Betray Thy Neighbor, New York State Style

[XLFD]

Florida State University History Prof. Robert Gellately's expertise deals with the Holocaust and Nazi Germany.  Gellately researched thoroughly and compiled findings and wrote a book: Backing Hitler: Consent and Coercion in Nazi Germany, 1933-1944 which dispelled the myth that the secret police was as omnipresent as the movies would make out.

“There were relatively few secret police, and most were just processing the information coming in. I had found a shocking fact. It wasn’t the secret police who were doing this wide-scale surveillance and hiding on every street corner. It was the ordinary German people who were informing on their neighbors.“

 

Relatively few informers were driven by a patriotic love of the Third Reich or fear from authorities, their motives were of the baser sins: greed, envy, anger.   Adolf Hitler offered incentives for turning in your neighbors for state-supported crimes by offering rewards of money and other incentives.  Cases of partners in business turning in associates to gain full ownership; jealous boyfriends informing on rival suitors; neighbors betraying entire families who chronically left shared bathrooms unclean or who occupied desirable apartments.
 
One of the most frightening ways that the Nazi’s were allowed to do this can  be seen in the way gun controllers operate today.  Gellately paints a  picture in which it is easy to see the similarities:

“They began with small violations of the rights of Jews and other minorities,  and then ratcheted up their racism and persecution only when they saw implied  consent from the German people.”

 

 
Following the Newtown shooting in a neighboring state and before any real discussion could be had, the New York legislature passed a comprehensive and draconian gun control measure called the SAFE Act early this year, which curbed various rights of gun owners. 

 

But a year before that, a February 2012 press release from New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s office first publicly announced a tip line, saying it was designed to “encourage citizens to report illegal firearm possession.”  The press release explained that reward amounts would be based on the usefulness of the information tipsters provide, but did not spell out explicit reward tiers.
Information leading to an arrest can earn callers up to $500, according to an operator who answered the line when a reporter from The Daily Caller called.  It said:
 
"Creating A Toll-Free Gun Tip Line: Individuals in communities with persistently high rates of gun violence will now have access to a dedicated hotline to report illegal guns. The Governor announced today the launching of a toll-free number 1-855-GUNS-NYS (486-7697) that will provide follow-up on caller information regarding the location of an illegal gun. Rewards will be determined based on the value of the lead."
 
Think about what may happen with this policy.  Say you have knowledge of a neighbor that has a handgun that has a capacity of more than six bullets.  The next time he doesn't return your hedge-trimmer, has a noisy party, or lets his grass grow too long, you can get a quick revenge, and get up to $500 besides.  He doesn't have an illegal gun?  No problem, make believe they do.
 
And you won't generally see them getting a call from the local precinct asking them whether it's true, because, for Heaven's sake, they reportedly have an illegal gun or maybe even an arsenal.  Since most communities have access to a SWAT or SERT team that need regular training and practice, expect to hear them next door in the wee hours of the night.  Watch out for stray fire.
 
There is no procedural safeguard from an accusation, and no repercussions for a false/spiteful accusation with this hotline, reminiscent of Nazi Germany and like the more regional witch hunts of Salem where the accusation is enough to find you burned, drowned,-- or shot with guns that are illegal in ordinary citizen's hands.  

 

 

[Willy]

Very good article X.