Re: <nettime> all hail the Citizen Corps

[bc <human@electronetwork.org>]

# odd thing about the Citizen Corps dot Government is that it was
# _not mentioned (at least to my ears) during the State of the Union
# speech by President G.W.Bush, and instead the USAfreedomCorps
# were mentioned (the geriatric volunteerism thing).

# i found out about the former by seeing a speech by the US President
# the day after or so, where the backdrop for the taped speech had the
# url for www.citizencorps.gov repeated on the cloth, so all viewers
# could make sure to get the message that was being sent the patriots.

# so i went on a looksee mission, urling in http://www.citizencorps.gov
# and to my surprise a whole 'nother thing arose which simply spooked
# what remains to be spooked by the schism between rhetoric and reality.

# the USA Freedom Corps .pdf is relevant, in that it is being overtly pitched:
# http://usafreedomcorps.gov/usafreedomcorps.pdf (SEE CITIZEN CORPS)
# *the Citizen Corps is a lot more problematic, and is covertly being pitched
# and tied into Homeland Defense in a way that maybe Bill was indicating
# through the 'red guard' links. it had more of tinge of brownshirts to me...

# it's a little dangerous to question things these days, one might end up as
# another suicide in the obituary section if bureaucratic fate has it that way.
# yet, what is hard to accept is that the Homeland Defense is secondary to
# the feel-good volunteerism, in comparison to some pretty major offenses
# on the ground by citizens for organizing against 'terrorism' in the local.
# who are these people being organized? traditional leaders of the insitituions
# related to authority, heros, law and order, be they in the universities or
# in the business community; i.e. successful in the current system, and it
# could be argued, having a vested interest in keeping things tranquil, at all
# times, at all costs, (damn democracy, dissent, or constitutional freedoms).

# not that this is what is presented by the US.admin, but it is feared that
# it could become this, by default of the social dynamics, such as 
earlier issues
# regarding making religious non-profits into political recruitment centers. it
# is unclear how such a local distributed organization, 'community groups' with
# some federal money, most likely, in some way, will not be influenced nor in
# return, influential in the political sphere. this is not to dismiss 
some need to
# organize, but the terrorist ratio to citizen ratio must be somewhere in the
# 'less than 1 of 1 million of 1 percent, given the 'outsider' 
terrorist status.

# but, if protesters, democratic dissenters, and others who voice unpopular
# opinions (disrupt order) are also consider 'domestic terrorists', then it has
# another meaning, one i'd suspect is closer to the shadow that looms over all
# political discourse, a purposeful naivety on the issues at hand, as 
if America
# (United Statesian and others) are beyond any reproach, beyond the 
possibility,
# with rhetoric of good and evil axes to grind, wow, these _are 
dangerous times.

# expect the worse, get worse and better still, in ways, but the looming threat
# remains, that something wicked this way is well on its way, coming down like
# a globally-warmed pot of molten lead, ready to incapicitate all 
that are left,
# Vesuvius-like, frozen, quiet, a graveyard of stasis, no one make a move, and
# everything will be OKAY. okay or not, that rumbling uneasy, weather speaking.

# this concern is based on the 'community block grants' in the US 
which may have
# (and do) work for some communities. but they can also be divisive and make a
# split in the populace, where different agendas compete for funding, and their
# own (private) utopic planning agendas. the concern is that the Citizen Corps
# in being an organization, could have this insular impact, being the 
_only single
# organization directly connected with the government on many levels and of
# many concerns. and if somehow corruption (of money, or more likey of power)
# happens, then it is a political infrastructure that could aid and 
abet the purging
# of democratic dissent (and the peoples who use these rights) in 
neighborhoods,
# by neighboorhood peoples themselves. which is cause for concern, as 
it is safe
# to say there is little civic/public mindedness that is not 
privately based and
# reasoned, and therefore, will continue the same approaches to problems, by
# adding to the arsenal of bureaucratic control mechanisms by news systems of
# operation. this is not a clear-result of this plan, but it is not 
'the plan', the
# USAfreedomcorps is presented as such. this is 'the other plan', so to speak,
# and has a lot more gravity for Homeland Defensiveness. if it is not debated,
# and simply enacted, then an infrastructure which has been used by other
# regimes may arise in the USA which makes it fair game to purge all of the
# non-Patriot's in this community (direct) action, that is, those who 
do not think
# alike on every issue, and indeed, question auithority, not just 
mindlessly obey
# to the point of establishing a totalitarian government and fascist 
street justice.

# questions. no answers. only concerned citizen wondering where the 
debate is....bc

=====> from the citizencorps.gov website:

"On this site, you can learn more about each of the programs that are 
currently part of Citizen Corps. Think about where your skills and 
abilities are most needed. When you sign up for information, you will 
be contacted as soon as possible to let you know what your next steps 
should be.

The programs profiled on this site are only the beginning of the 
Citizen Corps initiative. As more programs are added, there will be 
more ways for you to contribute your time, energy, and creativity to 
make Citizen Corps and America even stronger.

Citizen Corps is part of USA Freedom Corps."

=====> from USA freedom corps website:

The Citizen Corps will harness the power of citizens to help prepare
their local communities for the threats of terrorism. The Citizen Corps
will be a locally-driven initiative managed by the newly created Citizen
Preparedness Councils (Councils), supported at the state level by Governors,
and coordinated nationally by the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA). FEMA would coordinate with Governors and Mayors and their
Emergency Management Offices to spur the creation of the Councils and
distribute matching funds. The Citizen Corps builds on existing crime
prevention, natural disaster preparedness, and public health response
networks.

The Citizen Corps will initially consist of members of the Councils and
participants in the local programs, including: the Volunteers in Police
Service Program; an expanded Neighborhood Watch Program; the Medical
Reserve Corps; and Community Emergency Response Teams. Additional
programs created by the local Citizen Preparedness Councils will be
considered by FEMA for recognition as components of the Citizen Corps.

FEMA will coordinate with the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA), the Corporation for National and Community
Service, and other Federal departments and agencies to provide
additional support, including special training programs and materials.
Visit their website for more information www.citizencorps.gov.



  MENU:

  Join:

  If you are interested in volunteering for Citizen Corps, please provide
your contact information below, then click "Submit." We will send you
e-mail updates and more program details as soon as they become available.


Which program or programs would you like to volunteer for?
 
Community Emergency Response Teams
Neighborhood Watch
Volunteers in Police Service
Medical Reserve Corps
Operation TIPS
Citizen Corps Councils
 
First Name:Middle Initial:Last Name:Address:City:State:Zip Code:E-mail Address:
Occupation: // Submit 

 	Over the past months America has witnessed a wellspring of
selflessness and heroism. People in every corner of the country have
asked, "What can I do?" and "How can I help?" Citizen Corps has been
created to answer these questions.

Citizen Corps Councils will help drive local citizen participation by
coordinating Citizen Corps programs, developing community action plans,
assessing possible threats and identifying local resources.
https://www.citizencorps.gov/ccorps.html

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a training program that
prepares people in neighborhoods, the workplace, and schools to take a
more active role in emergency management planning, and to prepare
themselves and others for disasters.
https://www.citizencorps.gov/cert.html

An expanded Neighborhood Watch Program (NWP) will incorporate terrorism
prevention and education into its existing crime prevention mission.
https://www.citizencorps.gov/watch.html

Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) will provide support for
resource-constrained police departments by utilizing civilian volunteers
in order to free up more law enforcement professionals for frontline duty.
https://www.citizencorps.gov/vips.html

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) will coordinate volunteer health
professionals during large-scale emergencies to assist emergency response
teams, provide care to victims with less serious injuries, and remove
other burdens that inhibit the effectiveness of physicians and nurses in a
major crisis. https://www.citizencorps.gov/medical.html

Operation TIPS, the Terrorist Information and Prevention System, will be a
nationwide program providing millions of workers who, by the nature of
their jobs, are well-positioned to recognize unusual events, with
training, materials, and a formalized way to report suspicious activity to
the nearest FBI field office. https://www.citizencorps.gov/tips.html

Citizen Corps efforts at state and local levels will be coordinated
nationally by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

What can you do to help?
Volunteer now for Citizen Corps!

Securing our safety and freedom requires that we all work together.  
Every American has a critical role to play. For more information on a
specific Citizen Corps volunteer opportunity, please click on any of the
links to the left and join today. We will respond as soon as possible with
updates and more details about the programs.



====> more about CITIZEN CORPS COUNCILS

 	CITIZEN CORPS COUNCILS

What is a Citizen Corps Council?

A Citizen Corps Council is a locally organized group made up of leaders
from all sectors of your community who are committed to making your
community safer from the threat of terrorism and other hazards.

Council members can include local elected officials, emergency managers,
safety officials like the local fire chief and police chief, business
professionals, leaders of volunteer organizations, representatives from
local health care, transportation and communications providers, local
media executives, the educational community and leaders from your local
government's agencies and service providers. Potential Citizens Corps
Council Members

*	Fire chief
*	Police chief
*	Major employers and business representatives
*	Emergency managers
*	Transportation providers
*	Public utilities
*	Volunteer and civic organizations
*	Government agencies and municipal operations
*	Health care providers
*	Schools and universities


What is the role of the Citizen Corps Council?

Citizen Corps Councils are responsible for creating an active Citizen
Corps in your community. Councils work with state and federal agencies,
such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of
Justice, and the Department of Health and Human Services, to bring
training and information to your community on Citizen Corps programs.

In addition, Citizen Corps Councils will be responsible for meeting the
criteria of the community designation program, which will be announced
later this year. The criteria will help your community be better protected
and prepared in the event of a terrorist attack or natural disaster and
are likely to include developing local preparedness and mitigation plans,
assessing your community's possible threats and vulnerabilities, and
improving public awareness and education.

What is Citizen Corps?

Citizen Corps is a network of volunteer programs that will help citizens
take a more active role in crime prevention and emergency management
preparedness, and give critical support to first responders during an
emergency. Citizen Corps is currently made up of the following programs:

*	Volunteers in Police Service provides support for 
resource-constrained police departments by having civilian volunteers 
help with administrative duties so that law enforcement professionals 
can spend more time on front-line duty.
*	An expanded Neighborhood Watch program incorporates terrorism 
prevention and education into its existing crime prevention mission 
and is a great way to make neighborhoods safer.
*	Medical Reserve Corps will coordinate volunteer health 
professionals during large-scale emergencies to assist emergency 
response teams, provide care to victims with less serious injuries, 
and remove other burdens that inhibit the effectiveness of physicians.
*	Community Emergency Response Team provides training in 
emergency preparedness and in basic disaster techniques. By taking 
this training, individuals will be able to take a more active part in 
emergency management planning in their community and to give critical 
support to first responders during an emergency.
*	Operation TIPS will be a nationwide program for the millions 
of workers whose jobs position them to witness unusual events, such 
as truckers, letter carriers, and train conductors. These workers 
will receive training and materials to recognize suspicious activity 
and a formalized way to report such activity to the nearest FBI field 
office.


====> more info on OPERATION TIPS

Operation TIPS - the Terrorist Information and Prevention System - will be
a nationwide program giving millions of American truckers, letter
carriers, train conductors, ship captains, utility employees, and others a
formal way to report suspicious terrorist activity.  Operation TIPS, a
project of the U.S. Department of Justice, will begin as a pilot program
in 10 cities that will be selected.

Operation TIPS, involving 1 million workers in the pilot stage, will be a
national reporting system that allows these workers, whose routines make
them well-positioned to recognize unusual events, to report suspicious
activity. Every participant in this new program will be given an Operation
TIPS information sticker to be affixed to the cab of their vehicle or
placed in some other public location so that the toll-free reporting
number is readily available.

Everywhere in America, a concerned worker can call a toll-free number and
be connected directly to a hotline routing calls to the proper law
enforcement agency or other responder organizations when appropriate.

Operation TIPS is coming in August 2002.
Volunteer now!





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