The DOJ is Coming Soon to a Dollar Store Near You

The DOJ is Coming Soon to a Dollar Store Near You
by Mike Madias, Clinical Sociologist and Columnist

July 2, 2003

Columnist Mike Madias As reported by the Associated Press reporter Jesse J. Holland; Attorney General John Ashcroft asked Congress for additional police powers in order to go after terrorists who might be in our cities. He is asking for "expanded powers to hold suspected terrorists indefinitely before trials," And he wants to be able to seek the death penalty or life imprisonment for any terrorist act.

The story continues: "Ashcroft told the House Judiciary Committee that the 2001 Patriot Act signed into law after the Sept. 11 attacks should also be expanded to let prosecutors bring charges against anyone who supports or works with suspected terrorist groups as 'material supporters [of terrorism].'"

This concerns me because a certain percentage of Detroit HARDBALL readers (certainly not you, of course) might unknowingly be among those the DOJ might suspect of supporting suspected terrorist groups. Yes, it is a double-double bind. If you might be in some way supporting someone who might be supporting someone else who might be supporting a terrorist. Therefore, you might be detained indefinitely for questioning by the G-men until the federal investigators determine if you are actually supporting an actual bonafide terrorist group. And since you are on my mailing list, that reflects badly on me, doesn't it?

Last year, on July 18th, 2002, I contributed a story to the Wayne State University daily newspaper the South End that trashed a report issued by the national group "Americans for Victory Over Terrorism (AVOT)." At the time that my piece was published, AVOT was being directed by the ex-Secretary of Education, famous moralist, and former compulsive gambler William J. Bennett.

The piece I wrote was picked up and published in the college edition of the (then) prestigious New York Times. Now, I do not think Al-Jezeera surfs the web to see what is happening on the Wayne State University campus.

But I suspect that they might read the college edition of the New York Times. And there I am, trashing "Americans For Victory Over Terrorism." It is in the archives, immortalized along with all kinds of other things I have written, typos and all. Since I am on the public record as opposing the organization named "Americans For Victory Over Terrorism" does that mean I am in the cross hairs of the FBI as an American suspected of opposing victory over terrorism?

I used to shop at a dollar store owned by Chaldian Iraqis. They had relatives living in Baghdad. I would buy pistachios, an Iranian snack food, there on a regular basis. As the U.S. was bombing Baghdad I was at the dollar store watching television coverage of the cruise missiles hitting the home neighborhood of the relatives of the store owner. As he took the my money, paying for a 40 ounce Mickey's Malt Liquor, the two of us prayed for the safety of his relatives. We hoped the smart bombs were smart enough.

I was giving material financial support and encouragement to Iraqis who were not American citizens, and some support to the Kars peanut people who are suspected of giving material financial support to pistachio farmers within Iran. I don't know if I was supporting the North Koreans at the dollar store. I might have been a fellow traveler and an unwitting dupe of the Communists in Pyongyang.

Do you ever shop at a dollar store? Do you ever eat pistachios?

There is a new political group called PABAAH, Patriotic Americans Boycotting Anti-American Hollywood. They have prepared a list of celebrities who they say "have betrayed America during its time of need." On this list you have people who have publically criticized the president: Martin Sheen; Alec Baldwin; Sean Penn; Susan Sarandon; Ed Harris; Woody Harrelson; Robert Altman; George Clooney, Barbra Streisand, and Jennifer Aniston. There were dozens of celebrities who also signed petitions requesting an end to the war. PABAAH wants to lead a boycott of anything connected with people on its "enemies of America" list - those who spoke openly and those who signed petitions.

There is nothing wrong with a boycott. But to say that a person has "betrayed America in its time of need" by voicing a position critical of the current presidential administration or signing a petition is a frightening piece of nonsense.

PABAAH has a pretty sophisticated web site. It is small group of about 330 registered members. Its web site has had about 50 thousand hits. It seems as
though PABAAH has some connection to Sean Hannity, a conservative radio talk show host who can be heard on many radio stations around the country.

I believe that this is the case because there is a PABAAH online store, selling PABAAH T-shirts. And when someone pays eight dollars for one of these T-shirts, a dollar is contributed to the Hannity Scholarship Fund. Hannity's organization is pretty big stuff. He broadcasts in the same syndicate (ABC Radio which is owned by the Disney Corporation) as does Sam Donaldson, Paul Harvey and Mitch Albom.

I am not saying that ABC radio is calling Susan Sarandon a traitor. PABAAH is. But someone associated with ABC Radio is materially and financially connected to PABAAH. And in my humble opinion, PABAAH is undermining the Constitution by calling the legitimate exercise of free speech a betrayal of America. So whether they know it or not, Sam Donaldson, Mitch Albom, and Goofy are unwitting dupes and supporters of those who would attack free speech and our American way of life.

Hey Hannity, two can play the same game. On July the Fourth, I am founding PABABC or "Payback!!" This is Patriotic Americans Boycotting ABC. We won't listen to its radio stations, watch its television programming, or go to Disney World. We will resign en masse from the Mickey Mouse Club. And we
will do this until ABC and Hannity publicly disavow any connection to PABAAH.

As the DOJ has shown, I do not have to know that you and yours are trying to undermine the U.S. Constitution. All I have to do is suspect that you are
aiding and supporting a group (PABAAH) that I suspect may be undermining the U.S. Constitution. Extremism in the name of liberty is no vice.

Sorry Mitch. Sorry Sam. Sorry to Diane Sawyer and the seven dwarfs. ***

Shalom

Mike

Cheers and good night to you Dash, Lily and Asta.

I'll drink one with you in hell. ***

Photo of Mike Madias courtesy of the author

A clinical sociologist living in the Metropolitan Detroit area, Mike's work has appeared in The Detroit News. He may be reached by e-mail at DetroitHardball@hotmail.com.