Our “American Hats”

John McCain asked his fellow Republicans to “take off their Republican hats and put on their American hats” while calling for a postponement to the start of the Republican convention, set to begin tomorrow in St. Paul, due to hurricane Gustav.

Senator McCain should perhaps be asking the FBI, Minneapolis police, and the Ramsey County Sheriff to take off their police thug hats and stop harassing and detaining American citizens.

A friend, who lives in Minneapolis, alerted me to a series of raids carried out over the weekend by Ramsey county sheriff SWAT team with the assistance of FBI agents.

At least four homes were entered, computers, personal journals, and political pamphlets seized while occupants were handcuffed and forced to lay on the floor. Repeated demands to see a search warrant were apparently ignored until the heavily armed officers left.

Dozens of people were also handcuffed, photographed, and detained at a public venue and meeting place for an organization called the “Republican Welcoming Committee” for “fire code violations”.

There were no reported illegal acts nor has there been any evidence proffered by any source that I could find of any conspiracy to commit any illegal acts.

It appears nothing more than an abridgment of the constitutional rights of left-wing dissidents intent on carrying out their once-guaranteed freedom of speech and assembly.

Where is the Outrage?

Any American should be concerned when they see such tactics used, but little is being reported on this, save for the links below.

We all hope for the safety of those in Gustav’s path, but there is perhaps an even larger storm brewing in this country, one that has been gaining strength for some time. And it is one for which we must not evacuate but meet head-on.

George Bush and Dick Cheney have done much to eviscerate American principals, and too many have gone along for too long, either through agreement, ignorance, or apathy.

We are left with a police state in Minneapolis on the eve of the nominating convention of the party that has given us eight years of national tragedy. What’s next?

We’re losing America and too few seem to care.

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http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/08/30/police_raids/index.html

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/08/31/raids/index.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/us/politics/30arrests.html?_r=5&adxnnl=1&oref=login&adxnnlx=1220227363-HMM8kJ4X/w6BmkQQfgYDeA

http://www.minnesotaindependent.com/6158/breaking-food-not-bombs-house-among-saturday-raids