Who decides what is "un-American" and what do they base that on, it is at the whim of someone else, that might not agree with you and because of that you make me "un American".
Fusion center director: We don’t spy on Americans, just anti-government Americans
Law enforcement intelligence-processing fusion centers have long come under attack for spying on Americans. The Arkansas director wanted to clarify the truth: centers only spies on some Americans – those who appear to be a threat to the government.
In trying to clear up the ‘misconceptions’ about the conduct of fusion centers, Arkansas State Fusion Center Director Richard Davis simply confirmed Americans’ fears: the center does in fact spy on Americans – but only on those who are suspected to be ‘anti-government’.
“The misconceptions are that we are conducting spying operations on US citizens, which is of course not a fact. That is absolutely not what we do,” he told the NWA Homepage, which supports KNWA-TV and Fox 24.
After claiming that his office ‘absolutely’ does not spy on Americans, he proceeded to explain that this does not apply to those who could be interpreted as a ‘threat’ to national security. Davis said his office places its focus on international plots, “domestic terrorism and certain groups that are anti-government. We want to kind of take a look at that and receive that information.”
But the First Amendment allows for the freedom of speech and opinion, making it lawfully acceptable for Americans to express their grievances against the US government. The number of anti-government groups even hit a record high in 2012, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Many of these groups are ‘hate groups’ that express disdain for minorities. But unless they become violent, these groups are legally allowed to exist.
“We are seeing the fourth straight year of really explosive growth on the part of anti-government patriot groups and militias,” Mark Potok, senior fellow at the SPLC, told Mother Jones. “That’s 913 percent in growth. We’ve never seen that kind of growth in any group we cover.”
And with a record-high number of anti-government groups, fusion centers may be spying on more Americans than ever before – or at least, have the self-proclaimed right to do so.
“I do what I do because of what happened on 9/11,” Davis said. “There’s this urge and this feeling inside that you want to do something, and this is a perfect opportunity for me.”
But Davis’ argument is flawed: in order to determine whether or not someone is considered a threat to national security, fusion centers would first have to spy on Americans to weed out the suspected individuals, and then proceed to spy on the ‘anti-government’ individuals further.
Across the US, fusion centers have reported on individuals who conducted ‘crimes’ like putting political stickers in public bathrooms or participating in movements against the death penalty. In October, the bipartisan Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations finished a two-year investigation on fusion centers, only to find that the centers had directly violated constitutionally protected civil liberties.
“In reality, the Subcommittee investigation found that the fusion centers often produced irrelevant, useless or inappropriate intelligence reporting to DHS, and many produced no intelligence reporting whatsoever,” the report stated.
And the privacy violations could soon become worse: RT previously reported that the FBI’s proposed facial recognition project could provide fusion centers with more personal data to work with. With at least 72 fusion centers across the US and technology that could further infringe upon privacy rights, government agencies will be able to more efficiently collect data on Americans solely for exercising their freedom of speech.
http://rt.com/usa/fusion-center-director-spying-070/
Again, what is up
10 tips and tactics for investigating Sovereign Citizens
Sovereign Citizens can be an investigative challenge — much of their personal identification information, such as birth certificates, driver’s licenses, or vehicle tags are fraudulent documents
Law enforcement officers across the country are experiencing a growing number of contacts with Sovereign Citizens — individuals and groups who possess a strong anti-government ideology.
Because they believe the government, its representatives, laws, and policies are illegitimate, Sovereign Citizens regularly find themselves in conflict with the law. Although it’s difficult to accurately access their numbers, it is safe to say that since 2000, their numbers and the violent incidents associated with them have increased at an alarming rate.
Here, I’ll provide you with some investigative tips and suggestions should you encounter a Sovereign Citizen, but, I’d be remiss if I did not take a moment to emphasize that whether you’re dealing with a novice or a hardliner Sovereign Citizen, the prospect of violent action and threats to officer safety should never be taken for granted.
1.) Proceed with Caution
The threat to officer safety posed by Sovereign Citizens is well known. One must look no further than the tragic deaths of Sergeant Brandon Paudert and Officer Bill Evans of the West Memphis Police Department in order to understand the risk of spontaneous violence from self-proclaimed Sovereign Citizens.
I strongly suggest to any officer encountering a suspected Sovereign Citizen to proceed with extreme caution, employing all necessary tactical officer safety precautions.
One of the first things to recognize is that a Sovereign Citizen is likely to be argumentative with police authorities. They may proclaim themselves as Sovereign Citizens right from the beginning or they may simply challenge your right or authority to stop/detain them.
They may question your authority or where you derive your jurisdiction and inform you that they do not believe in the United States Constitution or any other “illegitimate” government documents from which police powers are derived.
2.) Don't Let Them Throw You Off Your Game
Don’t get pulled into a battle of wits based upon Sovereign Citizen rhetoric. Many Sovereign Citizens speak as if they are reading from a script. Often, their mantra is intended simply to throw you off your game.
Too often our egos kick in whenever our authority is challenged and we end up arrogantly contributing to the escalation of an argument rather than guiding its de-escalation.
I encourage you to be knowledgeable about the Constitution, the laws of your state, and your enforcement options. With Sovereign Citizens, I suggest you try to deescalate any situation when you have the opportunity to do so. Also, recognize that the Sovereign Citizen may attempt to videotape your encounter.
3.) Remain Calm, Professional, and On Task
Don’t engage in an argument — explain your purpose or intentions as you would in any other circumstance. The fact that you are being challenged does not change your training or what lawful enforcement actions are available to you.
On YouTube and elsewhere on the internet, there are some great examples of officer/sovereign encounters where officers remain professional and task oriented despite being confronted and challenged.
I would also encourage you to take a moment and watch a brief safety video offered by West Memphis Police Chief Bob Paudert, father of Sergeant Brandon Paudert, regarding the dangers of Sovereign Citizens.
4.) Watch for Fraudulent Documents
Sovereign Citizens can be an investigative challenge. Much of their personal identification information, such as birth certificates, driver’s licenses, or vehicle tags are fraudulent documents. When asked to provide a name, they may respond that they don’t have a name.
They may identify themselves as “the representative of…(their legal name).”
If you do receive a name, it may be a “sovereign” name, compounded with “El” or “Bey” and intended to denounce their association with the name provided them by a government entity.
Be sure to document all known aliases.
5.) Gather Intelligence
Another challenge faced by investigators is the fact that the Sovereign Citizen movement is not an organized civil or criminal enterprise. It’s a fractured series of loosely affiliated individuals who adhere to anti-government ideologies.
This lack of organization does little to help investigators to get a foothold. However, the more we are able to learn about these unique individuals, the better armed we will be for future encounters and successful prosecutions.
Despite the challenges posed by Sovereign Citizens, intelligence gathering will be our most valuable investigative tool. Therefore, officers should conduct thorough background checks based upon the information he or she is able to gather.
Obviously, we will look at their criminal records but go beyond that. Make use of every database you can think of, including social media to learn as much as you can. Consider the areas they frequent, the vehicles they drive, the people they associate with, their interests, hobbies, family, their parole or probationary status, employment or social service benefits status, prior drug/alcohol abuse, scars, marks, tattoos, and possible weapons in the home.
Interestingly, as much as they proclaim their disdain for the government, they are known to take full advantage of all the government is willing to give them. You’ll see below that as much as they admonish our justice system, they are happy to try to use it against us.
6.) Interview and Debrief
Upon arrest, make it a point to talk to these individuals. I don’t mean interrogate them; I mean interview/debrief them. Attempt to learn as much as you can about them.
I like to begin with “an information sheet.” This is a form that gathers general but pertinent information about them. Not only name, D.O.B., address, phone number and physical description, but where they work, who they reside with, their marital status, children, emergency contact information, who they might stay with in the event of an emergency, etc…
This seems like a standard part of arrestee processing, but what it actually does is gathering intelligence while establishing a dialogue that helps them acquire a level of comfort with being questioned.
Proceed by asking curious questions about their Sovereign status. Your posture should be one of understanding rather than confrontation. In a non-arrest situation, I advise officers to complete and submit FI reports detailing as much information as possible.
Informants, family, friends or other associates also have relevance with regard to sovereigns. These associations may help you determine, locations, hideouts, vehicles, weapons caches or other useful information toward building a case.
7.) Share Information
Communicate all the information you gathered with specialized units within your department or agency. Some departments have an intelligence unit which gathers and records as much information on Sovereign Citizens in as possible. Communicate with neighboring jurisdictions, state and federal authorities, prosecutors and even your local attorney general’s office.
One reason to share this information is the FBI has recently deemed Sovereign Citizens “paper terrorists.”
Sovereign Citizens have been known to inundate the courts with false or fraudulent documents intended to file lawsuits against law enforcement and other judicial or government officials. Sovereigns may also attempt to place a lien against your personal property.
Only a handful of states have laws in place to protect public officials from such claims and allow law enforcement to criminally charge sovereigns for such false filings. Therefore, sharing all the information you gather will help to keep everyone informed should you be targeted.
8.) Conduct Surveillance and Search Warrants
Conducting surveillance is another beneficial investigative effort. Not only might you want to target them visually but, depending on the circumstances and laws within your state, you may want to consider applying a GPS unit on a target vehicle or installing pole cameras in known sovereign territory.
Surveillance will not only serve the purpose of gathering intelligence but also provides vital officer safety information should a search warrant execution be required.
Conduct search warrants whenever probable cause exists. Obviously, an officer will document the probable cause contributing to the case but, if possible, include intelligence/background information on known or suspected sovereigns and their anti-government ideologies.
Include items to search for such as anti-government papers, pamphlets, books, false documents, weapons, and the like.
Their computers and electronic data storage devices can contain information on social media and other websites visited. Hard drives can be of tremendous evidentiary value.
9.) Use Tact, Patience, and Persistence
Don’t get caught up in the rhetoric and remain task oriented. Work hard to learn as much as you can about sovereigns through traditional and non-traditional methods and share what you’ve learned.
Ask questions and seek the advice of those investigators who have had frequent contact with sovereigns.
10.) Above All, Stay Safe
Be creative, be thorough, but most of all when it comes to Sovereign Citizens…be safe!
http://www.policeone.com/investigations/articles/6176998-10-tips-and-tactics-for-investigating-Sovereign-Citizens/
You need to read the whole article not just the headline
North Carolina May Declare Official State Religion Under New Bill
Republican North Carolina state legislators have proposed allowing an official state religion in a measure that would declare the state exempt from the Constitution and court rulings.
The bill, filed Monday by two GOP lawmakers from Rowan County and backed by nine other Republicans, says each state "is sovereign" and courts cannot block a state "from making laws respecting an establishment of religion." The legislation was filed in response to a lawsuit to stop county commissioners in Rowan County from opening meetings with a Christian prayer, wral.com reported.
The religion bill comes as some Republican-led states seek to separate themselves from the federal government, primarily on the issues of guns and Obamacare. This includes a proposal in Mississippi to establish a state board with the power to nullify federal laws.
The North Carolina bill's main sponsors, state Reps. Carl Ford (R-China Grove) and Harry Warren (R-Salisbury), could not be reached for comment on Tuesday, The Salisbury Post reported. Co-sponsors include House Majority Leader Edgar Starnes (R-Hickory). Another is state Rep. Larry Pittman (R-Concord), who in February introduced a state constitutional amendment that would allow for carrying concealed weapons to fight federal "tyranny."
The bill says the First Amendment only applies to the federal government and does not stop state governments, local governments and school districts from adopting measures that defy the Constitution. The legislation also says that the Tenth Amendment, which says powers not reserved for the federal government belong to the states, prohibits court rulings that would seek to apply the First Amendment to state and local officials.
The bill reads:
SECTION 1. The North Carolina General Assembly asserts that the Constitution of the United States of America does not prohibit states or their subsidiaries from making laws respecting an establishment of religion. SECTION 2. The North Carolina General Assembly does not recognize federal court rulings which prohibit and otherwise regulate the State of North Carolina, its public schools, or any political subdivisions of the State from making laws respecting an establishment of religion.
The North Carolina state constitution disqualifies those who do not believe in God from public office. The provision has been unenforcible since the 1961 Supreme Court decision in Torcaso v. Watkins, which prohibited such bans.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/03/north-carolina-religion-bill_n_3003401.html?ref=topbar
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