The Washington Post reports upon the further cheapening of the word "terrorism" in, "Md. Police Put Activists' Names On Terror Lists."

The fifty-three people with "no evidence whatsoever of any involvement in violent crime" who were put on a list of terrorists include anti-death-penalty protesters.

It's really hard to keep from laughing about this. Are we going to see next, Terrorism With Intent to Kill, so as to differentiate it from Terrorism With Intent to Stop Killing? Whatever your feelings about the death penalty, this ain't terrorism, guys.

The Post reports a number of things Police Superintendent Thomas Hutchins said that he'll be ashamed of once the meds kick in.

After "stunned" state senators called him to task about the spying, Hutchins said:

I doubt anyone who has used that term has ever met a spy ... What John Walker did is spying.

Please don't make me paste in dictionary definitions, Mr Hutchins. Quoting the dictionary is the last refuge of two-bit pedants and I'm at least a sixty-four-bit pedant. The Maryland committee you embarrassed yourself in front of has in fact seen a spy. If you need help, I recommend a mirror.

Hutchins also said that some of the names might have been shared with the NSA as well. Might have. That's "might" meaning "definitely," I presume. If you're going to spy on peaceful protestors, but them on terrorist lists, and share that with the intelligence agencies, have the courage to say so.

Here's a final quote from the Post:

Two senators noted that they had been arrested years ago for civil disobedience. Sen. Jennie Forehand (D-Montgomery) asked Sheridan, "Do you have any legislators on your list?" The answer was no.

That's how we know they knew it was wrong.