Seriously. They think that a 22-year-old wannabe journalist who doesn’t even have the motivation to get a better-paying job is a threat, because she made some off-color comments about Hillary Clinton in her blog.
But the problem is that the comments were made three months ago. Homeland Security, you’re slacking. You need to keep up-to-date with these things! In three months someone (not me) could have already done the deed! Step up, stop relying on Google searches!
I’m just messing around. Mostly I’m amused. The guys were just doing their job, of course, but it amused me highly, really, it did.
That was easily the highlight of my week. I lead a sad life.
Every time I hear about crap like this, I have visions of Soviet Russia. I just can’t believe that Americans have allowed their nation to deteriorate to that degree.
Yes, seriously. They pulled me out of work for about 45 minutes to interview me. They nicely let the interview take place outside so I could smoke.
Hillary Clinton was here, at my workplace, in February, for some sort of political function. I work at a newspaper, so this isn’t a huge issue, except that I had to record her speaking for our Web site, which means I was about five feet away from her. I was so mad because I loathe her and because I was in a professional capacity, I couldn’t say what I feel to her without getting into trouble.
So after it was done, I went to my livejournal and vented about it and how much I hate her. Three months later, Homeland Security woke up my dad. I don’t even use the livejournal anymore, and neither do I live with my parents! They’re seriously slacking, is all I’m sayin’.
Thanks for making my point. Getting visits from ‘Homeland Security’ is a bizarre concept to someone who lives in a genuinely free nation. That you brush it off as no big deal is exactly what I’m talking about. I’m shocked.
You’re welcome. But please note that I did not “brush it off as no big deal,” I confined myself solely to your post, which was and is a laughably ridiculous over-reaction. Read for comprehension, once your shock wears off.
Jodi - This really is a big deal. The guy told me, after the interview, that if he had the slightest idea that I might think that killing Hillary Clinton is a good idea, I’d have been arrested so fast I couldn’t even spit. Just for thinking it. Yeah, it’s a big deal. I resent being taken out of work by two government agents, despite the fact that they were nice, because of something I wrote on a blog three months ago, and I resent people thinking it’s alright to question perfectly innocent, law-abiding citizens simply because of what they think politically. Because of one off comment three months ago, I am now going to be watched by Homeland Security for a few years and may have trouble getting onto airplanes. Yeah, totally not overreacting, my country has traded liberty for security. :rolleyes:
And treis - Like I said, I was ranting. I don’t know exactly what I said, but a paragraph had the word “gun” and “Hillary Clinton” in it, so they freaked. shrug
Now, like I said, I don’t resent those two guys; they were just doing their jobs. And they were really nice, and mostly the whole incident just amuses me, but I know that life from now on is going to be interesting at best, and very annoying no matter what.
I never said it wasn’t a big deal. I can certainly see how you would resent it. I am very surprised that an investigator would have told you that you would be arrested for anything you might think, as opposed to advocate publicly – and those are two different things. I’m surprised you were told you would be “watched” for any length of time, and I’m surprised you were told you would have trouble flying.
BUT I think Quiddity’s initial post, based on your OP – which did not include the information you have now given us – was incredibly stupid. And one thing this free country allows us to do is say what we think – so long as we’re not advocating violence against public figures.
So don’t take my response to her to be a response to you because it wasn’t. Although it is worth noting that we still don’t know what you said in your blog that would have prompted a visit from HS.
I’d just like to take this opportunity to say: Hi, Homeland Security! I think you’re doing a great job, and thanks for continuing to keep an eye on tashabot’s internet activities. Please don’t think badly of the folks here at the SDMB, and keep in mind that, if Comrade Jodi ever advocated the overthrow of the American government here in the past, it was surely meant entirely in jest. Best wishes, and God bless America!
P.S. tashabot, seriously: why not write Hillary Clinton and see if she has anything to say about it? That’s what I’d do. Of course, I also enjoy poking wasps’ nests with sticks. But maybe this is your big opportunity to work out your issues with Senator Clinton, and you both realize that maybe you’re not so different from each other after all, and then you both wind up taking a madcap cross-country road trip to Las Vegas!
Wow. That kinda freaks me out. It freaks me out because it is obvious to me that regular citizens are totally at the mercy of what the government wants to do.
Being eyeballed as suspicious could turn into a nightmare, and what is your real recourse? At the time you said those things, you were probably under the impression that you were a decent law abiding citizen who hadn’t done anything wrong. Hell, I think that all the time. I also have thoughts sometimes that wouldn’t be viewed as entirely savory by the current administration…or any administration that I’ve lived under for that matter.
As a regular Joe, what are you supposed to do to fight it? Being incensed and rending garments over these things aren’t going to ever get you left alone if you’re a target, so how do you fight it? Do you just give up and say it isn’t a big deal? Do you just hope that a militia in Montana will fight the battle for you? If you don’t shut up about it, they can make your life more difficult if they want.
By “they” I guess in this case I’ll use the homeland security investigators as an example. I’d hate to use the nebulous “they” because someone will call me on it, but I don’t think it stops with that particular arm of the government.
Well, the OP is being a bit coy. She says that one paragraph had the word “gun” and “Hillary Clinton” in it. But she’s too bored to actually tell us exactly what she said.
So I assume she said something on the order of: “Hillary Clinton is lucky I didn’t have a gun when she came to my workplace”, except she doesn’t want to tell us that, because it would make her look bad.
Threatening people with violence isn’t cool, even if they’re Hillary Clinton.
Pshaw. That’s how you know they’re lying to ya. It takes them a lot longer to get out the cuffs than it does for you to hock one in their face. He was just messin’ with you.
But honestly, Hillary Clinton just kinda creeps me out. I stay out of the political debates about her because honestly, I think she’s going to wind up President and there’s not much I can do about it. But you know the weird neighbor that looks weird and stays inside all the time, who everyone thinks is a child molester, or the kid in school everyone thought would shoot it up, how you always got those weird, creepy vibes from certain people? I get that from Hillary Clinton. Not so much that I think she’s going to shoot up a school or something. Just a really intense bad vibe. Last time I got a vibe that bad was when I called a coworker of mine and told him I couldn’t hang out with him that night. Later on he killed a guy here in town and is now in prison. So I just generally tend to go with these gut feelings.
Oh oh oh. I remember what I said. I said in my livejournal that if she got elected President she’d probably get shot within a few hours of taking her oath, because she’s a minority. Except I’m not sure if I put the minority part in, which makes it seem a little more reasonable to be freaked out about. But still; it’s a livejournal and I was obviously venting, and if the people in question had read more of the livejournal, they probably would have realized I wasn’t a threat. I was on rifle team in school and I sucked so bad that Sgt. Major gave me my varsity letter out of pity. Also, I’m way too lazy to be instigating political assassination. Crude stick-figure comics are more my style.
Were you asked to cooperate? Were you given the chance to have an attorney present? What would have happened if you refused their request for the interview?
I don’t believe that it’s been either a secret nor a recent event that anyone who makes threats on the life of a high ranking government official is investigated. I’m not sure what the surprise is. In the Line of Fire was a pretty well known movie, among other things, so this should be something that the general populace is aware of, let alone by a reporter.
That’s not a threat; a threat is… no, on second thought, forget it. What she’s described is venting, not a threat. Fortunately for us, the Homeland Security folks are reading our diaries, and they can’t take any chances. They’ll let us know what it’s okay to think about - and how can you not trust them?
I get that, but there’s a difference between a threat and an offhand comment, and the problem I’m having is that they can’t differentiate between the two. The guy told me that what I did could be construed as a federal offense, and I told him that no, it wasn’t a federal offense, it was freedom of speech as I didn’t directly threaten her, nor did I intend the message to be threatening. If I had a Web site up saying “EVERYONE SHOULD KILL H.C.,” I’d get the paranoia, but I didn’t. And literally, that was maybe the second time I’d mentioned her in the blog ever. I just don’t get involved in political debate often; I stand up for what I believe in and stay out of the debate because all it does is raise my damn blood pressure.
And I’ve never seen that movie, but even then I take everything I see in movies with a grain of salt. And I’m not a reporter, thanks.
