History Professor’s Mail Opened by Homeland Security

[IChing]

By Matthew Rothschild
January 2, 2006
Grant Goodman is an 81-year-old emeritus professor of Asian history at the University of Kansas.

He has had an ongoing correspondence by snail mail with a former professor of history at the University of the Philippines, where Goodman had taught on three separate occasions.In early December, he was shocked when a letter arrived from her that had already been opened.

“The bottom of the envelope had been slashed open and then retaped with green tape,” says Goodman. “And it said, ‘Opened by Border Protection’ in great big letters. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security seal is on it, too.”

Goodman believes his rights have been “absolutely” violated, he says. “I just couldn’t believe it and wondered what in the world is going on.”>>>>snip



http://progressive.org/mag_mc010206
on second thought this is not LBNs I missed the date.

[seemslikeadream]

1. Thanks IChing but need the link?

:hi:

[IChing]

8. link edited but

I noticed the date and never saw it posted in DU

[tblue37]

50. I did post it on Dec. 20. It sank like a stone.

I live in Lawrence, and it was on the front page of our hometown paper. Here is the link to the online version of the original article in The Lawrence Journal-World:
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/dec/20/retiree_claims_privacy_invasion/

[Divine Discontent]

60. ya know,

if it's important, just bump it, if it's that important, sometimes I do that to my posts just so a few people can read them. I write well, and can easily be understood, and have been told thank you many times, for saying things that others want said, which sure is appreciated.

that was a great post to put on, and thank you for doing it on the 20th, we all missed it.

[orwell]

2. Welcome to BushWorld...

...Now shut up and comply citizen.

[texpatriot2004]

3. Mr. Goodman is right. nm

[meganmonkey]

4. Looks like a terrorist to me

:eyes:

[Hardrada]

20. Terra-ist!!

[Norquist Nemesis]

5. Was he part of the ID opposition? n/t

[Missy M]

6. This is outrageous!!!! I am enraged over this happening to the...

professor. What has this country come to and where are we going. We must put a stop to all of this.

[unhappycamper]

7. IChing:

Please be aware that DU copyright rules require that excerpts of copyrighted material be limited to four paragraphs and must include a link to the original source.

You have one hour from the time of your original post to make changes.

In the future, please insure your posts adhere to this standard.

TIA,

unhappycamper
DU Moderator

[Warpy]

9. Much of my mail arrives opened

and much of that is not resealed, even badly. I'm on begging lists for every wimpy liberal to far left cause in this country, so I'm keeping the PO busy on junk mail and funding appeals while real terrorists out there are getting their bank drafts and insanely twisted Quran verses intact.

These people can't find their asses with both hands and a map. They keep getting lost at the feet.

[teknomanzer]

47. Its very difficult to find ones ass...

when ones head is so firmly lodged up in it.

[MidwestTransplant]

10. I had a package from the Caribbean opened by border protection

once. It was a pillow that when packaged in the fed ex envelope looked like a brick of drugs. I can't really blame them for opening it othere than to think that you would have to be a total moron to send drugs like that anyway but I guess it takes all types.

[hang a left]

46. They are supposed to have dogs for that I thought. eom

[MidwestTransplant]

53. I figured that too but then I though maybe people are able to

circumvent the dogs now.

[HuffleClaw]

11. more police state tactics

i wonder if this guy has other 'affiliations' that scared the bushistas? like say, a membership in the aclu. when i think of the enormous amount of resources that are completely wasted on complete political crap like this i feel sick. this is WHY the REAL bad guys succeed in their plotting.

[seemslikeadream]

12. Beast

The richest man in babylon

There is no quidance in your kingdom
Your wicked walk in Babylon
There is no wisdom to your freedom
The richest man in babylon

Your beggars sleep outside your doorway
Your prophets leave to wonder on
You fall asleep at night with worry
The saddest man in Babylon

The wicked stench of exploitation
Hangs in the air and lingers on
Beneath the praise and admiration
The weakest man in Babylon

There is no hope left in your kingdom
Your servants have burned all their songs
Nobody here remembers freedom
The richest man in Babylon

Si la lou babylon go 'dain
Babylon gon' be rich again
But to we don' sick again
But no we no weak again
Babyloooon on on on on
(Rasta scat)
Sal la lou ca uba whoa
Si la douba douba do wa bay
??
Si la loo babylon come 'round
You better know you better understand
'Fact you know you better hear what they say
Babylon this is your final day
Babylon this is your final call
Read the writin' it's on the wall
Said United we stand
And together we fall
And if I know that
You're not 'gon catch me in a rat pack
We not go fallin' on your death trap
No way...

Whoooooa oh oh oh oh whoa oh who oh oh
Whooooooa oh oh oh
Whoa oh oh o oh

[zippy890]

64. nice post - are lyrics from

Thievery Corporation?
'Richest Man in Babylon'

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

15. I doubt that...

A true police state would tell you it was opening your mail.

[seemslikeadream]

26. It seems they left a BIG hint

n/t

[Richard Steele]

41. They did. They also told his mail carrier. nm

[fushuugi]

44. the greatest tool...

a government (police state, or otherwise) has to keep the intelligentsia in line is intimidation and fear-mongering

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[IChing]

17. Read post 14 and the Philippines is not Libya and

the USSR does not exist.
:popcorn: anyone?

:wtf: :popcorn: :popcorn:

[Walt Starr]

14. The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

So this man's fourth amendment right was abridged.

[Rich Hunt]

16. uh-huh

It's astonishing how many people don't know the fourth amendment.

Just how many ineffectual idiots do we HAVE in this country?

[Radio_Lady]

31. Walt, what are his options? Does he have any legal rights under

this amendment? Does he sue the government?

[tn-guy]

18. I've had a package opened

A little over 10 years ago I had a package from Canada opened. This was one that came FedEx so the post office never saw it. I've always assumed it was a routine, random customs inspection. After all, as someone else has already observed, I doubt the secret police would advertise that they were reading your mail.

[DELUSIONAL]

48. FedEx is run by gestapo jerks

When people outside of the US buy a computer and then have to return the computer to be fixed -- the jerk FedEx open the package and then send a message to the sender saying that the computer doesn't work DUH .. That's why it was being sent to the manufacturer.

THEN they demanded all sorts of information from the sender who demanded that the computer be returned --

In another case FedEx -- refused to deliver charts -- to a person (US citizen) in Australia. Charts are maps of the ocean used by sailors to find their way. FedEx wanted detailed information -- like SS# etc etc. -- for damned charts. They reordered and requested a sane shipper other than FedEx.

The Federal -- in the name should be a clue -- don't use this company if you have a choice.

[Ouabache]

61. I always ship by UPS, the shipping company with UNION workers

granted it is the teamsters, but I know UPS is unionized to a great degree, and so when I ship UPS I am shipping union. I don't think any others have unions, but I could be wrong. And, I am sure UPS has unions.

[Steve A Play]

19. Why do so few notice how bad it's getting?

What next? Show me your papers?

[Hardrada]

21. They are too busy loading their iPods!

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bbernardini]

23. I have an iPod, and I am neither a Yuppie or Yuppie-wannabe.

I'm a married music teacher who uses his iPod to constantly listen to different kinds of music in order to increase my palette of styles and influences from which to choose when teaching. Way to over-generalize.

[Hardrada]

42. We are being facetious!!

[Steve A Play]

24. That might explain it!

Never owned one, never will. (To be honest, I do own a little gizmo that plugs in my cigarette lighter and transmits MP3's to my stereo in my car.)

And here I thought it was because they were busy watching Survivor instead of trying to be one.

[IChing]

25. Hi jacked thread what is your Point?

:shrug: :shrug:

[JusticeForAll]

27. Hi jacked thread?

Looks like he was responding to 19 ...

He had a very valid point...

[Hardrada]

43. I was.

Although of course I think govermint snooping is deplorable also.

[Ouabache]

63. Well now there is this 'voluntary' program to get thru airports faster

They just want your full fingerprints, a BACKGROUND CHECK, and a scan of your eyes. And plan to check the eyescan everytime you fly.
I heard that today. Most frequent flyers will probably be down with it. I wonder if the same contractor that was providing political affiliations to the IRS will also be contracted for the BACKGROUND checks on this? And I see the Carlyle Group is buying heavily into a few comapnies that do BACKGROUND checks for employment. hmmmmmm....

[shantipriya]

28. Goodman

I won't be surprised if he is a Repug. If he is, then he deserves what he got!

[Bridget Burke]

33. Why do you assume he's a Republican?

Aren't the Universities hotbeds of liberalism? Especially in the Humanities.

[hatrack]

37. I know him personally - he is NOT a Republican, believe me

I did my graduate degree at KU. Trust me, he is not a Puke.

[Blue_Tires]

52. i also got my grad degree at KU

and i can confirm a very liberal school, student body, and professors

[tblue37]

51. I am at KU.

I assure you that Grant Goodman is NOT a Republican!

[lumpy]

29. kick

nt

[progressoid]

30. Damned 81 yr old history profs.

Probabably thinks he lives in the land of the free.

[peaches2003]

32. Email to UK friend

I have a friend, also a retired professor, in the UK. Our emails for several years have been very very anti- Bush/Blair. We also write in a code the 2 of us understand but would look weird to snoopers, rather than write out whole words. EX: Have you seen the new P & P? Do you think BushCo will assume correctly that we are talking about the movie Pride & Prejudice? Much more likely, huh, that the Bush storm troopers will be ramming my door down one of these nights. Can't be too careful with a 66 yr old Grandmother.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

34. How long before they start blacking out

the parts of a letter that could be interpreted as subversive?

[yasmina27]

35. Not that this is a valid reason or excuse...

... but wasn't the marine arrested for spying in the White House from the Phillipines?

In BushCo think - maybe the professor in the Phillipines is this guy's (great)grandfather?

Or maybe any mail from there is now suspect - GRRRR!:puke:

[wordpix2]

36. looks like "probable cause" to me, snail mailing a prof in the Philippines

[Trillo]

38. So now, private, first class mail is also subject to government approval?

Is this why the cost of postage is going up? To pay for the approvers?

If I mess with someone else's mail, it's a serious felony, or so I've been told.

[elehhhhna]

39. My sisters wedding invites to some Australian family members were

opened--some dried flowers in each envelope were removed and they were sent forward with a note inside saying the envelope had contained contraband material.

[usregimechange]

40. Kick! Where are our morals in this country?

[EVDebs]

45. Google up Global Information Group Ltd , Bahamas and Ben H. Bell III

Total Surveillance
http://www.motherjones.com/interview/2005/12/albrecht.h...

Couple this insidious technology with purposely erroneous background checks

Who is checking the background checkers?
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1128/p13s02-wmgn.html

They've offshored, outsourced, and privatized TIA. Now all they have to do is fire you for being 'of the wrong political party' and put false information in your background data...and voila ! You've just created the most insidious terror project in the US ever.

[tblue37]

49. I posted about this the day it appeared in the

Lawrence Journal-World (my hometown rag), and I couldn't get anyone interested in the story. It seemed like a big deal to me at the time, but the post sank like a stone. I wonder what makes a story like this seem ho-hum to everyone until days or weeks later, when all of a sudden it's big news.

[AspenRose]

56. Probably competing with other big stories

Or the latest "Did you hear Brad & Angelina are having a baby" thread.

[gauguin57]

54. "Tomorrow belongs ... to me ..." EVERYBODY sing!

Oh Fatherland, Fatherland,
Show us the sign
Your children have waited to see.
The morning will come
When the world is mine.
Tomorrow belongs to me!

Tomorrow belongs
Tomorrow belongs
Tomorrow belongs ... to meeeee!

[centristo]

55. this is just the beginning - nt

[anotherdrew]

57. real terrorists would nevert notice the tape. right.

[Megahurtz]

58. Why would this surprise anyone?

I am just surprised that they didn't steam the thing open and reseal it in secret.:+

[Divine Discontent]

59. oh, because they're not afraid to have it be seen anymore

well, ya know, with the RESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WHITE HOUSE, admitting that he ordered illegal spying on American citizens without the approval of many departments in Washington and all, they figure they can get away with it!

heck, they probably ENJOY it!

[Dunvegan]

62. Subtle resealing takes too long...

...that is if you're opening hundred or thousands of snail-mail envelopes a day.