the police state of america
by Sandra Neish
Published: September 6, 2008
There is a local radio talk show host Burnie Thompson here in Panama City, Florida. For quite some time now he has been on his soap-box regarding Florida state troopers and driver’s license checkpoints. In his opinion, police are “seizing” drivers and demanding to see their “papers” before allowing them to go about their business. I used to think he was a bit extreme on this topic, but now I am not so sure.
Many point out that if the driver’s license checkpoint prevents just one person from driving illegally, then they are worth it. I disagree. I am not one of those unfortunate souls who are willing to sacrifice liberty for security, which is one of the reasons I have been against the Patriot Act from the get-go. Technically, Burnie is right. When the state troopers stop you, you must show your driver’s license or they will arrest you. Sounds awfully like a police state to me. The U.S. Supreme Court said it best in the majority opinion for Brown v. Texas.
“In the absence of any basis for suspecting appellant of misconduct, the balance between the public interest and appellant’s right to personal security and privacy tilts in favor of freedom from police interference. The Texas statute under which appellant was stopped and required to identify himself is designed to advance a weighty social objective in large metropolitan centers: prevention of crime. But even assuming that purpose is served to some degree by stopping and demanding identification from an individual without any specific basis for believing he is involved in criminal activity, the guarantees of the Fourth Amendment do not allow it. When such a stop is not based on objective criteria, the risk of arbitrary and abusive police practices exceeds tolerable limits.”
The citizens of the United States are being led as lambs to the slaughter with regard to civil liberties. Most Americans tend to just say, “Baaaa,” and continue following the others to their deaths. Small erosions of constitutionally guaranteed rights lead to bigger and badder violations of liberty and even life.
Take the latest wave in “no-knock” warrants for example. A no-knock warrant allows the police to enter a private residence without knocking or announcing that they are the police. I will agree that certain, extremely limited and rare circumstances necessitate a no-knock warrant. Off the top of my head, hostage situations or those situations where there is ample, concrete evidence that those in the building/residence are a danger to the public.
Unfortunately, police departments all of the country are apparently more than happy to trample all over the Constitution. In Georgia, in 2007, a 92 year old woman was shot and killed by police due to an illegally obtained no-knock warrant. In 1999, it happened in Colorado. And sadly, it has happened again.
Recently, police broke into the home of the mayor of Berwyn Heights, Maryland, shot and killed his two black Labrador dogs - one was apparently running away - and forced the mayor and his mother-in-law to the floor beside the dead pets pooled in their own blood. All of this over a package that seemed to have been addressed to the mayor’s wife, that apparently was to be intercepted by a drug smuggler. The smuggler never got around to getting the package as the mayor noticed it on his doorstep and brought it inside for his wife to open later. The police were completely clueless that they had staked out the mayor’s house. Wow! Talk about great detective work! I feel safer already!
Fortunately, this mayor is able to do something the rest of us are not. Demand a Justice Department probe into this abuse of police power. The police department would only exonerate their own members. That thin blue line that is supposed to separate the good citizens from the nasty, bad bogey-men of the world is a whole lot thinner than anyone thought. And apparently, it has broken.
The mayor’s wife recounted that a girl who used to see them walking their beloved family pets hugged her and asked, “If the police shot your dogs dead and did this to you, how can I trust them?” How, indeed, can we trust those who have sworn to protect and serve when they are protecting and serving nothing but their own self-interests?
Further, the Constitution (and recently the Supreme Court) guarantees the right of citizens to keep and bear arms for the protection of life, limb and property. What happens if the police barge into the wrong house, unannounced, and a solid, respectable, law-abiding citizen opens fire? Personally, this question worries me, especially in light of the Atlanta incident. I have legally registered firearms in my home, by my bed, ready to go in case Joe Criminal makes the bad decision to break into my house. That could get really messy.
It is time to stand up and demand that our Constitutionally-guaranteed rights are guaranteed. Let’s stop being led like lambs and begin roaring like lions. The next time a police officer stops you at a driver’s license checkpoint and demands your papers, ask him or her if they have heard of the little thing called the Fourth Amendment. Maybe, if we protect our rights day-by-day, minute-by-minute, there will be less erosion of them in the future.
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September 7th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Sandra,
I agree wholeheartedly with you in the case of the ‘no knock warrants’, but the old ‘Charleston’ search warrants were just as bad, and illegal.
As for the checkpoint issue, they get around the Brown v. Texas/4th amendment by indiscriminately stopping everyone. In the case of DUI sweeps, and, say manhunts, I can see their side…but if they’re just on some sort of fishing expedition then I think there’s a problem.
September 8th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Speak of the devil…at a three way stop in Blue Ridge, GA today I was stopped and asked for my driver’s license. Two state troopers were stopping everyone for a driver’s license check and had one lady with a wheelchair tag hanging from her rear view mirror pulled off to the side and really checking her out. Had I read this article before I was stopped I would have been tempted to question the cop about the stop, but since I was in my work vehicle I probably would have held my tongue so I could continue my route with no problems. It may not have taken long to glance at my license but that was time I could have been driving on down the road.
September 8th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
BTW - the link to the article for the recent no-knock for the Mayor in Maryland is no longer available.
September 9th, 2008 at 1:58 am
The fact that a Police has to knock first does nothing to guarantee that my rights will be protected. Knocking takes roughly 2 seconds, then they can pound my door down. Or maybe I don’t get it. If they knock and I refuse to answer do they have to leave a note on my door like the UPS man?
September 23rd, 2008 at 7:14 am
Yes I agree with your article, however, I think the problem does not rest with the police who are administering the policies of our political leaders who have suspended the Constitution.
We can’t afford to wait until some lone citizen is dragged out of his house, his car, his place of work, his school to be interrogated, tazered, beaten up, verbally intimidate into submission to pay homage to the new police state. The New World Order Police state will work hard to preserve and protect…who?
We have to act now to CHANGE THE POLITICAL SYSTEM before this police behavior becomes an everyday activity. It looks like it is too late….
It has been demonstrated that you have no rights! you only have rights when the government decides to let you have rights, the new anti-terrorist laws are being use daily to enforce rules of order that have nothing to do with terrorist. The police have a job to preserve and protect and the new laws provide them with the tools to do just that. Yes a police state is here now and you will obey ALL laws under penalty of death. This is for your own good. The police will execute you on the spot if any resistance is given, that includes verbal resistance by any uttered reference to the Constitution.
Did I say I would vote for Ron Paul and we need a third party? Oh ya this two party system sucks. Can’t wait to see what happens after the politicians and the wall street banksters have destroyed our economy.
Enjoy ur New World Order everyone. We truly are what we vote. Errr maybe this is a good time to stock up with food?