{"article":{"id":8466,"heading":"Letter to San Diego Union-Tribune","author":"biodev2001","created":"2001-07-06 15:39:22","modified":"2015-12-18 10:15:28","last_modified":"Fri, 18 Dec 2015 17:15:28","article":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p>Dear Editor-  <br><br> You must be kidding about the police hitting a home run. I am a 41 year old  <br>  <br> mother and my daughter and I participated in the march of 1500 concerned  <br>  <br> citizens about the effects of the biotech industry on our health and  <br>  <br> environment. Contrary to the popular myth that the police role is to ensure  <br>  <br> our right to free speech, I found their job to be invasive, intimidating and  <br>  <br> insulting. What a rude attitude the police had. I heard them disparage  <br>  <br> activists by saying how ugly we all are and other sophomoric attitudes and  <br>  <br> behaviors. I have read the police misconduct report filed by my 50 year old  <br>  <br> friend who was verbally and physically assaulted by 4 police officers. I  <br>  <br> also was disgusted to see probably as many cops as protesters at most of our  <br>  <br> events. When pushing my daughter in her stroller I looked up and saw armed  <br>  <br> officers with their guns pointing down on us as we walked by! I have photos  <br>  <br> if you wish to see them. How dare they be so hostile and provocative! If  <br>  <br> anyone was in danger in San Diego it was the activists and any unwitting  <br>  <br> passer by to which the military personnel mistakenly arrested for wearing  <br>  <br> black could attest. Since when did it become against the law to wear black?  <br>  <br> Why is the US populace so willing to turn over their rights to an ever  <br>  <br> increasing police state? If the police were preparing since last November  <br>  <br> then their intelligence was pathetic. There were about the same numbers in  <br>  <br> Boston at the same event last year. Why after months of planning and  <br>  <br> millions of dollars were they so uninformed about a crowd of freedom loving,  <br>  <br> patriotic, non-violent activists? Great use of tax dollars folks!  <br><br> Stephanie Jennings  <br>  <br> San Diego, CA  <br>  <br> 619-237-8870<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\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":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/2001\/07\/sdpd1epn662.jpg","filesize":"25.2 kibibytes","article_url":"\/news\/2001\/07\/8466.php","image":{"original":"\/uploads\/2001\/07\/sdpd1epn662.jpg","small":"\/uploads\/2001\/07\/sdpd1epn662.jpgthumb.jpg"}},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}