To this day, many countries around the world maintain a tight grip on dissent.
Students in Thailand have been arrested for using a three-fingered salute they saw in the movie Hunger Games.
In Turkey, Twitter, Youtube, and other social media sites have been blocked. And in Russia the word “crisis” has been banned from use in public.
You can see the backlash of insecure governments against the free expression of their citizens everywhere.
There was a time long ago when the US was a refreshing outlier in this trend.
At the time of its founding, the Land of the Free took a bold stance in asserting that its citizens all had a number of inalienable rights.
But gradually these rights have been chipped away, particularly in this century as we’ve seen the rise of a tradeoff between liberty and security. . . .Read Complete Report
Congress has just passed the Intelligence Authorization Act for 2015, which grants the executive branch not only the ability to spy on American citizens private communications, but also the legal authority to turn that information over to local law enforcement.
All of this can be done without any court order being granted, all in the name of ‘fighting terror’, of course. . . . Read Complete Report
Been wondering what has happened with the Sandy Hook case? Want many of the weird questions settled? The legislature of Connecticut has been bypassing normal open procedures to craft a bill behind closed doors that would, if passed, keep basic evidence of the crime forever behind closed doors
Recently, we told you about a rather watered-down version of a nullification bill that Kansas passed and Governor Brownback signed. The gist of it was that federal or state agents attempting to enforce unconstitutional gun laws on Kansas-made firearms would face felony charges and prosecution. It may have been watered down, but it offended Attorney General Eric Holder enough that he had to issue a fast and furious response. Here’s what he wrote in part in a letter to the Kansas Governor:
“In purporting to override federal law and to criminalize the official acts of federal officers, SB102 directly conflicts with federal law and is therefore unconstitutional. … Under the Supremacy Clause…Kansas may not prevent federal employees and officials from carrying out their official responsibilities. And a state certainly may not criminalize the exercise of federal responsibilities. Because SB102 conflicts with federal firearms laws and regulations, federal law supercedes this new statute; all provisions of federal laws and their implementing regulations therefore continue to apply.” . . . Read Complete Report
The state Senate approved the measure, 42-4. The action sends the bill to Gov. Martin O’Malley, who indicated he is likely to sign it. . . . Read Complete Report
What do P-Diddy, Cameron Diaz, Nicki Minaj, Ron Howard and Mark Wahlberg all have in common? Aside from being ridiculously famous and wealthy, they all support the reformation of drug laws in this country. More than 175 actors, artists, athletes and elected officials signed on to an open letter to President Obama today, asking him to change our drug policy laws from punitive, harsh jail times to one that favors evidence- based prevention and rehabilitation. . . . Read Complete Report
For 21 years, Palos Park attorney James Gierach has been trying to convince elected officials and the public that the war on drugs is a failure. . . . From discription published with video.
Kentucky Industrial Hemp Legislation Becomes Law Without Governor’s Signature
by Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director
April 5, 2013
On Friday, April 5th, Governor Steve Beshear of Kentucky stated that he will let Kentucky’s industrial hemp measure become law without his signature. Gov. Beshear had expressed concerns that marijuana growers could hide their illegal growing operations with hemp plants. Despite his concerns, he allowed the measure to become law without his signature and did not veto the legislation. . . . Read Complete Report
Bill to Legalize and Regulate Marijuana Introduced in Alabama
by Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director
April 5, 2013
Many traditionally write off the Southern United States as an area dead to cannabis law reform, but one Representative is behind a new effort that can change all of that. . . . Read Complete Report
Americans have been too passive in dealing with the liberal/socialist/communists in our country. Its time to pick a fight and the “Tea Teams” are forming up.
Did Henry Ford really make a car out of hemp? Was the Declaration of Independence written on hemp paper? Did Abraham Lincoln use hemp oil in his lamps?
The hemp plant, a variety of Cannabis sativa that’s the subject of this week’s cover story “Green Acres,” is steeped in lore. Some hemp legends are true. Others are half-true, and some are completely false. Here, we present ten hemp myths culled from the Internet — and attempt to separate the fact from the fiction.
George Washington Grew & Used Hemp at Mount Vernon – Hemp History Week
Uploaded on Jun 15, 2010
A group of hemp farming supporters visited Mount Vernon during Hemp History Week, May 17 – 23, 2010, and were taken on an educational tour exploring George Washington’s farming and use of industrial hemp. Tour guides show the areas where hemp was grown at Mount Vernon as well as how George Washington used hemp for textiles, fish nets and other purposes. More info at Hemp History Week: http://www.HempHistoryWeek.com
A new bill would eliminate civil forfeiture in Tennessee. Unlike criminal forfeiture, under civil forfeiture police do not need to convict or even charge a property owner before seizing his property. Civil forfeiture turns “innocent until proven guilty” on its head by forcing owners to prove their innocence to recover the seized property.
In good news for property owners across the Volunteer State, State Rep. Barrett Rich, a former Tennessee state trooper, has introduced HB 1078. If the bill passes, seizing property would require a warrant. In addition, forfeiture and title transfer of property would take place only under due process of law and if “the owner of the property in question is prosecuted and convicted.” The bill has one other cosponsor, Rep. Joey Hensley, and is currently in committee.
The US Senate has the opportunity to hear discussion before a vote on renewing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, but they might not even bother. Although reauthorizing FISA and the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 (FAA) would allow the government to warrantlessly wiretap the emails and phones of millions of Americans, one Republican senator has asked his colleagues on Capitiol Hill to approve the bill without debate. Will Congress skip discussions in order to renew FISA for another five years? Liz Wahl speaks with RT producer Adriana Usero about what the FISA vote means for personal privacy in the US.
