Staff Reports
The FBI, in their typical Twitter fashion, decided to grace the world with a statement claiming that they are not wasting their precious time investigating parents at school board meetings. Oh, how comforting! But, as always, the ever-vigilant users on the site were quick to expose the truth with a good old Community Note. Turns out, the FBI’s statement might not be as accurate as they would like us to believe.
Even the FBI Is Not Safe From Twitter's Community Notes https://t.co/Hb0Fw2K9p8
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 14, 2023
According to their own words, the FBI wants us to think that they have never been in the business of policing or investigating parents exercising their right to free speech at these meetings. Well, isn’t that just heartwarming? But hold your horses because there’s more! They did throw in a little caveat, just in case there’s a whiff of violence in the air. Then, oh boy, they’re going to work with their state and local partners. Just picture the FBI superhero squad swooping in to save the day at your local PTA gathering.
In reference to the false assertions about investigating parents at school board meetings, #FBI Director Wray told the House Judiciary Committee that the Bureau is not in the business of policing speech. Read more here: https://t.co/dZSUPgpAwS pic.twitter.com/7jebphhgIb
— FBI (@FBI) July 12, 2023
Thank you @elonmusk for adding community notes https://t.co/oCLPNXUxbl
— Steve Friend (@RealStevefriend) July 13, 2023
But wait! There’s a link! Click on that, and you’ll find the FBI’s even more elaborate explanation of why they’re not targeting parents. Apparently, it’s all about statistical tools and tracking information for review and reporting. Threat tags, they call them. Ah yes, just your average education-loving government agency using counterterrorism tools to keep an eye on mom and dad discussing curriculum choices. Makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?
But, bless their hearts, someone had the audacity to fact-check the FBI’s post. And what do you know? A former FBI agent named Steve Friend testified before the House Judiciary Committee that he and his buddies were actually directed to surveil and document those pesky parents attending school board meetings. Oh, the plot thickens!
Just when you thought you could trust the FBI to protect your freedoms, they go and pull a fast one. It seems like they’re not just interested in protecting us from real threats to our national security, but they also want to keep tabs on everyday concerned citizens who dare to speak up about their children’s education. Isn’t that special?
So, next time you attend a school board meeting, make sure to smile for the camera. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up in the FBI’s threat tag system and gain your own little spot in government surveillance history. Oh, the joys of living in a free country! *sigh*
