When the Government Talks to People

Courtesy of the Comish (and every time I mention the Comish, I have to urge him to start his own blog, so: Comish, start your own blog) comes this story from The Washington Post in which many people, including a successful author, claim that the government is beaming voices into their heads to drive them crazy. (Subscription is required to read the story, but it's free and it's the Washington Post -- you should subscribe.)

The callers frequently refer to themselves as TIs, which is short for Targeted Individuals, and talk about V2K -- the official military abbreviation stands for "voice to skull" and denotes weapons that beam voices or sounds into the head. In their esoteric lexicon, "gang stalking" refers to the belief that they are being followed and harassed: by neighbors, strangers or colleagues who are agents for the government. ...

Until recently, people who believe the government is beaming voices into their heads would have added social isolation to their catalogue of woes. But now, many have discovered hundreds, possibly thousands, of others just like them all over the world. Web sites dedicated to electronic harassment and gang stalking have popped up in India, China, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Russia and elsewhere. Victims have begun to host support meetings in major cities, including Washington. Favorite topics at the meetings include lessons on how to build shields (the proverbial tinfoil hats), media and PR training, and possible legal strategies for outlawing mind control.

The piece makes it clear that the Pentagon has worked on technology in this vein that is plenty creepy, but it doesn't seem to be capable of transmitting actual voices. Besides, some of these "TI"s were complaining as far back as 40 years ago, and the science was only picked back up a few short years ago.

So, where do the people claiming this abuse turn for help? Why, American politicians, of course:

The biggest hurdle for TIs is getting people to take their concerns seriously. A proposal made in 2001 by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) to ban "psychotronic weapons" (another common term for mind-control technology) was hailed by TIs as a great step forward. But the bill was widely derided by bloggers and columnists and quickly dropped.

Doug Gordon, Kucinich's spokesman, would not discuss mind control other than to say the proposal was part of broader legislation outlawing weapons in space. The bill was later reintroduced, minus the mind control. "It was not the concentration of the legislation, which is why it was tightened up and redrafted," was all Gordon would say.

And now, to come full circle, back to the Comish: "Thank you, Dennis Kucinich. You’ve restored my humility and sense of proportion. While my job requires me to work long and late hours to draft a 15-page motion on some esoteric point of law, at least it doesn’t require me to pander to the victims of government mind control rays beamed from space."