My only observation / suggestion is that Mr. Scarbrough really should look for work in the private sector. When he works for the federal government, an independent observer might get the impression that he’s biting the hand that’s feeding him.

Because one is employed by a particular agency does not mean one has to agree with everything that agency does. Federal employees, unlike Micron or HP, bring their constitutional rights to work with them. I am still missing what’s wrong with terms like jack booted thugs. More than 40 years ago my father was fired from a job because he put a bumper sticker on the back of his truck supporting a certain candidate for Sheriff of the small county he lived in. The incumbent Sheriff was a good friend of the owner of the company where he was employed. When my dad refused to remove the bumper sticker, he was fired, after 15 years of loyal service. The sad part is if they can’t get him “legally” they’ll make his worklife so miserable, the stress alone will be reason enough to leave. “One, two, three what are we fightin’ for?” ring a bell with any jack booted thug wannabes out there?

I guess it is no news but good news for the department of “What Hurricane?” In Bush’s America fear is the rule and spin is king. Where the ruling elite are above the law, and free speech is only for members of your party and quashed at every opportunity. Check this out. It is about a woman at a Dick Cheney rally who made the mistake of uttering the words “No,no,no,no. http://www.eugeneweekly.com/2006/02/09/coverstory.html

I don’t find this in the least bit “scary.” Hopefully, the
government has the right to check out kooks like this to determine
whether or not they’re a threat to our safety and national security.

FC,
The real kook lives in in the White House but people like you probably don’t get the issue we are trying to discuss. It is about freedom and the US Constitution. Males and one female from every generation in my family going back to the American Revolution have fought or died defending what people like you are willing to give up so easily. Guess what, terrorisim is out of the bag and everyone knows that the most powerful nation in the world can be crippled and scared by a few nut cases with bombs, assault rifles and cell phones. That includes the terrorists who live among us (Timothy McVeigh types) and the bottom feeders that thrive on the fear they create. Terrorists need men like Bush, like parasites need a host. Do you really think if muslim terrorists decide to quit someone else will not take their place?

Whoa Steve, thanks for the clarification but just because he disagrees with the current stance of the administration doesn’t mean he’s against the United States. He’s a vet and served this country. I truly resent having my patriotism questioned every time I point out that we should re-examine the direction the party in power is taking the country. Further the Hatch Act was designed to assure that government employees could enjoy all the benefits of citizenship despite tactics by the very heavy hand that feeds him. I don’t think it diminishes the message at all.

As for FC, do you have some basis in the report to think somehow this person who served in the military for this country is a threat to the U.S.? In fact can you think of anyone more worthy of delivering this message than a vet who has seen the potential for war like the one into which our country is currently sending soldiers?

Our system of democracy fails when its citizens are compelled to silence.

Now I’d like to see someone put even bigger signs on his truck, saying things like: Support the troops. Help bring democracy to Iraq. Defeat the insurgents. It’s worth fighting for. Etc.
And then park it in the same lot.

Let’s see whether the H.S. gestapo come to tell him to get his signs off federal property. In other words, are they really upholding a rule agains displaying messages on federal property, or are they just harassing someone who doesn’t agree with what’s going on?

And if it really was a question of whether the signs violated a rule about posting signs, why would H.S. cop-types be sent instead of just his boss telling him about the rule? Doesn’t H.S. have anything better to do …. like, say, guarding borders or tracking down missing uranium, dynamite and other potentially dangerous materials? Or is freedom of disagreement considered the most perilous WMD?

While I vehemently disagree with Mr Scarbrough’s opinions, I must just as adamantly support his right to express them.

Patriot Act antics or are we headed for a rerun of Kristallnacht?

ED NOTE–For non-library types KRISTALLNACHT (night of broken glass) marked the 1938 turning point in Germany history which saw Hitler pass “anti-Jew” laws.

I think Sisyphus makes good points. I’d just feel so much better if I could be sure it’s still acceptable to yell “FIRE” in the middle of a three alarm blaze. For some of us, this is what Mr.Scarbrough is doing. Methinks if he really was a kook, the HS boys wouldn’t be concerned. Aberrations are easy to deal with….a not so silent majority is a far bigger threat.

I’m going to make a second comment on this most important issue. Yes, we are headed for a ” Kristallnacht” and yes, America does have it’s own version of Hitler’s Gestapo mis-named Homeland security. America ,now ,is where Germany was in 1939 and it is getting worse. Every American needs to become actively involved in challenging the destruction of our Constitution and Bill of rights and Their governments genocidal wars for greed that GW Bush & company hide with a cloak of false patriotism.

This is a great nation and American’s are a great people but our federal govt. and it’s lackey’s on a state and local govt. level are using our military and resources to accomplish their own very un-American goals.

Joe, you are spot on – unfortunately.

When I was a youngster I was very aware of what was happening when the Nixon thing went down. We all knew they were dirty and most of us believed it would never happen again.

Then we had Ronald Reagan and Bill Casey. Those folks brought us Iran Contra. You remember? Arms for hostages. Sweet deal.

Now we have the Bush adminsistration selling us everything from bogus weapons claims to the massive screw up that was and still is Katrina.

Bush has taken the Nixon thing to a whole new level. We now have the most secretive White House ever. And it will get worse.

When you all were young, did you ever think you’d live to see the day where our civil liberties were junked? Did you ever think you would ever see the day where control of our ports would be given over to foreign companies? Did you ever think you’d ever see companies treated better than citizens?

I’m not ready to give up, but I am getting close.

“The concern among those protecting the homeland is that if the guy in Boise is allowed to have signs on his truck, other federal employes may be emboldened enough to place even bigger signs on their vehicles.”

OMG, could you imagine? Signs advocating something everywhere we look? Next thing you know buses would have signs on them urging me to eat at McDonald’s. Then, they would construct huge signs on the roads urging me to watch the crappy local news. It would be mayhem.

Reading through these comments has restored some of my faith in my fellow Idahoans. I’m worried that some hard times are coming, and we’ll need to display our courage via our words and deeds.

Come now! This has nothing to do with the nature of mr. Scarbrough’s messages. It’s about keeping federal property free of unsightly signage. Do we want to turn the federal courthouse into “Taco Bell Courthouse”? Of course not.

I hope to there’s a crackdown on violators. Any and all cars with bumper stickers, windshield decals, logos, emblems, etc. should be ticketed and/or towed.

It’s up to all of us to help protect freedom by reporting violators to Homeland Security. After all, you’re either with us, or you’re against us.

ED NOTE–For you non library types, this post is dripping with sarcasm too!

It’s great to live in a country where we are free to declare our opinions on our pickup tailgate… and where we can peaceably debate the issue with one another on the Guardian Blog!

Compare with the Danish cartoon reaction. What’s the current head count over a cartoon that some people found offensive? At least 50, I believe, not to mention the injury and destruction.

Until there’s evidence to prove otherwise, I’m going to assume the pickup-truck signage controversy to be an overreaction from some gung-ho local yokel bureaucrat, and not an ominous sign of the sinister Bush Administration’s plot to take away our civil liberties.

IMO, Bush has a pretty tough job. He’s being accused of taking away our freedom, spying on us, and various other flavors of heavy-handedness… and much of the criticism is from the same people who blamed him for not doing more to prevent 9/11. (You’d have to be INSANE to want to be president!)

I dont see how you support the troops by protesting and making signs like that. Those innapropriate signs make the troops feel hated and like they are doing bad. We don’t want vientam all over again now do we. If i were to drive by you and i saw that on you vehicle i’d give you the bird. I’m ashamed that you live in this country were we fought for our freedom

Hey there Bob Sue— Dwight is a Cold War Vet. He chose to do that job and serve his country in that capacity. His signs are not inappropriate, just as your opinion of his signs is not inappropriate…only misguided. The signs on his pickup are simple issues of free speech. Referring to your statement about his stickers translating into troop hatred. Terribly slippery slope. I’m certain the troops can differentiate between support of the troops and not supporting the War in Iraq. You say “We don’t want Vietnam all over again…” The wars do have a similarity. We are fighting an “ism.” In Vietnam it was CommunISM; now we have an apparent fight on TerrorISM. Can you really win war against an “ism”? Remember Bob Sue, this isn’t a defensive war for our freedom. History will be the judge of this colossal error we call “The War in Iraq”.

Or Bob Sue, you need more practice in creating successful sarcasm in print. Check out previous posts for examples.

If I may be so bold as to try and divine what Mr. Scarbrough is thinking, he would probably respond that he is supporting the troops by advocating to bring them home from an ill planned and badly prosecuted war.

I certainly don’t think that the content of Mr. Scarbrough’s speech should be stifled because it might give the troops the wrong impression, will deprive them of the proper motivation, or is otherwise impolite because doing so would essentially suppress debate on whether our continued presence in Iraq is in America’s best interest. Moreover as a vet I assume Mr. Scarbrough’s opinion on the subject carries some weight. Are you saying you would flip off this veteran for exercizing his constitutional rights? Then what was he laying his life on the line for? If you would do such a thing I guess I would have to question your patriotism.

However I must agree nobody wanted another war without a clearly defined enemy, no clear objective, and no exit strategy, especially not the troops.

Literacy…never overrated!!! A mind really is a terrible thing to …waste?

A friend who did a tour in Baghdad tells me he hates those “support the troops” ribbons.

Who has more reason to want the troops home, than someone who has a lot of comrades over there? Who hates war more than someone who’s in it?

“Support the troops — leave ’em there” (huh???)

Oh, I am SO tired of people who cannot understand how we can support the troops but NOT support the war. These men and women DID volunteer, yes, but they volunteered with the understanding that America would not abuse their service, committment and loyalty. WE LET THEM DOWN. We have learned that the Vietnam vets were victims of the administration of that time… and so is our current military. How many people volunteered to serve our country to fight terrorists and now find themselves in Iraq? (Oh, please, don’t tell me that you still think 9/11 and Iraq are connected??) Isn’t that called “bait and switch” or something? And if they DO find themselves in a war they don’t support, then what choices do they have? I know that if I were in their position, I would be praying as hard as I could for American citizens to come out of their comas and to bring me home alive.

In addition, why do people believe that these men and women, the best-trained military in the world, who deal with bullets and bombs and God knows what else, are unable to handle the concept that some American citizens do not support the war? Dear God, let’s blow these boys to bits but don’t hurt their FEELINGS? They are SOLDIERS, they are TOUGH… I’m more worried about their limbs being blown off and PTSDs than I am about their feelings being hurt.

In addition, I have not seen ONE negative comment anywhere that criticizes the troops. Bush, yes. Rumsfield, yes. Rove and Cheney, yes, yes. BUT NOBODY HAS CRITICIZED THE MEN AND WOMEN SERVING OUR COUNTRY. Surely, they are able to tell the difference? It’s only when people twist our message and portray anti-war sentiments as anti-troop sentiments that it seems as if the troops are being criticized. That message is not coming from us, people.

As for attacking those of us who are not willing to sacrifice our loved ones for an illegal and immoral “war”, that is reprehensible. If this war is so important to you, instead of using your hand to flip someone off, please use it to sign your name up at the nearest recruiting office.

Be proud that you live in a country where we have the freedom to express our opinions. If you cannot accept that America was built on those freedoms, then there are other countries which may be a better fit for you. Iraq is one of them.

If I rememember my history lessons correctly, America was settled by immigrants who were leaving their home countries where the king/dictator/etc. forced them to worship and think the way they decreed, to fight their selfish wars for financial gain, and so on. Have we really improved much?

The enemy is Osama bin Laden and every day that goes by while he walks the earth a free man is a failure of the party in power.