Why the NYPD was Concerned About Muslim Student Group
Reader comment on item: Why Muslim Student Group Concerned the NYPD

It is shameful that after two centuries, Americans in general (and the American press in particular) fail to understand the limits of Fourth Amendment protection. The right to be safe in one's person, house, papers, and effects does NOT extend to public spaces, nor, as the Supreme Court has ruled, to one's vehicle. Any other person or entity is not constitutionally prohibited from surveillance and information-gathering activities within those unprotected places.

Therefore, the senior counsel is entirely correct when he says there is no prohibition against the police lawfully gathering information, so long as it does not infringe Fourth Amendment rights. It is ridiculous and unreasonable to castigate a law enforcement agency for doing its job in a lawful manner. If the people in under investigation had had ties to the Mafia, there would have been no questions, no protests, and no story.

But this flap may have one beneficial effect, if policy-makers decide to take the hint: it is high time that local, state, and federal governments stated unequivocally that terrorism is a crime, terrorists are criminals, and terrorist organizations are criminal organizations.

NYPD officials should treat these ridiculous allegations by MSA and CAIR with the contempt they deserve--and not deign to reply to them.

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