Report Civil Disob-er...if you see it, report it videos now coming to Wal-Mart

[Perriwen]

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1291648380371.shtm

Anyone else find this a bit..disturbing?

[emshighway]

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1291648380371.shtm

Anyone else find this a bit..disturbing?

Why do you find it disturbing?

[gonzalu]

I actually think it's ok... all it does is remind people of the right they have and natural instinct they SHOULD already have to act in an appropriate manner if they see something suspicious. You and I and EVERYONE has had and will have that right and capacity to do just that. All this is is a reminder program as I see it.

You never called your local police office or sheriff's office to report something out of the ordinary? I have and will continue to do so. Sometimes I call them to report myself while spotting. I see myself doing something suspicious so I usually shortcut the process, report myself and then the cops come, check me out and leave me alone for the rest of the session :tongue:

[Perriwen]

Why do you find it disturbing?

It bears a very striking resemblance to those 1984-ish movies where you see videos in public gathering spaces that talk about 'civil protection begins with you' and 'report civil disobedience'. Plus it can generate paranoia, people reporting non-events, as well as just seems to promote civil spying.

[Zee71]

I have no issues..........I am vigilant, if I see anything strange..........I would report it to. Better to be safe then sorry.

[gonzalu]

Mark, I report you all the time... but no one seems to think you're any danger to the community :tongue:

[megatop412]

I'm all for speaking up when seeing something. I do it myself as well. The reason there is a problem with this is that asking civilians to report suspicious behaviors related to terrorism when they haven't had any training will lead to an excess of false positives, which means a lot of wasted time and effort. Look at how many times we get the cops called on us, and we're just enjoying our hobby. However, if any of us had nefarious motives, we wouldn't be out in the open like we are when taking photos, right? If I wanted to "recon" the airport to look for security vulnerabilities I sure wouldn't do it by parking on Hog Island Rd with my big-ass camera.

This initiative also smacks of the same type of environment that the Salem Witch Trials occurred in, where people turned on each other instead of getting smart to handle the real problems. People fed a steady diet of fear are much more likely to report what THEY think is suspicious behavior, when they have no idea what to look for. We all say we would report when we see something suspicious, but there's quite a degree of variability in the judgement of all the Joe Six Packs out there. I bet there's a lot of people out there in Reader's Digest-land that think terrorists wear rags and turbans(look at how uncomfortable a planeload of people gets when more than 2 men in Muslim attire board a flight).

For example, Janet says "Beware of suspicious activity in the parking lot!" But she does not say what behaviors to look out for- the parent disciplining their child with a spank for throwing a tantrum in the store? The group of teenagers wearing "hoodies" and milling about on the side of the store, looking like they're "up to no good"? Or the man that nonchalantly set down a package by the entrance before strolling casually back to his car, acting like he forgot something? Which of these situations will draw your attention more?

And rolling it out with Wal-Mart, of all places- jeez louise. While they have some decent prices, the place ain't really a hotbed of sophisticated discourse, folks.

[Tom_Turner]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czoww2l1xdw&feature=player_embedded

The video is up on Youtube... already it has 314 DISLIKES to 10 LIKES... and now you can't add to more dislikes because
"This feature is not available right now. Please try again later." LOL....

Report suspicious behavior to your Walmart Manager...

[heeshung]

It seems very out of place in a Wal-Mart.

[jerslice]

It bears a very striking resemblance to those 1984-ish movies

Bingo.

[Cary]

Report suspicious behavior to: http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?page_id=9798

[Perriwen]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czoww2l1xdw&feature=player_embedded

The video is up on Youtube... already it has 314 DISLIKES to 10 LIKES... and now you can't add to more dislikes because
"This feature is not available right now. Please try again later." LOL....

Report suspicious behavior to your Walmart Manager...

Youtube was undergoing maintence tonight, and comments and ratings were down.

[gonzalu]

Report suspicious behavior to: http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?page_id=9798


Priceless!

[emshighway]

It seems very out of place in a Wal-Mart.

Considering in most Walmarts in rural areas you can get anything I would think it is appropriate.

[Tom_Turner]

It's now:

46 LIke to 1580 dislike

Big Sis is on the march! maybe looking to catch some domestic "extremists"

[lijk604]

You know, I read this thread with some anger, then I actually watched the video. Sounds like Homeland Security is worried about WalMart specifically. The message stated "...if you see something inside the store or out in the parking lot..." Makes one wonder, is there "chatter" about a possible strike on WalMarts? They always seem worried about the malls this time of year, and in some smaller communities, WalMart IS the mall.

[emshighway]

You know, I read this thread with some anger, then I actually watched the video. Sounds like Homeland Security is worried about WalMart specifically. The message stated "...if you see something inside the store or out in the parking lot..." Makes one wonder, is there "chatter" about a possible strike on WalMarts? They always seem worried about the malls this time of year, and in some smaller communities, WalMart IS the mall.

The PSA was made for Walmart but to answer the question without revealing any further and to sound like a typical fed; Yes.