Policing Porn Is Not Part of Job Description (Homeland Security cops policing porn at library)

Washington Post ^ | 2-17-2006 | Cameron W. Barr

[Spok]

'Policing'...that's a new word for it.

[dirtboy]

The men looked stern and wore baseball caps emblazoned with the words "Homeland Security." The bizarre scene unfolded Feb. 9, leaving some residents confused and forcing county officials to explain how employees assigned to protect county buildings against terrorists came to see it as their job to police the viewing of pornography.

After the two men made their announcement, one of them challenged an Internet user's choice of viewing material and asked him to step outside, according to a witness. A librarian intervened, and the two men went into the library's work area to discuss the matter. A police officer arrived. In the end, no one had to step outside except the uniformed men.

Lord help us if we are ever get attacked again if this is the caliber of government employee on watch.

[Constitution Day]

[Wolfie]

At least they weren't Feds. Although it wouldn't have surprised me if they were.

[Idisarthur]

Lord help us if we are ever get attacked again if this is the caliber of government employee on watch.

Some would say that when terrorism strikes these guys will be the first to know about it and the first to get out of harms way.

I'm sure these guys have their terrorism escape plan dialed in.

[MRMEAN]

The reality is that almost all of the "Homeland Security" spending has been squandered...it all represents a gigantic jobs/welfare program and pork for politically connected businesses.

[jimmyo57]

Homeland Security does have more important things to do (if infact the two were actual employees.) But I don't think porn should be allowed to be viewed at taxpayer expense either!

[rhombus]

Lord help us if we are ever get attacked again if this is the caliber of government employee on watch.

Never forget New Orleans.

[Dave278]

"After the two men made their announcement" six guys dressed in raincoats ran out of the library.

Really though. I don't care what you view in your home, but I don't like my tax dollars paying for someone to get thier rocks off in a public library.

[Horatio Gates]

...an unarmed force...

Praise the Lord

[Cagey]

LOL!

[joesnuffy]

Aww it's not like former Stasi General Markus Wolf is running Homieland Security or anything y'all...or even John Magaw (Waco-Ruby Ridge)

[Sax]

2 bored HLS guys looking to exercise some author-a-tay. I don't know about you guys, but my family and I feel a lot safer at night knowing this guy in the library was chastised and embarrassed in front of the other patrons by men in uniform. Yep, that's a good value for our tax dollars, no matter how you spin it.

[weegee]

Employers were late to release their employees on 9-11 as well.

When crisis strikes, you will probably be on your own. This does not authorize you to do whatever you want to do. It just means that the "support structures" that we expect out of life are undependable.

[Labyrinthos]

Rent-a-cop flunkies formally employed at your local shopping mall.

[isom35]

its getting so a guy cant enjoy porn in public anymore.

[MineralMan]

"But I don't think porn should be allowed to be viewed at taxpayer expense either!"

Neither do I, but the problem is in identifying what is porn and what is not. I'm not sure I want some random "County Homeland Security Officers" doing the deciding. Do you?

These guys are not cops...they're wannabes.

[siunevada]

Romer said the officers believed they were enforcing the county's sexual harassment policy

Perhaps they should have a quick review of the "no drinking on the job" policy.

[Itzlzha]

Policing Porn Is Not Part of Job Description (Homeland Security cops policing porn at library)

OK...I'm not usually defending this Administrations' screw-ups...but wait a moment on this one.

We KNOW that Al Qaueda used coded messages in Porn Pics to transmit instructions/messages to operatives.

We KNOW the ACLU and Librarians have DEFENDED the looking at of Porn in Public Libraries.

This makes the Library the BEST place to access these images, which may be under surveillance, when the viewers privacy will be fought for by the ACLU and Librarians!

Before I think the HS operatives were off the reservation, perhaps there was another reason for this.

I know...I've always argued "Occam's Razor", and my defense CLEARLY is not the simplest answer...and if I'm wrong, I'll take my lumps.

My gut feeling tells me there was more to this than meets the JPEG!