"Internment" Camps.."residences"

From last Monday's Democracy Now, this is part of an actual conversation between Amy Goodman, a resident of an emergency camp being run by FEMA for displaced victims of Hurrcane Katrina and a security guard working for Corporate Security Solutions the company contracted by FEMA to provide security at the residence. CSS,on its website, claims that its "experience in meeting diverse corporate security needs ensures the best possible protection for your employees, physical assets, and business processes."

SECURITY GUARD: Turn it off.

AMY GOODMAN: We were going in the car, and he said, "Please interview me."

SECURITY GUARD: Yeah, he -- he can't. That’s not his privilege.

AMY GOODMAN: He’s not allowed to talk?

RENAISSANCE VILLAGE RESIDENT: What's wrong? What's wrong?

SECURITY GUARD: You can go -- get that -- you’ve known the deal since --

RENAISSANCE VILLAGE RESIDENT: No, I don't know the deal. Tell me. What is the deal?

SECURITY GUARD: You can go get interviewed as long as it’s off post. Otherwise, you, like I said, I can call the 800 FEMA number and have them come in --

AMY GOODMAN: You mean, he has to come off of the property?

.......

SECURITY GUARD: Yes, you can be interviewed --

RENAISSANCE VILLAGE RESIDENT: Okay.

SECURITY GUARD: -- if they had a FEMA representative with them, but since they don’t and do not have an appointment --

RENAISSANCE VILLAGE RESIDENT: Oh, okay. ‘Cause I know they do it all the time.

SECURITY GUARD: Yes, they have the FEMA public relations officer with them.

RENAISSANCE VILLAGE RESIDENT: Okay, well, I didn't know.

1. I'm no constitutional scholar but isn't a Federal property or a Federally-funded property the one place that your constituitional rights should be guaranteed? Why does this guy have to leave a Federal facility to speak to the press?

2. (This is a rhetorical question, I know why) Why the fuck does the guy need a FEMA representative with them to speak to the press on the property? Why does this guy have to make an appointment?

3. Why is security being provided by a corporate security solutions firm? The firm specializes in protecting company secrets and "businesses processes" (I'm assuming from competitors). Protecting information from external competitors makes sense for a corporation trying maintain a competitve advantage in a market place but what is FEMA trying to hide? Its incredible success and innovation at protecting and housing disaster victims? Talk about misplaced priorities, keeping information in and media out gets Federal investment. The woman they got to interview before talked about their meal benefits being cut off (months earlier than they had been told it would) and the lack of constructive programs on the facility for kids to participate in.

But I guess there will always be money for "corporate security".

I'm glad that getting rid of Mike Brown solved all our problems.