Without preamble, NY Times - Hippie Arrests Draw A.C.L.U.'s Attention

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- The American Civil Liberties Union said on Saturday that it would investigate the actions of federal officers who had arrested five members of the Rainbow Family in western Wyoming during the group's annual gathering.

The federal Forest Service said a mob of about 400 members of the Rainbow Family, a group of hippie types and eccentrics who hold a weeklong national gathering on public land each year, threw rocks and sticks at Forest Service officers who tried to arrest a member of the group. The agency would not give a reason for the original arrest.

Now they want to get involved. When it was three students at Duke University, members of the lacrosse team, being uncredibly accused of rape, sexual crimes, and kidnapping, the ACLU was nowhere to be found.

When it was found that the police lineups used to identify the supposed perpetrators, the ACLU was nowhere to be found.

When it was found that Durham DA Mike Nifong refused to speak with not only the accused, but had not even spoken with the accuser, the ACLU was nowhere to be found.

When Nifong was all but convicting the players, calling them horrible names, the ACLU was nowhere to be found.

When the entire case was falling apart at the seams, due to massive problems with Nifong's evidence, the accusers Sybil like stories, tainted DNA runs, and a whole host of other issues, the ACLU was nowhere to be found.

When a case screams for protection from unconstitutional abuses, when people were literally asking for people and groups, including the Governor, the NC Attorney General, and, the ACLU, to get involved, the ACLU was nowhere to be found.

But, when a few hippies are arrested for unknown reasons - and, really, what business is that of the ACLU? - and others go ballistic - what happened to peace, love, and understanding? - the ACLU is there.

When jihadi's caught on the field of battle trying to kill Americans pretend that a Koran was abused, the ACLU is there.

When they have no proof, just an assumption, that government is tracking people by cell phone, the ACLU is there.

When there is to be an execution, which is allowed as part of the Constitution, the ACLU is there.

When something happens that they care about through their narrow liberal viewpoint, the ACLU is there. The rest? Well, they can go fu.... um, well, jump in a lake, take a long walk off a short pier, take a flying leap without a parachute.

Cross posted at Pirate's Cove