{"article":{"id":8465,"heading":"Letter to San Diego Union-Tribune","author":"biodev2001","created":"2001-07-06 15:32:07","modified":"2005-08-15 00:36:14","last_modified":"Mon, 15 Aug 2005 07:36:14","article":"

Dear Editor-

You must be kidding about the police hitting a home run. I am a 41 year old mother and my daughter and I participated in the march of 1500 concerned citizens about the effects of the biotech industry on our health and environment. Contrary to the popular myth that the police role is to ensure our right to free speech, I found their job to be invasive, intimidating and insulting. What a rude attitude the police had. I heard them disparage activists by saying how ugly we all are and other sophomoric attitudes and

behaviors. I have read the police misconduct report filed by my 50 year old friend who was verbally and physically assaulted by 4 police officers. I also was disgusted to see probably as many cops as protesters at most of our

events. When pushing my daughter in her stroller I looked up and saw armed officers with their guns pointing down on us as we walked by! I have photos if you wish to see them. How dare they be so hostile and provocative! If anyone was in danger in San Diego it was the activists and any unwitting passer by to which the military personnel mistakenly arrested for wearing black could attest. Since when did it become against the law to wear black?

Why is the US populace so willing to turn over their rights to an ever increasing police state? If the police were preparing since last November then their intelligence was pathetic. There were about the same numbers in Boston at the same event last year. Why after months of planning and

millions of dollars were they so uninformed about a crowd of freedom loving, patriotic, non-violent activists? Great use of tax dollars folks!

Stephanie Jennings

San Diego, CA

619-237-8870<\/p>\n","contact":"biojustice2001@riseup.net","link":"http:\/\/biodev.org","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","summary":"\"San Diego Police hit a home run...\"\r\n\r\nThis is a letter I sent in response.\r\n\r\nStephanie","numcomment":7,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/2001\/07\/sdpd1.jpg","filesize":"25.2 kibibytes","article_url":"\/news\/2001\/07\/8465.php","image":{"original":"\/uploads\/2001\/07\/sdpd1.jpg","small":"\/uploads\/2001\/07\/sdpd1.jpgthumb.jpg"}},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":8478,"heading":"Good Luck","article":"Steph, good luck getting it published, highly doubtful the U-T will give you any airtime after publishing this: \r\n\r\n[The article referenced was previously posted on June 30 and can be found in full as article number 8252, Three Cheers for San Diego Police.]\r\n","author":"Lep","parent_id":8465,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2001-07-07 01:04:43","modified":"2001-07-07 01:04:43","fileurl":""},{"id":8479,"heading":"Guns pointed at you??","article":"You say you had pics of guns pointed at you? These don't look like they are pointed at anyone, especially you if you are holding the camera. If you have any proof like you say why don't you display them?","author":".","parent_id":8465,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2001-07-07 01:08:29","modified":"2001-07-07 02:00:01","fileurl":""},{"id":8480,"heading":"Anyone wearing black arrested???","article":"Funny, there are no accounts or information that anyone wearing black clothing was arrested. Kinda shots down your theory or \"observation\"! Please stick to the facts if you can. Hope you teach your kid how to tell the truth better than anyone taught you!!!","author":"??","parent_id":8465,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2001-07-07 02:50:47","modified":"2001-07-07 03:18:29","fileurl":""},{"id":8492,"heading":"actually...","article":"...two guys in the military were arrested for having \"daggers\". They happened to be wearing all black and in the wrong place at the wrong time. The cops thought they were protesters and busted them. The most serious of the charges of all those arrested at BIODEV were millitary!","author":"aw","parent_id":8465,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2001-07-07 12:50:45","modified":"2001-07-07 13:11:07","fileurl":""},{"id":8493,"heading":"Profiling Also","article":"A friend of mine was photographed at a bank downtown. The cop got in her face and snapped a photo. She is not a protester and had nothing to do with Bio, but she looks like a hippie. There was alot of \"protester profiling\" and harrassment.. ","author":"paisley","parent_id":8465,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2001-07-07 12:55:30","modified":"2001-07-07 13:11:07","fileurl":""},{"id":8494,"heading":"Hey Lep","article":"We've already seen your crappy post...this is the 5th post of the same damn thing on this site. Let me remind you...the others are:\r\n\r\n San Diego Viewpoint: Wednesday 04 Jul 2001\r\n\r\n San Diego Response: Sunday 01 Jul 2001\r\n\r\n San Diego's Reaction to Protestors: Saturday 30 Jun 2001\r\n\r\n Three Cheers for San Diego Police: Saturday 30 Jun 2001\r\n\r\n Are you a moron? Once is enough. It's the same fucking thing every fucking time. Re-posting it doesnt make it any more believable. Who are you really trying to convince anyway? The IMC or yourself? Please get a life and fuck off. \r\n\r\n","author":"crow","parent_id":8465,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2001-07-07 13:40:31","modified":"2001-07-07 14:37:50","fileurl":""},{"id":8505,"heading":"Whoever it is is winning","article":"Crow, judging by your response to Lep and these postings, it is obvious why these posts are showing up, to rattle and piss everyone off. Your reaction is probably providing ample reinforcement and justication in their minds to continue. Try ignoring them instead of letting everyone know it is getting to you and causing you to lose your temper. So what if they keep showing up. Chill and maybe they will simply go away and leave you alone!","author":"Stan","parent_id":8465,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2001-07-07 20:11:21","modified":"2001-07-07 20:28:45","fileurl":""}]}