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| Michigan Greens Ask MSU to Look at Involvement in RCPI, Oppose "Political Profiling" Under Guise of "Community Policing." |
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Green Party of Michigan News Release: November 2, 2002 Michigan Greens Ask MSU to Look at Involvement in
RCPI The Green Party of Michigan (GPMI) is calling on Michigan State University to re-examine its involvement in the preparation of a "community policing" training curriculum which identifies the non-violent "Green Movement" as a national-security threat -- despite the fact that non-violence is one of the party's key values. GPMI has written MSU president Peter McPherson, Board of Trustees chairman Donald W. Nugent, and School of Criminal Justice director Edmund F. McGarrall, asking them to look into the work of the school's David L. Carter. Professor Carter wrote and co-wrote material for the curriculum of the 28 Regional Community Policing Institutes announced in February by Homeland Security director Tom Ridge. Carter has been quoted in articles in national magazines as saying that a wide range of political movements could spawn violence and terrorism -- including "the groups involved in the [recent World Economic Forum] protests in New York, or the World Trade Organization protesters," along with other "social-justice groups," environmental groups, black separatists and militias. "We have a virtual buffet of political extremism out here." The "Green Movement" is a threat, according to Carter, because it "represents environmental activism that is aimed at political and social reform with the explicit attempt to develop environmental-friendly policy, law and behavior." And police power has been used against the Green Party in Michigan on at least one occasion. Green Party candidate for governor Doug Campbell was dragged by Brighton police out of a candidate forum on environmental issues in May -- and has since been threatened with arrest if he even showed up at other debates. Secretary of State candidate Ray Ziarno, Attorney General candidate Jerry Kaufman, U.S. Senate candidate Eric Borregard, and others running as Greens in this state and elsewhere have also faced exclusion. GPMI wants all targets of such "strategic intelligence" collection -- groups referred to by the RCPI training as "enemies in our own back yard" -- to be told what information is being collected by law-enforcement agencies, how the agencies intend to use it, and the potential for disruption of law-abiding groups under scrutiny. The party wants the university leaders to ascertain the position of MSU on environmental reform and the funding and oversight of Carter's activities, and to disclose fully under Freedom of Information Act provisions all documents relevant to the RCPI involving the university and other governmental agencies in Michigan. The resolution was proposed by Carl Davidson, a peace activist from Marshall. In offering the proposal, Davidson noted, " 'The right to freely assemble and petition' is fundamental and at stake for Michigan Greens." John La Pietra, member of GPMI's State Central Committee, agrees, declaring: "Today, when so many eyes across the state are on a battle between Michigan and Michigan State, we are asking Michigan State why it is encouraging police departments to declare cold war on Michigan residents and people across America seeking social justice by peaceful means." Green Party of Michigan * 548 S. Main Street * Ecological Wisdom * Social Justice * Grassroots Democracy * Non-Violence The following is a copy of the resolution adopted unanimously by the GPMI State Central Committee. RESOLUTION: Regional Community Policing Institutes WHEREAS: The U.S. Department of Justice has established 28 Regional Community Policing Institutes (RCPI) to monitor "enemies in our own backyard" through network links to all municipal surveillance units, announced in February, 2002 by Director of Homeland Security Thomas Ridge, and WHEREAS: The training curriculum designed and written by Professor David L. Carter of the Michigan State University Department of Criminal Justice identifies the "Green Movement" as a prime national security threat "aimed at political and social reform with explicit attempts to develop environment- friendly policy, law, and behavior" noting that "We have a virtual buffet of political extremism out here"(presumably Michigan). BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED: That the Green Party of Michigan petition the President, Board of Trustees, and chair of the School of Criminal Justice of MSU to convene forthwith a conference to ascertain the position of MSU on environmental reform, the funding and oversight of the activity of Professor David L. Carter, and full disclosure of all pertinent documents under Freedom of Information Act provisions relevant to the RCPI from the university and governmental agencies in Michigan. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Green Party of Michigan call upon the RCPI and its overseeing body to notify the GPMI (and other groups subjected to RCPI activity as outlined in Professor Carter's curriculum) of data collected by police and other law-enforcement agencies in Michigan; the intended use of such data; and potential disruption of law-abiding groups under scrutiny in the data-collection process. Ecological Wisdom * Social Justice * Grassroots Democracy * Non-Violence Green Party of Michigan November 2, 2002 Michigan State University As reported in various national publications by veteran political reporter Robert Dreyfuss, the School of Criminal Justice, and in particular Professor David L. Carter, is particularly involved with the development of the RCPI training curriculum in general . . . and with an unfortunate development in that curriculum in particular. In Dreyfuss's article "Spying on Ourselves" earlier this year in Rolling Stone, he notes: In its curriculum, the RCPI urges police to gather intelligence on "enemies in our own back yard." Among the possible targets for "strategic intelligence" collection by police (including "structure, philosophy, number of members, locations") is "the Green Movement." A footnote says, "The Green Movement represents environmental activism that is aimed at political and social reform with the explicit attempt to develop environmental-friendly policy, law and behavior." While more militant groups such as Earth First! and the Animal Liberation Front might fall under that description, so might the Sierra Club. Professor David L. Carter, of the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University, is the author of that curriculum. He says that police departments need to come to grips with the fact that a wide range of political movements could spawn violence and terrorism, including "the groups involved in the [recent World Economic Forum] protests in New York, or the World Trade Organization protesters," along with other "social-justice groups," environmental groups, black separatists and militias. "We have a virtual buffet of political extremism out here," he says. Carter, who is well versed in the history of the Red Squads and police abuses, empha- sizes that police departments have to learn "where the line is" in surveying organizations. GPMI, like other Green parties nationwide, has non-violence as one of its "Ten Key Values" -- the values underlying all actions of the party. We have been actively expressing our political views and exercising our civil rights throughout this election year -- peacefully. This is despite the fact that, as you may know, GPMI candidates have been subjected to forcible exclusion by police officers from debates and forums, and threatened with arrest if they appeared at other events. Similar profiling and persecution -- reminiscent of Red Squads and COINTELPRO, and based on a woeful ignorance of Green principles -- has faced Green candidates, other individual activists, and organizations across the country. On behalf of the State Central Committee, the full membership of GPMI, and persons across the state of Michigan and the country who are at risk of losing their civil rights to over-amplified police powers in the current political climate, I draw your attention to the enclosed resolution, and ask you to take action on it immediately. Thank you. Sincerely, John Anthony La Pietra, Chair/Media Committee |
