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Police Chief: Turn in Friends & Neighbors Who Are ‘Gun Enthusiasts’ So Cops Can ‘Vet’ Them
FreeThought Project ^ | December 5, 2014 | Jay Syrmopoulos

Posted on 12/07/2014 5:52:35 PM PST by Altariel

Austin, Texas – In what sounds like something out of the Cold War Soviet Union playbook, Austin Police Chief, Art Acevedo urged the community to turn in neighbors and friends who are “gun enthusiasts” or who have “extreme” views, just days after Larry McQuilliams shot-up buildings in Austin.

Acevedo, in a press conference, stated that he is fearful of “homegrown” terrorists like McQuilliams who harbor “hate” and have access to firearms.

But what Americans should be fearful about isn’t the likes of McQuilliams, but rather the response by Acevedo on how to go about countering these perceived threats.

While obviously no rational or sane person supports mass killings and violence, when you look deeper at the statements made by Acevedo, his words are frightening, invoke images of the former Soviet Union’s KGB and are extremely un-American.

The statements made by Acevedo sound like something straight out of George Orwell’s 1984.

“And that’s why it’s important for us as Americans to know our neighbors, know our families- tell somebody. If you know somebody that is acting with a lot of hatred towards any particular group- especially if it’s somebody you know is a gun enthusiast or is armed with these type of firearms and they’re showing any kind of propensity for hatred- it doesn’t mean we’re going to take them to jail, but we might want to vet these people.”

To take the exercising of civil rights, protected by the First and Second Amendment of the United States Constitution, and turn them into something that makes someone a suspect, or person of interest for law enforcement, is disingenuous to every principle of freedom the U.S. was founded upon and a very dangerous precedent to set.

The First Amendment specifically covers people holding “extreme” views, even if these views are unpopular or perhaps repugnant and vulgar. The unpopular or “extreme” opinions held by individuals are protected under the U.S. Constitution, and specifically the Bill of Rights.

Those with unpopular political ideas have always borne the brunt of governmental repression, hence the Founding Fathers creating a Constitution to protect this type of speech in the first place.

Acevedo’s statements seem like a continuation of a narrative that has been all too common in recent years, as seen in the MIAC report, which claimed that potential terrorists include people who own gold, Ron Paul supporters, libertarians, and even people who fly the U.S. flag.

Then in 2012 there was a leaked Homeland Security study that claimed Americans who are “reverent of individual liberty,” and “suspicious of centralized federal authority” are possible “extreme right-wing” terrorists.

More recently, Senator Harry Reid labeled those who supported rancher Cliven Bundy, in his standoff with the Bureau of Land Management, as domestic terrorists.

The idea that holding beliefs outside the mainstream is suspicious and warrants investigation by law enforcement should raise red flags for all Americans about the increasingly totalitarian/fascist nature of our government.

Why does being angry about the injustices seen daily across our country and owning legal firearms make you suspicious or a potential criminal/terrorist?

These ideas being forwarded by Acevedo and the federal government are offensive, repugnant and fly in the face of liberty, justice and freedom, and are more closely aligned to a modern day Gestapo than a government “for the people, by the people.”

Why should people engaging in constitutionally protected activities be under increased scrutiny from their government and its law enforcement apparatus in what is proclaimed to be a free society?


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: 1984; acevedo; artacevedo; austin; banglist; domesticterrorists; donutwatch; larrymcquilliams; leo; leosoutofcontrol; policechief; texas; turninfriends; tx
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To: Scrambler Bob

Your disgruntled liberal neighbor will soon have a government snitch hotline to call & denounce you as a threat to the neighborhood & can do so anonymously. It’s been started in New York & Connecticut.


41 posted on 12/07/2014 7:31:24 PM PST by elcid1970 ("I am a radicalized infidel.")
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To: elcid1970
It’s been started in New York & Connecticut.

That crap may fly up north.

I don't expect it to get much traction down here, even in Austin.

/johnny

42 posted on 12/07/2014 7:34:59 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: OKSooner

He works for a Marxist mayor.


43 posted on 12/07/2014 7:51:59 PM PST by Red Steel
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To: Jane Long; Arrowhead1952; NYTexan; mylife; Eaker; TheMom; laurenmarlowe; El Gato; RebelTex; ...

I have heard about this. That guy just jumped the shark!

Pinging my Texas peeps!


44 posted on 12/07/2014 7:53:50 PM PST by luvie (All my heroes wear camos! Thank you David, Michael, Chris, Txradioguy, JJ, CMS, & ALL Vets, too!)
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To: LevinFan

There are other places in Texas besides Austin...and at least Jesus would be WELOME here, and he certainly isn’t in some liberal states!


45 posted on 12/07/2014 7:55:49 PM PST by luvie (All my heroes wear camos! Thank you David, Michael, Chris, Txradioguy, JJ, CMS, & ALL Vets, too!)
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To: LUV W

https://twitter.com/ArtAcevedo/status/540597821741989888


46 posted on 12/07/2014 7:58:35 PM PST by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: Altariel
I'm a racist too. Old news.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~tagline still applies.

47 posted on 12/07/2014 7:59:03 PM PST by Delta 21 (Patiently waiting for the jack booted kick at my door.)
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To: Altariel

Art Acevedo is a“gun enthusiasts” who has “extreme” views.


48 posted on 12/07/2014 8:00:29 PM PST by <1/1,000,000th%
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To: Altariel

Acevedo also initiated a policy wherein if you refuse a blood test (DUI) several “officers” will hold you down and take blood forcibly.

This “policy” has been being implemented for years but has really riled up the liberals and has been winding it’s way through the courts too so I don’t know where it is tonight.


49 posted on 12/07/2014 8:02:12 PM PST by Cen-Tejas (it's the debt bomb stupid)
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To: Altariel

The Police chief would have made a fine Chekist.


50 posted on 12/07/2014 8:02:57 PM PST by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: jospehm20

Take one, it’s a free society, after all.


51 posted on 12/07/2014 8:03:31 PM PST by Scrambler Bob (/s /s /s /s /s, my replies are "liberally" sprinkled with them behind every word and letter.!)
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To: Altariel
"Police Chief: Turn in Friends & Neighbors Who Are ‘Gun Enthusiasts’ So Cops Can ‘Vet’ Them "

Is the police chief a gun enthusiast?

Let's all turn him in.

52 posted on 12/07/2014 8:18:11 PM PST by MV=PY (The Magic Question: Who's paying for it?)
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To: JRandomFreeper
I don't expect it to get much traction down here, even in Austin.

Austin is just another stop in his career path, aiming for a mid-level job in some federal alphabet agency. That was his audition tape. The higher you want to go,the more you have to pad your resume so they know you're politically reliable.

53 posted on 12/07/2014 8:18:27 PM PST by 300winmag (Whatever CAN go wrong has already happened. We just don't know about it yet.)
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To: null and void

Ping!


54 posted on 12/07/2014 8:19:30 PM PST by Slings and Arrows ("I Only Love You When I'm Drunk" - http://youtu.be/uT-tCbvfDUg)
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To: 300winmag
I don't expect him to make it in Texas. Not even in Austin.

/johnny

55 posted on 12/07/2014 8:22:43 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: Scrambler Bob

You can get shot taking one in Texas. Guess I’ll have to save up.


56 posted on 12/07/2014 8:23:34 PM PST by jospehm20
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To: Altariel; COUNTrecount; Nowhere Man; FightThePower!; C. Edmund Wright; jacob allen; Travis McGee; ..
At no point in history has any government ever wanted its people to be defenseless for any good reason ~ nully's son

Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping!

To get onto The Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping List you must threaten to report me to the Mods if I don't add you to the list...

57 posted on 12/07/2014 8:34:28 PM PST by null and void (Will the obama love story be called Broke Barack Mountin' or The Love That Dare Not Say Hussein?)
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To: JRandomFreeper

Actually, snitch hotlines have been tried since the 1970’s, the highwater mark of the era of gun control & ostracizing of gun owners. They were abandoned even in Washington D.C. when police raids showed that anonymous tips mostly involved angry neighbors settling old scores.

Now it’s about drug dealers eliminating their competition so things will get deadlier & real fast.


58 posted on 12/07/2014 8:47:14 PM PST by elcid1970 ("I am a radicalized infidel.")
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To: Altariel

I’m not sure, but I think the Austin Police Chief takes a Gun to Work. Yeah, that’s what I said, to WORK!

Can you imagine?


59 posted on 12/07/2014 8:48:13 PM PST by Kickass Conservative (If you thought the Mulatto Marxist was bad, wait until the Menopausal Marxist is Elected.)
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To: lormand
This CHP officer???

Note that he is really really, ummm, excited to be pointing an M-16 at an unarmed citizen!

60 posted on 12/07/2014 8:54:49 PM PST by null and void (Will the obama love story be called Broke Barack Mountin' or The Love That Dare Not Say Hussein?)
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