- How peaceniks broke into the FBI offices at Media Pennsylvania, turning over FBI secrets to the world. Publisher, Knopf, 1/2014. 596 pp.
On March 8th, 1971, 8 citizens robbed the FBI office in Media Pennsylvania of all of its files, took them to a farm, laboriously copied them and mailed them to key anti war politicians and reporters and organizations, despite a dragnet search by hundreds of agents (J Edgar Hoover, the FBI Director, was "apoplectic). He realized his cover was "blown"....his well kept secrets revealed by (unbeknownst to him, hippies, housewives and academics).
The documents showed that Hoover's FBI had a counter intelligence program- Cointelpro- designed to infiltrate, subvert, blackmail and otherwise disrupt anti war and black civil rights activists and activities, Hoover had even tried to black mail the civil rights icon, Martin Luther King
One directive said that agents should interview and harass activists so that "it will enhance the paranoia endemic in these circles and will further serve to get across the point that there is an FBI agent behind every mailbox."
It was like the "red squads" we had here in Baltimore- basically- a facist organization. One of the burglars, John Raines, evens remembering losing a letter between the FBI and the right wing John Birch Society- very chummy.
Is this going on today? Maybe with the T Party folk.
Ms Medsger said that it was not just a stroke of fortune that this office had such incriminating documents. All the FBI offices had them
It is a relief to genuinely enjoy such lucid prose and such a carefully researched story- I predict Ms Medsger will not get the coverage she deserves because of the topic. Media used to be so much more intelligent and friendly, although it was always skewed to protect power (except for occasional reporters like Medsger)-(I remember fondly the liberation news service and underground newspapers of the 60's).
The Media story is riveting to those of us draft action folks and others who opposed the Vietnam War.
Our country continues to stumble from idiotic war to war; at least now a
poor kid from Arkansas who needs money or an education or who loves guns can enlist..the result of our ending the draft. How great is that?
As the Snowdens and Mannings point out- like the Media burglars- our
government practices the age old tyrannies of secrecy and, undoubtedly,
illegal actions by the FBI , CIA ,NSA and U.S. military continue. Hopefully some one is working on revealing them.
The sentencing for the Transform Plowshares 3 (Oak Ridge nuclear facility
resisters) takes place later this month, Jan., and one hopes books will come out on the Plowshares movement like Ms. Medsger's
There have been several excellent books and one documentary movie on the anti draft actions- "Hit and Stay" is the movie, again,- topics the media will treat w kid gloves-as it kowtows to money and power.
Hopefully The Burglary will be to many- a cautionary tale and an
inspiration as to how to proceed against the war makers.
As well, hopefully, some one will do a movie on the Plowshares Actions as good as is "Hit and Stay" on the draft actions (it will not get much coverage
either). Why not admit that the Media burglars still alive are heroes, rather than waiting 50 years? Do I say "hopefully" a tad too much?!?!?
This book is as much a page turner as Patrica Cornwall's forensic thrillers,
although this is a book, unlike hers- that has a message.
George Mische of the Catonsville 9 likes to point how ordinary people can achieve extra ordinary feats- as did Margaret Mead in her quote to the effect- Never doubt that a small group of people can make momentous change. This book proves it.
Their action (as well as Hoover's death and Nixon's Watergate burglary) led to a major reform of the FBI. Hoover dropped the moniker of Cointelpro but continued the program. New FBI Directors closed it and its tenets after his death. Some prosecutors and agents, after the Camden acquittals, applauded the burlar's efforts and one office- in Detroit- had always shunned Hoover's dirty tricks mentality.
The Media burglars, one must say, had extraordinary skill and extraordinary luck (for example, how John Forsyth became a professional level lock picker). Any one with close up experience with the FBI of that time, can also attest to their bumbling. Having infiltrated hundreds of groups, they never caught the Media 8!, although they made life miserable for many wrong targets.
It is immensely satisfying to know that the feds thought we in the Catholic left were responsible for the burglary; they were convinced that the wonderful Irish leprechaun, John Grady was the ringleader- as he was (to a degree) for the Camden 28 draft board raids (a story in itself- the group got off due to jury nullification) and Ms Medsger tells me that Grady denied Media at a reunion and got a big laugh about the FBI suspicions about him , The draft board actions were a bit sloippy compared to this one- although- if you watch the movie- you will see that the government was severely damaged by our raids.
The book is very informative regarding the Camden 28 trial and how it turned on informant Bob Hardy's recanting and switch from the prosecution side to that of the defendants- because of the death of his son in a tragic fall and the support given him by the defendants at the funeral. Defendant Bob Good's mother was also a key to the final decision by the jury to acquit (a rare jury "nullification"). The FBI was convinced that some of the Camden defendants besides Grady were responsible for the break-in at Media.
To me, the NVA had a lot more to do with the Vietnam War ending- them and our own soldiers who followed our example- sabatoging the Viet effort. But I enjoyed getting my Christmas card from North Vietnam when I was in prison.
Such successful actions as "Media" are surely the precursor acts of inspiration for an Edward Snowden or a Chelsea Manning. The problem is that the government, as hugely as it failed and was exposed in the Media case, still comes down out of all reasonable proportions on the protesters it does catch- or on those who want to be caught and go to trial- such as the Plowshares 3- now undergoing sentencing in Knoxville, Tenn. for their break in at the Oak Ridge nuclear facility (which also showed totally lax security by the government- which you can be sure, will continue (hopefully)). The prosecution wants to treat an 83 year old nun as a terrorist- just as they would have treated William Davidon, had they caught him.
It is incumbent upon us ordinary citizens to stand against this and to question authority and to throw sand into the gears. If the actions were not enough to inspire and "give courage" - the books and movies that describe them should act as blueprints.
In an article for "Slate" David Kairys, who was counsel for the Camden 28 and has long been lawyer in reserve should they need him for the Media 8, recently writes: "The statute of limitations for prosecuting the burglary long ago ran out (in 1976 ), which makes my job as their lawyer much easier.
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Very badly worn down
I was expecting a new book. This is in disgusting condition. Large stain on the cover, and it’s torn up.
Top reviews from other countries
- Amazon KundeReviewed in the Netherlands on July 12, 2024
A brave recount of the Medburg Burglary
