News Blog -- Comments from God's Country
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Good Grief!
Police kill 95-year-old man with bean-bag rounds
July 29, 2013
The Cook County medical examiner’s office said John Warna, a 95-year-old resident of a senior living community in Park Forest, Ill., died of blunt force trauma of the abdomen after police shot him with bean bag rounds.
Police officers were called to the assisted living home on Friday to help employees of a private ambulance company involuntarily transfer Warna to a clinic for medical treatment. The senior citizen had allegedly threatened the facility’s staff and paramedics with a metal cane and a 2-foot shoehorn because he did not want to check into the hospital.
When police arrived the scene around 8:42 p.m. Friday, they ordered the man to drop the items. Instead, he picked up a“12-inch butcher type kitchen knife,” the Park Forest Police Department said in an e-mailed press release obtained by the Chicago Tribune.
Police told Warna to surrender and listen to their instructions. But when he refused, police stunned him with a Taser and shot him with bean-bag rounds. The senior citizen was still conscious and talking when he was then taken to the St. James Hospital and Health Centers and later the Advocate Christ Medical Center. But he died just a few hours later.
Warna was declared dead at 2:30 a.m. Saturday, and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office on Monday announced that he died of bleeding in the stomach from the blunt force trauma inflicted by the bean-bag rounds. His death was ruled a homicide.
Bean-bag rounds consist of a fabric filled with lead shot. The rounds can be fired from a regular shotgun, and are designed to deliver a blow that will leave the victim temporarily immobile. But when the rounds hit the chest, they can sometimes break the ribs and force the ribs into the heart. A shot to the head can cause a broken nose, neck, larynx or skull. And a shot to the abdominal area can cause internal bleeding.
Bean-bag rounds can be especially dangerous when fired at close proximity, and present a serious risk of death or injury when fired from less than 10 feet away. It is unclear how far police were from the 95-year-old before shooting him in the abdomen.
Neighbors at the senior living community told CBS News that there could have been better ways to disarm the old man and that the police response was unnecessarily violent.
“If they were smart policemen, one could have got in the front of that man and one could have went through back door and thrown a sheet over him, put him down and put the cuffs on him before they shot him,” said neighbor David Atkins.
Administrators at the Victory Centre nursing home said they have never experienced any problems with the resident before
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family as we mourn the loss of one of our own,” Emily Powell, executive director of the Victory Centre, told CBS.
The Illinois State Police Public Integrity Unit is currently reviewing the case. Park Forest police have not yet commented on the incident.
July 29, 2013
The Cook County medical examiner’s office said John Warna, a 95-year-old resident of a senior living community in Park Forest, Ill., died of blunt force trauma of the abdomen after police shot him with bean bag rounds.
Police officers were called to the assisted living home on Friday to help employees of a private ambulance company involuntarily transfer Warna to a clinic for medical treatment. The senior citizen had allegedly threatened the facility’s staff and paramedics with a metal cane and a 2-foot shoehorn because he did not want to check into the hospital.
When police arrived the scene around 8:42 p.m. Friday, they ordered the man to drop the items. Instead, he picked up a“12-inch butcher type kitchen knife,” the Park Forest Police Department said in an e-mailed press release obtained by the Chicago Tribune.
Police told Warna to surrender and listen to their instructions. But when he refused, police stunned him with a Taser and shot him with bean-bag rounds. The senior citizen was still conscious and talking when he was then taken to the St. James Hospital and Health Centers and later the Advocate Christ Medical Center. But he died just a few hours later.
Warna was declared dead at 2:30 a.m. Saturday, and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office on Monday announced that he died of bleeding in the stomach from the blunt force trauma inflicted by the bean-bag rounds. His death was ruled a homicide.
Bean-bag rounds consist of a fabric filled with lead shot. The rounds can be fired from a regular shotgun, and are designed to deliver a blow that will leave the victim temporarily immobile. But when the rounds hit the chest, they can sometimes break the ribs and force the ribs into the heart. A shot to the head can cause a broken nose, neck, larynx or skull. And a shot to the abdominal area can cause internal bleeding.
Bean-bag rounds can be especially dangerous when fired at close proximity, and present a serious risk of death or injury when fired from less than 10 feet away. It is unclear how far police were from the 95-year-old before shooting him in the abdomen.
Neighbors at the senior living community told CBS News that there could have been better ways to disarm the old man and that the police response was unnecessarily violent.
“If they were smart policemen, one could have got in the front of that man and one could have went through back door and thrown a sheet over him, put him down and put the cuffs on him before they shot him,” said neighbor David Atkins.
Administrators at the Victory Centre nursing home said they have never experienced any problems with the resident before
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family as we mourn the loss of one of our own,” Emily Powell, executive director of the Victory Centre, told CBS.
The Illinois State Police Public Integrity Unit is currently reviewing the case. Park Forest police have not yet commented on the incident.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Under Martial Law
With the dumbing down of America we have the subsequent rise of Ye Auld Yellow Journalism. YJ depends on the citizens’ undiscerning addiction to information in order to insert bias and opinion as fact. It plays up emotion and downsizes facts.
The ‘demise of America’ is perhaps the most sensational and horrifying news ever. This social engineering device seems to so eloquently feed the hunger we all have for something to stop this present course of madness.
We all want to know definitively what is happening to America. Do we trust the MSM for that? Is it really a foregone conclusion? This seems a very useful tool from that corner of the world which promised to bury us as far back as the 50s. They are playing this movie for us and telling us we’re the cast of millions. Feels like someone punched the fast forward button so that we can’t absorb enough to connect dots on our own. So they tell us what we feel at each stage of the “demise.”
The YJ memes tap into our worries of what appears to be inevitable. They help us wring our hands and keep us off kilter so we are less capable for making a critical assessment of the facts. The endgame — hiding behind trusted ‘conservative’ skirts — is demoralization and hamstringing of activism.
In the case of all journalism — mainstream or alternative — beware! Be discerning! Fine tune critical thinking radar. Step back and get a panoramic view of one huge psy-ops. It’s not going to go away any time soon, but we can choose to turn it off or at least discern it.
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Friday, July 26, 2013
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
San Antonio looks to penalize Bible believers
fm World Net Daily
Critics charge 'anti-bias' requirement punishes people with moral convictions
Think it’s hot in Texas these days? Just wait a few weeks, until the San Antonio City Council ends its summer hiatus and resumes work on a proposed change to its nondiscrimination ordinances that apparently will discriminate against all who take the Bible at its word and follow it.
That’s because the change creates a penalty for those who ever exhibit a “bias,” which clearly could include adopting the Bible’s condemnation of homosexuality, with a permanent ban on participation in city government, business or employment.
Opponents of the plan, which would add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the nondiscrimination ordinances, charge it is a violation of constitutional Article VI, paragraph 3, which states, “[N]o religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”
The opponents explain that the ordinance would bar anyone from office who has “demonstrated a bias” against someone based on categories that include “sexual orientation.”
The proposal, however, does not define “bias,” which, according to local church leaders, could mean someone who declares homosexual behavior is sinful.
The new ordinance would state: “No person shall be appointed to a position if the city council finds that such person has, prior to such proposed appointment, engaged in discrimination or demonstrated a bias, by word or deed, against any person, group or organization on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, age, or disability.”
Anyone in office who demonstrates a bias would be considered guilty of “malfeasance” and removed from office.
Church leaders who oppose the proposed change argue it violates First Amendment rights to freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of association. It also violates, they say, the Texas Religious Freedom Act and the Texas Constitution.
Pastor Charles Flowers of Faith Outreach International, who has been alerting city residents about the issue, told OneNewsNow that the reference to “bias” could mean anything.
“The ordinance … says that if you have at any point demonstrate a bias – without defining what a bias is or who will determine whether or not one has been exercised – that you cannot get a city contract,” Flowers said. “Neither can any of your subcontractors [who have demonstrated a bias] sign on to the contract.”
He called the measure “unprecedentedly wrong” and said “the citizens of San Antonio must stop it.”
Many pastors are concerned, reported KHOU-TV’s Joe Conger in Houston.
“Ever have a Paula Deen moment – make an off-color joke or hold a religious belief?” Conger said. “[Pastor Steve] Branson [of Village Parkway Baptist Church] says keep it to yourself if you’re involved with San Antonio city government. Proposed changes to the anti-discrimination ordinance could get you fired.”
Get the best deals on Paula Deen’s books at WND’s SuperStore.
“If you voice any opinion, no matter how many years back it’s been, it can be used against you,” Branson told the station. “City employees are going to be greatly affected by this.”
The KHOU report said more than a dozen church leaders met to discuss the looming issue.
An analysis released by pastors said the “ordinance violates Texas and federal Constitutions by creating a religious test for involvement in city government.”
The church leaders said it allows the city council “to prohibit those that speak their religious beliefs regarding homosexuality from serving on city boards.”
“For example, if a person publicly expresses their religious belief that homosexual behavior is a sin – even if this expression is at a church service – that person could be frozen out of involvement with city government.”
The analysis also contends businesses “run by people of faith will be subject to criminal penalties if they refuse to provide services that conflict with their religious beliefs relating to homosexuality.”
The council, which declined to advance the plan when it first was discussed, is scheduled to resume talks on the controversy in August.
Critics charge 'anti-bias' requirement punishes people with moral convictions
Think it’s hot in Texas these days? Just wait a few weeks, until the San Antonio City Council ends its summer hiatus and resumes work on a proposed change to its nondiscrimination ordinances that apparently will discriminate against all who take the Bible at its word and follow it.
That’s because the change creates a penalty for those who ever exhibit a “bias,” which clearly could include adopting the Bible’s condemnation of homosexuality, with a permanent ban on participation in city government, business or employment.
Opponents of the plan, which would add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the nondiscrimination ordinances, charge it is a violation of constitutional Article VI, paragraph 3, which states, “[N]o religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”
The opponents explain that the ordinance would bar anyone from office who has “demonstrated a bias” against someone based on categories that include “sexual orientation.”
The proposal, however, does not define “bias,” which, according to local church leaders, could mean someone who declares homosexual behavior is sinful.
The new ordinance would state: “No person shall be appointed to a position if the city council finds that such person has, prior to such proposed appointment, engaged in discrimination or demonstrated a bias, by word or deed, against any person, group or organization on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, age, or disability.”
Anyone in office who demonstrates a bias would be considered guilty of “malfeasance” and removed from office.
Church leaders who oppose the proposed change argue it violates First Amendment rights to freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of association. It also violates, they say, the Texas Religious Freedom Act and the Texas Constitution.
Pastor Charles Flowers of Faith Outreach International, who has been alerting city residents about the issue, told OneNewsNow that the reference to “bias” could mean anything.
“The ordinance … says that if you have at any point demonstrate a bias – without defining what a bias is or who will determine whether or not one has been exercised – that you cannot get a city contract,” Flowers said. “Neither can any of your subcontractors [who have demonstrated a bias] sign on to the contract.”
He called the measure “unprecedentedly wrong” and said “the citizens of San Antonio must stop it.”
Many pastors are concerned, reported KHOU-TV’s Joe Conger in Houston.
“Ever have a Paula Deen moment – make an off-color joke or hold a religious belief?” Conger said. “[Pastor Steve] Branson [of Village Parkway Baptist Church] says keep it to yourself if you’re involved with San Antonio city government. Proposed changes to the anti-discrimination ordinance could get you fired.”
Get the best deals on Paula Deen’s books at WND’s SuperStore.
“If you voice any opinion, no matter how many years back it’s been, it can be used against you,” Branson told the station. “City employees are going to be greatly affected by this.”
The KHOU report said more than a dozen church leaders met to discuss the looming issue.
An analysis released by pastors said the “ordinance violates Texas and federal Constitutions by creating a religious test for involvement in city government.”
The church leaders said it allows the city council “to prohibit those that speak their religious beliefs regarding homosexuality from serving on city boards.”
“For example, if a person publicly expresses their religious belief that homosexual behavior is a sin – even if this expression is at a church service – that person could be frozen out of involvement with city government.”
The analysis also contends businesses “run by people of faith will be subject to criminal penalties if they refuse to provide services that conflict with their religious beliefs relating to homosexuality.”
The council, which declined to advance the plan when it first was discussed, is scheduled to resume talks on the controversy in August.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Old Settler's Reunion
The annual Old Settler's Reunion at the Decatur Fairgrounds has begun. Established Wise County families will occupy their cabins this week and enjoy fellowship, food, and festivities with their neighbors. The Old Settler's Reunion was established after the Civil War so that original Wise County settlers and Confederate Veterans and their families could gather for a time of remembrance, a time to share food, swap stories, and unite the community by simply sharing a campground for a few days. Reunion will go through the week, ending on Sunday evening. It's going to be hot, so be sure to bring ice and your favorite beverage!
USA Today, WSJ Realize What We’ve Been Saying For Years: America’s Cops Are Out Of Control
July 23, 2013
by Sam Rolley
For some time, millions of Federal dollars and decommissioned military equipment have been falling into the hands of local police departments through grant deals which serve two purposes: Giving local cops cool toys like tanks and riot gear to test out on small-time criminals and putting local law enforcement agencies in the back pocket of Federal agencies.
Search for Boston Marathon bombing suspects in Cambridge, MA. Credit: UPI
Personal Liberty Digest™ has kept readers informed about the ever-growing militarization of America’s police forces for years. And, gradually, other media outlets have begun to wake up and recognize that Federal money and equipment are turning local police into militarized forces that focus far too little on community and far too much on force.
A Wall Street Journal essay published over the weekend, titled “Rise of the Warrior Cop,” chronicles a number of examples of local police forces acting like military units, using undue force and terrorizing residents who are involved — and sometimes mistakenly believed to be involved — in nonviolent criminal activities.
Some highlights from the piece:
“The country’s first official SWAT team started in the late 1960s in Los Angeles. By 1975, there were approximately 500 such units. Today, there are thousands. According to surveys conducted by the criminologist Peter Kraska of Eastern Kentucky University, just 13% of towns between 25,000 and 50,000 people had a SWAT team in 1983. By 2005, the figure was up to 80%.” “The number of raids conducted by SWAT-like police units has grown accordingly. In the 1970s, there were just a few hundred a year; by the early 1980s, there were some 3,000 a year. In 2005 (the last year for which Dr. Kraska collected data), there were approximately 50,000 raids.” “Among the new, tough-minded law-enforcement measures included in [the War on Drugs] was the no-knock raid—a policy that allowed drug cops to break into homes without the traditional knock and announcement. After fierce debate, Congress passed a bill authorizing no-knock raids for federal narcotics agents in 1970.”
A similar story appeared in USA Today in late June, illustrating how the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has begun using entrapment as a favorite means to make arrests.
Here’s a video summary of that story:
As mainstream media outlets begin to report more frequently on the militarization of American police forces, Americans have an opportunity to speak out and attempt to put a stop to the trend by talking to local law enforcement officials and legislators about the dangers of too much military equipment in the hands of local police.
Brush up on your knowledge about the militarization of America’s cops with the following Personal Liberty stories: Report: Local Police Becoming Increasingly Militarized
Police, like those in Fargo, N.D., have bought bomb-detection robots, digital communications equipment and Kevlar helmets similar those used by soldiers in foreign wars. The onslaught of purchases for military-style equipment is being carried out with Homeland Security funds allotted since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
Why You Should Never Call Police
Following what seemed like a rash of stories like this that saw people calling police for help and ending up being detained, arrested, abused and/or killed at the hands of the “men (and women) in blue,” we started to name this new feature segment “Why You Should Never Call Police.” But while we still hold the sentiment that calling the police for help can be hazardous to one’s health (and, therefore, should not be done), that name seemed too restrictive.
Why It Doesn’t Pay To Cooperate With Police
You should never consent to a police search of your vehicle and never volunteer information when being questioned. Of course, not consenting doesn’t mean you won’t be subjected to an unConstitutional and illegal search. But two recent cases drive home the point of why it doesn’t pay to cooperate with police.
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The Violent Militarization Of Local Police
Law-abiding citizens are no longer safe from police. Once the motto for police officers was “To protect and serve,” but now it seems to be “To harass, assault and attack.” Across the country, police officers are increasingly militarized and increasingly militant.
Let Me See Your Papers
Residents of the Arkansas town of Paragould — population barely 25,000 — will soon begin noticing a constant presence of militarized police patrolling the streets and asking to see pedestrians’ papers.
Ruby Ridge Tactics Now Modus Operandi?
This week, two decades ago, Americans were watching reports of the horrific escalation of the events that occurred in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, where agents of the Federal government terrorized and killed members of Randy Weaver’s family after he failed to appear in court on a charge of selling shotguns that were slightly too short to an undercover Federal agent. Florida Man Shot Dead By Cops For Answering Door Armed
A Florida man was shot dead by deputies of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department at 1:30 a.m. Sunday when they failed to identify themselves as police officers and banged on the door of his apartment. The officers were pursuing an alleged attempted murderer when they knocked on the apartment door. Feds Raid Wrong Massachusetts Apartment
A Fitchburg, Mass., woman and her 3-year-old daughter fell victim last week to the product of increasingly militarized and invasive tactics used by police officers throughout the United States. At 6:04 a.m. last Thursday, just before her alarm clock was set to go off, Judy Sanchez was awakened by pounding at the door of her apartment. The Real 2012 Doomsday: U.S. Falls To Tyranny
The past year has been a bad one for democracy, and the Republic that once was the United States seems to live in name only. Because of the extreme abuses of power the Federal government has exercised just in the past year, the people of the Nation have been broken and discouraged and must now only be controlled.
Boston Friday Is Future America
During the hunt for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the teenaged Boston Marathon bombing suspect, local and Federal law enforcers shut down the city of Boston. No mass transit. No taxis. No moving about of any kind. “Stay inside, don’t go to work, don’t go to the store,” said the “authorities.”
In the comments below, tell us if you’ve noticed a militarization of your local police force — and, if so, what impact it has had in your community.
by Sam Rolley
For some time, millions of Federal dollars and decommissioned military equipment have been falling into the hands of local police departments through grant deals which serve two purposes: Giving local cops cool toys like tanks and riot gear to test out on small-time criminals and putting local law enforcement agencies in the back pocket of Federal agencies.
Personal Liberty Digest™ has kept readers informed about the ever-growing militarization of America’s police forces for years. And, gradually, other media outlets have begun to wake up and recognize that Federal money and equipment are turning local police into militarized forces that focus far too little on community and far too much on force.
A Wall Street Journal essay published over the weekend, titled “Rise of the Warrior Cop,” chronicles a number of examples of local police forces acting like military units, using undue force and terrorizing residents who are involved — and sometimes mistakenly believed to be involved — in nonviolent criminal activities.
Some highlights from the piece:
“The country’s first official SWAT team started in the late 1960s in Los Angeles. By 1975, there were approximately 500 such units. Today, there are thousands. According to surveys conducted by the criminologist Peter Kraska of Eastern Kentucky University, just 13% of towns between 25,000 and 50,000 people had a SWAT team in 1983. By 2005, the figure was up to 80%.” “The number of raids conducted by SWAT-like police units has grown accordingly. In the 1970s, there were just a few hundred a year; by the early 1980s, there were some 3,000 a year. In 2005 (the last year for which Dr. Kraska collected data), there were approximately 50,000 raids.” “Among the new, tough-minded law-enforcement measures included in [the War on Drugs] was the no-knock raid—a policy that allowed drug cops to break into homes without the traditional knock and announcement. After fierce debate, Congress passed a bill authorizing no-knock raids for federal narcotics agents in 1970.”
A similar story appeared in USA Today in late June, illustrating how the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has begun using entrapment as a favorite means to make arrests.
Here’s a video summary of that story:
As mainstream media outlets begin to report more frequently on the militarization of American police forces, Americans have an opportunity to speak out and attempt to put a stop to the trend by talking to local law enforcement officials and legislators about the dangers of too much military equipment in the hands of local police.
Brush up on your knowledge about the militarization of America’s cops with the following Personal Liberty stories: Report: Local Police Becoming Increasingly Militarized
Police, like those in Fargo, N.D., have bought bomb-detection robots, digital communications equipment and Kevlar helmets similar those used by soldiers in foreign wars. The onslaught of purchases for military-style equipment is being carried out with Homeland Security funds allotted since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
Why You Should Never Call Police
Following what seemed like a rash of stories like this that saw people calling police for help and ending up being detained, arrested, abused and/or killed at the hands of the “men (and women) in blue,” we started to name this new feature segment “Why You Should Never Call Police.” But while we still hold the sentiment that calling the police for help can be hazardous to one’s health (and, therefore, should not be done), that name seemed too restrictive.
Why It Doesn’t Pay To Cooperate With Police
You should never consent to a police search of your vehicle and never volunteer information when being questioned. Of course, not consenting doesn’t mean you won’t be subjected to an unConstitutional and illegal search. But two recent cases drive home the point of why it doesn’t pay to cooperate with police.
.jpg)
Law-abiding citizens are no longer safe from police. Once the motto for police officers was “To protect and serve,” but now it seems to be “To harass, assault and attack.” Across the country, police officers are increasingly militarized and increasingly militant.
Let Me See Your Papers
Residents of the Arkansas town of Paragould — population barely 25,000 — will soon begin noticing a constant presence of militarized police patrolling the streets and asking to see pedestrians’ papers.
Ruby Ridge Tactics Now Modus Operandi?
This week, two decades ago, Americans were watching reports of the horrific escalation of the events that occurred in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, where agents of the Federal government terrorized and killed members of Randy Weaver’s family after he failed to appear in court on a charge of selling shotguns that were slightly too short to an undercover Federal agent. Florida Man Shot Dead By Cops For Answering Door Armed
A Florida man was shot dead by deputies of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department at 1:30 a.m. Sunday when they failed to identify themselves as police officers and banged on the door of his apartment. The officers were pursuing an alleged attempted murderer when they knocked on the apartment door. Feds Raid Wrong Massachusetts Apartment
A Fitchburg, Mass., woman and her 3-year-old daughter fell victim last week to the product of increasingly militarized and invasive tactics used by police officers throughout the United States. At 6:04 a.m. last Thursday, just before her alarm clock was set to go off, Judy Sanchez was awakened by pounding at the door of her apartment. The Real 2012 Doomsday: U.S. Falls To Tyranny
The past year has been a bad one for democracy, and the Republic that once was the United States seems to live in name only. Because of the extreme abuses of power the Federal government has exercised just in the past year, the people of the Nation have been broken and discouraged and must now only be controlled.
During the hunt for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the teenaged Boston Marathon bombing suspect, local and Federal law enforcers shut down the city of Boston. No mass transit. No taxis. No moving about of any kind. “Stay inside, don’t go to work, don’t go to the store,” said the “authorities.”
In the comments below, tell us if you’ve noticed a militarization of your local police force — and, if so, what impact it has had in your community.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Texas School District Drops Embattled RFID Student IDs; Opts For Tons Of Cameras Instead
Source: here
July 22, 2013
The Northside Independent School District (NISD) of Texas, best known for being sued by a student over its mandatory RFID card policy, is dropping the technology that originally landed it in the courtroom.
These chipped student ID cards were deployed to track students in hopes of bumping up the district's attendance numbers -- thus increasing its share of funding tied to daily attendance. Despite the court deciding in its favor, declaring the cards didn't violate the students' privacy or "right of religion," the district has decided to abandon the RFID tracking system. Apparently, the technology wasn't quite the attendance silver bullet administration thought it would be, as Slate's Will Oremus discovered.
Northside Independent School District spokesman Pascual Gonzalez told me that the microchip-ID program turned out not to be worth the trouble. Its main goal was to increase attendance by allowing staff to locate students who were on campus but didn't show up for roll call. That was supposed to lead to increased revenue. But attendance at the two schools in question—a middle school and a high school—barely budged in the year that the policy was in place. And school staff found themselves wasting a lot of time trying to physically track down the missing students based on their RFID locators.
Great. So something was so direly important it needed to be battled in court, but so ultimately useless the district abandoned it a year later. The failure of RFID cards to attach these Texas schools to the state money train probably won't deter other schools from implementing this technology. If anything, the court's ruling will make it easier for other districts to defend themselves against privacy complaints.
The most disappointing aspect is that the district has decided to swap one form of surveillance for another.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez told me Northside plans to capture the safety and security benefits of RFID chips through other technological means. "We're very confident we can still maintain a safe and secure school because of the 200 cameras that are installed at John Jay High School and the 100 that are installed at Jones Middle School. Plus we are upgrading those surveillance systems to high-definition and more sophisticated cameras. So there will be a surveillance-camera umbrella around both schools."
Some call it a panopticon. Some call it an umbrella. Using the word "umbrella" lends it a protective aspect, which is a bit misleading. This tactic seems unlikely to increase attendance and there's very little evidence that indicates more cameras = more safety.
The district's administrator also took care to point out that dropping the RFID cards was not a victory for civil liberties advocates.
But the backlash and the lawsuit weren't the deciding factors, Gonzalez told me. "While [privacy groups] are extolling the fact that they won, the fact is that that was a very minor part of our conversation, because the federal court and the court of appeals both upheld Northside's position on that. We were on solid ground."
Well, whatever justifies the district's actions, I guess. Gonzalez' statement isn't very flattering though, painting him as someone who values control over providing a welcoming learning environment.
July 22, 2013
The Northside Independent School District (NISD) of Texas, best known for being sued by a student over its mandatory RFID card policy, is dropping the technology that originally landed it in the courtroom.
These chipped student ID cards were deployed to track students in hopes of bumping up the district's attendance numbers -- thus increasing its share of funding tied to daily attendance. Despite the court deciding in its favor, declaring the cards didn't violate the students' privacy or "right of religion," the district has decided to abandon the RFID tracking system. Apparently, the technology wasn't quite the attendance silver bullet administration thought it would be, as Slate's Will Oremus discovered.
Northside Independent School District spokesman Pascual Gonzalez told me that the microchip-ID program turned out not to be worth the trouble. Its main goal was to increase attendance by allowing staff to locate students who were on campus but didn't show up for roll call. That was supposed to lead to increased revenue. But attendance at the two schools in question—a middle school and a high school—barely budged in the year that the policy was in place. And school staff found themselves wasting a lot of time trying to physically track down the missing students based on their RFID locators.
Great. So something was so direly important it needed to be battled in court, but so ultimately useless the district abandoned it a year later. The failure of RFID cards to attach these Texas schools to the state money train probably won't deter other schools from implementing this technology. If anything, the court's ruling will make it easier for other districts to defend themselves against privacy complaints.
The most disappointing aspect is that the district has decided to swap one form of surveillance for another.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez told me Northside plans to capture the safety and security benefits of RFID chips through other technological means. "We're very confident we can still maintain a safe and secure school because of the 200 cameras that are installed at John Jay High School and the 100 that are installed at Jones Middle School. Plus we are upgrading those surveillance systems to high-definition and more sophisticated cameras. So there will be a surveillance-camera umbrella around both schools."
Some call it a panopticon. Some call it an umbrella. Using the word "umbrella" lends it a protective aspect, which is a bit misleading. This tactic seems unlikely to increase attendance and there's very little evidence that indicates more cameras = more safety.
The district's administrator also took care to point out that dropping the RFID cards was not a victory for civil liberties advocates.
But the backlash and the lawsuit weren't the deciding factors, Gonzalez told me. "While [privacy groups] are extolling the fact that they won, the fact is that that was a very minor part of our conversation, because the federal court and the court of appeals both upheld Northside's position on that. We were on solid ground."
Well, whatever justifies the district's actions, I guess. Gonzalez' statement isn't very flattering though, painting him as someone who values control over providing a welcoming learning environment.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Friday, July 19, 2013
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Thursday, July 18, 2013
Gov. Perry signs sweeping abortion restrictions in Texas
July 18, 2013
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed sweeping new abortion restrictions on Thursday that could shutter most of the clinics in the state.
More than 100 Republican lawmakers attended the signing ceremony with a small band of protesters outside dressed in black and holding a sign that read, "Shame." The legislation had sparked weeks of protests at the state Capitol.
The new law bans abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy and dictates when abortion-inducing drugs can be taken. But it also requires abortion clinic doctors to have hospital admitting privileges and restricts abortions to surgical centers. Only five of Texas' 42 abortion clinics currently meet the new requirements.
The law will take effect in October and clinics will have a year to upgrade their facilities or shutdown.
Perry said the new law "builds upon our commitment to protecting life in the state of Texas."
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed sweeping new abortion restrictions on Thursday that could shutter most of the clinics in the state.
More than 100 Republican lawmakers attended the signing ceremony with a small band of protesters outside dressed in black and holding a sign that read, "Shame." The legislation had sparked weeks of protests at the state Capitol.
The new law bans abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy and dictates when abortion-inducing drugs can be taken. But it also requires abortion clinic doctors to have hospital admitting privileges and restricts abortions to surgical centers. Only five of Texas' 42 abortion clinics currently meet the new requirements.
The law will take effect in October and clinics will have a year to upgrade their facilities or shutdown.
Perry said the new law "builds upon our commitment to protecting life in the state of Texas."
Former President and Commander-In-Chief: America Is No Longer a Democracy
Washington’s Blog
July 18, 2013
One of Germany’s biggest newspapers – Spiegel – reports:
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter … in the wake of the NSA spying scandal criticized the American political system. “America has no functioning democracy,” Carter said Tuesday at a meeting of the “Atlantic Bridge” in Atlanta.
Many other high-level U.S. officials have also warned that the U.S. is no longer a democracy.
Carter also said that the moral authority of of the U.S. has sharply declined due to excessive restriction of civil rights.
And – like many other top American officials – Carter also said that Edward Snowden’s revelations do not harm our national security, but are “useful”.
July 18, 2013
One of Germany’s biggest newspapers – Spiegel – reports:
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter … in the wake of the NSA spying scandal criticized the American political system. “America has no functioning democracy,” Carter said Tuesday at a meeting of the “Atlantic Bridge” in Atlanta.
Many other high-level U.S. officials have also warned that the U.S. is no longer a democracy.
Carter also said that the moral authority of of the U.S. has sharply declined due to excessive restriction of civil rights.
And – like many other top American officials – Carter also said that Edward Snowden’s revelations do not harm our national security, but are “useful”.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Coup d'etat
An unconstitutional government is an illegitimate government
by Paul Craig Roberts
Infowars.com
July 17, 2013
The executive branch coup against America has succeeded.
The American people have suffered a coup d’etat, but they are hesitant to acknowledge it. The regime ruling in Washington today lacks constitutional and legal legitimacy. Americans are ruled by usurpers who claim that the executive branch is above the law and that the US Constitution is a mere “scrap of paper.”
An unconstitutional government is an illegitimate government. The oath of allegiance requires defense of the Constitution “against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” As the Founding Fathers made clear, the main enemy of the Constitution is the government itself. Power does not like to be bound and tied down and constantly works to free itself from constraints.
The basis of the regime in Washington is nothing but usurped power. The Obama Regime, like the Bush/Cheney Regime, has no legitimacy. Americans are oppressed by an illegitimate government ruling, not by law and the Constitution, but by lies and naked force. Those in government see the US Constitution as a “chain that binds our hands.”
The South African apartheid regime was more legitimate than the regime in Washington. The apartheid Israeli regime in Palestine is more legitimate. The Taliban are more legitimate. Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein were more legitimate.
The only constitutional protection that the Bush/Obama regime has left standing is the Second Amendment, a meaningless amendment considering the disparity in arms between Washington and what is permitted to the citizenry. No citizen standing with a rifle can protect himself and his family from one of the Department of Homeland Security’s 2,700 tanks, or from a drone, or from a heavily armed SWAT force in body armor.
Like serfs in the dark ages, American citizens can be picked up on the authority of some unknown person in the executive branch and thrown in a dungeon, subject to torture, without any evidence ever being presented to a court or any information to the person’s relatives of his/her whereabouts. Or they can be placed on a list without explanation that curtails their right to travel by air. Every communication of every American, except face-to-face conversation in non-bugged environments, is intercepted and recorded by the National Stasi Agency from which phrases can be strung together to produce a “domestic extremist.”
If throwing an American citizen in a dungeon is too much trouble, the citizen can simply be blown up with a hellfire missile launched from a drone. No explanation is necessary. For the Obama tyrant, the exterminated human being was just a name on a list.
The president of the united states has declared that he possesses these constitutionally forbidden rights, and his regime has used them to oppress and murder US citizens. The president’s claim that his will is higher than law and the Constitution is public knowledge. Yet, there is no demand for the usurper’s impeachment. Congress is supine. The serfs are obedient.
The people who helped transform a democratically accountable president into a Caesar include John Yoo, who was rewarded for his treason by being accepted as a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt school of law. Yoo’s colleague in treason, Jay Scott Bybee was rewarded by being appointed a federal judge on the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. We now have a Berkeley law professor teaching, and a federal circuit judge ruling, that the executive branch is above the law.
The executive branch coup against America has succeeded. The question is: will it stand? Today, the executive branch consists of liars, criminals, and traitors. The evil on earth seems concentrated in Washington.
Washington’s response to Edward Snowden’s evidence that Washington, in total contravention of law both domestic and international, is spying on the entire world has demonstrated to every country that Washington places the pleasure of revenge above law and human rights.
On Washington’s orders, its European puppet states refused overflight permission to the Bolivian presidential airliner carrying President Morales and forced the airliner to land in Austria and be searched. Washington thought that Edward Snowden might be aboard the airliner. Capturing Snowden was more important to Washington than respect for international law and diplomatic immunity.
How long before Washington orders its UK puppet to send in a SWAT team to drag Julian Assange from the Ecuadoran embassy in London and hand him over to the CIA for waterboarding?
On July 12 Snowden met in the Moscow airport with human rights organizations from around the world. He stated that the illegal exercise of power by Washington prevents him from traveling to any of the three Latin American countries who have offered him asylum. Therefore, Snowden said that he accepted Russian President Putin’s conditions and requested asylum in Russia.
Insouciant americans and the young unaware of the past don’t know what this means. During my professional life it was Soviet Russia that persecuted truth tellers, while America gave them asylum and tried to protect them. Today it is Washington that persecutes those who speak the truth, and it is Russia that protects them.
The American public has not, this time, fallen for Washington’s lie that Snowden is a traitor. The polls show that a majority of Americans see Snowden as a whistleblower. It is not the US that is damaged by Snowden’s revelations. It is the criminal elements in the US government that have pulled off a coup against democracy, the Constitution, and the American people who are damaged. It is the criminals who have seized power, not the American people, who are demanding Snowden’s scalp.
The Obama Regime, like the Bush/Cheney Regime, has no legitimacy. Americans are oppressed by an illegitimate government ruling, not by law and the Constitution, but by lies and naked force.
Under the Obama tyranny, it is not merely Snowden who is targeted for extermination, but every truth-telling American in the country. It was Department of Homeland Security boss Janet Napolitano, recently rewarded for her service to tyranny by being appointed Chancellor of the of the University of California system, who said that Homeland Security had shifted its focus from Muslim terrorists to “domestic extremists,” an elastic and undefined term that easily includes truth-tellers like Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden who embarrass the government by revealing its crimes. The criminals who have seized illegitimate power in Washington cannot survive unless truth can be suppressed or redefined as treason.
If Americans acquiesce to the coup d’etat, they will have placed themselves firmly in the grip of tyranny.
by Paul Craig Roberts
Infowars.com
July 17, 2013
The executive branch coup against America has succeeded.
The American people have suffered a coup d’etat, but they are hesitant to acknowledge it. The regime ruling in Washington today lacks constitutional and legal legitimacy. Americans are ruled by usurpers who claim that the executive branch is above the law and that the US Constitution is a mere “scrap of paper.”
An unconstitutional government is an illegitimate government. The oath of allegiance requires defense of the Constitution “against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” As the Founding Fathers made clear, the main enemy of the Constitution is the government itself. Power does not like to be bound and tied down and constantly works to free itself from constraints.
The basis of the regime in Washington is nothing but usurped power. The Obama Regime, like the Bush/Cheney Regime, has no legitimacy. Americans are oppressed by an illegitimate government ruling, not by law and the Constitution, but by lies and naked force. Those in government see the US Constitution as a “chain that binds our hands.”
The South African apartheid regime was more legitimate than the regime in Washington. The apartheid Israeli regime in Palestine is more legitimate. The Taliban are more legitimate. Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein were more legitimate.
The only constitutional protection that the Bush/Obama regime has left standing is the Second Amendment, a meaningless amendment considering the disparity in arms between Washington and what is permitted to the citizenry. No citizen standing with a rifle can protect himself and his family from one of the Department of Homeland Security’s 2,700 tanks, or from a drone, or from a heavily armed SWAT force in body armor.
Like serfs in the dark ages, American citizens can be picked up on the authority of some unknown person in the executive branch and thrown in a dungeon, subject to torture, without any evidence ever being presented to a court or any information to the person’s relatives of his/her whereabouts. Or they can be placed on a list without explanation that curtails their right to travel by air. Every communication of every American, except face-to-face conversation in non-bugged environments, is intercepted and recorded by the National Stasi Agency from which phrases can be strung together to produce a “domestic extremist.”
If throwing an American citizen in a dungeon is too much trouble, the citizen can simply be blown up with a hellfire missile launched from a drone. No explanation is necessary. For the Obama tyrant, the exterminated human being was just a name on a list.
The president of the united states has declared that he possesses these constitutionally forbidden rights, and his regime has used them to oppress and murder US citizens. The president’s claim that his will is higher than law and the Constitution is public knowledge. Yet, there is no demand for the usurper’s impeachment. Congress is supine. The serfs are obedient.
The people who helped transform a democratically accountable president into a Caesar include John Yoo, who was rewarded for his treason by being accepted as a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt school of law. Yoo’s colleague in treason, Jay Scott Bybee was rewarded by being appointed a federal judge on the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. We now have a Berkeley law professor teaching, and a federal circuit judge ruling, that the executive branch is above the law.
The executive branch coup against America has succeeded. The question is: will it stand? Today, the executive branch consists of liars, criminals, and traitors. The evil on earth seems concentrated in Washington.
Washington’s response to Edward Snowden’s evidence that Washington, in total contravention of law both domestic and international, is spying on the entire world has demonstrated to every country that Washington places the pleasure of revenge above law and human rights.
On Washington’s orders, its European puppet states refused overflight permission to the Bolivian presidential airliner carrying President Morales and forced the airliner to land in Austria and be searched. Washington thought that Edward Snowden might be aboard the airliner. Capturing Snowden was more important to Washington than respect for international law and diplomatic immunity.
How long before Washington orders its UK puppet to send in a SWAT team to drag Julian Assange from the Ecuadoran embassy in London and hand him over to the CIA for waterboarding?
On July 12 Snowden met in the Moscow airport with human rights organizations from around the world. He stated that the illegal exercise of power by Washington prevents him from traveling to any of the three Latin American countries who have offered him asylum. Therefore, Snowden said that he accepted Russian President Putin’s conditions and requested asylum in Russia.
Insouciant americans and the young unaware of the past don’t know what this means. During my professional life it was Soviet Russia that persecuted truth tellers, while America gave them asylum and tried to protect them. Today it is Washington that persecutes those who speak the truth, and it is Russia that protects them.
The American public has not, this time, fallen for Washington’s lie that Snowden is a traitor. The polls show that a majority of Americans see Snowden as a whistleblower. It is not the US that is damaged by Snowden’s revelations. It is the criminal elements in the US government that have pulled off a coup against democracy, the Constitution, and the American people who are damaged. It is the criminals who have seized power, not the American people, who are demanding Snowden’s scalp.
The Obama Regime, like the Bush/Cheney Regime, has no legitimacy. Americans are oppressed by an illegitimate government ruling, not by law and the Constitution, but by lies and naked force.
Under the Obama tyranny, it is not merely Snowden who is targeted for extermination, but every truth-telling American in the country. It was Department of Homeland Security boss Janet Napolitano, recently rewarded for her service to tyranny by being appointed Chancellor of the of the University of California system, who said that Homeland Security had shifted its focus from Muslim terrorists to “domestic extremists,” an elastic and undefined term that easily includes truth-tellers like Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden who embarrass the government by revealing its crimes. The criminals who have seized illegitimate power in Washington cannot survive unless truth can be suppressed or redefined as treason.
If Americans acquiesce to the coup d’etat, they will have placed themselves firmly in the grip of tyranny.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Federal Government Plans to Persecute Zimmerman
by Kurt Nimmo
Infowars.com
July 14, 2013
It’s not over, said one of the most powerful men in America, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He said now that a jury of his peers has found George Zimmerman not guilty of murdering Trayvon Martin, it is time for the federal government to step in. Appearing on Meet the Press this morning, Reid told host David Gregory the Justice Department will go after Zimmerman.
“And the president, does he have a role in speaking about it as he did after the shooting?” Gregory asked.
“Yeah, of course,” Reid responded. “And I think the Justice Department’s going to take a look at this. You know, this isn’t over with, and I think that’s good, that’s our system. It’s gotten better, not worse.”
In other words, if a jury reaches a verdict the federal government and the Obama administration think is not politically correct (or is contrary to their political agenda), they will move to “take a look” at it and take action to placate special interests and preferred minorities.
<br><br>
Soon after the verdict was reached on Saturday night, the NAACP called on the Justice Department to persecute George Zimmerman for the inexcusable crime of self-defense. President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous sent out the following petition:
Attorney General Eric Holder,
The Department of Justice has closely monitored the State of Florida’s prosecution of the case against George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin murder since it began. Today, with the acquittal of George Zimmerman, it is time for the Department of Justice to act.
The most fundamental of civil rights — the right to life — was violated the night George Zimmerman stalked and then took the life of Trayvon Martin. We ask that the Department of Justice file civil rights charges against Mr. Zimmerman for this egregious violation.
Please address the travesties of the tragic death of Trayvon Martin by acting today.
Thank you.
Other “civil rights” organizations called for Zimmerman to be prosecuted. “We will be calling on the federal government to file criminal charges on the basis of civil rights violations,” said CD Witherspoon of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Baltimore. “This was done immediately after the Rodney King verdict, and should be done if justice is not rendered by the Florida courts.”
The NAACP has pledged to “fight for the removal of Stand Your Ground laws in every state” and make racial profiling a primary consideration in self-defense cases.
A number of liberal advocacy groups – including NAACP, the Urban League, Color of Change, Common Cause, People for the American Way and MoveOn.org – have worked to eliminate the right of Americans to protect themselves.
“Florida’s dangerous ‘Shoot First’ law allowed Trayvon’s killer to walk free without charges for more than a month. Shoot First legalizes vigilante homicide, has demonstrated racial bias in its application, and has led to an increase in gun-related deaths in the more than two dozen states where it has been passed into law,” states Color of Change, as part of a campaign to eliminate “stand your ground” laws.
The characterization of self-defense as “vigilante homicide” when it contains “racial bias in its application,” in other words when a white person defends himself against violence perpetrated by a black person or other government designated preferred minority, underscores the globalist agenda to disarm all Americans.
The Trayvon Martin case is not about racism, it is about destroying the Second Amendment and turning the American people into a defenseless herd no different than the Russians under Stalin or the Chinese under Mao. “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun,” Mao infamously said. He wasn’t talking about guns in the hands of citizens.
Since 2009, Color of Change has received $550,000 from Soros’ Open Society Foundation and is closely connected to MoveOn.org, an organization perpetually engaged in peddling Obama’s globalist agenda and fundraises for establishment Democrats. MoveOn.org has also launched a petition demanding the Justice Department ignore the jury decision in Florida and further victimize George Zimmerman.
Color of Change is “an organization dedicated to shutting down free speech, free expression, free markets, and free enterprise,” writes Peter Bella. “They are against capitalism and civil liberties. They want to repeal the Second Amendment, force people to be victims, and are against stopping voter fraud.”
Infowars.com
July 14, 2013
It’s not over, said one of the most powerful men in America, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He said now that a jury of his peers has found George Zimmerman not guilty of murdering Trayvon Martin, it is time for the federal government to step in. Appearing on Meet the Press this morning, Reid told host David Gregory the Justice Department will go after Zimmerman.
“And the president, does he have a role in speaking about it as he did after the shooting?” Gregory asked.
“Yeah, of course,” Reid responded. “And I think the Justice Department’s going to take a look at this. You know, this isn’t over with, and I think that’s good, that’s our system. It’s gotten better, not worse.”
In other words, if a jury reaches a verdict the federal government and the Obama administration think is not politically correct (or is contrary to their political agenda), they will move to “take a look” at it and take action to placate special interests and preferred minorities.
<br><br>
Soon after the verdict was reached on Saturday night, the NAACP called on the Justice Department to persecute George Zimmerman for the inexcusable crime of self-defense. President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous sent out the following petition:
Attorney General Eric Holder,
The Department of Justice has closely monitored the State of Florida’s prosecution of the case against George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin murder since it began. Today, with the acquittal of George Zimmerman, it is time for the Department of Justice to act.
The most fundamental of civil rights — the right to life — was violated the night George Zimmerman stalked and then took the life of Trayvon Martin. We ask that the Department of Justice file civil rights charges against Mr. Zimmerman for this egregious violation.
Please address the travesties of the tragic death of Trayvon Martin by acting today.
Thank you.
Other “civil rights” organizations called for Zimmerman to be prosecuted. “We will be calling on the federal government to file criminal charges on the basis of civil rights violations,” said CD Witherspoon of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Baltimore. “This was done immediately after the Rodney King verdict, and should be done if justice is not rendered by the Florida courts.”
The NAACP has pledged to “fight for the removal of Stand Your Ground laws in every state” and make racial profiling a primary consideration in self-defense cases.
A number of liberal advocacy groups – including NAACP, the Urban League, Color of Change, Common Cause, People for the American Way and MoveOn.org – have worked to eliminate the right of Americans to protect themselves.
“Florida’s dangerous ‘Shoot First’ law allowed Trayvon’s killer to walk free without charges for more than a month. Shoot First legalizes vigilante homicide, has demonstrated racial bias in its application, and has led to an increase in gun-related deaths in the more than two dozen states where it has been passed into law,” states Color of Change, as part of a campaign to eliminate “stand your ground” laws.
The characterization of self-defense as “vigilante homicide” when it contains “racial bias in its application,” in other words when a white person defends himself against violence perpetrated by a black person or other government designated preferred minority, underscores the globalist agenda to disarm all Americans.
The Trayvon Martin case is not about racism, it is about destroying the Second Amendment and turning the American people into a defenseless herd no different than the Russians under Stalin or the Chinese under Mao. “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun,” Mao infamously said. He wasn’t talking about guns in the hands of citizens.
Since 2009, Color of Change has received $550,000 from Soros’ Open Society Foundation and is closely connected to MoveOn.org, an organization perpetually engaged in peddling Obama’s globalist agenda and fundraises for establishment Democrats. MoveOn.org has also launched a petition demanding the Justice Department ignore the jury decision in Florida and further victimize George Zimmerman.
Color of Change is “an organization dedicated to shutting down free speech, free expression, free markets, and free enterprise,” writes Peter Bella. “They are against capitalism and civil liberties. They want to repeal the Second Amendment, force people to be victims, and are against stopping voter fraud.”
What If We Were Serious? (About Border Security?)
It wouldn't be that difficult, as it turns out. Read about it here.
Monday, July 15, 2013
U.S. Repeals Propaganda Ban, Spreads Government-Made News to Americans
Huge news that seems to be flying under the radar, again. Our government now has a direct conduit for its propaganda. God help us all. Go here to read more.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Friday, July 12, 2013
Thursday, July 11, 2013
So You Think It Can't Happen Here?
Second Amendment Revoked: The Unbelievable Reason Why This Army Vet Can’t Own a Gun
An Army veteran in Texas is fighting for his Second Amendment rights after learning that a misdemeanor pot conviction from 1971 has disqualified him from ever owning a gun.
Ron Kelly, who retired from the Army in 1993 after 20 years of service, was recently turned away when he tried to buy a .22-cal rifle at a Wal-Mart in Tomball, Texas, after a computerized background check flagged the 42-year-old arrest. The story was on the front page of the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday.
Kelly said he had forgotten about his minor pot violation from high school — the federal government, on the other hand, has not.
Read the rest of the article here.
An Army veteran in Texas is fighting for his Second Amendment rights after learning that a misdemeanor pot conviction from 1971 has disqualified him from ever owning a gun.
Ron Kelly, who retired from the Army in 1993 after 20 years of service, was recently turned away when he tried to buy a .22-cal rifle at a Wal-Mart in Tomball, Texas, after a computerized background check flagged the 42-year-old arrest. The story was on the front page of the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday.
Kelly said he had forgotten about his minor pot violation from high school — the federal government, on the other hand, has not.
Read the rest of the article here.
FBI refuses to testify on Marathon Bombings. What are they hiding?
Members of a congressional committee Wednesday accused the FBI of stalling lawmakers’ inquiry into the Boston Marathon bombings, saying the bureau had no grounds for withholding what it knew about Tamerlan Tsarnaev prior to the attacks.
“The information requested by this committee belongs to the American people. It does not belong solely to the FBI,” said Republican Michael McCaul of Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
The frustrations, aired publicly after FBI officials rebuffed an invitation to appear before the committee, stemmed from the FBI’s unwillingness to detail how it handled a security review of Tsarnaev nearly two years before the bombings. Critics have suggested the FBI may have missed a chance to prevent the tragedy.
“I went to Russia and was given more information,” complained committee member Representative William Keating, a Democrat from Bourne who has been seeking information about Russian warnings to American authorities about Tsarnaev’s increasing radicalism dating to 2011.
The FBI “continues to refuse this committee’s appropriate requests for information and documents crucial to our investigation into what happened in Boston,” McCaul declared as he opened a committee hearing. He added, “I sincerely hope they do not intend to stonewall our inquiry into how this happened.”
Tsarnaev died after a firefight with police in Watertown within hours of being identified as a suspect. His younger brother Dzhokhar faces charges of using weapons of mass destruction to kill four people and injure more than 260 others.
The FBI interviewed the elder Tsarnaev in his Cambridge home in the spring and summer of 2011 but concluded at the time he was not a threat and closed its inquiry. The bureau apparently did not reopen the case, despite additional warnings from Russia later that year, the subsequent decision by the CIA to add him to a database of potential terrorist suspects, and a tip in 2012 from the Department of Homeland Security that he traveled to Russia.
The FBI Wednesday strongly rebutted accusations that it was being uncooperative with Congress. It has said in the past that local authorities in Boston had access, in the years before the bombings, to the same information about Tsarnaev on its computers as FBI agents.
“We are not stonewalling. We have briefed [the] committee on several occasions and will continue to do so as necessary,” said Paul Bresson, an FBI spokesman.
He said the FBI did not provide a witness for the Wednesday hearing in order to avoid compromising the legal case against the surviving Tsarnaev brother, Dzhokhar, who pled not guilty Wednesday to 30 charges in his first appearance in court in Boston.
“The information requested by this committee belongs to the American people. It does not belong solely to the FBI,” said Republican Michael McCaul of Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
The frustrations, aired publicly after FBI officials rebuffed an invitation to appear before the committee, stemmed from the FBI’s unwillingness to detail how it handled a security review of Tsarnaev nearly two years before the bombings. Critics have suggested the FBI may have missed a chance to prevent the tragedy.
“I went to Russia and was given more information,” complained committee member Representative William Keating, a Democrat from Bourne who has been seeking information about Russian warnings to American authorities about Tsarnaev’s increasing radicalism dating to 2011.
The FBI “continues to refuse this committee’s appropriate requests for information and documents crucial to our investigation into what happened in Boston,” McCaul declared as he opened a committee hearing. He added, “I sincerely hope they do not intend to stonewall our inquiry into how this happened.”
Tsarnaev died after a firefight with police in Watertown within hours of being identified as a suspect. His younger brother Dzhokhar faces charges of using weapons of mass destruction to kill four people and injure more than 260 others.
The FBI interviewed the elder Tsarnaev in his Cambridge home in the spring and summer of 2011 but concluded at the time he was not a threat and closed its inquiry. The bureau apparently did not reopen the case, despite additional warnings from Russia later that year, the subsequent decision by the CIA to add him to a database of potential terrorist suspects, and a tip in 2012 from the Department of Homeland Security that he traveled to Russia.
The FBI Wednesday strongly rebutted accusations that it was being uncooperative with Congress. It has said in the past that local authorities in Boston had access, in the years before the bombings, to the same information about Tsarnaev on its computers as FBI agents.
“We are not stonewalling. We have briefed [the] committee on several occasions and will continue to do so as necessary,” said Paul Bresson, an FBI spokesman.
He said the FBI did not provide a witness for the Wednesday hearing in order to avoid compromising the legal case against the surviving Tsarnaev brother, Dzhokhar, who pled not guilty Wednesday to 30 charges in his first appearance in court in Boston.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Citizens Receiving Food Aid from Federal Gov't Now Outnumber Full-Time Private Sector Workers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that a total of 101,000,000 people currently participate in at least one of the 15 food programs offered by the agency, at a cost of $114 billion in fiscal year 2012.
That means the number of Americans receiving food assistance has surpassed the number of full-time private sector workers in the U.S.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 97,180,000 full-time private sector workers in 2012.
The population of the U.S. is 316.2 million people, meaning nearly a third of Americans receive food aid from the government.
Of the 101 million receiving food benefits, a record 47 million Americans participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. The USDA describes SNAP as the “largest program in the domestic hunger safety net.”
That means the number of Americans receiving food assistance has surpassed the number of full-time private sector workers in the U.S.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 97,180,000 full-time private sector workers in 2012.
The population of the U.S. is 316.2 million people, meaning nearly a third of Americans receive food aid from the government.
Of the 101 million receiving food benefits, a record 47 million Americans participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. The USDA describes SNAP as the “largest program in the domestic hunger safety net.”
End the IRS!
Growing movement demands abolition of scandal-plagued revenue agency
Even before the scandal broke, Americans already hated and feared the IRS. So how much worse could the agency's reputation get?
Much worse. In May, it was revealed that the nation's most disliked government agency has been secretly and illegally denying the civil rights of hundreds of conservative and Christian organizations and individuals. Although both the IRS and the White House tried to blame the whole ghastly mess on the poor judgment of a couple of rogue agents in Cincinnati, the truth gradually emerged: The abuse was widespread and officials at the highest levels of government had long been aware – yet had done nothing to stop it. Indeed, IRS employees have testified there is no way such pervasive and egregious abuses could have occurred without direction from above.
The use of the IRS to persecute and suppress a de facto "White House enemies list" – in a manner and scope more serious than anything Richard Nixon even contemplated during the Watergate era – has led many to demand the agency be abolished.
U.S. senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann and others are suggesting the replacement of both the IRS and the current income tax system with a "flat tax" or "fair tax" (national sales tax) saying such a move would do more for restoring personal liberty, economic vigor and genuine hope to America than almost any other single policy change.
And Congress could do it tomorrow.
"The average working American – poor or rich or in-between – hates and fears the IRS for good reason," observes author and commentator Michael Reagan, oldest son of President Ronald Reagan. "Able to seize your bank account or house without a court order, able to shut down your business overnight, the IRS is the closest thing to the Gestapo America has ever had." Even worse, says Reagan, "is the horrible income tax system the IRS is hired to enforce."
But there's an even more important reason to abolish the IRS: "The main reason the IRS exists today is not taxation. After all, income tax revenue could readily be replaced in a revenue-neutral way by means of, let's say, a national sales tax, which wouldn't require a Gestapo-like agency to enforce it, or government tentacles reaching into citizens' most private and personal affairs. Rather, the chief reason the IRS exists is to condition American citizens to be fearful of, and subservient to, their government.
Fear of government has always been a sign of tyranny. Totalitarian regimes from North Korea to Iran and every wretched police state in between, operate entirely on this principle of fear. So why should we, supposedly a free people, intentionally infect our entire population with the virus of fear of government? Is this something our Founding Fathers would have condoned?
"It's time to abolish the IRS," answers Cruz, who vows to lead the charge in the Senate. "We need to get rid of the army of IRS agents trying to police every aspect of our lives. No more discrimination, no more intimidation, and no IRS enforcement of Obamacare."
Even before the scandal broke, Americans already hated and feared the IRS. So how much worse could the agency's reputation get?
Much worse. In May, it was revealed that the nation's most disliked government agency has been secretly and illegally denying the civil rights of hundreds of conservative and Christian organizations and individuals. Although both the IRS and the White House tried to blame the whole ghastly mess on the poor judgment of a couple of rogue agents in Cincinnati, the truth gradually emerged: The abuse was widespread and officials at the highest levels of government had long been aware – yet had done nothing to stop it. Indeed, IRS employees have testified there is no way such pervasive and egregious abuses could have occurred without direction from above.
The use of the IRS to persecute and suppress a de facto "White House enemies list" – in a manner and scope more serious than anything Richard Nixon even contemplated during the Watergate era – has led many to demand the agency be abolished.
U.S. senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann and others are suggesting the replacement of both the IRS and the current income tax system with a "flat tax" or "fair tax" (national sales tax) saying such a move would do more for restoring personal liberty, economic vigor and genuine hope to America than almost any other single policy change.
And Congress could do it tomorrow.
"The average working American – poor or rich or in-between – hates and fears the IRS for good reason," observes author and commentator Michael Reagan, oldest son of President Ronald Reagan. "Able to seize your bank account or house without a court order, able to shut down your business overnight, the IRS is the closest thing to the Gestapo America has ever had." Even worse, says Reagan, "is the horrible income tax system the IRS is hired to enforce."
But there's an even more important reason to abolish the IRS: "The main reason the IRS exists today is not taxation. After all, income tax revenue could readily be replaced in a revenue-neutral way by means of, let's say, a national sales tax, which wouldn't require a Gestapo-like agency to enforce it, or government tentacles reaching into citizens' most private and personal affairs. Rather, the chief reason the IRS exists is to condition American citizens to be fearful of, and subservient to, their government.
Fear of government has always been a sign of tyranny. Totalitarian regimes from North Korea to Iran and every wretched police state in between, operate entirely on this principle of fear. So why should we, supposedly a free people, intentionally infect our entire population with the virus of fear of government? Is this something our Founding Fathers would have condoned?
"It's time to abolish the IRS," answers Cruz, who vows to lead the charge in the Senate. "We need to get rid of the army of IRS agents trying to police every aspect of our lives. No more discrimination, no more intimidation, and no IRS enforcement of Obamacare."
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
DA Stainton Brags About Nazi Police Tactics
Wise County Attorney James Stainton bragged that only six drivers were arrested for DWI during July 4th long weekend at what he termed as the "no refusal campaign". "No refusal" means that when you are pulled over at the police traffic checkpoint, and they determine probable cause, you cannot refuse a blood draw to be tested for drugs or alcohol. Yep, that's right, right in here in good ole Texas. Stainton crowed that he was “very happy,” with the results of the unconstitutional traffic stop because police only netted six offenders. Stainton opined, “It means people are getting the message. One of these days I hope to have a big, fat zero.” What message is that, Mr. Stainton? That the local government is becoming just as oppressive as the federal government? You should be ashamed, pal, and I guarantee the free people of Wise County will remember your antics.
If you can believe it, this is the fifth year Stainton has pushed his nazi-tactic program over the July 4 holiday. Why do citizens put up with it?
If you can believe it, this is the fifth year Stainton has pushed his nazi-tactic program over the July 4 holiday. Why do citizens put up with it?
Monday, July 8, 2013
Negotiating for Rights?
“We always knew that our rights can only be regained by force, and that is why we have chosen the ammunition box instead of the ballot box. If you want to shake off injustice and create change, it can only be done by the sword. We choose to negotiate in the trenches, not in hotels.”
— Statement by the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, reacting to the ouster of democratically-elected Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.
— Statement by the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, reacting to the ouster of democratically-elected Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Friday, July 5, 2013
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Obama-Linked Abortion Group Pulls Ad Paying for Texas Protesters
by Cheryl Sullenger | Austin, TX | LifeNews.com | 7/2/13 12:40 PM
Last week it was revealed that the raucous crowd that disrupted legislative proceedings in Texas last week, derailing a law that would ban abortions after 20 weeks, was whipped into an angry mob by leftist socialists and hold-ons from the anarchy-driven Occupy movement.
Now it has been discovered that a radical left-wing group with ties to the Obama re-election campaigns sought to hire outside agitators for pro-abortion mischief at the Texas Capitol as a new session has begun that will again attempt to pass abortion restrictions aimed at increasing safety for women and protecting late-term babies that can feel pain.
An ad on Craig’s List in Austin by “Grassroots Campaigns” sought to hire abortion activists for “our Pro Choice Campaign in Austin” offered to pay $1300-$2200/month.
The Craig’s List Ad was taken down sometime this morning after news of it began to circulate among pro-life activists on Facebook, but Operation Rescue archived the ad before it’s removal.
On the Grassroots Campaigns web site, the group states that it works to hire activists in the areas of “environmental protection, LGBT equality, poverty and social justice.” It notes that it has joined forces with the radically liberal organization MoveOn.org and other leftist groups were heavily involved in the Obama re-election campaign as well as radical environmental groups.
“It is clear that militant left-wing activists are being paid in an outrageous effort to disrupt the legislative process in Texas and manipulate the public into thinking that the pro-abortion crowds shown on the evening news are organically generated. The reality is that hired thugs are being brought in by Obama Administration leftists to thwart the true will of the people who support this common-sense abortion bill by no less than 64%,” said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue.
The bill was prompted by news of abortion horrors committed by late-term abortionist Kermit Gosnell, who was convicted in May of three counts of First Degree Murder for killing babies born alive during late-term abortions. The bill was given greater urgency after Operation Rescue helped break the news of similar illegal behavior by Houston abortionist Douglas Karpen. Karpen remains under active investigation by the Houston Police Department Homicide Division.
“We need to remember what this Texas law is really about and that is providing more protections for women from substandard medical practices and protecting babies that can feel pain. It’s hard to believe that anyone would want to fight to keep abortion dangerous and continue the barbaric practice of late-term abortion that eyewitnesses say have led to abortionists twisting the heads off babies born alive during abortions. Those acts are simply indefensible and require legislation protections immediately,” said Newman.
Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst have promised passage of the law during this second special legislative session called after a pro-abortion mob caused chaos last week that delayed finalization of a vote in the Texas Senate last week. That delay killed the bill and necessitated the second session to ensure passage.
Pro-life supporters are urged to support the new measure on Twitter.com by tweeting under the hashtag #Stand4Life.
Last week it was revealed that the raucous crowd that disrupted legislative proceedings in Texas last week, derailing a law that would ban abortions after 20 weeks, was whipped into an angry mob by leftist socialists and hold-ons from the anarchy-driven Occupy movement.
Now it has been discovered that a radical left-wing group with ties to the Obama re-election campaigns sought to hire outside agitators for pro-abortion mischief at the Texas Capitol as a new session has begun that will again attempt to pass abortion restrictions aimed at increasing safety for women and protecting late-term babies that can feel pain.
An ad on Craig’s List in Austin by “Grassroots Campaigns” sought to hire abortion activists for “our Pro Choice Campaign in Austin” offered to pay $1300-$2200/month.
The Craig’s List Ad was taken down sometime this morning after news of it began to circulate among pro-life activists on Facebook, but Operation Rescue archived the ad before it’s removal.
On the Grassroots Campaigns web site, the group states that it works to hire activists in the areas of “environmental protection, LGBT equality, poverty and social justice.” It notes that it has joined forces with the radically liberal organization MoveOn.org and other leftist groups were heavily involved in the Obama re-election campaign as well as radical environmental groups.
“It is clear that militant left-wing activists are being paid in an outrageous effort to disrupt the legislative process in Texas and manipulate the public into thinking that the pro-abortion crowds shown on the evening news are organically generated. The reality is that hired thugs are being brought in by Obama Administration leftists to thwart the true will of the people who support this common-sense abortion bill by no less than 64%,” said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue.
The bill was prompted by news of abortion horrors committed by late-term abortionist Kermit Gosnell, who was convicted in May of three counts of First Degree Murder for killing babies born alive during late-term abortions. The bill was given greater urgency after Operation Rescue helped break the news of similar illegal behavior by Houston abortionist Douglas Karpen. Karpen remains under active investigation by the Houston Police Department Homicide Division.
“We need to remember what this Texas law is really about and that is providing more protections for women from substandard medical practices and protecting babies that can feel pain. It’s hard to believe that anyone would want to fight to keep abortion dangerous and continue the barbaric practice of late-term abortion that eyewitnesses say have led to abortionists twisting the heads off babies born alive during abortions. Those acts are simply indefensible and require legislation protections immediately,” said Newman.
Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst have promised passage of the law during this second special legislative session called after a pro-abortion mob caused chaos last week that delayed finalization of a vote in the Texas Senate last week. That delay killed the bill and necessitated the second session to ensure passage.
Pro-life supporters are urged to support the new measure on Twitter.com by tweeting under the hashtag #Stand4Life.
Liberals Subvert Constitution, Bible
In these turbulent times, we often hear the media say the U.S. Constitution is a flexible document and can be interpreted according to the times in which it is applied. They like to call it a “living document.” Sadly, political progressives attempt to use use the same argument in regard to the Bible.
It’s a another liberal tactic to bastardize scriptures in order to reinterpret and rewrite the Bible. The intent, of course, is to prop up their brand of politicized theology. At The Washington Post, Marxist ideas have been attributed to the Acts of the Apostles. Jesus’ parable of the talents became a class warfare lesson. The Huffington Post tells readers that the Bible champions homosexuality. At the pro-abortion site RH Reality Check, a writer misinterprets passages in Genesis to argue that the Bible supports abortion.
Certainly, these attempts to subvert the message of the scriptures is blasphemous and carries a curse to whoever attempts to re-write the passages. However, that doesn’t keep the “progressives” from doing trying anyway.
Here are some of the latest attempts by the left to hijack Jesus from conservative Christians:
When a newly discovered fragment of papyrus was purported to suggest Jesus had a wife, all three broadcast networks hyped it on their morning and evening shows (an “ancient clue … right out of the ‘Da Vinci Code,’” Diane Sawyer gushed.). When sources like The Washington Post, The New York Times and even NBC News online reported a few days later that authorities declared the fragment to be a “fake,” no broadcast network covered it.
Liberals who would use the Bible as a “tool of progressive social change” misunderstand, denigrate and trivialize the word of God. The Bible’s imperative to care for the poor doesn’t mandate government as the vehicle for that care. To claim that “Jesus was an occupier,” as Jesse Jackson and Washington Post contributor Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite have done, is shoehorning Christianity into a narrow, left-wing political framework.
Liberals have twisted the Bible to justify a variety of modern sins. The web site Jezebel insisted the Bible is pro-abortion because “there are zero Bible passages that mention abortion, as in ‘don't do it.’” It’s even popular among militant homosexuals to assert that Jesus was one of them.
The entertainment industry uses Biblical imagery and themes in ways it wouldn’t dare to do with other religions, and certainly not with the Koran. From Lady Gaga’s celebration of Judas to Glee’s ongoing “God Squad” punch lines to Dan Brown peddling politically correct conspiracy theories, Hollywood gets rich mocking Christianity and its Scriptures.
The practice of twisting, adding to and obscuring the traditional meaning of Bible passages to sanctify modern liberal ideas is sacrilegious and deeply offensive to Christians. It’s difficult to imagine liberals doing the same with any other religion’s Holy Scripture – certainly not the Koran.
It’s a another liberal tactic to bastardize scriptures in order to reinterpret and rewrite the Bible. The intent, of course, is to prop up their brand of politicized theology. At The Washington Post, Marxist ideas have been attributed to the Acts of the Apostles. Jesus’ parable of the talents became a class warfare lesson. The Huffington Post tells readers that the Bible champions homosexuality. At the pro-abortion site RH Reality Check, a writer misinterprets passages in Genesis to argue that the Bible supports abortion.
Certainly, these attempts to subvert the message of the scriptures is blasphemous and carries a curse to whoever attempts to re-write the passages. However, that doesn’t keep the “progressives” from doing trying anyway.
Here are some of the latest attempts by the left to hijack Jesus from conservative Christians:
When a newly discovered fragment of papyrus was purported to suggest Jesus had a wife, all three broadcast networks hyped it on their morning and evening shows (an “ancient clue … right out of the ‘Da Vinci Code,’” Diane Sawyer gushed.). When sources like The Washington Post, The New York Times and even NBC News online reported a few days later that authorities declared the fragment to be a “fake,” no broadcast network covered it.
Liberals who would use the Bible as a “tool of progressive social change” misunderstand, denigrate and trivialize the word of God. The Bible’s imperative to care for the poor doesn’t mandate government as the vehicle for that care. To claim that “Jesus was an occupier,” as Jesse Jackson and Washington Post contributor Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite have done, is shoehorning Christianity into a narrow, left-wing political framework.
Liberals have twisted the Bible to justify a variety of modern sins. The web site Jezebel insisted the Bible is pro-abortion because “there are zero Bible passages that mention abortion, as in ‘don't do it.’” It’s even popular among militant homosexuals to assert that Jesus was one of them.
The entertainment industry uses Biblical imagery and themes in ways it wouldn’t dare to do with other religions, and certainly not with the Koran. From Lady Gaga’s celebration of Judas to Glee’s ongoing “God Squad” punch lines to Dan Brown peddling politically correct conspiracy theories, Hollywood gets rich mocking Christianity and its Scriptures.
The practice of twisting, adding to and obscuring the traditional meaning of Bible passages to sanctify modern liberal ideas is sacrilegious and deeply offensive to Christians. It’s difficult to imagine liberals doing the same with any other religion’s Holy Scripture – certainly not the Koran.
Monday, July 1, 2013
If You Like the Surveillance State, You'll Love E-Verify
By Dr. Ron Paul
From massive NSA spying, to IRS targeting of the administration's political opponents, to collection and sharing of our health care information as part of Obamacare, it seems every day we learn of another assault on our privacy. Sadly, this week the Senate took another significant, if little-noticed, step toward creating an authoritarian surveillance state. Buried in the immigration bill is a national identification system called mandatory E-Verify.
The Senate did not spend much time discussing E-Verify, and what little discussion took place was mostly bipartisan praise for its effectiveness as a tool for preventing illegal immigrants from obtaining employment. It is a tragedy that mandatory E-Verify is not receiving more attention, as it will impact nearly every American's privacy and liberty.
The mandatory E-Verify system requires Americans to carry a "tamper-proof" social security card. Before they can legally begin a job, American citizens will have to show the card to their prospective employer, who will then have to verify their identity and eligibility to hold a job in the US by running the information through the newly-created federal E-Verify database. The database will contain photographs taken from passport files and state driver's licenses. The law gives federal bureaucrats broad discretion in adding other "biometric" identifiers to the database. It also gives the bureaucracy broad authority to determine what features the "tamper proof" card should contain.
Regardless of one's views on immigration, the idea that we should have to ask permission from the federal government before taking a job ought to be offensive to all Americans. Under this system, many Americans will be denied the opportunity for work. The E-Verify database will falsely identify thousands as "ineligible," forcing many to lose job opportunities while challenging government computer inaccuracies. E-Verify will also impose additional compliance costs on American businesses, at a time when they are struggling with Obamacare implementation and other regulations.
According to David Bier of Competitive Enterprise Institute, there is nothing stopping the use of E-Verify for purposes unrelated to work verification, and these expanded uses could be authorized by agency rule-making or executive order. So it is not inconceivable that, should this bill pass, the day may come when you are not be able to board an airplane or exercise your second amendment rights without being run through the E-Verify database. It is not outside the realm of possibility that the personal health care information that will soon be collected by the IRS and shared with other federal agencies as part of Obamacare will also be linked to the E-Verify system.
Those who dismiss these concerns as paranoid should consider that the same charges were leveled at those who warned that the PATRIOT Act could lead to the government collecting our phone records and spying on our Internet usage. Just as the PATRIOT Act was only supposed to be used against terrorists but is now used to bypass constitutional protections in matters having noting to do with terrorism or national security, the national ID/mandatory E-Verify database will not only be used to prevent illegal immigrants from gaining employment. Instead, it will eventually be used as another tool to monitor and control the American people.
The recent revelations of the extent of National Security Agency (NSA) spying on Americans, plus recent stories of IRS targeting Tea Party and similar groups for special scrutiny, demonstrates the dangers of trusting government with this type of power. Creation of a federal database with photos and possibly other "biometric" information about American citizens is a great leap forward for the surveillance state. All Americans who still care about limited government and individual liberty should strongly oppose E-Verify.
From massive NSA spying, to IRS targeting of the administration's political opponents, to collection and sharing of our health care information as part of Obamacare, it seems every day we learn of another assault on our privacy. Sadly, this week the Senate took another significant, if little-noticed, step toward creating an authoritarian surveillance state. Buried in the immigration bill is a national identification system called mandatory E-Verify.
The Senate did not spend much time discussing E-Verify, and what little discussion took place was mostly bipartisan praise for its effectiveness as a tool for preventing illegal immigrants from obtaining employment. It is a tragedy that mandatory E-Verify is not receiving more attention, as it will impact nearly every American's privacy and liberty.
The mandatory E-Verify system requires Americans to carry a "tamper-proof" social security card. Before they can legally begin a job, American citizens will have to show the card to their prospective employer, who will then have to verify their identity and eligibility to hold a job in the US by running the information through the newly-created federal E-Verify database. The database will contain photographs taken from passport files and state driver's licenses. The law gives federal bureaucrats broad discretion in adding other "biometric" identifiers to the database. It also gives the bureaucracy broad authority to determine what features the "tamper proof" card should contain.
Regardless of one's views on immigration, the idea that we should have to ask permission from the federal government before taking a job ought to be offensive to all Americans. Under this system, many Americans will be denied the opportunity for work. The E-Verify database will falsely identify thousands as "ineligible," forcing many to lose job opportunities while challenging government computer inaccuracies. E-Verify will also impose additional compliance costs on American businesses, at a time when they are struggling with Obamacare implementation and other regulations.
According to David Bier of Competitive Enterprise Institute, there is nothing stopping the use of E-Verify for purposes unrelated to work verification, and these expanded uses could be authorized by agency rule-making or executive order. So it is not inconceivable that, should this bill pass, the day may come when you are not be able to board an airplane or exercise your second amendment rights without being run through the E-Verify database. It is not outside the realm of possibility that the personal health care information that will soon be collected by the IRS and shared with other federal agencies as part of Obamacare will also be linked to the E-Verify system.
Those who dismiss these concerns as paranoid should consider that the same charges were leveled at those who warned that the PATRIOT Act could lead to the government collecting our phone records and spying on our Internet usage. Just as the PATRIOT Act was only supposed to be used against terrorists but is now used to bypass constitutional protections in matters having noting to do with terrorism or national security, the national ID/mandatory E-Verify database will not only be used to prevent illegal immigrants from gaining employment. Instead, it will eventually be used as another tool to monitor and control the American people.
The recent revelations of the extent of National Security Agency (NSA) spying on Americans, plus recent stories of IRS targeting Tea Party and similar groups for special scrutiny, demonstrates the dangers of trusting government with this type of power. Creation of a federal database with photos and possibly other "biometric" information about American citizens is a great leap forward for the surveillance state. All Americans who still care about limited government and individual liberty should strongly oppose E-Verify.
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