Civil Disobedience Rising Across America As Citizens Fed Up With Criminal Government

Breaking News — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:34:59 +0000

(JD Heyes) To many veterans of the 1960s-era civil rights movement there is a rising angst and discourse among the populace that is eerily familiar to them.

Nearly everywhere you turn, crowds of angry Americans are gathering, no longer content to merely sit idly by and remain spectators to the cavalcade of injustices being perpetuated ad nauseum against We the People by criminal governments that have long since lost their legitimacy.

Run by an elitist ruling class, they prove daily that an elected body can trample rights the same as a sitting monarch or dictator.

The soft tyranny we endure now on a daily basis has turned scores of Americans into reluctant activists, no longer satisfied with participation in mundane “demonstrations” that prove and accomplish nothing.

Rising tide of anger

Some recent cases in point bear rise to this unrest, and if history is a guide, such occurrences will only become more frequent – and more violent – as our rights, traditions and heritage are trampled, disregarded and disrespected.

Take one case in New Jersey recently, where a state Senate panel on gun control cut off testimony on a bill – citing “procedure” – when citizens in attendance clearly had more they wanted to say, as evidenced by their requests to do so from the gallery. As seen in this video, a couple of individuals who attempted to speak were made to leave by a court police officer, but when one man – Frank Fiamingo, president of the New Jersey Second Amendment Society – had enough of the Senate panel’s dismissive attitude, he organized the dozens of attendees into reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, at which time the a) the Senate panel abandoned its attempts to have audience members thrown out; and b) mostly refused to stand during the recitation of the pledge (one senator finally stood towards the end of the pledge).

Here’s how it went down, according to one witness account:

After a late start, and a “ten minute break” that lasted more than a half hour, the NJ Senate committee on gun control decides to cut off public comment on the proposed gun control bills at 4 o’clock. The chairman and most of the committee then refuse to honor the pledge of allegiance. This took place at the NJ Senate gun control hearings in Trenton on April 30, 2013. People in the audience were wearing NRA caps which I am sure was not lost on the Senate committee members. The officers from the court who were harassing the people who attended at the end of the clip looked from behind like jack booted Nazi enforcers.

The anger in the room was palpable, as was the frustration.

Freedom going out of style?

At a separate protest, civil rights activist Adam Kokesh – who has pre-announced an armed civil disobedience march on Washington D.C. on July 4th – was violently dragged from a “Smoke Down Prohibition” protest in Philadelphia over the weekend of May 18. Though in this video Kokesh, who is being dragged away from the event by police, has his hands up and is clearly not resisting arrest, that was the ultimate charge leveled against him, according to Natural News founder and editor, Mike Adams, the Health Ranger:

According to Adam Kokesh supporter “Brother Lucas,” Kokesh never even smoked pot during the protest, so his arrest is sending shockwaves across the liberty movement because it appears to be illegal and unjustified. The video seems to depict a lawless gang of badge-wearing thugs committing an act of kidnapping against someone merely exercising their free speech rights in a public forum.

What is interesting – even encouraging, if you are lover of liberty – was the reaction of the crowd to Kokesh’s detention. As you can see in the video, demonstrators followed police to a barricade they reinforced after taking Kokesh through it. The crowd openly challenged officers and was visibly angry.

These are scenes being repeated all around the country, and with increasing frequency, as more Americans tire of the soft tyranny being directed at them on a daily basis. Look for more unrest in the future.

Sources:

http://countdowntozerotime.org

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://youtu.be/WfXlcfnmzCk

This article first appeared @ naturalnews

[contact-form]

Follow @twitter

The post Civil Disobedience Rising Across America As Citizens Fed Up With Criminal Government appeared first on .

2 FBI Agents Involved In The Arrest Of Boston Bombing Suspect Die From Mysterious Helicopter Fall

Breaking News — Fri, 24 May 2013 23:49:22 +0000

(Scott Daugherty) Two members of the FBI’s elite counterterrorism unit died Friday while practicing how to quickly drop from a helicopter to a ship using a rope, the FBI announced Monday in a statement.

The statement gave few details regarding the deaths of Special Agents Christopher Lorek and Stephen Shaw, other than to say the helicopter encountered unspecified difficulties and the agents fell a “significant distance.”

A law enforcement source told The Pilot the incident happened about 12 nautical miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. The official blamed bad weather for the incident and said the agents – members of the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team, based in Quantico – fell into the water. The official said he believed the agents died as a result of the impact rather than drowning.

Glenn McBride, a spokesman for the state medical examiner’s office, said it could be months before his staff can release a final cause and manner of death for the two agents. He said they must wait for the results of routine toxicology tests.

According to a Navy official, the agents were using a ship the FBI had leased from the Navy’s Military Sealift Command. No Navy personnel were involved in the exercise, the Navy official said.

An Army helicopter crashed into a similar ship in 2009 during another training exercise off the coast of Virginia Beach, killing one person and injuring eight.

In interviews Monday, the founder of the Hostage Rescue Team and other former special agents called the unit “elite” while outlining the difficult training exercises members must endure.

“It’s the most rigorous training regiment in law enforcement, probably in the world,” said Danny Coulson, a former deputy assistant director of the FBI who started the team 30 years ago and served as its first commander. “They have to be able to do any mission, at any time.”

Among other things, members of the Hostage Rescue Team are trained to rappel from helicopters, scuba dive and use explosives to break down doors and walls. When needed, the team can deploy within four hours to anywhere in the U.S.

“It sounds risky, and it absolutely is,” Coulson said. “They have the same skill sets as SEAL Team 6 and Delta Force.”

In all, the team has responded to more than 850 incidents involving terrorism, violent crimes and foreign counterintelligence, according to the FBI’s website.

Last month, the team was involved in the arrest of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings. And in February, it rescued a 5-year-old boy held hostage for six days in an underground bunker in Alabama.

“Whenever things go really wrong, the FBI calls in the Hostage Rescue Team. It’s the government’s 911,” Coulson said.

Irvin Wells, a former FBI special agent who retired in 1990 after leading the Norfolk field office for three years, stressed that the Hostage Rescue Team is different from the FBI’s regular SWAT teams. He noted that agents assigned to a field office’s SWAT team also must perform other jobs inside the bureau, while agents assigned to the Hostage Rescue Team have no other duties.

“Not to take anything from SWAT, but these guys train full time for the most dangerous of missions,” Wells said of the Hostage Rescue Team. “Like the SEALs, they are highly trained and train continuously.”

Nancy Savage, executive director of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI, said SWAT teams handle “normal dangerous situations,” while the Hostage Rescue Team handles larger-scale incidents that involve more specialized skill sets.

“It’s like one level up,” Savage said. “They are a very, very elite team.”

Coulson stressed that it takes more than brute strength to become a member of the Hostage Rescue Team.

“It’s not just biceps and triceps. It requires intellectual muscle, too,” he said.

To join the team, FBI agents must pass a special physical fitness test and complete a two-week selection class, Coulson said. Then, the agent must complete a 14- to 16-week “New Operator Training School.”

“It’s a national loss,” Coulson said about the deaths of Lorek and Shaw. “These are the best-trained individuals in the world.”

[contact-form]

Follow @twitter

The post 2 FBI Agents Involved In The Arrest Of Boston Bombing Suspect Die From Mysterious Helicopter Fall appeared first on .

IT’S AIRBORNE: Human Transmission Of Deadly H7N9 Virus Now Confirmed

Breaking News — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:15:43 +0000

(Mac Slavo) In April of this year researches studying the H7N9 bird flu virus in China advised global governments to get prepared for the worst case scenario.

According to the World Health Organization, H7N9 is one the most lethal influenza strains ever identified because it mutates eight times faster than a normal flu virus, and according to official records, has a death-to-infection ratio of about 25%.

It was initially believed that the virus could only be transmitted to humans who have had direct contact with poultry. After 36 H7N9 deaths and 131 of infections officially reported since the virus was first identified, the worst case scenario that many feared may now be on the horizon.

The Sun China Morning Post is reporting that researches have confirmed that, not only can the virus be transmitted from one human to another, but it has gone airborne.

The H7N9 bird flu virus can be transmitted not only through close contact but by airborne exposure, a team at the University of Hong Kong found after extensive laboratory experiments.

Though the virus appears to have been brought under control recently, the researchers urged the Hong Kong authorities to maintain strict surveillance, which should include not only poultry but humans and pigs.

…

In the study, to be published today in the journal Science, ferrets were used to evaluate the infectivity of H7N9. It was found the virus could spread through the air, from one cage to another, albeit less efficiently.

Inoculated ferrets were infected before the appearance of most clinical symptoms. This means there may be more cases than have been detected or reported.

“People may be transmitting the virus before they even know that they’ve got it,” Zhu said.

SCMP via Zero Hedge

It’s important to note that the Chinese government has never been very straight forward about statistics, especially if they involve negative perceptions of their country, so in all likelihood the H7N9 virus has infected countless others.

Though it’s been called one of the most lethal flu viruses in history by WHO, Chinese scientists have downplayed the threat by claiming the effects are “mild,” and the U.S. government has up until now made no decision on whether to move forward with a vaccine for this particular strain. Earlier reports indicate that the virus is resistant to Tamiflu, a drug commonly used to treat most flu symptoms.

H7N9 is reportedly now under control in China, but we know for a fact that the virusjumped to Taiwan in April, and it may have spread elsewhere. Given that research shows the virus can spread through the air before symptoms appear, it’s certainly possibly that an outbreak is in its preliminary phase right now.

Curiously, the United Nations reports that the virus has already cost the global economy some $6.5 billion in losses. Those are massive numbers given that only 131 official cases have been reported.

We’ll know soon enough if the Chinese government has controlled the outbreak among its one billion population, and if it’s taken hold in other countries. If it’s airborne, the contagion will spread like any common cold or flu.

Pandemics have been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of millions of people throughout history, and once they start they are very hard to control. With H7N9 having a mutation rate that is eight times faster than other flu viruses, it could very well become even deadlier than it is now. Moreover, it could become even more contagious over time.

The only thing we can do at this point is to wait for news as it becomes available and take preemptive steps to prepare for the possibility of a widespread outbreak.

This article first appeared at shtfplan

[contact-form]

The post IT’S AIRBORNE: Human Transmission Of Deadly H7N9 Virus Now Confirmed appeared first on .

Political Prisoner Adam Kokesh Calls For New American Revolution On July 4th

Breaking News — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:01:34 +0000

(Paul Joseph Watson) Imprisoned activist demands march on governors of 50 states.

Imprisoned activist and former Marine Adam Kokesh – arrested last Saturday for exercising his First Amendment right at a protest – has called for a “new American revolution” to begin on July 4 with a march on all 50 state capitols.

Kokesh remains in a federal prison in Philadelphia on what many of his supporters claim are trumped up charges of assaulting a police officer and has been denied bail.

The former Iraq war veteran was already planning to lead a controversial armed march on Washington DC on Independence Day, but has rapidly expanded the scope of his plans, calling on an, “American Revolutionary Army (that) will march on each state capital to demand that the governors of these 50 states immediately initiate the process of an orderly dissolution of the federal government through secession and reclamation of federally held property.”

DC police responded to Kokesh’s plan for an armed march by vowing to arrest Kokesh and any other armed demonstrators who take part.

Kokesh and fellow activist N.A. Poe were arrested as they spoke at a permitted marijuana legalization rally at Independence Mall National Historic Park in Philadelphia last Saturday. Neither of the two were smoking or carrying drugs at the time.

Video of the incident shows Kokesh holding his hands up as he is dragged away by police. At no point does Kokesh appear to be resisting arrest (for which he is also charged) and he certainly does not assault any law enforcement officer.

The United States district court filing (PDF) claims that Kokesh “physically blocked and obstructed the Ranger” and also “grabbed the Ranger by the arm to hold him back.” The video does not appear to show any of this.

Kokesh says the 50 state march is “necessary to secure liberty and ensure peace,” and that, “Should one whole year from this July 4th pass while the crimes of this government are allowed to continue, we may have passed the point at which non-violent revolution becomes impossible.”

While Kokesh has attracted numerous supporters, others fear his plan for an armed march on D.C. and his aggressive rhetoric could grease the skids for gun owners to be demonized as violent extremists, in addition to increasing the chances of provocateurs being used to stage an incident during the march.

Read Kokesh’s full statement below.

“When a government has repeatedly and deliberately failed to follow its own laws, violated the fundamental human rights of its citizens, threatened the sanctity of a free press, created institutions intended to eliminate privacy of communication, waged war at the behest of special interest that threatens the public safety, killed hundreds of children with drone strikes, imprisoned and destroyed the lives of countless individuals for victimless crimes, stifled economic opportunity to maintain the dominance of the financial elite, stolen from the people through an absurd system of taxation and inflation, sold future generations into debt slavery, and abused its power to suppress political opposition, it is unfit to exist and it becomes the duty of the people to alter or abolish that government by whatever means necessary to secure liberty and ensure peace.

“A new American revolution is long overdue. This revolution has been brewing in the hearts and minds of the people for many years, but this Independence Day, it shall take a new form as the American Revolutionary Army will march on each state capital to demand that the governors of these 50 states immediately initiate the process of an orderly dissolution of the federal government through secession and reclamation of federally held property. Should one whole year from this July 4th pass while the crimes of this government are allowed to continue, we may have passed the point at which non-violent revolution becomes impossible.

“The time to sit idly by has passed. To remain neutral is to be complicit, just doing your job is not an excuse, and the line in the sand has been drawn between the people, and the criminals in Washington, D.C. While some timid souls will say that it is too early, that we can solve this problem through democratic means provided by government, that current levels of taxation are reasonable for the services provided, and that the crimes of this government are merely a tolerable nuisance, it may already be too late.

“While there is risk in drastic action, the greater danger lies in allowing this government to continue unchallenged. So if you are content with the status quo, stay home, get fat, watch the fireworks from a safe distance, and allow this Independence Day to pass like any other. But if you see as we see, and feel as we feel, we will see you on the front lines of freedom on July 4th, 2013 for this, The Final American Revolution.”

Signed, Adam Kokesh, May 23, 2013 from a cage in the Philadelphia federal prison.

Watch this video on YouTube.

[contact-form]

The post Political Prisoner Adam Kokesh Calls For New American Revolution On July 4th appeared first on .

50 Things To Disappear During An Emergency

Breaking News — Fri, 24 May 2013 20:52:07 +0000

(Gaye Levy) There are lots of lists floating around the web citing the top items that will disappear following a disaster or emergency. Heck, I even posted a list a couple of years ago titled 100 Items Likely to Disappear First when the SHTF.

A while, back, however, Tom Sciacca from Camping Survival came up with his own list of 50 things that would disappear from store shelves during an emergency. It is a great list especially since it is broken down into the categories of Food, Power and Light, Fun, First Aid and more. Today I would like to share that list with you.

But first I would like to announce the winner of the recent Camping Survival giveaway. After removing duplicates, there were 119 entries, each suggesting topics for Backdoor Survival. All good questions that I hope to address over the coming months.

Alas, there could only be one winner and “Bill” was selected at random. He is the winner of a Rothco Medium Transport Pack stuffed with a few hanks of paracord – all from Camping Survival, of course. Congratulations, Bill. I have contacted you by email for instructions for claiming your prize.

I would like to thank everyone for their entry. I have two exciting new giveaways coming up so be sure to watch for an announcement soon.

The Top 50 Things to Disappear from Store Shelves during an Emergency [Tom]

Have you ever noticed how, whenever a big storm is predicted, people start rushing to stores to clean them out of ever food item and supply they have on the shelves? In one sense, it’s probably good that they are trying to anticipate the emergency, despite being last-minute about it. It sure beats those people who don’t bother to prepare at all, then complain when emergency services are overwhelmed by requests for assistance.

But why panic in the first place? Why not have a stash of necessary items always ready for such an emergency? Even if there isn’t a storm approaching, it’s nice to know that you don’t have to rush out to the store every time you run out of toilet paper. Keeping some extra around the house is always a good idea!

With this in mind, I decided to ask CampingSurvival.com’s Facebook fans what they felt were the emergency supplies that stores were most likely to run out of when people start to panic. Then I compiled the top comments in various categories so I could share it with you. Since this list is based on the comments of our Facebook fan page, some of the items (canned meat, for instance) may not be the absolute first things for a store to run out of, but are still items that you should consider having among your emergency supplies nonetheless.

Without further ado, here the list of the Top 50 Things to Disappear from Store Shelves during an Emergency, compiled by yours truly [Tom]:

FOOD

1. Bread
2. Butter
3. Cereal
4. Coffee
5. Eggs
6. Flour
7. Fruit, canned and fresh
8. Honey
9. Meats, canned
10. Milk
11. Peanut butter
12. Pet food
13. Salt
14. Sugar
15. Vegetables, canned and root vegetables
16. Water

POWER AND LIGHT

17. Batteries
18. Candles
19. Charcoal
20. Coolers
21. Flashlights
22. Gasoline
23. Generators
24. Glow sticks
25. Ice
26. Lamp oil and oil lanterns
27. Lighter fluid
28. Matches
29. Propane, propane stoves

FUN

30. Alcohol, drinking
31. Beer
32. Cigarettes
33. Condoms

FIRST AID

34. Alcohol, rubbing
35. Antiseptic
36. Aspirin/pain relievers
37. Cold medicine
38. First aid kits

HYGIENE

39. Feminine hygiene products
40. Paper plates/napkins
41. Shampoo
42. Soap
43. Toilet paper

BABIES

44. Baby food/formula
45. Diapers

IMPROVISATION

46. Duct tape
47. Plastic bags
48. Plywood
49. Radios
50. Rope

[contact-form]

The post 50 Things To Disappear During An Emergency appeared first on .

Obama Blames Future Acts Of Terrorism On The Inernet

Breaking News — Fri, 24 May 2013 20:15:57 +0000

(Anthony Gucciardi) In another verbal assault on net neutrality, Obama is now warning that both recent and future acts of terrorism stem from the accessibility of information on the internet.

In his speech yesterday, Obama said that information available online fuels ‘violent agendas’ through ‘hateful propaganda’ that drives terrorism.

Warning that ‘internet materials’ are fueling domestic terror threats and actually causing people to go out and commit mass acts of terrorism, Obama is once again following in the footsteps of his fellow control freak associates in assaulting the openness of the internet that is now a hot spring for alternative news amid the frozen depths of the mainstream media.

In the speech, Obama said:

“Today, a person can consume hateful propaganda, commit themselves to a violent agenda and learn how to kill without leaving their home.”

The simple reality is that the internet is the largest threat to corrupt government officials. It’s how we managed to break open the entire IRS scandal that has blown up in Obama’s face and led to calls for criminal action against top officials responsible for targeting Constitution-based groups with phony financial assaults. It’s also how we know about the truth surrounding Benghazi and what went down there. An event that has also generated serious awareness and even calls for impeachment.

INTERNET-BASED ALT NEWS GROWING AT RECORD LEVELS

So it should come as no surprise to find that Obama and others want the internet to be not only monitored by the government, but regulated as well. By using the ever-looming threat of domestic terrorism, it is simple to trace back extremists to certain internet sites that can be used as catalysts to enact legislation that endangers and annihilates internet freedom. Specifically, people like myself and others can be targeted in these crackdowns in order to give alternative news sources a bad name.

Obama’s latest speech is similar to his previous, in which he warns against those who question what he calls our ‘brave’ new government and warn of tyranny and corruption within it. The bottom line is that Obama is setting the stage here, as he has been for quite a while along with others, for an informational crusade against websites and blogs that dare to criticize government. Already labeled as ‘conspiracy’ and ‘extremist’ websites for even asking the simplest questions of government, the fight against net neutrality and alternative news sources is about to be taken to a whole new level.

[contact-form]

The post Obama Blames Future Acts Of Terrorism On The Inernet appeared first on .

Non Compliance With Real ID Act Would Require A Passport To Fly Domestically In United States

Breaking News — Thu, 23 May 2013 02:51:13 +0000

(SF Gate) Louisiana driver’s licenses would be used to comply with federal law requiring each state to create a national identification card for air travel, including domestic flights, under a proposal inserted Wednesday into a House bill by the Senate Transportation Committee.

Senators added that language into a separate measure by Rep. Johnny Guinn, R-Jennings. If approved by lawmakers, the provision would reverse a state stance since 2008 rejecting the added security requirement as too intrusive.

Officials with the state motor vehicles department said that if the state doesn’t comply with the federal Real ID law, residents would need passports to fly starting in October.

“Whether we like it or not, we’re stuck with it,” said Sen. Robert Adley, R-Benton, committee chairman. “It’s better to deal with it like this.”

Adley and other committee members said modifying driver’s license requirements would be easier and less costly to residents, with passports potentially costing $75 or more. State driver’s licenses cost around $25.

Under the proposal, federally compliant driver’s licenses would be stamped with a Department of Homeland Security gold star emblem and would require that residents present additional documentation, such as a birth certificate or a Social Security card, to state motor vehicle officials when applying for a license or a renewal.

That information would be entered into a national database.

Residents who don’t meet the federal standards — or who opt out of supplying the additional information — would be issued licenses stamped with the words “Not for federal identification.”

The Federal Real Identification Act was passed in 2005 on the recommendation of the 9/11 Commission, but several states balked at some of the measures as an invasion of privacy. Initial requirements called for an embedded chip on passports and licenses that allow for tracking.

State officials said the tracking chip won’t be included on Louisiana’s driver’s license, although it is on passports.

Implementation of the Real ID act was set to be effective earlier this year but has been delayed several times.

The rewritten bill moves to the full Senate for debate. If approved there, it would have to go back to the House for approval of the addition.

This article fist appeared @ SF Gate

[contact-form]

The post Non Compliance With Real ID Act Would Require A Passport To Fly Domestically In United States appeared first on .

Secret Arrests By Police In Wisconsin: Is This Big Brother’s Future For Americans?

Breaking News — Thu, 23 May 2013 01:49:58 +0000

(Eric Litke) Police work that has traditionally been conducted in public view is increasingly being shielded, as insurance companies and municipal attorneys throughout Wisconsin push departments to withhold names from reports due to liability concerns.

A long-ignored federal privacy law is driving the redactions, interpreted by some municipal leaders to overrule a state public records law that says the full reports should be released.

With a growing number of departments redacting crash reports — and, in some cases, all incident reports — drivers injured in crashes may have no right to the identity of the other motorist, and communities can be kept in the dark about who police are arresting.

In Sheboygan Falls, Brenda O’Malley spent 13 days tracking down a crash report identifying the man who crashed into her daughter’s car after police wouldn’t release an unredacted report under the new policy. After the March 14 crash, she called everyone from the mayor and city attorney to the federal Department of Transportation before being pointed to the full reports available through the state Department of Transportation.

“It’s completely ridiculous,” said O’Malley, 45. “I understand they’re trying to protect the party, but, I’m sorry, where was the protection for my daughter?”

Dan Thompson, executive director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, said a recent Illinois court ruling on the matter “caught a lot of officials by surprise.” While the case out of Palatine, Ill., is still pending, many municipalities are taking a better-safe-than-sorry approach to redactions.

At least 30 municipalities now redact personal information from reports — citing the Palatine ruling and the 1994 federal Driver Privacy Protection Act it interpreted, according to media reports and agency websites. Officials in most of those municipalities say names are among the personal information barred from release.

“The danger and the damage and the cost of violating the federal law is substantially more than violating the public records law,” Thompson said. “If you release a record that you’re not supposed to release, you’ve now violated somebody’s civil rights, and you’re now in federal court where you have no cap for damages.”

Robert Dreps, an attorney representing the New Richmond News in alawsuit alleging the redactions are improper, said the decision to redact when in doubt flies in the face of Wisconsin’s public records law, which instructs officials to err on the side of openness. He said Congress did not intend the driver privacy act to shield police reports from the public.

“It’s hard to imagine how congressional intent like that could go unnoticed for almost 20 years — if that were the intent — and then to be discovered in only one of the 50 states,” he said.

Dreps said Wisconsin appears to be the only state where municipalities are changing policies. Attorneys and directors at municipal associations in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota were not aware of any similar action by municipalities in their states — and several were not even aware of the Palatine case.

“Cases like Palatine bring it to the forefront, and people start realizing, oh my goodness, there’s a law out there,” said Gregg Gunta, an attorney who represents municipalities around the state on civil rights matters. “It’s not all of a sudden a decision to just start screwing over people who want records; it’s really a matter of protecting. It’s federal law. … I don’t agree with all of it either.”

Privacy law stems from Hollywood murder

The Illinois case — Senne v. Village of Palatine — was filed in August 2010 by Jason Senne, who alleged Palatine violated the driver privacy act by leaving a parking ticket with his name, date of birth and other personal information in public view on his windshield. He is the lead plaintiff in a class-action suit seeking $80 million — $2,500 for each parking ticket issued in the preceding four years.

The case was dismissed in district court, but the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago overturned the dismissal in August and ordered that the case proceed. In the meantime, Palatine has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case and consider dismissing it, but the high court has not yet responded.

The driver privacy act was originally passed in response to the 1989 murder of actress Rebecca Schaeffer, who was shot by an obsessed fan who obtained her home address through California Department of Motor Vehicles records. The federal law prohibits the release of DMV data with certain exceptions, including use by attorneys, insurance companies and police in conducting their official duties.

An informal opinion Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen issued in 2008 said names and other personal information should not be redacted from police reports based on the driver privacy act because releasing public records to requesters is a statutory duty and part of law enforcement’s official duties.

“Reading (the privacy act) so restrictively that law enforcement agencies would be precluded from carrying out public records functions … would subvert the important governmental objective of facilitating public oversight of police investigations; impair public confidence in law enforcement activities; and do exactly what Congress intended to avoid — impede execution by law enforcement officers of their legitimate public duties and responsibilities,” Van Hollen’s opinion said.

Despite recent requests from numerous municipal attorneys, Van Hollen has declined to issue follow-up guidance in the wake of the Palatine case. A November letter to a group of city attorneys said the Attorney General’s Office was waiting to see if the U.S. Supreme Court takes the case.

Redaction policies inconsistent

For now, municipal attorneys and insurance companies are left to figure out the driver privacy act on their own, leading to highly inconsistent policies.

“There is no clear answer to give anybody,” said Dennis Tweedale, CEO of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities Mutual Insurance Co., which covers 370 cities and villages. “That’s why it’s such a mess. It’s all over the place.”

Continue reading @ the Wisconsin Tribune

[contact-form]

The post Secret Arrests By Police In Wisconsin: Is This Big Brother’s Future For Americans? appeared first on .

Maryland Approves Bill To Fingerprint Gun Owners, Ban Models And Restrict Magazines

Breaking News — Thu, 23 May 2013 01:08:06 +0000

(Andy Brownfield) Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley signed into law Thursday some of the toughest new gun restrictions in the nation, though a lawsuit and possible voter referendum threaten the new measure.

The law takes effect Oct. 1 and bans the sale of 45 assault weapons and long guns that contain features similar to assault rifles; requires fingerprinting, licensing and training for new handgun purchases; reduces the number of bullets ammunition magazines can legally hold from 20 to 10; and prohibits gun ownership by the mentally ill.

“The legislation signed today takes a comprehensive, common-sense approach to help keep our communities safe while striking a balance between protecting the safety of law enforcement and our children, and respecting the traditions of hunters and law-abiding citizens to purchase handguns for self-protection,” O’Malley said.

Gun rights groups have opposed the law at every step of the legislative process.

“We think it’s sad that Maryland officials have ignored the Constitution and are now fingerprinting gun owners like sex offenders,” Gun Owners of America spokesman Erich Pratt said after the bill signing. “These new restrictions will do nothing to make the citizens of Maryland safer because criminals never obey the gun laws.”

The law was beleaguered before it was even signed, with the National Rifle Association in April threatening to challenge its constitutionality in court.

NRA spokeswoman Alexa Fritts did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday.

“The National Rifle Association’s position and concerns will be made very clear when we file our lawsuit,” Fritts wrote in an email Wednesday.

A Montgomery County activist also has organized a petition drive in an attempt to put the fate of the new gun law before voters in 2014. If Sue Payne, chairwoman of Free State Petitions, succeeds in collecting the required 55,736 valid signatures by the end of June — more than 18,000 of which must be turned in by May 31 — the gun bill and any lawsuits challenging it would be put on hold until after the 2014 election.

“We are looking to collect every signature we can and light up every voter in the state,” Payne said.

This article first appeared @ the examiner

[contact-form]

The post Maryland Approves Bill To Fingerprint Gun Owners, Ban Models And Restrict Magazines appeared first on .

World’s Worst Tornado Came One Day After OK Began Gay Pride Week Parade

Breaking News — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:14:03 +0000

(NTEB) Jesus says in Luke 17, that in the end of time life would be like it was in the days of Lot.

Here is what He said:

“Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.” Luke 17:28,29

What was the main thing going on in the “days of Lot”?

Openly promoted and accepted homosexuality and all manners of perversions. The name for a homosexual, a sodomite, comes from the city of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jesus said that the last days – our time – would be like Lot’s time in Sodom.

Please keep the events of the past few days in Oklahoma in your mind as you read this warning from the Lord Himself regarding homosexuality. And remember this: when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins, everyone there died. Women, children, the aged, the blind, all the heterosexuals - everyone died. Here is how Sodom ended:

“And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.” Genesis 19:28

Our hearts are broken for the horrific loss of life in Oklahoma. It is our deepest hope and prayer that America, as a nation, will repent of our wickedness before the Holy God of Israel destroys our entire country.

Related Story: Homosexuality and the Bible

From PPS: Another striking coincidence … or something else? While we are deeply saddened by the horrific loss of life and the destruction of families and community in Moore, Oklahoma – it is also a fact that just one day before the worst tornado in the history of the planet strikes Oklahoma – Gay Pride Week is announced to begin on the Lord’s Day – Sunday at 4:00 pm.

From the official OK Gay Pride Parade website: it started EXACTLY one day before the tornadoes….

This particular Sunday also happened to be the day of Pentecost for 2013 – the birthday of the Church of Jesus. For those who know the Word of God – this seems like an ominous connection. We are simply pointing out the correlation. Our prayers are with the dear people of Moore. source – PPSimmons

GAY PRIDE WEEK WEBSITE: click to visit
The website proclaims: - 2013 Gay Pride Week Parade – Starts SUNDAY at 4:00 P.M.
The next day: – the worst tornado in the history of the planet strikes Oklahoma.

You do the math….may the Lord God have MERCY on us all…please ask the Lord Jesus Christ to save youwhile you still have time.

EDITOR’S NOTE: My own brother, who I love to this day with all my heart, was a homosexual before he died in 1988. We here at NTEB love the LGBT people, and seek very much to see them saved and come to repentance before the Lord Jesus Christ. Please listen to our radio program entitled Leading The LGBT To Jesus….thank you.

[contact-form]

The post World’s Worst Tornado Came One Day After OK Began Gay Pride Week Parade appeared first on .