bill of rights

Imprisoned CIA Torture Whistleblower John Kiriakou Pens “Letter from Loretto”

"Greetings from the Federal Correctional Institution at Loretto, Pennsylvania. I arrived here on February 28, 2013 to serve a 30-month sentence for violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982. At least that’s what the government wants people to believe. In truth, this is my punishment for blowing the whistle on the CIA’s illegal torture program and for telling the public that torture was official U.S. government policy. But that’s a different story. The purpose of this letter is to tell you about prison life." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingImprisoned CIA Torture Whistleblower John Kiriakou Pens “Letter from Loretto”

Police Chief as Judge, Jury, and Executioner

"In reacting to the murder of Jason Ellis, Bardstown Police Chief Rick McCubbin spoke of revenge, rather than justice: 'I can assure you we won’t give up on this person or persons until we either have them in custody or in the front sight of one of our weapons. I certainly hope the latter is the case.' Dominic Aguilar of Roseville, California, whose friend Ernesto Duenez, Jr. was gunned down in his front yard by a police officer named John Moody, was arrested and charged with a felony for a Facebook post expressing the hope that Moody would meet a violent end. Why was one considered a crime, but not the other?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice Chief as Judge, Jury, and Executioner

DOJ acknowledges Holder was on board with warrant for Fox reporter’s emails

"The Justice Department acknowledged late Friday that Attorney General Eric Holder was on board with a search warrant to obtain the personal emails of a Fox News reporter, as media and civil liberties groups continued to raise concerns about the case. Following prior reports indicating that Holder had likely signed off on the search warrant, the Justice Department acknowledged Holder's involvement and defended the decision. It insisted the call to seek these files -- in the course of an investigation into a leak allegedly made by State Department contractor Stephen Jin-Woo Kim -- was legal." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDOJ acknowledges Holder was on board with warrant for Fox reporter’s emails

Local hero? Man tweets DUI checkpoint locations

"Increasingly, social media has allowed real human beings to contact other real human beings in order to avoid being randomly stopped and having their breath searched. Sennett Devermont has turned checkpoint alerts into what he believes is a public service. Devermont, a co-founder of the dating site site DateUp (later sold to IAC) and various other ventures, has created the superhero name Mr. Checkpoint, and his site works hard to ensure that his followers receive text alerts as soon as the information comes to him. His Twitter feed now has more than 43,000 followers, who hang on his every revelation." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLocal hero? Man tweets DUI checkpoint locations

Illinois teacher in trouble for advising students about 5th Amendment before drug screening

"A high school teacher in Batavia, Illinois could be disciplined for informing his students of their Fifth Amendment rights before administering a survey school officials was intended to gauge their emotional needs. The Batavia Daily Herald reported on May 25 that social studies instructor John Dryden advised students of their right not to incriminate themselves before giving them a 'screener' survey on April 18 that had each student’s name printed on it. 'I made a judgment call,' Dryden told the Herald. 'There was no time to ask anyone.' Dryden could reportedly be issued a 'letter of remedy,' which would stay in his employment record." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIllinois teacher in trouble for advising students about 5th Amendment before drug screening

The Age of Authoritarianism: Government of the Politicians, by the Military, for the Corporations

"President Obama’s declaration that 'America is at a crossroads' in the fight against terror, a fight that is increasingly turning inwards, setting its sights on homegrown extremists, should give every American pause. We have indeed reached a crossroads. History may show that from this point forward, we will have left behind any semblance of constitutional government and entered into a militaristic state where all citizens are suspects and security trumps freedom. Certainly, this is a time when government officials operate off their own inscrutable, self-serving playbook with little in the way of checks and balances." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Age of Authoritarianism: Government of the Politicians, by the Military, for the Corporations

Nonviolent activist tasered at DOJ while protesting for Wall Street prosecutions

"A woman who became an activist after JPMorgan Chase foreclosed on her home in 2011 was shocked with a Taser and arrested while protesting outside the Department of Justice on Tuesday. In video obtained by Occupy Our Homes Atlanta, large men with assault rifles can be seen surrounding Carmen Pittman before one of the agents shocks her with a stun gun and she falls to the ground. Pittman seems to writhe in agony on the ground for a few moments before a man in a yellow police shirt picks her up. As he restrains her, other officers place her in handcuffs." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNonviolent activist tasered at DOJ while protesting for Wall Street prosecutions

Lawsuit filed over veteran’s psychiatric detention over Facebook posts

"A civil liberties group filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of an ex-Marine who was detained in a psychiatric facility after posting anti-government messages on Facebook, using the case to criticize a program that looks for veterans who may have become extremists. Attorneys for The Rutherford Institute filed suit in Richmond over the weeklong detention last August of Brandon J. Raub, a veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Attorneys for Raub claimed his detention came under a federal program called 'Operation Vigilant Eagle' involving surveillance of veterans who express views critical of the government." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLawsuit filed over veteran’s psychiatric detention over Facebook posts

Cops Being Trained That Cell Phones Could Be Guns

"As a result of the numerous legal cases that have proven recording police officers is not a crime, authorities are getting more creative in attempting to stop abuse by law enforcement offices ending up as a viral video on YouTube. In the clip above, Detective Shannon Todd of the Newark Police Gang Unit approaches a man who is recording a police stop on his cell phone, ordering him to, 'put your phone down, put it in your pocket.' Despite acknowledging that the device is a phone, when the man refuses to follow the unlawful order, Todd remarks, 'I need to hold on to it,' before stating, 'May I look at it and inspect it to ensure it’s not a firearm.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCops Being Trained That Cell Phones Could Be Guns

Cops Being Trained That Cell Phones Could Be Guns

"As a result of the numerous legal cases that have proven recording police officers is not a crime, authorities are getting more creative in attempting to stop abuse by law enforcement offices ending up as a viral video on YouTube. In the clip above, Detective Shannon Todd of the Newark Police Gang Unit approaches a man who is recording a police stop on his cell phone, ordering him to, 'put your phone down, put it in your pocket.' Despite acknowledging that the device is a phone, when the man refuses to follow the unlawful order, Todd remarks, 'I need to hold on to it,' before stating, 'May I look at it and inspect it to ensure it’s not a firearm.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCops Being Trained That Cell Phones Could Be Guns