our tax dollars at work
 

http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RA.../coloring.html

i wonder if this really happened

The Sabotage Of Legitimate Dissent
The Black Panther Coloring Book

This is but one horrific example of the tactics used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to stifle legitimate dissent and violate the civil rights of political groups that the administration dislikes. Along with the anti-war movement, the Nixon White House targeted the civil rights movement for disruption, using on-campus informants to infiltrate and in many cases to disrupt legal protests and activism.

This coloring book, which was purported to be from the Black Panthers, had actually been rejected by them when it was brought to them by a man later revealed to have intelligence connections. Not to be troubled by the fact that the Panthers found the coloring book revolting, the FBI added even more offensive illustrations, and mass mailed it across America. It so infuriated the white population that they stopped listening to the legitimate grievances of the black people.

While it can be argued that such an action did not technically violate the right of the Black Panthers to free speech (even as it sabotaged the willingness of the people to listen), it is apparent than such a divisive act violated the right of the people, black and white, to peacefully assemble.

At the time, I asked my parents if it didn't seem odd to have a book purported to be by blacks for black children mailed to a white household, but I was outvoted in what was a functionally democratic household. But heck, most of us still thought Oswald acted alone then as well.

I had thought the actual coloring book lost forever, relegated to a mere footnote in the Congressional inquiry into COINTELPRO, when the wonder that is the internet brought it into the light again.

It doesn't surprise me if it did - but I never heard about, and it sounds kinda doubtful.

One flaw I see in the historical reporting here is it didn't take a coloring book to stop the white people from listening to the concerns of black people back then. The Black Panthers came into power BECAUSE the white people weren't listening to the concerns of black people. :confused: I don't know of any white groups who worked with and supported the Black Panthers - do you?

I remember reading some articles about the Black Panthers that were very sympathetic; perhaps enlightening is a better word.

I also know that overall the movement was not understood or seen as having any useful purpose by many white people.

I know that the federal government uses many means to stiffle dissent, that if there were really freedom of expression, they would not.

When I was writing constantly about abuse by the IRS, and then President Clinton was going to be in Albuquerque, the White House called the local mental health people to come to my house and get me and put me in a mental ward so that I would not go to Albuquerque. :eek: (That is what the mental health people said.)

Luckily the police officer did not think I sounded unbalanced and he would not act for them.

That afternoon I had a court hearing which I won. In those days I was still able to think on my feet, and I was able to relate what had happened. The judge said he would not let them take me away, either, because he was "The Court" and they could not take me without a court order. I those days I didn't realize that the judge at a hearing was referred to as, "the Court."

So, I thank cloudz for the post. Thank you, Cloudz!

sounds like a story id hear on this radio show

http://www.thepowerhour.com/past_shows.htm

Hi Clouds z,

Yes, people don't like to believe things like that, but not recognizing them allows their incidence to increase... and at what point does that incidence include the people who ignored it when it was happening to others.

****
In terms of China... I think Burnett was slamming Wal*Mart as opposed to saying anything useful about China.

In reality, our country poisons thousands every year with e.coli in vegetables and meat, and with dangerous drugs that are approved by the FDA so that the companies, in which Bush's family holds significant stock, can profit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Weaver#Ruby_Ridge

the government seemed to act nuts in this case and yet weaver shouldnt have vowed to fight so i blame both sides maybe

weavers story is they set him up and later gave him a court date that was the wrong date so he showed up i think and they said wrong day, so he decided to just drop out of society and ignore them

they said he cut a gun shorter by a quarter of inch i think than whats legal

he was a white separatist, not really overtly against blacks etc i dont think-althogh he did attend some ayran nations meetings who are pretty much nuts

the jury ruled in his favor but i dont think they sent them to jail

mexico did the same in 1968 i think and slaughtered 500 students

Re Ruby Ridge:

Yes, but then Gerry Spence took the case and won Weaver a lot of money.

I met Spence once when I worked at La Posada here in Santa Fe, and he said I could come to Wyoming and stay at his place, but... when I wrote to him he sent me his form letter....

Spence is a powerful attorney who wrote a book about how he said he could get anyone off for murder, even if they'd threatened to commit the murder and then did it in front of witnesses. And, he did exactly that.

I just got goose bumps writing that, given my recent experience with lawyers and courts.