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October 27, 2007 at 17:19:07

Put On the Cuffs, I'm Guilty as Charged

by Jim Freeman     Page 4 of 5 page(s)

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Brown shirts are dress-optional.

(2) utilize theories, methods and data from the social and behavioral sciences to better understand the origins, dynamics, and social and psychological aspects of violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism;

Harman has done everything up to now but slip on the swastika arm-band.

(3) conduct research on the motivational factors that lead to violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism;

Including the motivation to live in a free and independent nation.

(4) coordinate with other academic institutions studying the effects of violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism where appropriate.

Well Jane. Now that you have finally wadeed down through this veritable swamp of constitutional degradation, hip-boots slathered in congressional slime, you throw us the bone of ‘where appropriate.’ How California of you.

In an effort to wind this up and provide some connective tissue, let me draw attention to other little heralded laws. Federal confiscation laws are in effect that could cost you everything you own. There is little argument against these violations of the 4th, 5th, 8th and 14th Amendments to the Constitution because, what the hell, you and I are not drug users or dealers.

(Your House is Under Arrest, Brenda Grantland, attorney) Property can be confiscated from innocent people for the crimes of others. Even if you are totally innocent, you have to go through the whole process, and prove at trial that you didn't know of or consent to the illegal use of your property before you can get it back.

Forfeiture procedures allow the government to sieze property without a hearing, and hold onto it until the case is over. Often the police seize everything of value you own, so that you don't have any money to hire a lawyer to fight your case. There is no right to court appointed counsel in forfeiture cases.

In federal law, they make you pay the police 10% of the value of your property in order to have any right to a trial at all! Even after you pay the cost bond, you can still be denied the right to trial if the judge grants "summary judgement" for the government. This can happen if the judge decides there are no facts to dispute, or that you don't have enough "credible" evidence to win at trial.

At trial -- if you get one -- the property is presumed guilty. The burden of proof is on you to prove your property should not be forfeited. The courts even let the government use hearsay to prove their case -- but they won't let you use hearsay to defend yourself.
Some state forfeiture statutes have even taken away the right to a jury trial in all forfeiture cases.

You may say this could never happen in America because the U.S. Constitution protects you. There you are wrong, because it is happening in the U.S. -- at an alarmingly increasing pace.

And it has been happening since 1993, but most likely not to anyone you know personally.

The same might be said of HR 1955 RFS as well. But one of our greatest freedoms as Americans is the ability to walk down a street, drive down a highway and challenge anyone who stands in our way. Even a policeman, perhaps particularly a policeman.

"Is there a problem, officer," is said by Americans with the little bit of swagger that adds "you better have a damned good reason." I thank my country often for the ability to walk without fear, knowing no one wants me, no one wishes me ill, no one gives a damn who I am.

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Jim Freeman's op-ed pieces and commentaries have appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, International Herald-Tribune, CNN, The New York Review, The Jon Stewart Daily Show and a number of magazines.

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Professor Nan Fandel teaches communications in Iowa. She is also a journalist who has been an op-ed columnist for the Iowa City Press-Citizen newspaper. Also a poet and a Jellaludin Rumi scholar, Professor Fandel lectures throughout the world on the words, teachings, and life of this 13th-century Sufi mystic poet, who today is among the most popular poets. She has co-authored a book in honor of Rumi titled Mystery Box, which will be available in mid-2008.Professor Fandel's goal as a teacher and ...

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Professor FandelProfessor Nan Fandel teaches communications in Iowa. She is also a journalist who has been an op-ed columnist for the Iowa City Press-Citizen newspaper. Also a poet and a Jellaludin Rumi scholar, Professor Fandel lectures throughout the world on the words, teachings, and life of this 13th-century Sufi mystic poet, who today is among the most popular poets. She has co-authored a book in honor of Rumi titled Mystery Box, which will be available in mid-2008.Professor Fandel's goal as a teacher and ...

to see more of bio, click on member name

I WANT TO KNOW...

...who the six (6) who voted against this travesty are!

I'm with you, Jim. Guilty as charged, and I'm proud of it. They may as well drag out the cuffs and clamp them on my wrists right now for all I've written, done, and created to bring down the corrupt Bush administration, the once Republican, now Democrat, corrupt US Congress in the past seven years.

But here's what I think: It is our moral imperative to dissent corruption in our government! And now, if we do THAT we are TERRORISTS??

People say, "Write your congressional representative, if you want to be heard." Hell, now if we do that, we're the terrorists??

No, my friends, the real, violent terrorists are those who sit quietly, those who do nothing, who overtly allow themselves to be put to sleep by the amount of money or celebrity they can attain, those who turn away from the truth and choose not to explore the possibilities for a better world FOR ALL!

Come and get me...I'm sick of the subterfuge, the lies, the "man behind the curtain." I've still got MY "red slippers," and I will continue to live as I do now: honoring Ghandi who fought with force and morality for justice, living up to the legacy of MLK who fought with force and morality for civil rights, and loving to have been part of an entire, amazing generation of STUDENTS who thoughtfully fought for free speech, civil rights, and helped to raise the consciousness of America by organized-in-the-streets dissent to the illegal war in Vietnam, which pales in comparison to Iraq! And we ended it! 

Yep...come and get me...because I plan to continue to "click away" as loudly and boldly as always until the true courage, heart, and brain of the US come through the tornado of the last seven + years!

Watch for me...I'm in your classrooms, helping students to really look at and SEE their world, and to make thoughtful decisions based on honesty and knowledge. I'll break their hearts with the truth, but whatever the consequences of doing that for me are, it will have been worth it if they act with honor and dignity to grow a better world than what we have now.

Viva la intelligensia! Long live our power to promote truth and justice for the benefit of all! 

Everyone should watch this film NOW: www.zeitgeistmovie.com

In hopes for peace and sanity, I remain,

Professor Nan

by Professor Fandel (4 articles, 2 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 36 comments) on Sunday, November 4, 2007 at 10:56:44 AM
 

 

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