EnviroLink Forum

Wow! America, land of the free?

It may have looked like they were ready for war or some deranged person looking for his late Social Security benefits.

But it was only Federal Protective Service officers with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security who were conducting a random training operation early Tuesday morning when they surprisingly showed up at the Social Security Administration office in downtown Leesburg.

With their blue and white SUVs circled around the Main Street office, at least one official was posted on the door with a semiautomatic rifle, randomly checking identifications. And other officers, some with K-9s, sifted through the building.

http://www.dailycommercial.com/News/LakeCounty/010412shield

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I can have oodles of charm....... when I want to.

Holding a security training exercise makes the US not free? How does that logic work?

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With friends like Guido, you will not have enemies for long.

“Intellect is invisible to the man who has none”
Arthur Schopenhauer

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."
Albert Einstein

When it is done without the knowledge or permission of all participants, yes.

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I can have oodles of charm....... when I want to.

So unannounced inspections of security measures makes the country not free even if the people who have the authority to give permission do so. I suppose that makes sense to someone. Those random drug tests of employees must make the US very "not free", right?

I'll bet you are really upset over those new immigration laws, which are thankfully being challenged in the courts.

_________________
With friends like Guido, you will not have enemies for long.

“Intellect is invisible to the man who has none”
Arthur Schopenhauer

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."
Albert Einstein

_________________
With friends like Guido, you will not have enemies for long.

“Intellect is invisible to the man who has none”
Arthur Schopenhauer

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."
Albert Einstein

Who would that be Wayne? The Social Security office wasn't aware of the exercise. I have no problem showing my ID to any person inside if I am there to conduct a transaction but I sure in the hell have a big problem with a uniformed thug carrying an automatic rifle demanding to see my ID before I enter the building. Apparently you don't.

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I can have oodles of charm....... when I want to.

The superiors to those at the office were aware fo the exercise and had approved.



What exactly is the difference between showing your ID before entering and after entering, other than you cna see one side of the door or the other. The article indicates there was an officer stationed at the door, not whether the officer was inside or outside fo the door. The only rational conclusion is the ID was checked for those entering the building, which would not be a concern to me. Depending on the layout it may not be convenient to check ID in one location over the other.

I believe the "uniformed thug" description tells more about your opposition than anything. What was the "thug"s" name? Did he ask to see ID or demand to see ID? The article just stated the ID was checked, not the demeanor of the officer involved.

With their blue and white SUVs circled around the Main Street office, at least one official was posted on the door with a semiautomatic rifle, randomly checking identifications.

What is your level of outrage over the new immigration laws and those random drug tests imaking us less free?

_________________
With friends like Guido, you will not have enemies for long.

“Intellect is invisible to the man who has none”
Arthur Schopenhauer

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."
Albert Einstein

Do you go to the SS office just to hang out? If you are not there for a transaction why would you enter the federal property? Part of the security inpection was to check for unautorized people. Security has gotten much more strict at federal facilities after Oklahoma City and 9/11, especially for agencies like the SS administration and the EPA, for example.

_________________
With friends like Guido, you will not have enemies for long.

“Intellect is invisible to the man who has none”
Arthur Schopenhauer

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."
Albert Einstein

Actually, I will be going there sometime in the near future either to apply for disability or retire.

If you think freedom includes the government having you be stopped by an armed jack booted thug demanding to see your identification, then yes, we're free.

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I can have oodles of charm....... when I want to.

Since you have to leap to the "jack booted thug demanding" assumption, I do not see where we are any less free in this case, but you are free to make more unfounded assumptions regarding the documentation you will require in claiming disability.

_________________
With friends like Guido, you will not have enemies for long.

“Intellect is invisible to the man who has none”
Arthur Schopenhauer

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."
Albert Einstein