The clip focuses on the events of March 8, 1971, when eight people orchestrated the
burglary and public distribution of government files from an FBI office in Media,
Pennsylvania. The theft was altogether different than the numerous contemporary draft
board office break-ins, in which activists (including many of the burglars) burned
government draft paperwork to interfere with America’s continued participation in the
Vietnam War. The group, all of whom were ordinary citizens, called themselves the
Citizens’ Commission to Investigate the FBI and stole every file in the office. The goal of
the burglars was to gather tangible evidence of government surveillance of civilian
political activists, which was infringing on First Amendment rights. The stolen files
exposed that the FBI was indeed running extensive, illegal operations intended to
spread paranoia and distrust among numerous New Left and black civil rights
organizations. Over time, the group mailed copies of the files to various newsrooms.
Most news organizations returned the files to the FBI and refused to run stories
regarding the stolen documents, but the notable exception was The Washington Post,
which ran a front-page story on March 24, 1971. Arguably the most significant element
in the stolen materials turned out to be a single file mentioning “COINTELPRO”, a
secret surveillance program that was run by J. Edgar Hoover. Watch the clip below and
answer the questions, watch this video
Questions:
1. This clip outlines citizen activity in civil disobedience. To you, in what
circumstances is this valid? In what circumstances is it not?
2. This clip brings to mind an analog version of what is contemporarily occurring
with Edward Snowden and the NSA. At what point should the public be privy
to top secret information or activities of the government? Is there a line that
shouldn’t be crossed?
3. Consider how this group of individuals were seemingly political yet not radical
activists. What does this tell us about the public opinion regarding the
Vietnam War in 1971? Does this prove that there had been a shift against the
war in a wider way or that the war continued with the support of the general
populace? Explain.
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