Jeff L. Thigpen Register of Deeds

Monday, August 16, 2004

Two Articles on Blogging in News and Record... What's your take on them?

This weekend there were two articles in the News and Record by Ed Cone and Matt Williams.

Please share your opinions on the articles and the potential impact blogging can have on county government and/or the Register of Deeds office?

Take care,

Jeff

posted by Jeff L. Thigpen at 7:36 AM

6 Comments:

  • Hi Jeff,

    I have a question for you related to your position as a County Commissioner, rather than as a candidate for Register of Deeds.

    The New Your Time reported yesterday:

    "[T]he Justice Department, in a
    previously undisclosed legal
    opinion, gave its blessing to controversial tactics used last year by
    the F.B.I in urging local
    police departments to report suspicious activity at political and
    antiwar demonstrations to
    counterterrorism squads. The F.B.I. bulletins that relayed the request
    for help detailed tactics
    used by demonstrators - everything from violent resistance to Internet
    fund-raising and
    recruitment."

    Are you aware to what degree local law enforcement may or may not be reporting these kinds of activities to the FBI? Do you think it's proper that the Commissioners should know and, if so, what right do you think the public has to know of such surveillance and reporting?

    http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/16/politics/campaign/16fbi.html?pagewanted=1&th

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:25 AM  

  • D'oh! That is, of coures, the New YORK Times.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:26 AM  

  • I, personally, think blogging is a fantastic boon for candidates on the local and state levels. This blog alone is proof of how helpful it can be. You being able to personally respond to the queries of voters is a valuable thing. I'm glad to see blogs catching on in the way that they should. Then again, I've been on the bandwagon for years. :)

    Josh Neas.

    By Blogger J. Neas, at 2:52 PM  

  • This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    By Blogger Jeff L. Thigpen, at 10:29 AM  

  • I am not aware of this practice taking place within our local law enforcement entities in Guilford County. In principle, I'm against those practices being used for political purposes without legal safeguards developed to make sure surveillance methods in our country are truly used for counter-terrorism purposes. I'd be upset if Greenpeace or the Christian Coalition were targeted politically by law enforcement entities. There is an extremity to this practice that is destructive to democracy, which may be the part of the reasoning behind your question.

    Should the commissioners and the public know? I would like to know, but it should be done in an appropriate way and I'm sure it will involve an insanely legal answer. I would need to think further about a practical mechanism for the public to know while not hurting real counter-terrorism efforts from succeeding at finding real terror threats to our country.

    By Blogger Jeff L. Thigpen, at 10:32 AM  

  • Sounds good. Will you keep us updated?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:37 AM  

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