Following FEMA's Zombie Preparedness Plan Could Land You On Terrorist List 527
colinneagle writes "As if warning a zombie apocalypse is imminent, FEMA hosted a webinar for its Citizen Corps encouraging emergency planners 'to use the threat of zombies — the flesh-hungry, walking dead — to encourage citizens to prepare for disasters.' The problem is many of those recommendations would have you do things that would flag you as a possible terrorist according to The DOJ's controversial 'Potential Indicators of Terrorist Activities' guidelines. From the article: 'Don't be silly by thinking you must actually break the law before cops deem you a potential threat and report you. Paying with cash comes under numerous "you might be a terrorist if" lists. Whatever you do, stocking up on non-perishable food as the feds advise should not include buying "meals ready to eat" since that, too, is potentially suspicious and means you might be a terrorist. "Suspicious activity" at military surplus stores includes making "bulk purchases" of "weatherproofed ammunition or match containers and meals ready to eat, as does suspicious purchasing of "night vision devices include night flashlights and gas masks."'"
Please add me to the list. (Score:2, Interesting)
I suggest everyone ask to be added to the list.
Home of the scared (Score:4, Interesting)
A while back something mildly Kafkaesque happened to a friend of mine, who owned a light aircraft (a rather old tatty one).
He bought a few items from Aircraft Spruce and Specialty - some paints for fabric-covered light planes, and a few items of hardware, to perform some general maintenance and tidy-up. They duly arrive by courier, and he picked them up from his apartment complex's management office. A couple of days later the FBI turn up at his apartment to check whether he's a terrorist! Apparently, the apartment manager saw a box from Aircraft Spruce & Specialty, saw my friend pick it up (who's skin colour is not perfectly white, somewhere between white and hispanic) and called the FBI who came out and investigated him.
Eh, seen it before (Score:5, Interesting)
There was, of course, an infiltration investigation. The infiltrator apparently tried to incite the members into criminal acts, specifically, robbing a bank. By the end of the investigation, only one person spent time in prison, and that was because he had modified an AR-15 to full-auto. But, people who were friends with this man and others in the group probably had their phones tapped and all of the various groups around these people were nervous.
Oh, by the way, did I mention that the convicted man and the others were also heavily involved in Fandom, so basically all Fandom around here was somewhat investigated? That's basically why I know about it, because there are still a lot of bitter people in local Fandom because of this.
The media referred to the group as, "The Viper Militia". Having been acquainted with some of these people that's a bit of a stretch. Even using "Team" in their name was a stretch, they were about as organized as a clowder of cats, as most Fandom is.
So, in my opinion, it's all a big friggin' joke.
Re:Home of the scared (Score:4, Interesting)
The DOJ came knocking to my door one morning because 3 weeks earlier (11-sept-2003) my dad rented a car and was in northern California taking pics of a landscape at a major tourist location. In the landscape, there was a dam. My father is perfectly white-skinned but doesn't speak much English.
My wife answered the door (I was at work) and they kept her busy for a good 1h15m playing bad cop good cop and not telling her what it was all about. Only in the end did they reveal the purpose of their visit and we were able to piece it all together.
Re:Are you a human being? (Score:5, Interesting)
Terrorism works by making people overestimate the risks to get the desired behaviour.
Much as I admire their sense of humour and proactive stance, FEMA appear to be the terrorists here, according to current government definitions of "terrorist" at least.
Re:Not suspicious (Score:5, Interesting)
I plan on buying a few cases myself. I live in PA. We get snowstorms. I now live in an area with very large trees, with some hills. It might take a few days with a chainsaw to get my driveway open again if two very large trees fell across. I roll my eyes at the current zombie fad. I want to be warm, comfy and well fed for a couple weeks even if three feet of snow is dumped on me, like the Blizzard of 1996.
If that lands me on some list, you know what. Good. At this point, those lists should be seen as a challenge and not a behavior inhibitor. If you're not on at least three watchlists, your life is not particularly interesting. Take up a couple hobbies.
Re:Um, yeah (Score:4, Interesting)
Out of the Zombie Preparedness groups, you *might* have a handful of people who are actually preparing for that. Zombies is to keep it humorous.
From What is Zombie Squad? [zombiehunters.org]
Re:Easy (Score:2, Interesting)
We have the right to bare arms, not the right to bare food.
We can get guns without arousing suspicion, but food, that you are opening up a new can of worms
Re:Not suspicious (Score:5, Interesting)
Space and weight are always relevant, even if you are a civilian. This is why civilian canneries have started using the MRE approach with civilian food products.
So, here's a question... (Score:4, Interesting)
So the system worked ... (Score:1, Interesting)
Bunch of people appear to be intent on blowing up buildings. Fed investigates, determines that one guy committed a crime, nobody else did. One guy gets arrested, indicted and imprisoned for the crime, everybody else gets asked questions, not arrested, indicted, convicted, improsoned or disappeared.
Re:Are you a human being? (Score:2, Interesting)
War of 1812: Americans attacked.
Mexican American War: Americans attacked.
World Trade Centre bombing was mostly international in origin. However, almost all the other bombings and acts of terrorism were American on American.
You Americans do attack a lot of other people, including yourselves.
Re:Are you a human being? (Score:3, Interesting)
there was an IWW member (Industrial Workers of the World for anyone unfamiliar -- aka "wobblies") standing on a street corner doing nothing but publicly reading our own Declaration of Independence. After a few minutes, a police officer comes by and arrests him
That was Frank Little [wikipedia.org].