Police invite tips from anonymous text messages

School's out forever! Imagine, 'texting' anonymous MWAG. "But honest, I saw a man with an evil black rifle. He stared at me and pointed it at me. I'm scared!"

Text messages, spies and damn lies. Back in the 1950's, when communism was a real threat, the "Great Terror"in the Soviet Union was ending with the death of Stalin and the rise of Krushev. The gulag (forced labor/concentration camp) system as so horrifically described by Alexander Solzhenitsyn in his book The Gulag Archipelago, would however, last for many more years. The system as established by the Soviets was highly dependent on informants, and they were everywhere.Saying something unflattering about communism or some petty party official could get you a "tener", as in 10 years in a Siberian labor camp, after a "Kangaro ourt"trial. The most innocent remark or action was used by the State to railroad you East to the camps and the prying ears and eyes reporting ceaselessly on everyone's words and actions enabled this nightmare to continue for most of a century. Take a Maoist "Great Leap Foreward" in time to today. The police are requesting that ubiquitous text- messengers provide information anonymously on perceived "crimes". This initially allows a crime" to be determined within the eye of the beholder. Texters may be honest persons, hoaxers, damned busybodies reporting dropped gum wrappers, or someone with an axe to grind or more seriously a vendetta to pursue. All will be grist for the mill of police scrutiny and each initial report must be reviewed and assessed in order to determine the level of response warranted. Will this system be used correctly? Certainly, sometimes. Will the gadflies of society light on this cheap, easy and nameless way of getting even with their imagined enemies or oppressors? Absolutely. Will the police make some really bad mistakes, causing harm to innocents they are supposed to protect? You betcha. Wake up America. Remember what recently happened at the Texas polygamist compound? Based on a falsely filed complaint, the entire weight of the State was brought to bear on the families and children without reserve and the media had a field day for weeks until the judiciary straightened things out. The lawyers will be sending their kids to college for years on damage claims for this one. Beware. When you see police welcoming and acting on"Barney Fife" complaints with the full and enthusiastic backing of the government, we have gone a damn long way along the path toward gulags and our own "Great Terror".