FREE SPEECH

FBI, military on dangerous ground In the wake of 9-11, is domestic
spying going too far?

Under God?

What churches should be allowed to be infiltrated by government
agents? (Under the Patriot Act, all are vulnerable.) What religions or
religious opinions or activities should be deemed dangerous to the
state? And by whom?

Recent events involving the FBI and the military, acting under
post-9-11 anti-terrorism laws, would say so.

Earlier this month, news agencies reported the FBI is increasing
surveillance of individuals and groups involved in Iraq war protests
and has collected extensive information on demonstrators.

This treading on lawful dissent recalls the abuses of the 1960s when
J. Edgar Hoover was the director and agents routinely spied on
political protesters and infiltrated groups, amassing files.

As troubling as this treading - or retreading - on the sensitive
grounds of Americans' freedom may be, The Los Angeles Times has
reported an equally troublesome trend in Washington enlisting the
military to spy on Americans and enforce "anti-terrorism" laws on civilians.

The U.S. military operates under The 1878 Posse Comitatus Act that
prohibits using the military as a domestic police force. But, under
the Patriot Act, Homeland Security Act and other legislation, the
military is increasing its role.

"We are not going to be out there spying on people," Air Force Gen.
Ralph Eberhart, head of Northern Command, the military homeland
security arm, told PBS' NewsHour in September. But, "We get
information from people who do."

That includes the FBI, Homeland Security, and a Pentagon organization
established last year called Counterintelligence Field Activity
(CIFA), the Times reports.

This year, the Pentagon authorized military special agents to FBI
field offices, the Times reports. In August, Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld authorized CIFA to maintain "a domestic law enforcement
database." Next year, Eberhart plans to transform Joint Task Force
Six, a drug interdiction unit at Ft. Bliss, Texas, into Joint
Interagency Task Force North, for nationwide law enforcement.

Meanwhile, the military's National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is
gathering domestic satellite data down to the house-to-house level
with plans one day, the Times reports, of "being able to identify
individual occupants, as well as their national background and
political affiliations."

The FBI was reined in during the late 1970s as a result of Hoover
using information to discredit political enemies and control public
officials. But this year Attorney General John Ashcroft authorized
agents to infiltrate peace groups, churches, political rallies, etc.,
under anti-terrorism laws.

Our nation was founded on dissent: a revolt against state tyranny and
for individual liberty. Freedom and independence belong to the
individual, not the state. That includes our religious and secular
opinions and activities.

What churches should be allowed to be infiltrated by government
agents? What religions or religious opinions or activities should be
deemed dangerous to the state? And by whom? The FBI? Local
authorities? The military?

Even the knowledge our government may be watching and amassing
information on our political, religious and philosophical discussions
and activities has a chilling effect.

We cannot continue to allow our government to chill, thwart or take
away our freedom in the name of "security."

Jobs

Two-year colleges key to action Gov.-elect Haley Barbour made creating
jobs for Mississippians a top priority in his election campaign, and
Mississippi's two-year colleges are ready for action.

Appearing before The Clarion-Ledger Editorial Board on Tuesday, State
Board for Community and Junior Colleges Executive Director Wayne
Stonecypher said the need for job training is as important now as
ever, maybe more so.

Stonecypher said if Mississippi is to attract and retain industry,
more - and more effective - job training and retraining is essential.

For example, according to Census 2000, of Mississippians age 18 to 24,
some 89,670 are less than high school graduates. Of 1,757,517
residents ages 25 and older, 307,852 have no diploma but have a 9th
through 12th grade education. We must target these groups for job training.

It's "a generational problem," he said: "It didn't happen yesterday;
it won't be solved tomorrow."

In addition, most of the almost 52,000 manufacturing jobs that Barbour
noted in the campaign had disappeared over four years will require
retraining. The board has started a five-year plan to reach these
people with classes on nights and weekends that will require state
support.

To reach both groups will require consolidating work-force training
efforts that are now spread through various agencies to make maximum
use of federal and state dollars.

Stonecypher said he has not yet met with Barbour, but he appears ready
to move two-year colleges into the role they are well suited to
perform: creating an able work force.