“Chilling” is the word lawyers use to describe
governmental behavior that does not directly interfere with
constitutionally protected freedoms, but rather tends to deter
folks from exercising them. Classic examples of “chilling” occurred
in the 1970s, when FBI agents and U.S. Army soldiers, in business
suits with badges displayed or in full uniform, showed up at
anti-war rallies and proceeded to photograph and tape record
protesters. The government’s goal, and its limited success, was to
deter dissent without actually interfering with it, explains Andrew
Napolitano. Eventually, when this was exposed as part of a huge
government plot to stifle dissent, known as COINTELPRO, the
government stopped doing it… until now.
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