As the disturbing trend of police brutality and shootings continue, some people in Albuquerque New Mexico are taking to the streets and claiming back their security. Now, I never condone or encourage violence against police. That is a battle you can't win. There are more of them, they'll call in support, they have bigger guns, better guns and they will move into even more brutal tactics to subdue you.
Check out this article:
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-ff-albuquerque-meeting-silence-20140509-story.html
It's getting worse.
What it is to be an American.
To me, being an American means holding myself and others to a higher standard. To always present myself to people with the attitude I wish to be presented with and to behave in a manner that is reflective of my culture, society and people. What it is to be an American is pride, freedom, and hope.
This country was founded on the principal of fighting against tyrants and carving out our own future, our destiny. The tyrants we rebelled against fought back but eventually we won our freedom and became the greatest nation the world had ever seen. Innovation, power, technology, freedoms and civil rights that were found nowhere else in the world. The people of this great nation held themselves with a higher regard and were ever watchful against the rise of tyrants.
Now, in this day and age, we find ourselves under the oppressive boot of an oligarchy of tyrants who control every aspect of our lives. Government agencies telling us who to talk to, what to eat, where to go and what to do. Corporations tracking our every move, targeting ads and intrusive demands to purchase the latest designer product before we become out of style and forgotten.
Mega-Conglomerates that have a stranglehold on the flow of commodities, information, fuel, power, clean water, transportation and education give us the ultimatum of Do what we say or you can't have any of our toys. We live in a society controlled by bullies and petty old men who believe that they have to control everything in order to keep the peace. The truth is, the harder you hold on, the more of us fall through the gaps in your fingers.
This oligarchy wants us to believe that the individual has no power, that one voice will not be heard.
This country was founded on the principal of fighting against tyrants and carving out our own future, our destiny. The tyrants we rebelled against fought back but eventually we won our freedom and became the greatest nation the world had ever seen. Innovation, power, technology, freedoms and civil rights that were found nowhere else in the world. The people of this great nation held themselves with a higher regard and were ever watchful against the rise of tyrants.
Now, in this day and age, we find ourselves under the oppressive boot of an oligarchy of tyrants who control every aspect of our lives. Government agencies telling us who to talk to, what to eat, where to go and what to do. Corporations tracking our every move, targeting ads and intrusive demands to purchase the latest designer product before we become out of style and forgotten.
Mega-Conglomerates that have a stranglehold on the flow of commodities, information, fuel, power, clean water, transportation and education give us the ultimatum of Do what we say or you can't have any of our toys. We live in a society controlled by bullies and petty old men who believe that they have to control everything in order to keep the peace. The truth is, the harder you hold on, the more of us fall through the gaps in your fingers.
This oligarchy wants us to believe that the individual has no power, that one voice will not be heard.
ONE IS ALL IT TAKES
One voice, one stand, one person to stop in the flow of the crowd and go against the flood. One person who stands up and shouts, in righteous discontent, I WILL BE HEARD.
Watch, Listen, to Charlie Chaplin in his greatest speech that rings true to this very day.
"Opt Out of Everything"
"Big Data" and the government programs to capture all of our data, whether for police purposes or for advertisers, is a powerful tool that corporations are using to control us. Information as private as our social security numbers, addresses, bank accounts, purchase habits, locations and emails are all up for grabs in order to control the flow of information in the United States.
I propose that we all rise up and "Opt Out of Everything", demand that our data becomes OUR property and accessible by US when WE want it. Morgan Spurlock's "Inside Man" showed a harrowing example of what the corporations, government and sites online are doing with our information. It also showed how it is nearly impossible for us to request our own information, but if we want to snoop into another party's information, it's a simple as a few mouse clicks and a search.
In order to make a dent in this nonsense, we all have to decide that we want to have our privacy back. This will take some time, as we have been conditioned to just accept the "Terms and Conditions" of everything we use, which allows companies to take our data and use it however they see fit. They sell this information in massive quantities to as many people who want to buy it.
Opt out.
Seriously.
Opt Out.
I propose that we all rise up and "Opt Out of Everything", demand that our data becomes OUR property and accessible by US when WE want it. Morgan Spurlock's "Inside Man" showed a harrowing example of what the corporations, government and sites online are doing with our information. It also showed how it is nearly impossible for us to request our own information, but if we want to snoop into another party's information, it's a simple as a few mouse clicks and a search.
In order to make a dent in this nonsense, we all have to decide that we want to have our privacy back. This will take some time, as we have been conditioned to just accept the "Terms and Conditions" of everything we use, which allows companies to take our data and use it however they see fit. They sell this information in massive quantities to as many people who want to buy it.
Opt out.
Seriously.
Opt Out.
Inalienable - Not subject to transfer.
Inalienable. Not subject to sale or transfer; inseparable. That which is inalienable cannot be bought, sold, or transferred from one individual to another.
These are the rights, set forth in the constitution of the United States of America, and protects it's people from abuse, tyranny and oppression. The Government does not have the AUTHORITY to remove, transfer, deny or alter our rights and any government that tries, is subject to harsh retaliation from the people of the United States.
Do not allow the government to seize your rights, they simply do not have the power to do so if you choose to stand.
These are the rights, set forth in the constitution of the United States of America, and protects it's people from abuse, tyranny and oppression. The Government does not have the AUTHORITY to remove, transfer, deny or alter our rights and any government that tries, is subject to harsh retaliation from the people of the United States.
Do not allow the government to seize your rights, they simply do not have the power to do so if you choose to stand.
Big Data and Privacy
The sad truth is that privacy in the modern world is a myth. We live in a world where the government, advertising agencies and private parties have access to every single ounce of information we've ever generated. Birth records, fingerprints, cell phones, twitter, facebook, blogs and all of the conveniences we love in life are responsible for tracking every moment of our lives.
What do we do? I propose we demand a government ordered "OptOutOfEverything" campaign to give us a fresh start and a reset button, just like Tyler Durden wanted to do in FightClub.
What is worse is that even if this government program does (magically) happen, how to do we know if they actually do purge the information?
We all need to demand access to our information, the ability to modify and edit it and a general "OptOutOfEverything" option.
What do we do? I propose we demand a government ordered "OptOutOfEverything" campaign to give us a fresh start and a reset button, just like Tyler Durden wanted to do in FightClub.
What is worse is that even if this government program does (magically) happen, how to do we know if they actually do purge the information?
We all need to demand access to our information, the ability to modify and edit it and a general "OptOutOfEverything" option.
9/11 & Our Freedom
The 9/11 attacks on America, undoubtedly, gave us some of the most profound changes to our national security. Since that fateful day, we've launched wars, killed terrorists and made significant changes to our national policies that were very necessary at the time. When the American people witnessed the attacks, there was an immediate need to keep the peace and to establish order.
We allowed the government extra liberties and power, during a national crisis, to help maintain and restore order to the country. We sacrificed a great deal of our American freedoms in order to catch the people responsible for these heinous attacks and to protect our future from additional assaults.
It is time, however, that WE THE PEOPLE take back the authority and demand accountability for the governments actions. We need to stand up and let "big brother" know that we will no longer stand for these injustices, that we do not accept unwarranted intrusions into our privacy, that we do not accept police brutality, that we do not accept militarizing our police forces and that we will no longer accept a government that hides its actions from its people.
Understand that if we do not demand accountability from the government and start to push back against the growing suspicions of FREE AND INNOCENT people, we will eventually pass a point of no return and enter into a dark time where we have no freedom, liberty or justice. A dark time where our country sacrifices the freedom and rights of its people under the auspices of a false threat to the nation.
Tyrannical leaders and corporations are twisting the law and eroding our freedoms, keeping us unhealthy and uneducated, ensuring that we are fearful of one another and dependent on the "Machine" to keep us safe. With poverty levels and unemployment soaring, hunger and starvation present in our country and programs designed to help people being eroded, a systematic effort to eliminate the American Dream has been in place for a long time now.
Never forget, it is up to each and every one of us to demand government accountability and to force the changes we want to see.
The time to act and be free is now. You may not have the opportunity tomorrow.
Who Watches the Watchmen?
With the severe level of surveillance being done to United States Citizens, GPS, Automatic License Plate Tracking, Cellphone Recordings, IP Address Recording and all the rest, it makes me wonder why there are no tracking devices for our police forces? UAV's in the air, recording our movements, police patrol cars on the streets and officers walking on foot, these things should have ACCOUNTABILITY to the point of being tracked as well.
If we are paying these public servants to do these jobs, they should be held accountable for there whereabouts and be tracked with more scrutiny than a free American citizen. Law Enforcement Officers should have a tracking system in place to ensure they are where they are supposed to be, to ensure they are following the law and doing their duties and to be held to a much higher standard than your average citizen.
Police Officers are whining about GPS Tracking for them, saying that "How long will it be before someone hacks into the system to evade police?"
Please. I am not interested in that, that is an issue with the network security just like EVERY OTHER NETWORK out there. What I am concerned about is why the police immediately cry foul when they will be forced to have accountability for their locations, actions and duties. After all, are they not public servants? Are they not doing a PUBLIC job and, as such, should have their PUBLIC duties recorded to ensure fair practices?
If this country was fair, it would ensure that all public officials have a tracking system in place to make sure they are doing their duty. If they go over the speed limit while on duty with no cause? They will get called on it. Police have been doing this for years. What about if they stop off at a friends house to watch a football game during their duty hours? It's happened. What about that clandestine meeting where some "favors" are traded for turning a blind eye?
You bet your ass I want to know what's going on and when the police want to subpena my locations, tracking devices, facial recognition, credit card spending, cell phones, computer IP addresses and everything else, I want to hold them to the same standards.
To put is simply: IF YOU WANT TO KEEP TABS ON US, WE WANT TO KEEP TABS ON YOU.
Don't like it? Then don't force it on us.
If we are paying these public servants to do these jobs, they should be held accountable for there whereabouts and be tracked with more scrutiny than a free American citizen. Law Enforcement Officers should have a tracking system in place to ensure they are where they are supposed to be, to ensure they are following the law and doing their duties and to be held to a much higher standard than your average citizen.
Police Officers are whining about GPS Tracking for them, saying that "How long will it be before someone hacks into the system to evade police?"
Please. I am not interested in that, that is an issue with the network security just like EVERY OTHER NETWORK out there. What I am concerned about is why the police immediately cry foul when they will be forced to have accountability for their locations, actions and duties. After all, are they not public servants? Are they not doing a PUBLIC job and, as such, should have their PUBLIC duties recorded to ensure fair practices?
If this country was fair, it would ensure that all public officials have a tracking system in place to make sure they are doing their duty. If they go over the speed limit while on duty with no cause? They will get called on it. Police have been doing this for years. What about if they stop off at a friends house to watch a football game during their duty hours? It's happened. What about that clandestine meeting where some "favors" are traded for turning a blind eye?
You bet your ass I want to know what's going on and when the police want to subpena my locations, tracking devices, facial recognition, credit card spending, cell phones, computer IP addresses and everything else, I want to hold them to the same standards.
To put is simply: IF YOU WANT TO KEEP TABS ON US, WE WANT TO KEEP TABS ON YOU.
Don't like it? Then don't force it on us.
Surveillance Intrusions
The United States Government claims a broad and sweeping authority, under the Patriot Act to collect a record of every single phone call made by every single American "on an ongoing daily basis." This program not only exceeds the authority of the government by Congress, but it violates the right of privacy protected by the Fourth Amendment, and the rights of free speech and association protected by the First Amendment.
Despite how many demands have been made to the NSA and other organizations operating under the Patriot Act, no actual reports of the extent of these intrusions have been given or any sufficient information provided to govern the limits of the extent of the surveillance on American citizens.
What I don't understand is how the American People can stand by and allow this to happen. If enough people rally under a banner of ACCOUNTABILITY the United States Government, The National Security Agency and all of the other organizations hiding behind the Patriot Act will have to cease and desist these unconstitutional broad-spectrum intrusions into our privacy and will be held accountable for the past decade of lawless behavior.
Stand up for your rights as American Citizens. If you don't ... who will?
Despite how many demands have been made to the NSA and other organizations operating under the Patriot Act, no actual reports of the extent of these intrusions have been given or any sufficient information provided to govern the limits of the extent of the surveillance on American citizens.
What I don't understand is how the American People can stand by and allow this to happen. If enough people rally under a banner of ACCOUNTABILITY the United States Government, The National Security Agency and all of the other organizations hiding behind the Patriot Act will have to cease and desist these unconstitutional broad-spectrum intrusions into our privacy and will be held accountable for the past decade of lawless behavior.
Stand up for your rights as American Citizens. If you don't ... who will?
Cops: The Good Guys
I've been getting some interesting correspondence about these blog posts and I wanted to point something out, just to clarify, for those who may be wondering.
NOT ALL POLICE ARE CORRUPT.
There are some officers who actually do believe the creed and oath they take, who understand that it is their sworn duty to protect and serve the people and to put real criminals behind bars. These officers are the shining stars of the Police Force and they represent exactly what all police officers should strive to be.
The unfortunate truth, however, is that there are a lot of officers who when they are given a badge, they believe that it gives them some power higher than the law. That somehow they become an authority beyond reproach of the law and that it gives them a new set of rights and laws to abide by.
When you encounter a police officer please keep in mind that, for the most part, they are just as nervous as you are and that they are just as aware of the threat that YOU could potentially pose to them. Unfortunately, some police officers take this potential threat to extremes, but most of the time they just want to be able to go home to their families at the end of the day.
Based on the low-end estimate of traffic encounters, the risk of homicide during a traffic stop ranged from a low of one in ten million in 1988 and 1990 to a high of one in 4.6 million in 1991. On average, over a ten-year period, the risk of homicide to a police officer during a traffic encounter was one in 6.7 million.
There is no evidence that these estimates have raised much since that time, keeping the average police assault at these stops still in the ONE in SIX MILLION chance. While these numbers may still be frightening, they do not give any reason or right to abuse authority by treating every stop as a guaranteed threat on your life.
Right now (4/24/2014) there are petitions in place to send police officers to special training to ensure that they are instructed on how to interact with CIVILIANS and not some sort of enemy combatant, training to reeducate police that they are not in a war (as current training would have them believe) and that they should not treat average American citizens as enemy soldiers or threats.
I, personally, agree with this need.
NOT ALL POLICE ARE CORRUPT.
There are some officers who actually do believe the creed and oath they take, who understand that it is their sworn duty to protect and serve the people and to put real criminals behind bars. These officers are the shining stars of the Police Force and they represent exactly what all police officers should strive to be.
The unfortunate truth, however, is that there are a lot of officers who when they are given a badge, they believe that it gives them some power higher than the law. That somehow they become an authority beyond reproach of the law and that it gives them a new set of rights and laws to abide by.
When you encounter a police officer please keep in mind that, for the most part, they are just as nervous as you are and that they are just as aware of the threat that YOU could potentially pose to them. Unfortunately, some police officers take this potential threat to extremes, but most of the time they just want to be able to go home to their families at the end of the day.
Based on the low-end estimate of traffic encounters, the risk of homicide during a traffic stop ranged from a low of one in ten million in 1988 and 1990 to a high of one in 4.6 million in 1991. On average, over a ten-year period, the risk of homicide to a police officer during a traffic encounter was one in 6.7 million.
There is no evidence that these estimates have raised much since that time, keeping the average police assault at these stops still in the ONE in SIX MILLION chance. While these numbers may still be frightening, they do not give any reason or right to abuse authority by treating every stop as a guaranteed threat on your life.
Right now (4/24/2014) there are petitions in place to send police officers to special training to ensure that they are instructed on how to interact with CIVILIANS and not some sort of enemy combatant, training to reeducate police that they are not in a war (as current training would have them believe) and that they should not treat average American citizens as enemy soldiers or threats.
I, personally, agree with this need.
The American Dream
In the America I envision, due process, freedom and liberty are given to everyone and the courts, police and media would see people as Innocent Until Proven Guilty. Unfortunately, in the America I wake up to see, some people are Guilty before they ever get a chance to prove their innocence.
I fly an American Flag from sun up to sun down. It is taken from its case and the pole with all prescribed honor and dignity, a ritual worthy of a great nations symbol of freedom and liberty. I believe in America and the freedoms we used to have. I believe in an America where people actually stopped to say hello to a stranger, rather than automatically assuming them guilty of something.
I believe in an America where the PEOPLE gave government authority and those elected officials, agencies and organizations were held accountable for their actions. When the threat of impeachment was a real and serious threat, one that carried weight and power. I believe in an America where the freedom to peacefully protest was a right and that the assembled police force was there to protect the PROTESTOR and not to abuse, incriminate and assault them.
I have a great deal of hope for America, but in order to see actual change, Americans need to stand up, read, get involved and become willing to make the hard choice to fight for the right things, to stand together and unify. Once we become "ONE NATION" again, then the injustice and criminal behavior of our government will be called into question and those responsible will be held accountable.
There was once a dream ... a dream of a nation of free men and women who fought against Tyranny and would never stand for it in their country. This dream was America.
Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, people stopped dreaming.
I fly an American Flag from sun up to sun down. It is taken from its case and the pole with all prescribed honor and dignity, a ritual worthy of a great nations symbol of freedom and liberty. I believe in America and the freedoms we used to have. I believe in an America where people actually stopped to say hello to a stranger, rather than automatically assuming them guilty of something.
I believe in an America where the PEOPLE gave government authority and those elected officials, agencies and organizations were held accountable for their actions. When the threat of impeachment was a real and serious threat, one that carried weight and power. I believe in an America where the freedom to peacefully protest was a right and that the assembled police force was there to protect the PROTESTOR and not to abuse, incriminate and assault them.
I have a great deal of hope for America, but in order to see actual change, Americans need to stand up, read, get involved and become willing to make the hard choice to fight for the right things, to stand together and unify. Once we become "ONE NATION" again, then the injustice and criminal behavior of our government will be called into question and those responsible will be held accountable.
There was once a dream ... a dream of a nation of free men and women who fought against Tyranny and would never stand for it in their country. This dream was America.
Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, people stopped dreaming.
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