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December 1, 2007 at 21:33:53

To Protect And Serve, The People, Or HomeLand Security And An Authoritarian Government?

by William Cormier     Page 1 of 2 page(s)

http://www.opednews.com


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Yesterday, I was stunned (no pun intended) to see that a pregnant woman had been tasered by a police officer after he already had her down on her stomach LINK - and chalked-up another one to the increased violence by police officers on those they are sworn to “protect and serve.” Why? Are police departments attempting to send a message to the American people that if you even disagree, or don’t sign a speeding ticket, you could be tasered as well? LINK

Why are the police who are here to protect us now becoming mean-spirited and reacting with unnecessary force when each of the above matters could have been handled with far less force than was exhibited? These are the actions of a country that is becoming more authoritarian in nature, and it appears that people now need to worry about what they say to firefighters or other first-responders who were called-in to help in the event of an emergency:

Firefighters asked to report people who express discontent with the government

David Edwards and Muriel Kane

It was revealed last week that firefighters are being trained to not only keep an eye out for illegal materials in the course of their duties, but even to report back any expression of discontent with the government.

A year ago, Homeland Security gave security clearances to nine New York City fire chiefs and began sharing intelligence with them. Even before that, fire department personnel were being taught “to identify material or behavior that may indicate terrorist activities” and were also “told to be alert for a person who is hostile, uncooperative or expressing hate or discontent with the United States.”

Unlike law enforcement officials, firemen can go onto private property without a warrant, not only while fighting fires but also for inspections. “It’s the evolution of the fire service,” said a Phoenix, AZ fire chief of his information-sharing arrangement with law enforcement.

Keith Olbermann raised the alarm about the program on his show Wednesday, noting that “if the information-sharing program works in New York, the department says it will extend it to other major metropolitan areas, unless we stop them.” He then asked Mike German, a former FBI agent who is now with the ACLU, “This program seems to be turning [firefighters], essentially, into legally protected domestic spies, does it not?” MUCH MORE

There’s no question that violence is increasing in the United States, and we as citizens have to ask ourselves why? People are losing their homes in record numbers as the sub-prime mortgage crisis rocks the financial markets, and those on fixed incomes can barely afford to feed themselves, and unfortunately, there are those among us that react violently when government malfeasance affects their ability to feed their families and hold on to the little they have - which is dwindling by the day. No, I’m not making excuses for them, but merely suggesting that it’s a manifestation of cause and effect.

Today, noting that there’s a nut-case at one of Hillary Clinton’s campaign offices with what may be a bomb strapped to his chest, I cringe at the effect this will have on the “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007? that will soon be heading for Senate confirmation if it gets out of committee - and unfortunately, with America’s self-proclaimed leaders of the Progressive and Liberal movements failing to energize the people in forming a unified protest to derail this attack on the Constitution, it may well be passed, effectively insuring that eventually, free speech will soon be a memory in the United States.

It seems the government and the elitists in the United States believe that taking away even more of our Constitutional rights will help to solve the rapidly increasing crime and violence in our country, when it’s not the political writer’s and commentator’s on the Internet that are causing the problems, but a public that is increasingly becoming disenfranchised with a government that is miserably failing the people they were sworn to protect - and as Americans who were once in the Middle-class see themselves plummeting into poverty, the discontent is rising as the economy worsens, and Congress still ignores those they were sworn to serve.

Frankly, I believe that further infringing on American’s constitutional rights and protections will add to the problems, and will be counter-productive in helping to reduce violence and discontent. It’s obvious to me that the general public is actually afraid of this Presidency, and the public is reacting violently to events they now seem to have no control of, and reducing our “safety net” of constitutional protections will only serve to exacerbate, not mitigate the situation. The more that Americans lose, the worse the situation will get, but Washington will ignore this fact and act to further restrict our rights under the guise of “Law and Order.”

Look at it from another perspective; people in the United States and across the world are witnessing a lawless and out-of-control Presidency that is virtually bankrupting the US economy and those who are watching may be wondering why it’s so imperative for them to abide by our laws when the President and Vice-President themselves are consistently spitting on the constitution and raping the American economy. It’s very similar to when I was a child and my parents told me to “do what they say, not what they do”, and even back then, that argument didn’t hold water, and neither does the continued lawbreaking by the Bush administration and a Congress that appears to be complicit with the destruction of our country.

Those that are becoming violent are playing into the hands of the Bush administration, and even though it’s rough, and there doesn’t appear to be a light at the end of the tunnel, we must condemn those that believe violence is the answer to our problems; violence will only cause us to lose what freedom(s) we have left, and it’s important for everyone to understand that violence and war is what has us in this situation right now, so in order to bring down the levels of violence and discontent, there has to be progress in Congress and a willingness of the public to become involved and protest loudly and long enough that our government obeys the law, and after we reign-in a criminal Presidency, perhaps the country will begin to settle-down again, hopefully in the pursuit of happiness rather than living in constant fear of a Presidency that even our own military believes is out-of-control.

William Cormier

Footnote: To help return our country back to the rule of law and adherence to our constitutional values, this is what you can do to help solve this problem, and just as important, insure that freedom of speech is protected in the United States, and help to kill the “Thought Crime Prevention Bill" while it’s still in committee:

 1  |  2

 

http://justanothercoverup.com/

I am nothing more than a patriotic American that is doing whatever I can to further the cause of democracy, the rule of law, and am absolutely outraged on how the Bush administration is defying our Congress, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights! Footnote: I write in a style that I believe is appropriate in today's world where we can't trust the Mainstream News Media, and rather than concentrating on one article alone, which may or may not receive the exposure and emphasis it should, I prefer to meld several relevant stories together, that each taken alone may not expose the entire situation, but when taken-in as a whole, tend to give the reader a better understanding of the subject. One article or story alone does not represent the "Big Picture" - but when several are effectively tied-together it often reveals a trend or broader view of the subject matter that is important to completely understand any given situation. http://justanothercoverup.com/

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I'm a citizen and resident of Cascadia - a province of the FORMER USA.

*************

Other than that, what is there to say? I don't really matter... My vote doesn't even count. ***
And who really cares what I think! So I'm free to think anything.

***

The broader story: it's NOT about "me" or my ego or seeing my name in print... I'm a fleeting ephemeral whirlwind of energy patterns and I will soon be gone...

It IS about many m...

to see more of bio, click on member name

mrk *I'm a citizen and resident of Cascadia - a province of the FORMER USA.

*************

Other than that, what is there to say? I don't really matter... My vote doesn't even count. ***
And who really cares what I think! So I'm free to think anything.

***

The broader story: it's NOT about "me" or my ego or seeing my name in print... I'm a fleeting ephemeral whirlwind of energy patterns and I will soon be gone...

It IS about many m...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Because we award the contract to "the lowest bidder."

1. Making generalizations is typically a mistake.

2. What sort of personality type actively "seeks" a position in "law enforcement" which is always "government work."

3. WHY DO we have the common expression: "close enough for government work"? Where did that expression come from and why has it survived for decades? Because typically "government work" is performed by those who are LEAST qualified, least able, and/or the LOWEST BIDDER. (Commonly referred to as "NOT the sharpest tool in the drawer.")

4. People who seek employment in law enforcement  do so for a wide variety of reasons. We cannot (and must not) generalize about their motives. HOWEVER, if experience teaches us anything, it appears that many, most, or at least significant percentage of individuals who seek positions of "designated authority" (which is the polar opposite of authority which is "earned" via experience, education or wisdom ) are drawn to it by deep personal feelings of powerlessness, inadequacy, insecurity, oppression and/or fear. i.e. "some"  individuals in law enforcement are actually the MOST frightened, oppressed and insecure people in our culture. Essentially, they fear disorder. They fear change. And they certainly fear "the unexpected." They are driven by a deep-seated personal need for security. Primarily they find this need fulfilled by the security provided from "belonging" to a (powerful) organization: especially an organization which confers on them a position of "designated authority" (the badge) as well as a deadly weapon and backs them up with the force and intent of "the law."  Refer here to any basic sociology text in the chapter regarding "in-group" vs "outsider" relationships. The (law enforcement) organization exploits their need for security and feeds their insecurity by casting all "outsiders" (i.e. anyone not wearing the uniform) as the "bad guys."

5. Many of the intellectually compromised individuals who seek security by association and/or membership in powerful institutions are immune to reason, logic or "common sense." i.e. they cannot be reasoned with. You can NOT explain anything to them, nor do they have the requisite patience nor the ability to listen. Save all that for the courtroom and the judge. The wise course is complaince. Feign compliance of you must. Remember, you are dealing with (facing) the bluntest of blunt instruments. And that instrument is quite probably more frightened than you are. Hard to believe - but fear is what drew them to the uniform in the first place.  i.e. treat any (all) law enforcement drones as you would a cornered reptile, because it is the reptilian brain that motivates and commands (most of) those you are likely to meet who chose that line of work. Keep your distance. Avoid eye contact. Always fully expect that it will strike (out of fear) at any moment. They are MORE afraid than you are, so be a non-threatening presence.

6. Typically a common citizen is most likely to have personal contact with one of these frightened (& dangerous) individuals while operating a motor vehicle. Therefore, to avoid that interface, a wise person would endeavor to operate their motor vehicle in such a manner that would not draw the (unwanted) attention of a law enforcement drone.

7. These days, the political structure has rendered "organized protest" obsolete by devaluing the will and desires of the commonweal. Organized protest events which are coordinated in advance with "law enforcement" by obtaining permits, providing  information regarding routes and times have been, in essence, neutered. "Real" protest has been forced "underground." Recall the famous quote often attributed to one of the Kennedy brothers: "When peaceful change is made impossible, violent change becomes inevitable."  Organization IS the method we must use to obtain the power needed to bring about change. Organized protest is has been rendered obsolete. (Not "our" fault, but the result of "their" lack of understanding of the dynamics of social change.) Real and effective protest must  therefore move to other realms - probably to that of affinity group "monkey-wrenching." This is exactly why the power elite is so concerned with social control: knowing what everyone is saying, planning and doing. They are essentially motived by fear and what they fear most is the unexpected, carried out by the lone actor or small insular groups. That then becomes THE powerful position (tactic) which the "protest movement" will be forced to assume IF it is to be successful: abandon organized protest events and switch to affinity group, hit-and-run monkey-wrenching actions.

8. In the long term we must figure out how to educate those in the law enforcement industry to understand that they are not "THE law" but in fact "SERVANTS OF the law", and that violating the law while pretending to, or attempting to, enforce it actually negates their status, putting them in a position parallel with the common criminal. The good news is that a significant percentage of people involved in the law enforcement  industry sincerely want to (re)gain a position of respect and legitimacy in society this shift in attitude would engender.
 

...YOUR THOUGHTS?

by mrk * (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 294 comments) on Saturday, December 1, 2007 at 11:29:14 PM
 


I am nothing more than a patriotic American that is doing whatever I can to further the cause of democracy, the rule of law, and am absolutely outraged on how the Bush administration is defying our Congress, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights! Footnote: I write in a style that I believe is appropriate in today’s world where we can’t trust the Mainstream News Media, and rather than concentrating on one article alone, which may or may not receive the exposure and emphasis it should, I prefer...

to see more of bio, click on member name

William CormierI am nothing more than a patriotic American that is doing whatever I can to further the cause of democracy, the rule of law, and am absolutely outraged on how the Bush administration is defying our Congress, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights! Footnote: I write in a style that I believe is appropriate in today’s world where we can’t trust the Mainstream News Media, and rather than concentrating on one article alone, which may or may not receive the exposure and emphasis it should, I prefer...

to see more of bio, click on member name

It's late...

It's late; I had to get my site back up after it was hacked, and will respond to this in-depth tomorrow. On its face, it explains a lot of what many people don't understand, and I found it to be enlightening as well as informative. They are becoming more violent, and giving them fewer excuses to react is definitely helpful, but in the same breath, I am unable to be subservient to anyone.

I drive the speed limits and don't do anything that could get me pulled-over, however, if faced with violence, I, as well as many others, feel the need to protect ourselves and unfortunately, that often escalates the situation.

 

William Cormier 

by William Cormier (110 articles, 5 quicklinks, 16 diaries, 269 comments) on Saturday, December 1, 2007 at 11:40:59 PM
 


Just a plain working person that is sick of the lies and our ego driven complacency about those lies.
arlen custerJust a plain working person that is sick of the lies and our ego driven complacency about those lies.

It's Been A Long Time In The Making

 

Back in the late 60s when I was 19 I had a valuable lesson about law and law enforcement. I was arrested for possession but I didn’t posses anything. When I wouldn’t plead guilty to the crime I was charged with another crime that under the law I could not be charged with. That didn’t stop them from doing it, and when I didn’t pay the fine as quickly as they thought I should a warrant was issued for my arrest ‘dead or alive’. At one point I was fired at by a policeman. Had my parents not intervened I could have been killed over nothing. My point is that this trend is by no means new. Our law enforcement has been out of control for a very long time. Law means nothing to the police or the judges. For the most part law enforcement in America is nothing more than a war on poverty, lock all the poor up and extort money from the rest.

by arlen custer (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 192 comments) on Monday, December 3, 2007 at 7:33:25 AM
 


I am concerned about the intentions of our elected leaders.
Stephen HartI am concerned about the intentions of our elected leaders.

I would review the film for violations of police protocols.

I couldn't help but notice that the officer left the young man handcuffed and lying on the ground with his head and upper torso exposed to oncoming traffic. A car which swerved close to the police car without hitting it would have crushed the head of the handcuffed man. As bad of this was, the officer then walked away and left the recently tasered and handcuffed man unsupervised in this dangerous position. Not only could he have been run down in the position he was left in, but disoriented by tasering and restricted in ability to maintain balance due to the handcuffs, he could easily have stood up and stumbled into the lane of high speed traffic. I would suspect that there were several violations of police protocols recorded in this video.

In my state, it is not uncommon for highway patrol officers to position their vehicles so they actually encroach into the lane of traffic to ensure protection of the vehicle they have stopped, much less handcuffed and possibly disoriented individuals lying unprotected on the pavement. 

by Stephen Hart (1 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 23 comments) on Tuesday, December 4, 2007 at 7:37:53 PM
 

 

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