Can't wait to see the Crossfire on this one
Glenn Reynolds and Stefen Sharkansky both reproduce this letter to the SF Chronicle (scroll down to "don't count on FBI") from a language expert who was rejected by the FBI counter-terrorism people because he had smoked pot as a youth.
I know it's redundant to quote Reynolds, but his "message to the homeland security crowd" bears repeating:
If the war is important enough to justify a new cabinet-level department, sweeping powers for law enforcement, and (you know it's coming) higher taxes, then it's important enough to get rid of these pantywaist just-say-no rules. If it's not important enough to get rid of those rules, then it's not a war, and you guys need to turn in your badges.Homeland security remains a joke, and the people in charge remain unserious.
Jim Durbin points out, in Sharkansky's comment section, that the FBI website specifically says that you are ineligible if you have smoked pot "more than seven times" or done "hard drugs" more than three times. (Jim's inner Weyrich apparently discouraged him from putting up the FBI url-- my inner Weyrich has prevailed upon me to do the same, for some reason... observe the WoT's chilling effect on fancy, comprehensive linking...)
Anyway, how did they arrive at these figures? One use of heroin is, for national security purposes, equivalent to 2.3 uses of marijuana? Take note, and calculate your buzz-per-security clearance level ratio accordingly. What kind of Taliban rinky-dink Mickey Mouse Homeland Security operation are they running here?
By the way, speaking of FBI language specialists who were squeaky clean enough to make it through the rigorous security screening process, whatever happened to the case of the FBI wiretap translator who was fingered by co-worker Sibel Edmonds as being associated with a "targeted organization?"
Posted by Dr. Frank at July 24, 2002 12:46 PM | TrackBack