has atrophied while the militaristic police power side has boomed, grown and expanded its powers with the full approval of our leaders. Any criticism of government is terrorism. Oh, America!
Further proof that we need to restore sanity back into our government. Fascism is hijacking it at all levels
Maybe Mr. Smith should be educated about the following federal statutes:
Title 42 U.S. Code 14141 (Pattern & Practice of public corruption),
Title 18 U.S. Code (sections 241-245).
This is the best medicine for this particular ailment!
Say what… Is this 1933 and information commands are issued from Berlin….
Orwell’s “truth is treason in an empire of lies” seems to be more fitting each passing day.
I have never trusted our local water. There’s a chemical plant in town and they’re always drilling test wells. We’ve had bottled water used for drinking and ice cubes for 25 years. The city and state say in annual reports the water “Meets Federal standards.” On this I go w/ the X Files credo, “Trust no one.”
Presumably the same would apply to concerns about airborne pollution, pollution of waterways, etc.
If I were a resident there, I’d join with other residents to get an independent report on the water.
So when you’re forced to drink fracking waste-water, don’t complain. Welcome to a by-product of our police state. i’m sure it’ll continue in this vein, since there is little to no “push back” or action from the sheeple over the past at least three elections that have done anything to affect the detrimental corporate agenda and government take-over.
The entire city should write complaints and send a copy to newspapers, that fabulously Nazi sounding Dept of homeland Security, AND president Obama. This suggestion is no more stupid than the original threat of terrorism.
Dag, more off-the-cuff lawmaking. Is this a new phenomena ? Don’t complain, otherwise will treat you like a terrorist? Jeez!