DarkSpectre said:
I don't see where in any story on this it actually says what the sources is for this. What verifiable evidence does the magazine have? The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Homeland Security is saying he isn't on the list? Who is telling the truth? I want to see the evidence. Give me the original sources. I don't trust any of them any more. The journalists lie and the government lies, who are we to trust?
This probably way too late to say this, but here I go anyway. I'm in PA, and our local paper covered this when the original story broke.
The PA state government was paying a private, joint US / Israeli "private security contractor" to help it handle possible terror threats. This company (can't remember the name) went crazy, putting every activist in the state and beyond, basically, on a "possible threat" list, and handed it to the government, suggesting they arrest and beat everyone.
State law enforcement KNEW it was bullshit the day they got it, and basically tossed it onto the Yeah, Okay, Whatever pile. The problem was, as usual, the public was not made aware that all sorts of Quaker peace activists and 85 yr old conservationists were on the list. When local journalists found out about it, it was a huge embarrassment for the state. But they immediately admitted that they'd never added anyone from the reports to their lists, and considered the whole thing a giant waste of money.
The private company in question is about as underhanded and creepy as they come, and clearly has ties to the oil and gas industry, because like 80% of the people on their list were people like Mark Ruffalo who oppose the drilling that these companies are currently trying to get contracts to do in the state. There was another story about how these companies were given these lists by this creepy PSC, though they apparently didn't know what the hell they were supposed to do with them, so gave them to law enforcement, who promptly ignored them again.
PA isn't a police state. But is a state run by very stupid people who contract petty fascists to make lists of undesirables. The people who actually handle security - the cops - have become very savvy about ignoring the nonsense. My sister works for them. The stories, man...
Here's a link to a story about the crap when it first hit the fan back in September.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/s_699551.html
