Why Infiltrate Occupy Austin?

RECEIVED Tue., Sept. 4, 2012

Dear Editor,
    I see where the Austin Police Department officials assigned at least three undercover officers to infiltrate Occupy Austin to gather intelligence on any plan that might have involved actual law breaking [“APD Infiltrates Occupy," Newsdesk blog, Aug. 30]. The undercover officers appear to have themselves engaged in breaking the law. What up with that?
    Police Chief Art Acevedo should explain whether he sent three or more undercover officers to infiltrate the Tea Party, and if not, why not? And if there were undercover officers sent to infiltrate the Tea Party, did they similarly violate the law?
    Would you feel safer if the Austin police officials would send undercover officers to J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Goldman-Sachs, et al. to gather intelligence on any plan that might involve law breaking? I sure would. Or maybe go ahead and "Just Do It" and arrest the local managers of the big banksters?
    Chief Acevedo: As the parishioner said one Sunday to the pastor, "Now you've went from preaching and gone to meddling.”
    Are we in a KGB/Stasi/SAVAK/Gestapo police state yet? Is America still America? Is Austin still Austin?
Sincerely,
Thom Prentice
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