Vegans of mass destruction

As someone who yesterday made a lovely pot of split pea soup made with an equally lovely bone from a lovely spiral-sliced ham, I know full well that sometimes vegans can be as holier-than-thou and self-righteous and insufferable as anyone in the Christofascist zombie brigade.

That doesn't make them a terrorist threat.

The Bush Administration, however, disagrees. Via Pam, cross-posting at Pandagon, comes this lovely example of how the Bush Administration is protecting you from Scary Arab People by turning his Eye of Sauron on people who don't eat meat:

The ACLU of Georgia released copies of government files on Wednesday that illustrate the extent to which the FBI, the DeKalb County Division of Homeland Security and other government agencies have gone to compile information on Georgians suspected of being threats simply for expressing controversial opinions.

Two documents relating to anti-war and anti-government protests, and a vegan rally, prove the agencies have been "spying" on Georgia residents unconstitutionally, the ACLU said. (Related: ACLU Complaint -- PDF file)

For example, more than two dozen government surveillance photographs show 22-year-old Caitlin Childs of Atlanta, a strict vegetarian, and other vegans picketing against meat eating, in December 2003. They staged their protest outside a HoneyBaked Ham store on Buford Highway in DeKalb County.

An undercover DeKalb County Homeland Security detective was assigned to conduct surveillance of the protest and the protestors, and take the photographs. The detective arrested Childs and another protester after he saw Childs approach him and write down, on a piece of paper, the license plate number of his unmarked government car.

"They told me if I didn't give over the piece of paper I would go to jail and I refused and I went to jail, and the piece of paper was taken away from me at the jail and the officer who transferred me said that was why I was arrested," Childs said on Wednesday.

The government file lists anti-war protesters in Atlanta as threats, the ACLU said. The ACLU of Georgia accuses the Bush administration of labeling those who disagree with its policy as disloyal Americans.

Think about it: The program that the Bush Administration is defending is one that's going after a bunch of young kids picketing a HONEY BAKED HAM STORE.

Someone please tell me what this has to do with Islamic terrorism. Especially since Muslims won't touch ham with a 10-foot pole.