"During recess at Mary Blair Elementary School in Loveland, Colorado, second-grader Alex Evans was suspended for playing a game in which he pretended to throw an imaginary grenade into a box containing what he called 'evil forces.' This was interpreted as a violation of the school’s code of conduct, which forbids imaginary fighting and recess play involving imaginary weapons." Continue reading →
"Travis alleges that on Jan. 28, 2011, her son was removed from his classroom at Harrison Elementary School by two local police officers, Detective Phil Beach and officer Scott Shepard. The boy was taken to the principal’s office and interrogated about a sex offense that the boy was suspected of committing. Travis says in the lawsuit that she had previously told the school district it was not to allow her son to be interviewed by police without her being present. Travis also says the officers did not have a warrant, did not have a counselor or attorney present for the boy and did not advise him of his constitutional rights. No criminal charges ever were filed against the boy." Continue reading →
"Thousands of Florida students are arrested in school each year and taken to jail for behavior that once warranted a trip to the principal's office — a trend that troubles juvenile-justice and civil-rights leaders who say children are being traumatized for noncriminal acts. Sixty-seven percent of the school arrests last year were for misdemeanors such as disorderly conduct — a catchall, attorneys say, that has been used when children refused to take a cellphone out of a pocket or yelled in class. Fewer than 5 percent faced weapons charges." Continue reading →
"School administrators in Virginia suspended a 10-year-old boy earlier this month after he was caught with an orange-tipped toy gun in his backpack. Now as he awaits his next meeting with his probation officer, his mother opens up about the incident. She is still in disbelief over what the entire event has done for her son, herself and the community. Just one day after her fifth-grader’s toy gun was discovered on a school bus leaving Douglas MacArthur Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia, his mom says he was arrested, dragged to court and questioned, photographed and fingerprinted." Continue reading →
"Testifying against a bill that would put limits on the use of unmanned drones in Washington state, industry lobbyist Paul Applewhite shocked a House Committee hearing when he said that drones had been used for 'indiscriminate killings,' while arguing that the technology should be approved for 'lethal force' within the United States." Continue reading →
Coburn, will he stay the course?
"Checkpoints (some would say illegal checkpoints) have been popping up quite frequently in the USA. As you see in this video, you DO NOT have to comply with their questions or demands. Don't forget, you have rights." Continue reading →
"The 'Champion of Liberty' himself has admitted that the government is fully aware of the potential for civil unrest in the United States and is even preparing for it. Ron Paul commented on the 'domestic arms race' and the government's obvious preparation for civil unrest by suggesting that '[the government] does not know that in two months from now there's riots in the streets, but they know that there could be.' Paul went on to explain that he does not believe the government necessarily believes that civil unrest in America is a certainty but that the elites at all levels of power are making preparations in order to retain their power." Continue reading →
"Their 'border binder' contains a detailed snapshot of their lives, tangible proof of who they are, where they live for most of the year, who they bank with, even their credit card statements. Like the other 70,000 members of the Canadian Snowbird Association, the Slacks would never leave home without it. Overkill? Not if you don’t want to be treated like a U.S. taxpayer. Snowbirds tagged as a 'substantial presence' can still dodge the bullet on U.S. taxes. But they will need to file 'Form 8840 Closer Connection Exception Statement for Aliens' with the IRS. Failure to file this form could result in hefty fines, even if no taxes were owed." Continue reading →
"Legions of Chinese have been barred from traveling abroad by a government that is increasingly using decisions on passports as a cudgel against perceived enemies — or as a carrot to encourage academics whose writings have at times strayed from the party line to return to the fold. The seemingly arbitrary restrictions, not unlike those of the former Soviet Union, also affect overseas Chinese who had grown accustomed to frequent visits home. Scores of Chinese expatriates have been denied new passports by Chinese Embassies when their old ones expire, while others say they are simply turned away after landing in Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong." Continue reading →