Most of the time, living in intown Atlanta (ITP, or "inside the perimeter" as we locals say) feels like living in any other major metropolitian area. Maybe even a little more progressive than most.

We were surprised by that, and when people ask us how we like Atlanta (usually in that soft "concerned" voice), and we tell them that, they sound surprised and skeptical. I tell them my theory: most of the progressives from the whole South move to Atlanta.

They laugh and think that makes sense. I think it makes sense too, but the truth is, I haven’t got an iota of evidence for this theory. At least 80% of the people I’ve met are from elsewhere, outside of the south.

But there has been an item in the news lately that brings back all my "those crazy southerners" stereotypes.

Apparently, back in December 2003, some vegans staged a protest at a Honeybaked Ham store on Buford Highway here in DeKalb County, where I live.

The vegans’ protest included exciting activities like holding posters about the treatment of pigs, about ham, and promoting veganism. They were apparently also
distributing leaflets.

For those of you keeping score at home, DeKalb County is the most Democratic county in Georgia. Buford Highway is an artery through the northeastern part of the Atlanta metro area, and home to many immigrant businesses. It is not an expensive part of town, and I can’t imagine that there are any high-security government or military-industrial complex offices located there.

Two of the protesters noticed that they were being photographed by a man in an unmarked car. They wrote down the license plate number and other identifying details of the car.

When they left, the unmarked car with the photographer driving followed the vegans who had written down his license plate number. They pulled their car into a parking lot, and he followed them, this time, leaving his car and demanding the piece of paper on which they had written his identifying information.

When the vegan with the paper refused to hand it over, she and her companion were handcuffed and searched. Her request to be searched by a female officer was refused. Both of the protesters were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. The paper, and the woman’s housekeys, were confiscated. Happily, the ACLU is helping the vegans sue for false imprisonment, false arrest, and harassment.

It turns out that the person who took the photos and ultimately arrested the vegans was Detective D.A. Gorman of the DeKalb County Homeland Security Department. (A part of the county police department.)

Blink.

What?

What on earth does the HOMELAND SECURITY department have to do with a dozen earnest vegans trying to talk people out of buying ham for Christmas?

According to the Dekalb Homeland Security web site, we locals are an important resource for recognizing suspicious & potentially terroristic activity: Law Enforcement has always relied upon the common-sense perceptions of DeKalb
citizens who notice something or someone that appears suspicious or out of
place. (Emphasis mine.) Apparently only citizens are supposed to use common sense. Officers are supposed to throw that out the window?

Although the page says that they are concerned about both domestic and international terrorism, I wasn’t able to find anything suggesting that threats like the peaceful and lawful activities of a dozen pro-vegetable protesters fall within the scope of their authority.

But I did find two different claims about our current terrorism threat level. The department says we’re currently at Code Orange on one page, but on the landing page for the department, it indicates that we’re at Code Yellow.

Even right wing former Congressman Bob Barr took DeKalb County to task for going after the vegans. Actually, his commentary on the subject is so funny that I have to quote it in its entirety:

As reflected in a lawsuit filed recently in the U.S. District Court in
Atlanta, the residents of DeKalb County can rest easy at night, knowing
that its Homeland Security Division has collared the most nefarious and
dangerous terrorist organization in the world today — vegans. While
many people may not know what a vegan is — other than knowing that
former Democrat presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich is one — thank
goodness DeKalb has them in its sights.

Vegans, who are sort of extreme vegetarians (declining to eat not only
meats but any product that even comes from a meat-bearing animal),
apparently have been identified as Public Enemy No. 1 and placed under
surveillance by the county. Two vegans, protesting peacefully outside a
HoneyBaked Ham store in 2003, were subject to undercover surveillance
and arrested after they noticed the not-so-undercover surveillance
effort. The recently filed federal lawsuit may reveal the deep, dark
secrets of the vegans that have moved them to the top of DeKalb
County’s Homeland Security Division’s priority list.

Personally, I hope the vegan community will organize another, bigger protest this year. And friends, if you want to come join them, we have a guest room and I promise to stock up on the soy milk. It turns out we even know where to get the best vegan chocolate cake ever.