Secrecy is not security: From Homewood, Alabama, to Homeland Security, government hides what it fears

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This piece was first published in Alabamafication, Kyle Whitmire’s newsletter.To receive it in your inbox for free, sign up here.

Donald Trump wants to find and bring charges against the person who leaked a US intelligence report that revealed his bombing strike on Iran’s nuclear program was only partially successful.

The ICEBlock app, which helps users track their activities, is the subject of a potential lawsuit from the Department of Homeland Security. This isn’t because CNN created the software; rather, it’s because it disclosed that it existed.

Nearer to home, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is refusing to share bodycam evidence of a police officer shooting a man in Homewood, Alabama, even though there is a law that allows the shot person’s family to view the video and investigators do not object.

Although these items may not appear to be related, they do have one significant factor in common that should worry everyone: the widespread perception held by many in positions of authority that information belongs to the government and not the general population.

Let’s look at each of these individually.

Iran is aware of whether or not we destroyed its nuclear program. They don’t require any telling. The New York Times and CNN’s coverage of the Iran intelligence report, which the UN has now largely confirmed, did not reveal any state secrets. The report goes against what the president wants the public to believe, which is why the Trump Administration is furious. He feels embarrassed by it.

The public can observe what law enforcement is doing in public and on behalf of the public with the ICEBlock app. Google Maps speed trap alerts are the worst offenders if that is a crime. If something is unlawful, when did media outlets’ reporting on unlawful activities turn into a criminal in and of itself? Homeland Security isn’t scared of that. Here, the message remains the same: You cannot watch us, but we can watch you.

As of right now, ALEA has denied the family of 18-year-old Jabari Peoples access to the video of his murder, claiming that doing so would compromise the investigation. According to a ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court, police bodycam footage is not considered public record in Alabama.

It doesn’t matter that the public has a right to know how bodycams got started and how Alabama mayors influenced public opinion ten years ago.

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It is ludicrous to claim that making the video public has any bearing on the investigation. Schrodinger’s police shooting is not this one. Whether the footage is made public or not has no bearing on what transpired. The public’s knowledge is the only thing altered.

ALEA has no fear of interfering with the probe. ALEA worries about the reactions of others.

ICE fears that neighbors and friends may express their sentiments about their buddies being taken.

The president fears being revealed.

Here’s the thing, though: It’s a wonderful thing when the people are afraid of the government. In other words, the people are in control.

Whether it’s the president of the United States attacking Iran, ICE personnel patrolling the streets, or suburban police officers using lethal force on a teenager, individuals can hold leaders responsible through open government and open records.

Because public information helps shield the public from the government, the public has a right to know what its government is doing. The government is ostensibly meant to operate in the public interest. It should be the people who make decisions, not the other way around.

That is all there is to it. Officials at all levels, however, are establishing a standard for how they want us to live rather than honoring that.

They are the only ones with power, and knowledge is power.

Tell me how I did first.

Next, sign up for Alabamafication.It’s free.

THE TEST WILL CONTAIN THIS.

The check has not yet been mailed.Local schools wouldn’t suffer if the U.S. Department of Education were abolished, would they? I take it that states will receive the funds to spend? Riiiiight. The federal government told states that $7 billion in education payments, including $68 million for Alabama schools, were held the day before they were to be distributed.

Trump’s freeze will cost Alabama schools $68 million in federal subsidies.

[Reflector from Alabama]

Kyle Whitmire (@warondumb) shared this post.

That’s how it is.As much as I enjoy Kurt Vonnegut’s comedy, I also mourn his straightforward compassion. At the Atlantic, Noah Hawley considers how his experience surviving World War II influenced his perspective on life and death.

The creation of Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

[The Atlantic]

The guys aren’t doing well.According to a recent analysis, the cultural demands placed on young males, their social isolation, their lack of economic opportunities, and the numerous predatory political opportunists that lurk around are all contributing factors to the generational catastrophe. The report’s author is interviewed by Nadra Nittle regarding how we resolve it.

The status of men in America is not favorable.

[The 19th]

Kyle Whitmire, the 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner, writes a watchdog column for AL.com in Washington.It’s free.

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