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
http://pubs.usgs.gov/wri/wrir82-762/pdf/wrir_82-762_a.pdf
i checked on natural gas drilling in TN and couldnt find any near Mt. Pleasant. The link above is to a water quality study for TN.
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.
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Use the same water. Where I live there is naturally occurring toothpaste chemical in the water. No need to import it from China.
AY:
somebody deleted a post? who would do that?
I guess since the post was about how the government was turning into Nazis and it would be good to kill them before they could reproduce, can we assume the government deleted the post?
Although I thought that post was a bit over the top.
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation deputy director Sherwin Smith is a fraction of a human being.
The folks in Tennessee who through taxes on their earnings and property are supporting the existence of the petty tyrant and cretin known as Sherwin Smith need to stand up and demand his resignation immediately.
Sherwin Smith isn’t a public servant he is a public menace.
Already done….
“I know for a fact that the prof didn’t remove it gene…”
Do you now? Then start complaining.
You’re absolutely correct, I do know where to lodge the complaint…
I know for a fact that the prof didn’t remove it gene…l
OS,
Even if you’re doing the sales job today…. I’m still not buying…. There was absolutely nothing in the delete post that warranted removal….. It’s pure censorship….. I found it offensive…. But… I don’t have to read it….. This is a free speech zone…. Even if you don’t like it… I don’t think you should (someone) remove it…..
AY,
Your assumption is that it wasn’t the Prof who deleted that comment.
Assumptions are not always aligned with fact and that is what makes them risky.
The rules here are few, they comport with the jurisprudence surrounding the 1st Amendment and are reasonable to the stated goals of providing a free speech forum that fosters the exchange of ideas. Rights come with duties. As for the rest, as Vince Treacy was oft to note, Rule #1 is JT makes the rules. Physical threats are against the rules as promulgated. It’s an unambiguous standard. If you don’t think they should be, you know where to address the complaint. If your complaint is about how the blog is administered, you know where you address the complaint.
Kraaken,
No one is being “moderated” per se. Sometimes things get caught in the spam filter. The most common reason for the moderation filter to catch a comment is if one of the four forbidden words are in the comment. I have learned there are a few words in the English language which have one of the forbidden words embedded in the spelling and the moderation filter will snag those. Usually, with the author’s permission, those are edited with some judiciously placed asterisks; however some authors have declined to allow their comment to be edited.
The spam filter seems to be the biggest problem. It has caught a number of my comments. When I click “Post Comment” and nothing happens, it is usually in the spam filter…..but not always. Last Sunday, almost my whole blog post on the Magna Carta simply disappeared when I tried to post. Photograph and all. If you “lose” a comment, please let someone know and they will try to salvage it if possible.
Gotta love this:
Obama program requires federal workers to inform on colleagues
BY MARISA TAYLOR AND JONATHAN S. LANDAY
Star-Telegram Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — Even before a former U.S. intelligence contractor exposed the secret collection of Americans’ phone records, the Obama administration was pressing a government-wide crackdown on security threats that requires federal employees to keep closer tabs on their co-workers and exhorts managers to punish those who fail to report their suspicions.
President Barack Obama’s unprecedented initiative, known as the Insider Threat Program, is sweeping in its reach. It has received scant public attention even though it extends beyond the U.S. national security bureaucracies to most federal departments and agencies nationwide, including the Peace Corps, the Social Security Administration and the Education and Agriculture departments. It emphasizes leaks of classified material, but catchall definitions of “insider threat” give agencies latitude to pursue and penalize a range of other conduct.
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/06/21/4954032/obamas-crackdown-views-leaks-as.html#storylink=cpy
Post by JT:
jonathanturley commented on Guide Dog Trainee Saves Trainers.
in response to Malisha:
Notice: Idealist707 died in Stockholm, June 10. For those who knew him.
I am very very saddened to hear of the passing of Idealist707. I would love to learn more about him if anyone has anything to share.
As for ruffling feathers, I welcome it. This blog is strengthened with differing views. We do not need an echo chamber. While we are generally united in our love for civil liberties and free speech there is considerable variation of views on many subjects that are worth pursuing in a civil fashion. Obviously, I do not like the personal attacks or uncivil comments. Yet, this is a forum dedicated to free speech. We have only banned a couple of people in the history of this blog despite it being ranked as one of the most visited legal blogs in the world according to AVVO. What we ask is that people observe our rule of civility and avoid threats and personal asides. I am the only person who can ban an individual and it takes a demonstrated history of racist or hateful comments or a refusal to comply with our civility rule.
Kraaken,
I maybe alone on this but, I think that removal of a posting should be left up to the professor who also happen to be the blog owner….that’s just my two cents worth….
Kraaken,
I don’t know why either….
I don’t know who is responsible for taking down the objectionable comment….. But Kraaken…. Looks like its gone…. And we are censored as well….
It is kinda like porn…. If you don’t like it… Don’t watch it…. I only paid attention to it because something was said…..
You are most welcome, Kraaken. Relaying the rules is the least I can do for a regular contributor who can pull entire ships full of sailors to their doom.
Just please ignore me next time I go fishing.
Thx, Gene! Didn’t know that!
Kraaken,
The comment was in the nature of a physical threat which is against the civility rule (which roughly comports to the legal exceptions to free speech – defamation, incitement, threats, etc. – plus ad hominem attacks on other posters is discouraged while any challenge/attack to assertions/statements is encouraged).
In general, there is no moderation here but there is that rule and just a few others. There are four blacklisted words (thanks to trollery – b*tch, b@stard, a$$h*le and f**k), a rule against stealing another poster’s identity/impersonating another poster and a rule against revealing personal information about other posters absent consent/protection of the right to anonymous political free speech. All of which are geared toward encouraging the marketplace of ideas while keeping arguments from degenerating into a free for all worthy of 4Chan.
The model encouraged for this community was recently described as “self-moderating” in out of camera discussions.
I think that’s a fair appraisal.