DC checkpoint plan latest 'police state' tactic: CouncilmanNick Juliano

DC checkpoint plan latest 'police state' tactic: CouncilmanNick Juliano
Wednesday June 4, 2008

Over the last few months, city officials in Washington, DC, have instituted an array of tactics that has civil libertarians fearing the nation's capital is looking at the Bill of Rights as little more than a suggestion.

The latest proposal from DC's mayor and police chief would have officers patrolling Soviet-esque checkpoints limiting residents' ability to travel to and from targeted neighborhoods. The plan was reported Wednesday in The Examiner:

D.C. police will seal off entire neighborhoods, set up checkpoints and kick out strangers under a new program that D.C. officials hope will help them rescue the city from its out-of-control violence. Under an executive order expected to be announced today, police Chief Cathy L. Lanier will have the authority to designate “Neighborhood Safety Zones.” At least six officers will man cordons around those zones and demand identification from people coming in and out of them. Anyone who doesn’t live there, work there or have “legitimate reason” to be there will be sent away or face arrest, documents obtained by The Examiner show.

A city councilman who represents some of the affected neighborhoods -- in the District's northeast quadrant -- was cautiously optimistic about the proposal's potential to "crack down on ... open-air drug markets." But the local lawmaker, Harry Thomas, did express worries about DC "moving towards a police state."

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/DC_checkpoint_plan_latest_police_state_0604.html

"As you know, we republicon homelanders are merrily continuing to send billions upon billions of your hard-earned tax dollars to Iraq for (smirk) Nation Building. Consequently, we have no money for nation building in America outside the Green Zones where our fatcat republicon cronies are busily counting up their oil, munitions & mercenary profits. Smirk.

"Therefore, allow me to mouth the republicon Kompassionate Konservative propaganda Talking Point of the Day: 'too bad about you noisy American proles. Now sit down and shut up. Smirk."

- Commander AWOL

Who the people holding the guns work for.

DC has changed for the worst, thanks to Bush and his war on people

Almost sounds like they're creating the Warsaw Ghetto, DC style. Or they are creating a "Green Zone" as Spiral Hawk suggests.

but that's never stopped the fascists.

Whereby they set up on a busy street, or even the interstate, and stop EVERY vehicle that passes, looking for state revenue, drunks, and of course, fodder for the phony "war on drug$." I thankfully haven't seen those now for quite some time.

This is the city with a Democratic mayor and city council doing this.

Not the federal government. Thanks for playing.

I don't recall anything like this taking place in DC during the Reagan/Bush years.

If you haven't noticed.

but thanks.

Cop: What's your reason for wanting to enter this neighborhood?
Subject: I want to go sit on that bench and read a book.
Cop: Not a legitimate reason; beat it.