If you feel inclined to protest the Democratic National Convention in Denver this year, you might want to bring an extra set of underwear with you – and you may want to pack a bottle of Kaopectate™ as well.
The word is out. Political activists who’ve planned protests and rallies at the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Denver are anticipating the use of a crowd control weapon known as the "crap cannon" that could be used against them. Also referred to as "Brown Note" the weapon is believed to emit an infrasound frequency capable of debilitating a person by making them defecate involuntarily.
I guess it was only a matter of time before they’d come up with a way to embarrass protesters who dare to exercise their First Amendment rights, but this is ridiculous. (if not unhealthy)
Mark Cohen, co-founder of Re-create 68, an alliance of local activists working for the protection of first amendment rights, said he believes this could be deployed at the convention in August to subdue crowds.
Fox News.com has the story: (it’s right up their alley, so to speak)
"We know this weapon and weapons like it have been used at other large protests before," he said.
Cohen, who described Brown Note as a "sonic weapon used to disrupt people’s equilibrium," cited eyewitness accounts of its use during free-trade agreement protests in Miami in 2003.
"I think these weapons were mostly intended for military use and so their use for dealing with innocent protesters seems highly inappropriate," he said. "The idea that they might be field testing them on people who are doing nothing more than exercising their first amendment rights is disturbing."
Cohen’s not ruling out the use of other crowd control methods either, and is planning on sending qualified street medics in case anyone is injured at the protests.
But, is the threat real? Will it really make a person crap their pants?
Dr. Roger Schwenke - an expert acoustician who appeared on the Discovery Channel’s "Mythbusters" in 2004 to test the phenomenon - told FOXNews.com there is no scientific evidence that proves such frequencies cause involuntary defecation.
"When we conducted the low frequency experiment for the Brown Note episode of MythBusters, we tested a variety of low frequencies and no involuntary gastro-intestinal motility was caused," he said.
But Schwenke acknowledged the low-frequency exposure did cause an adverse effect. Several people — including himself — reported "abdominal discomfort," he said, "which was easily alleviated by moving a moderate distance away from the source."
Denver’s mayor is not talking. Mayor John W. Hickenlooper has so far refused to release details of what was purchased with $18 million of a federal grant worth a total of $50 million to pay for convention security. The ACLU has filed a lawsuit against the city.
Cohen wants the Hickenlooper administration to disclose exactly what measures will be employed by the city
In a statement released to FOXNews.com, city spokeswoman Sue Cobb said, "commenting on specific security preparations is not helpful to ensuring their effectiveness. I can say, however, that all of our security-related purchases for the Democratic National Convention will comply with federal and City requirements. We are working closely with the U.S. Department of Justice to ensure that the $50 million federal security grant is spent on personnel and equipment in the manner required by the grant."
Denver’s police Department wouldn’t comment on the tactics that will be used during the convention, but a spokesman said that "we do support and encourage people to express their views safely and in a manner that respects the rights of others along with the laws and ordinances of our city."
Re-create 68 isn’t taking any chances at all. Glen Spangnuolo has no doubt that the weapon exists and is carrying out preparations for confrontation.
"Whether it causes someone to defecate in their pants or not, I don’t know that," said Spagnuolo. "What I do know is that it causes a person to be disoriented and lose their equilibrium resulting in a nauseous feeling in their stomach."
But Spagnuolo worries more about the possible use of the so-called "Active Denial System" (ADS) against his group. The Active Denial System is a ray gun used to send high levels of microwave frequencies that cause a burning sensation the skin.
He described ADS as an "indiscriminate weapon" and said "there’s no long-term testing on what happens to the body when exposed to those kinds of microwave frequencies."
Spangnuolo is convinced that Raytheon, the maker of the weapon, aims to test it out on convention protestors before deploying the weapon to Iraq. He added that he believes these new tactics by the government are excessive.
"I think spending millions of dollars on weapon technologies to be used on people in our community is completely wrong," he said.
I concur wholeheartedly and I would add that I think it’s morally reprehensible for a government to use taxpayer money for weapons, training and facilities to use against its citizens; when the funds are supposed to be used to protect those citizens from acts of terrorism.
These are indeed dark days in America.
Peace