Missouri Voters to Consider State Privacy Amendment With National Implications

In a referendum that could ultimately have national implications, Missouri voters will go to the polls Aug. 5 with the opportunity to add protection for electronic data and communications to their state constitution. 

Amendment 9 would give “electronic data and communications” the same state constitutional protections as “persons, homes, papers and effects.” This would eliminate any constitutional ambiguity surrounding electronic data and specifically bar state agencies from accessing it without a warrant in most cases. 

By prohibiting state agents from “accessing” warrantless electronic data, it would make such data gathered by federal agencies such as the NSA and shared with state and local law enforcement inadmissible in state criminal proceedings. 

Judge Napolitano:The 4th Amendment Was Written Specifically to Prevent NSA Spying

RCP


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1984 Day: Why People Are Protesting The NSA

We Are Change

August 4th, 2013 was declared 1984 Day by many people around the country who went out in their cities to protest the NSA spying program. In NYC, people protested the NSA spying program among other government violations of the 4th amendment such as Stop and Frisk and the NYPD's surveillance of Muslims.


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NSA Spying Protected From Any Challenges Under The Fourth Amendment

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Independence Day Activism: Restore the Fourth

Restore the Fourth

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CISPA Will Legalize PRISM Spy Program

Eric Blair

Give them an inch and they will take a mile. That is how power-hungry tyrants interpret any law.

The PATRIOT Act and the FISA court led to the blanket wiretapping of every American citizen and a PRISM lens into all Internet activity for the NSA.

Now we are supposed to trust this Peeping Tom government by giving them more authority for "cybersecurity" with the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA)?

As George W. Bush once eloquently said with his patented deer-in-the-headlights conviction "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me, you can't get fooled again, see."

Oh, I bet the American people will get fooled again. But it's not their fault. When authority figures tell bald-faced lies to the public, most people instinctively want to believe them because the majority of people are honest and perceive others to be honest.

Obama won the presidency promising to overturn Bush's draconian destruction of civil liberties in the name of fighting terror. The majority of Americans took Obama at his word and gave him the benefit of the doubt. Until now.

Reuters reports today that the NSA spying scandal may "complicate" Obama's agenda for cybersecurity:

Renewed concerns about the spy agency's domestic surveillance programs could also hamper efforts to give it a broader role in defending the country's infrastructure, and put pressure on lawmakers to update laws protecting online privacy, say congressional aides and defense and security experts. 

"They're going to make it harder to do the work that is now going on," said former chief Pentagon weapons buyer Mike Wynne, who also served as Air Force secretary from 2005 to 2008. 

Wynne said growing unease about domestic surveillance could have a chilling effect on proposed cyber legislation that calls for greater information-sharing between government and industry.

But this is laughable. The U.S. government already has been illegally using the authority in CISPA prior to it being codified into law. At least everything Hitler did was "legal" before he did it.

PRISM reportedly forces Internet companies to hand over information to the NSA and FBI. Some even allow a backdoor to their servers. This program has been in place for several years according to reports.

The only difference between the secretive PRISM project and CISPA is that under CISPA personal data will be given to the civilian Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon by communications companies instead of the NSA. Like that matters.

But even this is just window dressing for public consumption because Obama already has authorized these moves with the secret Presidential Policy Directive 20 and an Executive Order.

Presidential Directive 20 shows that the government is drawing up a target list for offensive cyber strikes overseas, and the Executive Order outlines the flow of illegally obtained data of online activity to the DHS, NSA, and other agencies.
Yes, the Pentagon already assumed the role of engaging in cyber war as part of their "operational domain" for "offensive operations", again prior to any legal authority. In July 2011, the Pentagon announced "The United States reserves the right, under the laws of armed conflict, to respond to serious cyber attacks with a proportional and justified military response at the time and place of our choosing."

Their "authority" was later affirmed in the infamous 2012 NDAA which gave the U.S. military the right to launch a global offensive cyber war against perceived threats.

Section 954 of the NDAA titled Military Activities in Cyberspacereceived no debate in Congress as well as in the media. The section states clearly:

Congress affirms that the Department of Defense has the capability, and upon direction by the President may conduct offensive operations in cyberspace to defend our Nation, Allies and interests.

And thanks to whistleblowers we know that telecom companies have been cooperating with government spooks for years.

Significantly, all of this occurred without any public debate, probably because lawmakers understand that it's a gross violation of the 4th Amendment which guarantees privacy to American citizens.

Indeed, the NSA issued a secret memo urging lawmakers to "rethink" the 4th Amendment. This recently declassified memo from 2001 reads:

The Fourth Amendment is as applicable to eSIGINT as it is to the SIGINT of yesterday and today. The Information Age will however cause us to rethink and reapply the procedures, policies and authorities born in an earlier electronic surveillance environment.

Is it any wonder why Americans no longer trust their government? 

As President Obama said in his press conference defending the secret spying program: "If Americans don't trust government, we're going to have some problems."

Yes, as Reuters reports, the Administration may have problems legalizing their illegal activity. And if the people are paying attention, this Administration may have even bigger problems than that.

Read other articles by Eric Blair Here
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Sen. Paul Introduces Fourth Amendment Protection Act

Today, Sen. Rand Paul took to the Senate floor to introduce and speak about his amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012, H.R.5949. The amendment, known as the Fourth Amendment Protection Act and co-sponsored by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) extends Fourth Amendment guarantees to electronic communications and requires specific warrants granted through FISA courts in order to obtain this information.

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Update: Armed SWAT Teams To Patrol Streets In Arkansas City

Update: Rita Sklar, executive director of ACLU-Arkansas, said that aspects of Paragould Police Chief Todd Stovall's plan to have officers dressed in SWAT gear and armed with AR-15 assault rifles demanding ID from citizens in high crime areas shows that he has "zero understanding of Constitutional rights, period." Meanwhile, the Paragould PD issued a statement yesterday cancelling further town hall meetings on the proposal, citing "public safety" concerns after a growing backlash about the proposal. Read Full Article

Donna Anderson
Infowars.com
December 17, 2012

Paragould, Arkansas Mayor Mike Gaskill and Police Chief Todd Stovall announced at a December 14 Town Hall meeting that beginning in 2013 the streets of their city were going to be patrolled by police officers bearing SWAT gear and AR-15s. “If you’re out walking, we’re going to stop you, ask why you’re out walking, and check for your ID.”

The move comes in response to a recent increase in violent crime. In a city with a population of only 26,113, Paragould had 86 rapes, robberies and assaults in 2010 and those numbers are expected to nearly double for 2012. Paragould currently has a City-Data crime index rating of 465.0, well above the national average of 309.3.

Property crime statistics in Paragould are even more alarming. While the national average for burglary, theft and auto theft is at 7 for every 1,000 people, the Paragould average is 20.14.

Police Chief Stovall told citizens attending the Town Hall meeting that he did not consult an attorney before making plans to institute what he considers martial law. He also announced that task force members could stop anyone they wanted to and didn’t even need to be looking for a specific suspect on the streets.

According to Stovall, any individual who does not produce identification could be charged with obstructing a governmental operation.

Smart Meters: Another attack on the 4th Amendment

Marti Oakley, Contributing Writer
Activist Post

The total surveillance system known as “SMART GRID” is meeting steady resistance as the public, wary of yet another assault on their privacy and freedom under the guise of some euphemistically named police state program, fight back against the installations of SMART METERS.  The public isn’t buying the “energy efficiency, green solution, this will save you money” propaganda put out by the manufacturers of the meters and the government. Especially when the reports of electric bills tripling and quadrupling after installation of the meters, has become so prevalent.   

On the face of many of these meters is the word “Echelon”.  The same name used to identify one of the most unconstitutional spying and wiretapping programs ever devised and used in the war on the American public.

From OPM Security:

Final Senate Version of TSA Bill Authorizes Invasive Groping

Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars

Despite Texas lawmakers claiming otherwise, the final Senate version of a bill that purports to criminalize invasive pat downs actually authorizes the TSA to continue groping travelers, mandating only that they need “reasonable suspicion” to indicate that the person may be carrying a prohibited object, which could easily be claimed if the person sets off a metal detector or refuses to undergo a full body scan.



Essentially, after weeks of federal threats and deliberate sabotage, the legislation passed by the Senate last night gives the TSA carte blanche to continue business as usual, because the language of the bill is completely toothless.

Surprise! TSA Is Searching Your Subway, Truck, Ferry, Bus, AND Plane

Source

Jen Phillips 
Mother Jones

Think you could avoid the TSA's body scanners and pat-downs by taking Amtrak? Think again. Even your daily commute isn't safe from TSA screenings. And because the TSA is working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, you may have your immigration status examined along with your "junk".

As part of the TSA's request for FY 2012 funding, TSA Administrator John Pistole told Congress last week that the TSA conducts 8,000 unannounced security screenings every year. These screenings, conducted with local law enforcement agencies as well as immigration, can be as simple as checking out cargo at a busy seaport. But more and more, they seem to involve giving airport-style pat-downs and screenings of unsuspecting passengers at bus terminals, ferries, and even subways. These surprise visits are part of the TSA's VIPR program: Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response. The VIPR program first started doing searches in 2007, and has grown since then. Currently, the TSA only has 25 VIPR teams doing these impromptu searches: in 2012, it wants to get 12 more.

Read Full Article 

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Texas Senator Compares TSA Fight To Revolutionary War

Stand-off over TSA grope-down bill another “come and take it” moment for Texas

Sen. Dan Patrick

Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet

The Texas Senator at the forefront of the fight against invasive TSA pat-downs has likened the stand-off between state and federal authorities over a bill that would criminalize TSA groping to the revolutionary war against Mexico, calling the situation a “Come and Take It” moment once again for Texas.

In a message to constituents welcoming Governor Rick Perry’s decision to place SB 29 on the agenda of a special legislative session, State Senator Dan Patrick, the leading sponsor of the bill, said that Texas would prevail in the battle against the feds and become the “symbol of freedom and liberty for the rest of the nation.”

“And like the Texas Revolution it was our citizens rising up to make their voice heard. It just makes us remember why we love Texas,” wrote Patrick, adding, “This is a “Come and Take It” moment once again for Texas.”

“For those who ask how can a state pass a law that trumps federal law, there is no federal law requiring these invasive searches. It is simply TSA policy. As a legislator I have a right and a duty to protect our citizens liberty. We should not be threatened or bullied by the Federal Government simply because we choose to stand up for our rights,” said Patrick.

You're Going to Need a Warrant For That, Officer

FBI Tracking Device found on American citizen's car
without a warrant. (Source)

Sandra Fulton
ACLU

Last year Yasir Afifi, a 20-year-old U.S.-born citizen, found a strange device attached to his car. When he posted a photo of it online, the FBI showed up at his home two days later. They wanted their GPS tracking device back. The FBI had been tracking Afifi’s movement for months without his knowing about it. Moreover, the agency did so without a warrant and apparently based on the flimsy rationale that his friend wrote a blog they felt was questionable. This type of warrantless tracking seems to be an increasingly common government practice.

Following this incident, as well as revelations about how much location information Apple and Google are storing about their customers, there has been a significant public outcry over the privacy of location information. Congress has held a number of hearings on the topic and today Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) introduced companion bills in the Senate and House, respectively, to protect location privacy. The bills not only require law enforcement to get a warrant based on probable cause before accessing location information, but also regulate the use of this information by businesses. With location tracking cases popping up all over the country, this would provide a strong and clear national standard for law enforcement.

"TSA Agents" Execute Grope Downs At Texas Capitol and Thank State Senators For Their Subservience (Video)

YouTube -- Texans4AcctGovt

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Private Property ASSAULT: City Government demands all keys to properties (Video)

Youtube

Ordinance #2740 (An unfunded city-wide mandate) was passed with a resounding 6 to 1 vote, and it allows for the citizens of Cedar Falls to forcefully give the government keys to their comercial properties through universal 'lock boxes'. The intent of the program is to provide increased safety and protection to personal, private property which include businesses, apartments and some rental houses-- which by the way-- comes at the expense of furthering wayward erosion of fundamental constitutional rights.

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The War on Drugs and the Surveillance Society

NORML image

Jay Stanley
ACLU

June 2011 marks the 40th anniversary of President Richard Nixon's declaration of a "war on drugs" — a war that has cost roughly a trillion dollars, has produced little to no effect on the supply of or demand for drugs in the United States, and has contributed to making America the world's largest incarcerator. Throughout the month, check back daily for posts about the drug war, its victims and what needs to be done to restore fairness and create effective policy.

Wars have the effect of building the power of the government security establishment. World War I, World War II, the Cold War, and the “war on terror” helped transform America from a country that was deeply suspicious of standing armies, to today’s “Top Secret America” in which gigantic security agencies, shielded from public oversight by a veil of secrecy, have sweeping powers to spy on their own citizens.

These wars have transformed America from a place where most people’s interactions with employees of the federal government was limited to their postmaster, into one in which millions of citizens routinely face sometimes intimidating government agents checking their papers, ordering them about, searching them, groping their genitals, and putting their hands down their pants, as in today’s airline security lines.

Texans For Accountable Government Call TSA's "No-Fly Zone" Bluff - Fox National Coverage (Video)

YouTube -- Texans4AcctGovt


Hat tip to Jack Blood at Deadline Live for the video submission. Visit now for great commentary and  activist news.

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