Are preppers the new terrorists? FBI wants military surplus stores to spy on customers
Friday, August 12th, 2011What do you folks make of the flyer reproduced below?
It’s a new FBI handout that’s being distributed in that hotbed of potential terrorism, Colorado, USA according to a Wednesday Oath Keepers posting.
According to the FBI, if you value your privacy, that makes you suspicious. Or if you buy a lot of MREs (Meals, Ready-to-Eat) or stuff like weatherproofed ammunition or match containers or dangerous stuff like night vision devices, night flashlights, and gas masks. It’s good to know, though, that the FBI apparently thinks daytime flashlights are okay. After all, many of us do need flashlights to augment daytime sunlight so we can properly see.
And they do let you know that
Some of the activities, taken individually, could be innocent and must be examined by law enforcement professionals in a larger context to determine whether there is a basis to investigate. The activities outlined on this handout are by no means all-inclusive but have been compiled from a review of terrorist events over several years.
So on the one hand, they tell you that one of the listed activities by itself does not necessarily mean the person is a potential terrorist. On the other hand, they remind you that there are many other, undisclosed activities, that should be considered suspicious, thus encouraging us to report pretty much everyone so “law enforcement professionals” can examine them.
What I like best, though, is the fine print.
You know how advertisers often put the disclosures they hope you won’t read in small print at the bottom of the ad? I guess the FBI figured if it works for used car sales it can work for them.
Each indicator listed above, is by itself, lawful conduct or behavior and may also constitute the exercise of rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. In addition, there may be a wholly innocent explanation for conduct or behavior that appears suspicious in nature. For this reason, no single indicator should be the sole basis for law enforcement action. The totality of behavioral indicators and other relevant circumstances should be evaluated when considering any law enforcement response or action.
Well, that’s good to know. Just buying some MREs probably won’t get me flagged. But if I buy a few cases of MREs, a weatherproof match container for camping, and pass over the daytime flashlights and buy one to use at night, in the dark, I should expect a visit from the feds to make sure I’m not up to something nefarious.
So…what do you think of this latest attempt by the feds to get us all spying on one-another?
Note: Click on the graphic to view a larger version.
Click to view a larger version.
August 12th, 2011
You have to remember, today unless it is allowed by law, it is forbidden.
So unless you are allowed by law to buy large amounts of ammo, MREs, flashlights, etc it must be illegal and needs to have the police investigate you and dig through everything you have done or said so they can lock you up after a big press arrest.
August 12th, 2011
I think it’s hilarious, mainly because my husband manages a surplus store, and both he & the owner (who was our friend for years before he became my husband’s boss) are gunnies and preppers and current or former military. They’re also allergic to bullsh#t, which is what this flyer is — and I suspect most surplus store owners will have the same reaction.
August 12th, 2011
I hate to say it, but with the current state of our country I find that the most shocking thing about this little handout is that it took the administration this long to distribute it! We all knew it was coming!
August 12th, 2011
I feel this goes hand in hand wth gun control issues. The first thing a dictatorship does is unarm the people so they can control the population. Because of the Constitution it is harder to do so extremists use things like FBI watching preppers so if they appear to be stock piling items thn they can begin to watch them and they may start formal investigation and then if they can materialize a bullcrap reason to search and possibly seize what item you have. Big Brother is getting to big and with renewal of Patriot Act sign via electronic signature by Obama gives the government to much leway to just drop in and check you out. If they truly understood preppers they would see we are just trying to care for our families and friends after they screw the pooch and SHTF goes down! I still buy what I want and if they want to waste taxpayer’s dollar to watch me when there are terrorists,mafia and drug dealers reeking havoc I guess it proves the government wastes money
August 12th, 2011
I am a civilian contractor for the FBI and this is just more proof, in my mind, of a dismally failing agency trying to drum up “new business” to justify their laughable, petty, unnecessary existence. I’ve been on this contract for 3 years and I have NEVER in my entire career seen a more wasteful, incompetent and sophomoric group of usless “crime fighters”. I’m not surprised by this pathetic attempt at entrapment and I agree that JeanneS has it right…the surplus shop owners will be rolling on their floors laughing as they file it in their circular files. The FBI is pathetic…I wish they would spend OUR money on something useful for a change…thanks for the laugh!
August 12th, 2011
Yet another asinine use of our tax dollars. The stupid thing was printed with “grant” money. Isn’t this how the dictators always start? Publish government propaganda that makes people mistrust each other, and that advances yet another government agenda in eroding our rights.
I hope all the surplus store guys just throw this thing away.
August 12th, 2011
Perhaps it’s time to move to places where your neighbors and friends will back you up, against the ever encroaching statist forces. Places like New Hampshire’s Free State Project. Far easier to fight the police state, when lots of other folks have your back.
August 12th, 2011
People are prepping for when the SHTF because the way this country is going, it will happen sooner rather than later. They don’t want people to be prepared so it will be that much easier to control the sheep.
And, if military surplus stores have these notices, preppers will just go online….duh!!
August 13th, 2011
Interesting: “Each indicator listed above, is by itself, lawful conduct or behavior and may also constitute the exercise of rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.”
OK, lets think about this. All the “indicators” are legal behavior. Doing one or more of the legal behaviors makes the doer suspicious. The more legal behaviors I engage in the more suspicious I become. Do I have that right?
No rational person with an IQ over 70 could have written this. Oliver, are you pulling our legs? Please tell me you got the pamphlet from the Onion web site.
August 13th, 2011
Sadly, Woody, it’s not a joke. It’s the new America.
Personally, I preferred the old one.
August 15th, 2011
I think the real reason behind this is not to ‘find’ domestic terrorism, but to find out who is self-sufficient/’prepping’ because people who don’t need the government to provide for them are viewed as a threat to their power-grabbing.
August 17th, 2011
This is how Hitler started getting people to be suspicious about everything others did & turn them in , don’t take a chance that they coulld be a terrorist. Children were turning in their parents for no reason , except that they were doing something the govt. said not to. I guess we have to go to more traders days beforethey require registering items there, as talking about now.Control of all is the name of the game.
August 18th, 2011
I am a Backwoods Home subscriber. LOVE your magazine! Stalin had children in Russia turning in their parents as well. This makes me wonder if the FBI is using the Patriot Act to spy on companies like Emergency Essentials, who sells MREs along with a host of other preparedness items.
I agree that the surplus stores will file the FBI document “appropriately”. I might also suggest it be used as emergency bathroom tissue when the SHTF.
Bottom line is that I consider the possibility that the FBI is already hacking the websites of legitimate businesses who sell MREs and gun related products. They do not NEED to spy on surplus stores. All they have to do is hack customer databases to know who is buying what.
J. EDGAR HOOVER WOULD BE PROUD!
August 21st, 2011
Require identification because I want to buy some food or flash light? Please.
August 21st, 2011
I agree with everyone one above. unfortunately I think you’re all missing a very large segment of the population. the very large lunatic leftists. they will “Turn in” a lot of preppers because they don’t want to be reminded that it may very well become necessary in the near future as they are doing nothing to prep for that possible outcome themselves, therefore it can’t be coming, therefore you must be doing something wrong. and here comes the FBI saying that yes, your neighbor may be doing something wrong, feeding the hysteria, and low and behold you wind up being targeted as a potential terrorist, put on the watch list, and denied the right to purchase firearms. I wonder what they’ll try next…