Operation TIPS being opposed by many

One of the Justice Department&#39;s initiatives for expanding public vigilance -- Operation TIPS -- has run into widespread opposition, from both conservatives and liberations. <br> <br> Even the U.S. Postal Service is shunning the program, in which truckers, train conductors, utility employees and others are supposed to report on suspicious activities. <br> <br> A proposal for a scaled-back TIPS program remains pending. The American Civil Liberties Union is among its foes. The ACLU says TIPS would ``recruit one million volunteers to act as spies and informants against their neighbors.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The ACLU&#39;s executive director -- Anthony Romero -- says utility workers and truckers would be more prone to fall for hoaxes or to engage in racial profiling than law enforcement officers. <br> <br> Romero says the case involving the Georgia woman who reported what she thought were terrorist remarks by three Muslim medical students at a Shoney&#39;s restaurant raises questions about how Americans should react to overheard remarks. <br> <br> In his words, ``Satire, humor, jokes are part of our everyday lives.&#39;&#39; He says Americans should not be afraid that what they say might trigger a reaction from authorities. <br> <br> The students deny saying anything provocative, either serious threats or joking references to the September eleventh attacks.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/9/201909