John Doe protection

6 imams, John Doe protection, Political wind

Police unions backing ‘John Doe’ protections

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The “tough on terror” Democrats are still stalling legislation that would protect those who say something when they see what looks like terrorist activity. Law enforcement unions are trying to break the logjam:

Police unions are offering lobbying muscle to push for language in a bill that would protect rail and airline passengers who report suspicious activities from being sued. The support is concurrent with similar legislation introduced in the New York state Assembly last week to ban such lawsuits in state courts.
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Police unions say their officers cannot be everywhere to see everything and stop every crime. They offered their support in letters to Rep. Steve Pearce, New Mexico Republican and author of language added to a rail- and transportation-safety bill to protect airline passengers from lawsuits.

A pending lawsuit filed by a group of Muslim imams targets passengers named as “John Does” who reported that the men acted suspiciously, which resulted in their removal from a U.S. Airways flight.

“Now that our nation is engaged in a global war on terror, it is even more important for citizens to feel that they can report suspicious activity to law enforcement and have that information be used appropriately and in good faith by law enforcement or security personnel,” said Chuck Canterbury, national president of the Grand Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police.

“Such lawsuits are clearly being used to intimidate witnesses, and it is altogether appropriate that Congress protect them from these frivolous suits,” Mr. Canterbury said. “Doing the right thing should not get you hauled into court.”

The federal bill, stalled in a conference committee, provides immunity from civil liability for airline passengers who report suspicious behavior in good faith.

Fort Dix 6, John Doe protection

I don’t want to live scared: Jersey’s John Doe

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The John Does who last January saw a video showing the Fort Dix Six firing automatic weapons took Rosie O’Donnell’s advice. When they could not find the number to the Department of Homeland Security, they Googled it. The New York Post had the story yesterday:

The tape, Sierer said, “starts with a bunch of guys driving down an icy, snowy road in a pickup truck.” “After a while, they get out, and that’s when you can see where they are,” he said. “There’s woods all around, and then a clearing in the middle. They grab their guns out of the back of the truck, and they walk into the open field.” When they began shooting and yelling, Sierer “was definitely afraid.”
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Unable to find a phone-book listing, they Googled Homeland Security, found a number and called. Federal agents arrived within an hour, Sierer said. “One of the guys says, ‘Make me a copy of that tape, will ya?’ ” he recalled. The agents also took the work-order form, which included a cellphone number, for the men who had dropped off the tape.
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Since word of Circuit City’s role in the bust came out, employees have rallied around Sierer and the two clerks, and complained that they got no reward – not even a day off – for their heroism. Sierer said that doesn’t matter. “I don’t want to live scared,” he said. “And it felt good to be able to do something like that for my country.”

Earlier reports said the John Does at the Circuit City in Mount Laurel, NJ, initially worried some would perceive them to be bigots for then thinking as they did. It light of 9/11, that strikes me as amazing. Yet Nate Sierer’s greater fear, back then, was the men in the video might be terrorists planning an attack so he reported what he saw. That took courage.