On a more local level, there are few investigations of local terrorism and corruption. The citizens do not have the benefit of Congressional hearings to publicize and force investigation. They rely on the one agency they are familiar with, the FBI. But that agency has failed them.
First, it is easy to head off any thoughts of scrutiny. Local government has only to inform would be snoops that they are already conducting their own investigation. This places the whistleblower into a Catch 22, having reported but with no results. The FBI does not follow up on complaints to verify there was an investigation. Citizens are often retaliated against by the local authority. Cases of personal terrorism are prevalent in local governments.
In Gloucester, Virginia, the Gloucester 40 have faced just a situation. In a nutshell, they exercised their rights to circulate removal petitions for four county supervisors indicted on criminal charges. Along the way, the terrorist acts against them mounted. First, there was the requirement by the Clerk of the Circuit Court to pay fees for each signature instead of the petitions as a whole, which would have put the cost of filing out of the reach of the 40. Then the court threw them out on a technicality. When that was corrected, Judge Westbrook Parker summarily dismissed the petitions and assessed the 40, mostly elderly, retired persons, $80,000 in fees and court costs. This final act of terrorism, is now before the Virginia Supreme Court. The Gloucester taxpayers were presented with a $343,000 in unsubstantiated legal bills to defend the 4 supervisors, lest anyone try this again. What were the charges that spurred this? Secret meetings, removal of computers containing information that could be used against the supervisors and favoritism toward a politically connected developer. Alleged corruption that led to terrorism.
If there are corrupt officials, what is going to prevent them from closing their eyes to terrorism, or even instituting it? Anytime and anywhere there is corruption, the door to terrorism is opened. It is time for the FBI and its parent department, Justice, to redouble efforts and close the door on internal terrorists by ending corruption. Decisions of courts and regulators should never be based on money or influence. If not, with the anger building in the population, America could suffer so much market share that it is forced to shut down operations permanently.
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