civil liberties

Why Is It Necessary For The Federal Government To Turn The United States Into A Prison Camp?

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There has been no society in the history of the world that has ever been 100% safe.  No matter how much money the federal government spends on “homeland security”, the truth is that bad things will still happen.  Our world is a very dangerous place and it is becoming increasingly unstable.  The federal government could … Read more »

Ben Swann: Supreme Court ‘STRIPS’ Americans of Their 4th Amendment Rights?

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Here I go again. Just when my Conservative friends think I’m “in the pack” I go and break ranks with them. That’s the funny thing about Libertarians. We just don’t seem to fit anybody’s mold. From the WXIX website: (FOX19) – A stunning ruling this week with major implications for every American. The U.S. Supreme Court … Read more »

From ‘Protect and Serve’ to ‘Taunt and Kill’

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“Officers, why do you have your guns out?” That is the question that Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., a former Marine who had heart problems and wheezed if he walked more than 40 feet, found himself asking police officers around 5am on November 19th, 2011. It wasn’t long after that question that Mr. Chamberlain was mortally wounded by … Read more »

Know Your Rights

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This post is brought to you by Steve the DUI lawn mower guy: Steves Riding Lawn Mower DUI Arrest Video As you heard, Steve “knows his rights.” But do you know yours? Did you know that you can refuse consent for a police officer to search your vehicle during a common traffic stop? Did you know … Read more »

The Assassination of an American Teenager

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With all the outcry over Trayvon Martin, I’m curious… where is the outcry for Abdulrahman al-Awlaki?

If you’re like any number of Americans, you probably just said “Who?” aloud.

As reported by David Kretzmann:

On October 14, 2011, Abdulrahman Al-awlaki was killed by U.S. airstrikes in Yemen. Al-awlaki was a 16 year old American citizen who was eating dinner with a group of his teenage friends when U.S. airstrikes took their lives. Al-awlaki, born in Denver, Colorado, was the son of Anwar al-Awlaki. Anwar al-Awlaki, of course, was the U.S. citizen suspected (but never prosecuted) of working with Al Qaeda; Awlaki was assassinated by the U.S. on September 30, 2011.

I briefly touched on the administration’s willingness to forgo due process and kill American citizens in the name of the “war on terror” in a previous article.

So while everybody is up in arms about Trayvon Martin being killed, almost nobody is mentioning Abdulrahman. I’m guessing 99% of you had never even heard of him. I’m betting the same percentage of you had no idea that this young man was, like his father, an American citizen, who was assassinated by his own government on foreign soil.

“But… but… His dad was a scary terrorist man!” Well, that may be. But as Mr. Kretzmann already noted, he was suspected but never charged or prosecuted.

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Wrong Place at the Wrong Time; Where is the Justice?

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I can’t help but laugh at this picture every time I see it. This guy is a classic example of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ouch.

But this is just humorous (well, ok, it’s probably not very funny to the poor lad who now has to swallow to return his manliness to its original position). What happens when it’s not funny?

Take the recent Trayvon Martin situation. Spike Lee retweeted an address which was purported to be that of alleged shooter George Zimmerman. The only problem is, it was the wrong address.

So what happens when an angry mob shows up in front of your house?

That’s exactly what happened to an elderly couple, aged 70 and 72, who were the unfortunate occupants of the address that was being passed around.

Apparently, the woman’s son is named William George Zimmerman, and he briefly lived at that address in 1995. When William Zimmerman pleaded with the man who tweeted the address, the man responded, “Black power all day. No justice, no peace” along with an obscenity.

So, I ask, where is the justice for this couple? Where is their peace? They have had to temporarily relocate to a hotel out of fear for their safety.

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Protesters Erased From Reality

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I.M. Citizen wrote an interesting piece over on Freedom Bunker that caught my eye.

Apparently, H.R. 347, the Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act (or the “no protesters allowed” act) is already making its mark.

On March 21st, President Obama paid a visit to New Mexico. On the way there, the Secret Service learned of a plan by New Mexico TEA Party members to protest his arrival, and promptly changed their destination to avoid the protest.

Sher Zieve writes,

When the US Secret Service discovered that the enterprising group of our Southeast New Mexico Patriots had, also, switched their plans and would drive to Roswell to engage in peaceful and Constitutionally allowed dissent against the Obama policies of the destruction of the United States of America, the SS began to put their respective feet down. First, the SS made a strong request that the anti-Obama rally not occur…at all. When the TEA Party members advised them that they still planned to do so, it was announced that the main road (Earl Cummings Loop) into and out of the Roswell airport would be closed. In other words, only the planned Obama sycophants, adherents and Adoration Groups will be allowed in…all others no longer have any free speech.

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America: Land of the Police State, Home of the Domestic Extremist

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We used to be the land of the free, and the home of the brave.

Now? More like land of the police state, and home of the domestic extremist. That’s what happens when enough people don’t care, or are bamboozled.

In a free society:

  • Police agencies respond only to evidence of planned and actual criminal activity.
  • Police officers keep the peace; they do not investigate citizens and activities unless there is some reason to investigate.
  • Police do not investigate citizens’ attitudes toward the central government, only their action.
  • Citizen dissent is lawful and police agencies do not investigate citizens’ attitudes toward the criminal justice apparatus.

None of that applies anymore. Now, in the United States, the government may:

  • Kill American citizens abroad, or here on US soil, without a trial or judicial review. A secret closed-door meeting is enough to end someone’s life. (Source)
  • Intercept and store 1.7 billion of your emails, phone calls and text messages each day, without a warrant. Enough information to fill 138 million books every 24 hours. (Source)
  • Charge you with a felony for peacefully protesting. (Source)
  • Imprison you for life, without access to a trial or attorney, and can use the US Military to do so. (Source)

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National Defense Resources Preparedness (NDRP) Signed

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And the hits just keep on coming folks…

On March 6th, President Obama signed an Executive Order for “National Defense” that basically states that the US can seize any person or resource at any time. “All your stuff are belong to us!” they say.

To be fair, EO 8248, the original “National Defense Resources Preparedness” order was first issued in 1939. The latest edition is similar to EO 12919, signed by President Clinton in June 1994. But this one includes some key changes…

For example, in Section 201(b) the words “under both emergency and non-emergency conditions” have been added.

So now the federal government can take control of all food, all energy, all health resources, all transportation resources and “all other materials, services, and facilities” in the country even if the United States is not experiencing emergency conditions. ((http://www.infowars.com/the-obama-administration-all-your-privacy-and-all-your-stuff-belong-to-us/))

Keep in mind that the US has been operating under a constant state of national emergency since September 14th, 2001.

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Congress Continues to Ignore 1st Amendment, Limits Rights

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Here is the complete text of the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution (emphasis mine):

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

So, how then will our congress critters explain H.R. 347, the “Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011” bill? To be fair, this is not a new law. It amends 18 USC § 1752 “restricted buildings and grounds,” that has existed in various forms since 1971. The most significant amendments to the law occurred in 2006. ((http://www.salem-news.com/articles/march082012/hr347-clarity-mvh.php))

But there are a few changes that make one’s eyebrow raise.

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Administration Woefully Ignorant of Due Process

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Incompetence. It seems like the current administration just can’t amass enough of it lately.

Eric Holder, Attorney General, stated earlier this week that the President has legal authority to authorize the killing of US citizens. Umm… say what?

“The administration is asserting the authority to kill any American whom the president declares to be an enemy of the state,” said Jameel Jaffer, a national security attorney with the ACLU. “That’s a breathtaking assertion.” ((http://articles.latimes.com/2012/mar/05/world/la-fg-holder-awlaki-20120306))

For the record, the only other administration that said anything even remotely similar was President Abraham Lincoln’s during the civil war. And even then, he said it should be under combat situations only.

Generally, due process guarantees the following (this list is not exhaustive):

  • Right to a fair and public trial conducted in a competent manner
  • Right to be present at the trial
  • Right to an impartial jury
  • Right to be heard in one’s own defense
  • Laws must be written so that a reasonable person can understand what is criminal behavior

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Pat Robertson: The War on Drugs Has Failed; Legalize Marijuana!

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Image credit: http://futurepocket.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/marijuana_1.jpgPat Robertson probably just shocked a large number of his followers when he made this statement on Wednesday the 7th:

“I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol,” Mr. Robertson said in an interview on Wednesday. “I’ve never used marijuana and I don’t intend to, but it’s just one of those things that I think: this war on drugs just hasn’t succeeded.”

Mr. Robertson’s remarks echoed statements he made last week on “The 700 Club,” the signature program of his Christian Broadcasting Network, and other comments he made in 2010. While those earlier remarks were largely dismissed by his followers, Mr. Robertson has now apparently fully embraced the idea of legalizing marijuana, arguing that it is a way to bring down soaring rates of incarceration and reduce the social and financial costs.

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