Employee Fired After Posting Pictures Of DHS Vehicles Parked In Hotel Parking Lot
from the no-expectation-of-privacy...-or-security dept
What happens in public isn't afforded an expectation of privacy -- unless you're the Department of Homeland Security. The DHS is all about shutting down people taking photos in, around or of public structures. According to the many piles of useless paperwork compiled by the many useless Fusion Centers, the most effective terrorist weapon is any device that captures still images or video.
The nation is loaded with phone-wielding terrorists. But thanks to the swift corrective action applied by a former Secret Service agent and the multi-billion dollar agency, guests at the Drury Park Plaza Hotel in Chesterfield, Missouri, are safe from the terrorist activity of 28-year-old US Navy veteran (and now, former hotel Houseman) Mark Paffrath.
Mark says that on Thursday after work he snapped 2 photographs and a short video of several dozen Homeland Security vehicles in the parking garage. He then uploaded them to his Facebook page. In his post he writes "why are all the cop cars here...I wonder if it has anything to do with Ferguson", he also included the hashtags #Ferguson #NoJusticeNoPeace.Hooray for the First Amendment! … oh, wait.
On Friday, shortly after arriving to work at the Drury Plaza Hotel, Mark stated that he was called to the office of Jeff Baker, the General Manager. Upon arriving Mr. Baker advised Mark that he needed to remove the photos and video from Facebook. Mark immediately complied and removed the post. Mark then continued and finished his shift.A private company decides to insert itself into a situation where no one -- not even the DHS -- needed to step in. Having achieved its goal of suppression, one would think the story ends here. But it doesn't.
Saturday, Mark stated after being at work no more than 30 minutes, he was again called to the General Manager's office. Waiting for him was Jim Bohnert, Director of Security for Drury Hotels Company, LLC. Mark told ASN that Mr. Bohnert advised him that his Facebook posts almost cost the company a $150,000 contract with the Department of Homeland Security and because of this he was being terminated.Jim Bohnert -- formerly of the Secret Service and the St. Louis Police Department -- had more to say on the matter. He called the former military member a "terrorist" and told him he had "dishonorably served his country" by posting pictures of vehicles parked in a garage where any guest or employee of the hotel could have seen them. In fact, any member of the public could have seen them simply by entering the garage, which is not secured. Argus Streaming News writers were able to see "over 100" DHS vehicles in the garage while driving through it on their way to speak to the hotel's manager.
Bohnert also threatened Paffrath with arrest if the photos were reposted (presumably by someone with more power than Director of Security for Drury Hotels, Bohnert's current position).
Now, it's quite obvious the DHS was unhappy that someone gave away their super-secret hideout, one that is a) a structure accessible by the public and b) littered with dozens of vehicles clearly marked as belonging to the DHS. If secrecy is what the DHS agents were looking for, maybe they should have arranged for a fleet of less clearly-marked vehicles. You can't -- at least not logically -- roll up in a DHS convoy and then demand that no one acknowledge this fact or speak about it to the outside world.
Apparently, hotel management thought this was a containable circumstance. A message written to hotel employees by a supervisor notes several things, the first of which is the open acknowledgement that employees are going to want to talk about a hotel full of DHS agents.
Mark told ASN that there is a large whiteboard which the hotel management writes notices to employees and on Friday, after he was told to remove the Facebook post the Front End Manager wrote a message that reads "The Department of Homeland Security Group: Confidential in nature, which means brag to your family about it after they check out".Why the DHS's stay would be "confidential in nature" is beyond me. Despite having the word "security" in its title, it's not an agency that's always "entitled" to secrecy -- and certainly not when it announces its presence with over 100 official DHS vehicles. The DHS does perform undercover investigations (see also: The Great Kansas City Panty Raid of '14), but a massive presence isn't likely associated with an undercover investigation.
The hotel may have had the right to fire the employee for violating guest confidentiality by posting photos of the parking garage, but even that argument is tough to make. Private companies are not government entities and business policies aren't federal law, but in defense of license plate readers, law enforcement agencies have long held that vehicles are not personally identifiable -- i.e., a license plate identifies the vehicle, not the driver. So, a parking lot full of vehicles -- especially government-issued vehicles -- identifies nothing other than the agency present. In any event, nothing noted here seems to have anything to do with company policies (Bohnert mentioned no violated policies in his dismissal of Paffrath) and everything to do with soothing the frayed nerves of the DHS.
Likewise, privacy is not security, but a parking lot crammed with easily-identifiable government vehicles isn't anyone's notion of "secure." Paffrath's posting didn't destroy the DHS's nonexistent security but it did apparently irritate the hotel's head of security, who then called for the ceremonial sacrifice of an employee on the altar of Homeland Security.
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Filed Under: dhs, employment, ferguson, homeland security, hotel, mark paffrath, social media
Companies: drury park plaza hotel
Reader Comments
The First Word
“..... unless it is something about us, then STFU or we'll mess you up.
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Government hypocrisy strikes again
Either hypocrisy at it's finest, and/or they know damn well that they have plenty to hide from the public they pretend to serve.
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One way or another.
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This just goes to show the ever-increasing divide between citizens and rulers.
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Guess what?
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Re:
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Please, someone -
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Please, someone -
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Re:
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If "soothing the frayed nerves of the DHS" means $150,000 in revenue next time, I'd say that's a worthy business concern.
As for the threat of arrest, fuck that noise.
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..... unless it is something about us, then STFU or we'll mess you up.
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Re:
How's that for a bad reputation...
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Re:
Your analogy fails because the employee in this article did not do anything to identify the PERSONS who drove the vehicles. He merely took a photo of a lot of DHS cars. For your analogy to work, he would have to have taken a photo of an expensive looking car (or lots of expensive looking cars) without identifying who owns them.
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Re:
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So, if he posts something that alomst wins a multi-million contract, ("I like the NSA, all of them!") he will get a VP chair on the board?*
(* remember folks, no proof of causality required)
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Re:
Sure, the company has the right to fire him, but theres no criminal element or anything he could have neen threatened with incarceration of.
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The Emperor's New Cars
DHS: What? You meant our new billion dollar magic invisibility cloak doesn't work and you can still see our cars? Well, now that you've told the terrorists we're going to have to go spent another billion dollars on a new one. See what you've done?
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Re:
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Seems to me if you want to keep that $150,000 contract, you better keep me employed.
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Re: The Emperor's New Cars
I suspect a far better solution for them would have been the $100 car cover that is available down at the auto-parts store, had they not been so cheap as to not buy them. Sure, people would have been suspicious of hundreds of cars in the parking lot covered by car covers, but very few would have looked underneath.
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I'd probably be sitting my ass in jail right now
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another possible solution
Drury fucktards - idea: deep breath and hold... holding... still holding... ready to hold.. holding... hold
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Re:
>Seems to me if you want to keep that $150,000 contract, you better keep me employed.
In a roundabout way, like People Who Need People, this is exactly what happened. Nobody would notice if the guy's firing did not make it newsworthy.
His actual crime is failure to be sufficiently in awe of the majesty of the state. For that - "you're fired!"
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Re: another possible solution
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Re: Guess what?
And that assumes the guy and the story are accurate about that number: maybe it's more and maybe it's less.
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I just..
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Who Needs KGB When You Have DHS
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What happens at Motel 6 stays at Motel 6.
The hotel employee doesn't have to draw attention to himself.
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Doubtful
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Re: Re: Guess what?
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Re: Re: Re: Guess what?
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DHS meet the Streisand effect
When your goal is to suppress information, and your result is the best case scenario that any PR firm would want, isn't that the intelligence equivalent of not being able to hit the broadside of a barn, at point blank range?
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Re: Re: another possible solution
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Re: I just..
The agents will just expense their rooms and get reimbursed by the end of the month.
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Re:
What they said was "you're fired because these people threatened to cancel a contract you knew nothing about, on the grounds that your innocuous action offended them, because they have a sense of privileged self-importance that would embarrass a six-year-old Chinese empress."
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Professional?
All other concerns aside, this manager sounds like a complete ass. If the hotel is concerned about unprofessional behavior from employees, it might start by looking at its supervisory staff, who are meant to set an example.
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The truth is there are hotel laws that require guests to submit all these proofs of identification. So I don't understand why DHS is crying about hotel laws. They're the ones who lobbied for the laws!
Unless of course this is another example where the law doesn't apply to DHS, because they consider themselves above the law.
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Re: Doubtful
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Re:
It is unlikely that the employer in this case had any kind of contractual obligation to continue his employment, so suing them is not likely to lead anywhere.
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Fleet of Sports Cars
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even if it hadnt he was an employee on his employers property. If his time in the navy had not taught him discretion....
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Re: What happens at Motel 6 stays at Motel 6.
Really, how many people were following this guy's facebook page? Couple dozen or so? And how many of them even saw his update (remember, facebook news feeds don't share every update with all your friends)?
Yet, because the hotel fired the guy, tens of thousands or more know about it via Streisand effect.
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Re:
The details of the situation are thus:
1) guy posted photo take in public, unsecured area of a bunch of obviously marked cars
2) Either the hotel's management lied to their employee about endangering the contract, or somehow the DHS became aware of this random citizen's facebook page.
3)Instead of acting like adults, either the hotel management or DHS completely overreacted and got this guy fired.
4) Because of #3, many many more people now know these details.
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Re: Re: Doubtful
I hope he wins that lawsuit. That head of security ought to be in fear of losing his job. We do not have the right to pin our paranoid delusions on others.
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If he was using his head, he'd have anonymously tipped off one of the news organizations in town; and they would (may have) come and taken some footage for the nightly news).
Or.. any number of other ways to have done this - but using his head. Which he didn't...
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The article likes to make DHS the bad guy, but really, there is absolutely no mention or hint that the govt. was behind this guys firing.
Get that information or even bogusly insinuate that someone from DHS was involved and fine, then blame them.
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Re: Re:
I believe he's got a pretty damned good reason to win. This is slandering a veteran, accusing him of traitorous acts!
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If I was an employer, and I saw one of my employees post "No Justice No Peace" online, particularly in connection with a volatile situation very close by in which there has already been widespread rioting, it's not much of a leap of logic to imagine that this employee is making a threat: "there will be No Peace as long as there is No Justice (by my definition of justice, of course, which means 'getting what I want'.)"
I'd have fired him over that too, with or without the DHS getting involved. Considering the circumstances, it's not the least bit unrealistic to consider that "making terroristic threats."
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Re: Government hypocrisy strikes again
The details of their presence and any other identifying information was not actually collected nor disseminated!
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Re: Doubtful
Without a specific rule that forbade employees from ever taking any pictures in the parking garage, it is actually Bohnert's failure to instruct staff not to mention the DHS's presence that caused the "problem."
If anyone should have been fired over this BS, it's Bohnert.
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Re: What happens at Motel 6 stays at Motel 6.
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It looks to me that Jim Bohnert dropped the ball here and didn't provide adequate security for the DHS vehicles.
security
freedom from danger, risk, etc.; safety.
2.
freedom from care, anxiety, or doubt; well-founded confidence.
3.
something that secures or makes safe; protection; defense.
sorry Jim 3 strikes and you're out.
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Re:
^^^^ This ^^^^
This right here, ladies and gentlemen, is what has become of the "land of the free, home of the brave" - a bunch of chicken littles ready to piss all over their "Constitution" because ZOMG!
You should really be ashamed of yourself.
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Re:
(BTW, most people interpret the "No Peace" part of the tag/slogan as "More Protests." The minority that like to believe it means "Kill Whitey" tend to be... not worth further comment.)
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Re: Doubtful
there is NO RECOURSE, unless they do something totally stupid...
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Sorry.
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Re:
I would not double down and accuse a military veteran of traitorous acts! That is slander, and the one who did that should be looking for another job after they lose the inevitable lawsuit they set themselves up for. That's far worse than merely having bad judgement. That was a vile, unprovoked attack by a criminally stupid fool who doesn't deserve to be in a position of authority.
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Re: Sorry.
I mean, if they wanted to keep their presence quiet, then why oh why would they use vehicles clearly marked "DHS?"
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Re: Re:
Is he not recording public employees while on (presumably) public business?
If not, then why are they using vehicles clearly marked "DHS?"
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Termination was ordered
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Re: Re: Doubtful
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Re: Re: Doubtful
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Two Scenarios
Second is some anonymous, or even named person who is not an employee, who also takes similar pictures at a similar time, unbeknownst to the employee picture taker.
Both post the photos to the Interwebz, but DHS only finds the not employee pictures.
DHS now has no recourse, as no law was broken. Of course they could open a 'terrorism while not thinking about the children you might be a pedophile' investigation, but who isn't under one of those today? What pressure could they bring to bear on the hotel?
And a question for bonus points; is the employee picture taker still liable if he is never found out? Schrodinger references lose points.
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Jedi Masters, DHS agents are
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Re:
Accusing a military veteran of traitorous acts.
Hang him.
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If this is documented by something other than hearsay, Mr Bohnert has set himself, and his employer, up for a massive lawsuit, in addition to the unjustified termination suit. This oughta be fun. Popcorn, anyone? Our wonderful gubmint at work, again.
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Re: Re: Sorry.
Silly boy. This's "Tha porkers" being caught laying in enforcements in anticipation of the inevitable backlash from "Tha citizens" in overreaction to "Tha porkers" murdering an unarmed kid.
Are you a terrorist or something?!?
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Re: Termination was ordered
Are you sure about that? I suspect you're assuming facts which are not in evidence. I think the chief of security just freaked out and let his fear (and personal tyrannical power lust over employees' actions) drive.
Employment ought to be an equal to equal transaction. Many managers and employers don't believe so. They assume that you should be overjoyed to be their slave to whatever whims they may have since they're giving you a job.
Hey, I'm selling you my expertise and labor in return for cash. Don't even begin to think there's any more to this than that. You DO NOT OWN ME. I'll be happy to leave now if that's not good enough for you. There's plenty of people out there who you're welcome to hire who will care a lot less about what you want than I would. Your choice! I don't have all day!
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Re: Re: Termination was ordered
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Re:
You keep on trying to believe that if you wish. We're taking notes. Your victims will be avenged. We have all of eternity to dig your body back up and force you to atone for your sins. We'll have the last laugh. Your children will be ashamed of you.
Still wanna be a putz? Up to you.
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Re: Two Scenarios
"What'd you do to the cat?!? It looks half dead."
That cat in a box with some radioactive half-life stuff was just a thought problem, you know? Nobody really took the question seriously. Well, no physicists did. Newspapers loved it (it sold advertising), but they're basically Karma whores, nothing else.
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Re: Re:
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Hide in Plain Sight
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Re:
Is there some other reason the DHS contract with the hotel would have been threatened by this guy's photos?
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Re:
It seems from the story that they didn't fire him because of the content of his communications, but because of their effects: "Mark told ASN that Mr. Bohnert advised him that his Facebook posts almost cost the company a $150,000 contract with the Department of Homeland Security and because of this he was being terminated." This implies that if it hadn't been for the contract issue, they wouldn't have fired him.
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Re: Re:
Accusing a military veteran of traitorous acts.
Hang him.
You want to execute someone for their speech about a person whose former job was defending the constitution? The irony is rich.
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Re: Re: Re: Termination was ordered
That happens to me a lot too. I try to fix the mistakes I can, and just ignore the ones I can't. Reality, sucks, but what can ya do?
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Re: Re: Re:
This guy is not Timothy McVeigh. Holy crap, man.
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Re: Re: Re:
Well, actually no. Do you approve of sending people off to fight foreign wars for you, then allow random citizens to interpret constitutional protections for them when they return?
He did his duty for his country. That ought to count for something. This dipshit is accusing him of being a traitor to his country, after (in theory) putting his life on the line for it. How rude!
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Re: Re: Re: Re:
I'm not sure what you're asking. I wouldn't support random individuals being given the power to interpret the constitution that now resides with the courts, if that's what you mean. I definitely support allowing them to say what they want.
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Re: Re: Re: Doubtful
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Mark Paffrath
The DHS is fearful of all their ostentatious vehicles getting burned up by Ferguson protesters.
The Drury hotel is fearful of losing what must be a very lucrative contract.
I am fearful of the DHS, the IRS, local law enforcement, Obama's executive orders, false flag operations, central planning, and psychopaths in government.
Mark doesn't seem to be afraid. I doubt that he took down his Facebook post out of fear. I am guessing that at the time, it was not that big of a deal. I am glad to see that he is speaking up as it does shine a light into some dark corners of our society.
In general I am not afraid of my neighbors, voters, church goers, NASCAR fans, golfers, chefs etc etc etc.
Fear, it freezes the heart.
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Re: Re: Re: Re:
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If he was honorably discharged, I believe it is, but he'll lose that pretty fast once he starts blowing up daycare centers. Dishonorable things do happen in war and we expect them to refuse to carry out such orders when they see them, but that's not always possible. The one doing the ordering should be taking the blame, not the lowly grunt on the line.
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character of Jim Bohnert-you are what you are under pressure
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Re: DHS meet the Streisand effect
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