I urge all to protest the secret detention of the 1200 individuals. We need to organize nationwide protests to fight against secret detention, the USA Patriot Act, & the so-called "war on terrorism."
While it is OK to be skeptical of Nancy Oden's story in particular, I wish to clarify how political repression normally works under liberal democracy. Political repression under liberal democracy is seldom a blanket affair. For instance, I've read of the FBI questioning a radical Jewish lesbian leftist & participant in the Women in Black movement in San Francisco (e.g., <http://www.jewishsf.com/bk011005/sfp06.shtml> & <http://www.indymedia.org.il/imc/israel/webcast/display.php3?article_id=8210>). That doesn't mean, though, that the FBI are contacting all participants in Women in Black (or radical Jewish lesbian leftists for that matter) everywhere. We've been holding Women in Black vigils in Columbus every Friday since S11, but no one here has been contacted by the FBI, much less threatened with a subpoena.
Political repression under liberal democracy usually doesn't declare itself as such either. That is, they won't say that they are trying to get you because of your political belief. They will always have some excuse, sometimes real (e.g., overstaying your visa), sometimes invented (e.g., your alleged possession of information vital to police investigation).
If we wait until it comes to the point that all individuals of a political party, movement, etc. (or parties, movements, etc.) are _categorically_ targeted for _open_ repression -- from petty harassment to "real repression" -- by then it will have become far more difficult than now to fight back.
Though we shouldn't exaggerate what is happening now & therefore critics of Oden have a point, I believe we can use more vigilance against the police state given the USA Patriot Act & other "anti-terrorist" measures. -- Yoshie
* Calendar of Anti-War Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html> * Anti-War Activist Resources: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/activist.html> * Anti-War Organizing in Columbus Covered by the Media: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/media.html>