But here’s what really bothers me. In justifying the raid, Phoenix Assistant Chief Andy Anderson called Pataky’s site “an unaccredited grassroots Web site.” Um, Chief Anderson, who “accredits” web sites? This is the most chilling part of the whole thing to me, because the police and the courts in Phoenix have taken it upon themselves to determine who qualifies as “the press.” And here’s the thing: anybody with an ounce of ink in their blood knows that Pataky deserves First Amendment protection, but they’re unlikely to say it publicly, because “the (professional) press” thinks of itself as a special class of people and have railed for years against the likes of Pataky.
If Phoenix PD thought they had a public relations problem before... What moron thought this was a good idea, I wonder?
In the comments at knoxnews:
"Pheonix PD."
"Hello. I'd like to speak to your website accreditation officer."
"My what?"
"Well, your department's Obergruppenfuhrer, Andy Anderson, says that a blog's got to be accredited, or jackbooted thugs in executioner's masks, err, I mean 'devoted civil servants toting automatic weapons and wearing tactical balaclavas' get to kick in the door and grab everything they want to, and, well, I've got me a blog, and I kinda don't want that to happen."
"Obergruppenfuhrer?"
"Do I have to spell it out for you?"
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