By Claire Bernish
After needlessly contaminating Flint’s water supply with lead, a new
report reveals the government now monitors social media for hints
subversive communications relating to the Flint Water Crisis.
According to MLive,
officials with the Michigan State Police have been conducting online
surveillance for comments about Flint’s lead contamination crisis. One
of over 127,000 emails
released by Gov. Rick Snyder’s office shows one man’s allegedly
threatening Facebook post concerning the government’s mishandling of the
Flint crisis — which led to the initiation of criminal proceedings.
“It’s time for civil unrest. Burn down the Governor [sic] mansion,
elimionate [sic] the capitol where legislators RE-INSTATED the emergency
dictator law after the PEOPLE voted it down, and tell the Mich [sic]
State Police if they use military force, we will return with same,” the
unnamed Copper City man’s Facebook post stated, according to MLive.
The Free Thought Project contacted the state police who declined to comment for this article and for the MLive
report about ongoing investigations stemming from such social media
surveillance, though police did say appropriate agencies would be
notified should they be affected.
“In the interest of protecting our residents, the MSP monitors any
incidents that have the potential to result in criminal activity and/or
violence,” wrote Michigan State Police spokesperson Shanon Banner in an
email to MLive. “Threats against individuals and organizations
are shared with the individual/organization so they have situational
awareness.”
In the case of the Copper City man, previous troubles with law
enforcement — including an armed standoff with police in April last year
— led to his being on probation at the time he wrote the alleged threat
on social media.
As Snyder’s and the government’s emergency managers’ handling of the
Flint water crisis has been rightly the subject of contention and
criticism, the police monitoring of social media may perhaps add fuel to
the conflagration.
Another man was arrested in February for a Facebook post about the Flint crisis, which called for Snyder’s arrest, as The Free Thought Project reported.
Last week, an announcement the Flint lead contamination crisis would
be investigated and prosecuted as a crime led to the arrest of three
officials — and the vow by prosecutors more charges would be
forthcoming.
Though Snyder has become the subject of multiple lawsuits — for which
he’s using over $500,000 in taxpayer money to defend himself — he has
thus far managed to escape criminal charges for his role in the Flint
debacle. In fact, he hasn’t even been questioned yet.
An official with the Flint water treatment facility mysteriously and
inexplicably dropped dead at age 43. Then a woman, who had been key to
an incredibly important lawsuit concerning the Flint crisis, was
recently found murdered in her home.
As the government’s nefarious role in the Flint crisis becomes clear,
it can be no wonder officials are conducting surveillance of social
media — paranoia undoubtedly rules in the minds of those who had a part
in poisoning thousands of innocent people.
Claire Bernish writes for TheFreeThoughtProject.com, where this article first appeared.
“La sabiduría de la vida consiste en la eliminación de lo no esencial. En reducir los problemas de la filosofía a unos pocos solamente: el goce del hogar, de la vida, de la naturaleza, de la cultura”. Lin Yutang
Cervantes
Hoy es el día más hermoso de nuestra vida, querido Sancho; los obstáculos más grandes, nuestras propias indecisiones; nuestro enemigo más fuerte, el miedo al poderoso y a nosotros mismos; la cosa más fácil, equivocarnos; la más destructiva, la mentira y el egoísmo; la peor derrota, el desaliento; los defectos más peligrosos, la soberbia y el rencor; las sensaciones más gratas, la buena conciencia, el esfuerzo para ser mejores sin ser perfectos, y sobretodo, la disposición para hacer el bien y combatir la injusticia dondequiera que esté.
MIGUEL DE CERVANTES
Don Quijote de la Mancha.
MIGUEL DE CERVANTES
Don Quijote de la Mancha.