Checking out Mao's Little Red Book triggers DHS investigation of UMass student?

Update: A reader over at Boing Boing points out that the story made be made-up or misleading, as the reporter did not talk to the actual student (see also Joe's note below) and requiring SSNs for interlibrary loan would seem to violate UMass Dartmouth's privacy policy.  What? False information on the Internet? Heavens to Betsy! But seriously, no confirmation one way or the other whether this is true or not; just reporting the news so far.

Further Update: Librarian and Information Science News reports that a similar story is floating around about the same thing happening at UC Santa Cruz, calling into question the veracity of both incidents.  I can't find a link to the UCSC story yet.

Another Update: According to Aaron Nicodemus, author of the UMass story:

The UCSC story is a fake, someone merely replaced the names of the professors I quoted and took the story as his own. But my story, published in The Standard-Times on Saturday, Dec. 17, is real and is factual to the extent I reported. I am trying to convince the student to come forward, and for the university library loan system to come clean about its involvement, and of course, for the Department of Homeland Security to admit it visited the student. I hope to have an update published soon.

The plot thickens..

Final update: Andy (below) is right; it was a hoax.  Gotta clean out my BS filter so it works better! Or maybe just get more sleep.

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Unbelievable. And this is how Bush uses our tax dollars to protect us? Note the irony of the name of the class for which he checked the book out.

Agents' visit chills UMass Dartmouth senior:

NEW BEDFORD -- A senior at UMass Dartmouth was visited by federal agents two months ago, after he requested a copy of Mao Tse-Tung's tome on Communism called "The Little Red Book."

Two history professors at UMass Dartmouth, Brian Glyn Williams and Robert Pontbriand, said the student told them he requested the book through the UMass Dartmouth library's interlibrary loan program.

The student, who was completing a research paper on Communism for Professor Pontbriand's class on fascism and totalitarianism, filled out a form for the request, leaving his name, address, phone number and Social Security number. He was later visited at his parents' home in New Bedford by two agents of the Department of Homeland Security, the professors said.

The professors said the student was told by the agents that the book is on a "watch list," and that his background, which included significant time abroad, triggered them to investigate the student further.

"I tell my students to go to the direct source, and so he asked for the official Peking version of the book," Professor Pontbriand said. "Apparently, the Department of Homeland Security is monitoring inter-library loans, because that's what triggered the visit, as I understand it."

(Thanks ripley!)

Comments

[Joe Gratz]

I would be really surprised if this story checks out. The student is unnamed and didn't talk to the reporter, and there's no indication of what agency visited the student or what they talked about. I suspect it's either an honest misunderstanding on the part of the professor, the student is trying to roil his prof, or there are facts we don't know about.

If true, it's outrageous for multiple reasons, not least of which is that the little red book is harmless. (My mom gave me her copy when I was a twelve-year-old revolutionary; the phase passed before my Bar Mitzvah.)

[E. Michael Harrington]

As one born in the Republik of Cambridge, I especially hope the story is not true. Even though Bush is making Nixon look like a benevolent rights respecting ruler, why would someone/our government fear the expression of ideas that have long been in the decline?

Thanks for posting that story.

[John McAdams]

There is plenty of reason to doubt that this story is in fact true.

Apparently Bogus: Homeland Security Visited Student Who Ordered Mao’s “Little Red Book”

[The Pathetic Earthling]

This was so obviously scratch-built bullshit, I can't believe anyone -- least you, Jas -- gave this a moment's credence. The government does lots of stupid stuff, but even if it *wanted* to look at people who bought the quotations of the Chairman (I bought mine at Revolution Books) -- something I doubt -- it simply doesn't have time.

[John McAdams]

This story has now been admitted to be a hoax:

Student Admits Hoax in Claim That Federal Agents Visited Him in Wake of Mao Book Request

And just who got suckered?

Molly Ivans, Ted Kennedy Suckered by Claim that Homeland Security Visited Student Who Requested Mao Book

James Carville Suckered by Claim that Homeland Security Agents Visited Student Who Ordered Mao Book