The Thought Police

Two recent stories concern me. I don’t want to believe our government is our enemy, but these two stories indicate that the “thought police” are targeting us, and it’s not going to get better if we don’t bring it to a halt.

The first is that, under the Biden administration, the TSA had orders to surveil Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat congresswoman turned enemy combatant by the Dems when she switched allegiance and supported Trump. This is not my speculation, the documents from TSA discuss orders to note the clothes she was wearing and how many electronic devices she was using on flights. Her clothing? Hardly seems like something worthy of the TSA’s time, does it? Now Ms. Gabbard is our Director of National Intelligence, yet just last year she says on every flight she went through a 30 to 45 minute debriefing. The people who ordered that surveillance should be rounded up, given a swift trial, and executed. 

The other story probably shouldn’t result in executions since most of the perps are state actors, but I’m thinking about it. 

A Republican representative in Maine, a liberal bastion these days, posted a picture showing a boy coming in 5th in boy’s pole vault, and then winning the girl’s pole vault the next year. 

Republican Rep. Libby was censured for the post by Maine State House Democrats! They alleged that by identifying the trans student (the post identified the student as John, then Katie), Rep. Libby placed the child in danger. The picture in question is one that the HHJ prints in almost every edition, a picture celebrating a young person’s achievement. To cure the “danger,” Rep. Libby had to apologize? She refused. 

During Rep. Libby’s censure, her constituents’ voices have not been represented and Rep. Libby was banned from speaking and voting. She sued, but a federal judge (Obama appointee) upheld the censure, the Circuit Court upheld it (five judges, all Democratic appointees), but the Supreme Court reversed it. Rep. Libby is reinstated while the matter proceeds through the courts. 

Free speech can be confusing. I can call for the execution of treasonous officials, but I can’t yell “FIRE!” in a crowded theater. You would think government officials would understand the distinction, but they don’t sometimes. And that’s scary. 

Kelly Burke was born in Knoxville where he spent his younger years, followed by high school years in Atlanta where he graduated from Georgia Tech. He then graduated from Mercer Law School. He has been in private practice, a magistrate judge, and an elected district attorney. He writes about the law, politics, music and Ireland. He and his wife enjoy gardening, playing with their Lagotto Ramanolo named George Harrison, and spending time with their grandchildren.