bill of rights

Kafka’s America: Secret Courts, Secret Laws, and Total Surveillance

"A mechanism to protect the American people from unwarranted government surveillance became instead a bureaucratic mechanism to rubber stamp government applications for surveillance. The Court is structured such that applications for surveillance are rarely ever denied. If a judge were to reject an application, that judge would have to immediately write a report detailing every reason for the rejection, then transmit the report to a 3-person court of review. If that court finds that the application was properly denied, it must also write a report, which is then subject to a writ of certiorari by the Supreme Court. No reviews are necessary if an application is granted." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKafka’s America: Secret Courts, Secret Laws, and Total Surveillance

Former CIA Officer Philip Giraldi: ‘Edward Snowden Is No Traitor’

"Even accepting the somewhat fast and loose standard for being at war, it is difficult to discern where Snowden has been supporting the al-Qaeda and 'associated groups' enemy. Snowden has had no contact with al-Qaeda and he has not provided them with any classified information. Nor has he ever spoken up on their behalf, given them advice, or supported in any way their activities directed against the United States. The fallback argument that Snowden has alerted terrorists to the fact that Washington is able to read their emails and listen in on their phone conversations—enabling them to change their methods of communication—is hardly worth considering." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFormer CIA Officer Philip Giraldi: ‘Edward Snowden Is No Traitor’

US court renews permission to NSA to collect phone metadata

"The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has renewed permission to the U.S. government for a controversial program to collect telephone metadata in bulk. The office of the Director of National Intelligence said the government filed an application with the FISC seeking renewal of the authority to collect telephony metadata in bulk, and the court renewed that authority, which expired on Friday. The information was being disclosed 'in light of the significant and continuing public interest in the telephony metadata collection program,' and an earlier decision by DNI James R. Clapper to declassify certain information relating to the program, it said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUS court renews permission to NSA to collect phone metadata

How will Obama defend secret NSA program in court? Letter offers clue.

"The letter continues, 'the Government is prohibited ... from indiscriminately sifting through the data. The data-base may only be queried for intelligence purposes by NSA analysts where there is a reasonable, articulable suspicion (RAS), based on specific facts.' If the government wants to take a closer look, any data gleaned must be associated with people or phone numbers already identified and approved by the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. In 2012, the letter revealed, the court approved fewer than 300 'query terms' that would allow intelligence analysts to pursue a phone call further." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHow will Obama defend secret NSA program in court? Letter offers clue.

California Democratic Party tells Obama to halt medical marijuana raids

"The California Democratic Party approved a resolution over the weekend that called on President Barack Obama to halt federal raids on marijuana dispensaries. The resolution, sponsored by the Brownie Marie Democratic Club of Riverside County, noted that 18 states and the District of Columbia had legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes, while Colorado and Washington state had legalized the use of marijuana for recreational purposes. Citing the disproportionate number of ethnic minorities jailed over marijuana, the resolution urged Obama to order the federal government to abide by state laws regarding the drug." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCalifornia Democratic Party tells Obama to halt medical marijuana raids

New ID rules would threaten citizens’ rights

"Any citizen wanting to take a job would face the regulation that his or her digitized high-resolution passport or driver's license photo be collected and stored centrally in a Department of Homeland Security Citizenship and Immigration Services database. The pictures in the national database would then need to be matched against the job applicant's government-issued 'enhanced' ID card, using a Homeland Security-mandated facial-recognition 'photo tool.' Only when those systems worked perfectly could the new hire take the job." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew ID rules would threaten citizens’ rights

Criminal Enterprise Operations of the Police

"Under RICO all cops can seize your property, and it’s up to you to prove that the money isn’t connected to a crime. This is an obvious violation of the Fifth Amendment which requires the government to prove in court that the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This application of RICO is unconstitutional on its face and it is still being allowed. Why? Because RICO money is being used by the law enforcement agencies to enrich their department as well as to host lavish department/agency parties. This is no different than what the Mafia or the Mexican Federal Police does." Continue reading →

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Man refuses to produce his papers at a Police License Checkpoint; threatened with warrant at home

"A man stood up to a 'License Checkpoint' conducted by police in his town. He refused to produce his papers when stopped at a roadblock on public streets. Draego says it was a pretty heated debate between him and the officer. He continued to refuse and then he says an officer threatened to break his window and eventually they told him to pull over. Draego said police told him they were going to serve him a warrant at his home, but he has not received it yet." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMan refuses to produce his papers at a Police License Checkpoint; threatened with warrant at home

TSA Officials Agree to Training Program for Police on Travelers’ First and Fourth Amendment Rights

"In a victory for the U.S. Constitution, officials with the Richmond International Airport (RIC) have required that all RIC law enforcement officers take part in a two-hour training course on the First and Fourth Amendment rights of passengers, guests and/or vendors. The required training, with materials for the course on travelers’ First and Fourth Amendment rights supplied by attorneys for The Rutherford Institute, was part of the settlement of a lawsuit filed on behalf of college student Aaron Tobey, who was arrested for engaging in a peaceful protest of the TSA's use of whole-body imaging scanners and enhanced pat downs at RIC." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTSA Officials Agree to Training Program for Police on Travelers’ First and Fourth Amendment Rights

NSA Phone Snooping Cannot Be Challenged in Court, Feds Say

"The Obama administration for the first time responded to a Spygate lawsuit, telling a federal judge the wholesale vacuuming up of all phone-call metadata in the United States is in the 'public interest,' does not breach the constitutional rights of Americans and cannot be challenged in a court of law. The administration’s filing sets the stage for what is to be a lengthy legal odyssey — one likely to outlive the Obama presidency — that will define the privacy rights of Americans for years to come." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNSA Phone Snooping Cannot Be Challenged in Court, Feds Say