Fred points out that nobody on the "left side" of the blogosphere has blogged about the letter a local blogger got asking to have a link to the Sheboygan Police Department removed.  Apparently this lack of discussion is significant to our friend from Racine.  Interestingly enough, I also didn't blog about it, but it's unclear whether I'm part of the conspiracy or not.  Am I a "left leaning blog"?

The first thing I'd like to mention about this whole thing, is that it is very troubling on more than one account.  Either there is someone supposedly practicing law for Sheboygan who doesn't know enough about the law to know that he has no legal standing to demand what he did... or there are members of the government in Sheboygan who are willing to use their power and influence to intimidate citizens whom they serve.  Either way, it's very troubling for that city, and should never have occurred.  That should be a no-brainer.

With that said, I think its extremely important to say that the lack of blogging about a topic by someone means absolutely nothing.  We all have things that we blog about, and things that we don't.  Fred seems to be implying that all those on the left thought about this, had evil thoughts of deciding to ignore it, and then purposefully said nothing.  Fred ought to know, just as well as everyone else, that freedom of speech involves not only your right to say something, but also your right to say absolutely nothing.  That too should be a no-brainer.

But since Fred is making such a big deal about what people don't blog about... why is Fred suddenly so concerned about police abuse in the first place?  And why is this the abuse that many on the right side of the blogosphere are suddenly concerned with?  For a couple years ago now, I've been blogging about the illegal and abusive actions taken by police departments and SWAT teams against innocent citizens and non-violent criminals.  Para-military units burst into people's homes without warrants, kill their dogs, have killed innocent elderly women, destroyed property, terrorized families and children, and even go after boot-leggers.  Does Fred, Patrick, or Jessica even acknowledge these actions?  Of course not.  But when a lawyer sends a letter to someone demanding a link be removed... that is abuse?!  Police officers killing innocent people, literally tramping on their constitutional rights, and terrorizing them is ignored, but sending a letter is such a horrible travesty that it turns into blog fodder for several days now?

You guys have a really screwed up sense of what abuse is and isn't.