FREE SPEECH ZONE | The “RNC 8” “criminalizing dissent” conspiracy: A blatant case of ends-justify-the-means anarchy

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“Certainly, lawsuits should be filed against law enforcement and other officials to determine if they unlawfully suppressed dissent. But they didn’t conspire to “‘crash the convention’ and foment a ‘train wreck.'”[1]Free Speech ZoneThe Free Speech Zone offers a space for contributions from readers, without editing by the TC Daily Planet. This is an open forum for articles that otherwise might not find a place for publication, including news articles, opinion columns, announcements and even a few press releases. Indeed, if the sociopathic logic of using “force and violence” to “shut down and disrupt” the Constitutionally protected 2008 Republican National Convention (RNC) were to prevail, then Karl Rove and his cohorts could concoct a “criminalizing dissent” defense to justify Molotov cocktails, fireworks throwings, human waste dousings, freeway overpass droppings, slingshot hurlings, store and bank window smashings, squad car and media van disablings, delegate bus tire slashings, street and bridge blockings, marching permit violations, security perimeter penetrations, assaults on delegates and bystanders, assaults on police, arrestee escapes, and other “direct actions” to “shut down and disrupt” the Constitutionally protected conventions of the Democratic Party, Green Party US, Socialist Party USA, Communist Party USA or any other party.[1,2]This is a revised and updated version of my 8/28/10 “The ‘RNC 8’. . Continue Reading

ACLU files suit against Muslim-affiliated school, state education department

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The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota filed suit Wednesday against Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy and the Minnesota Department of Education, alleging a violation of the separation between church and state. TIZA was the center of a media storm last year after the Star Tribune’s Katherine Kersten wrote an inflammatory commentary linking the school to Hamas and alleging religious instruction at the taxpayer-funded school. In a TC Daily Planet article published last year, a Muslim ex-marine described sending his daughter to TIZA after she encountered anti-Muslim prejudice in her St. Paul public school. ACLU-MN investigated the allegations and in court documents filed in U.S. District Court said the Muslim organizations from which TIZA is leasing its space are illegally benefiting from the leasing arrangement. Continue Reading

Lights, cameras — but no action for St. Paul police

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The official story is that anyone can walk into St. Paul police headquarters and view the footage from the 100-plus cameras monitoring downtown and the Central Corridor for crime. The official story also says that the cameras are monitored by police in the Western District station (on Hamline Avenue) and in the central St. Paul police headquarters. Actually, on a recent day, no one seemed to be watching and the public monitor did not work at all.Where’s the video?by Sheila Regan, TC Daily PlanetI went to Police Headquarters today (October 29) and asked at the front desk if I could see the “viewing station.” Continue Reading