wakingtimes--2020-01-06--Tens of Thousands Rally Against War With Iran in Over 70 Cities Across US

People from across the United States heeded calls from the ANSWER Coalition and CODEPINK on Saturday , resulting in protests against a possible U.S. war on Iran in more than 70 cities across 38 U.S. states .
The protests , demanding for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq and ending sanctions on Iran , were called for earlier this week in response to U.S. President Donald Trump ’ s ordering of additional U.S. troops to the Middle East in response to protests following U.S. air strikes .
Tensions quickly increased as the U.S. ordered the assassination of Qassem Soleimani , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Revolutionary Guard Corps ’ Quds Force , and , as a result , the protests quickly morphed into an emergency mobilization aimed at stopping what some fear could become World War III .
Tensions between Iran and the United States are nothing new , but have been steadily increasing ever since Trump formally reneged on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA ) —also known as the Iran nuclear deal—in May of 2018 .
Protesters across the country joined together to demand an end to U.S. presence in Iraq and the Middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran .
During the past nearly 30 years , more than one million Iraqis have died as a direct result of U.S. occupation , sanctions , and bombing , with the U.S. government having spent trillions of dollars .
Trump repeatedly promised on the campaign trail and after taking office that he would put “ America first ” and would bring our troops home .
Instead , he repeatedly and recklessly brings the U.S. on the brink of war with various nations time and time again .
But this far , many believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are fed up with endless wars , concerned about the future for their children , are appalled at the cost of war while the funding of services at home continually falls short , and deeply concerned about the wellbeing of innocent lives in the Middle East , and more .
And so they joined together with one voice on January 4 to tell the Trump administration : “ No War With Iran !
” The Mind Unleashed was live on Facebook from the Minneapolis rally :

Tens of Thousands Rally Against War With Iran in Over 70 Cities Across US
Emma Fiala, The Mind Unleashed
Waking Times
People from across the United States heeded calls from the ANSWER Coalition and CODEPINK on Saturday, resulting in protests against a possible U.S. war on Iran in more than 70 cities across 38 U.S. states.
The protests, demanding for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq and ending sanctions on Iran, were called for earlier this week in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s ordering of additional U.S. troops to the Middle East in response to protests following U.S. air strikes. Tensions quickly increased as the U.S. ordered the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the popular leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, and, as a result, the protests quickly morphed into an emergency mobilization aimed at stopping what some fear could become World War III.
Tensions between Iran and the United States are nothing new, but have been steadily increasing ever since Trump formally reneged on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—also known as the Iran nuclear deal—in May of 2018.
Protesters across the country joined together to demand an end to U.S. presence in Iraq and the Middle East and to no new war with Iran. During the past nearly 30 years, more than one million Iraqis have died as a direct result of U.S. occupation, sanctions, and bombing, with the U.S. government having spent trillions of dollars.
Trump repeatedly promised on the campaign trail and after taking office that he would put “America first” and would bring our troops home. Instead, he repeatedly and recklessly brings the U.S. on the brink of war with various nations time and time again. But this far, many believe, he went too far.
Americans are fed up with endless wars, concerned about the future for their children, are appalled at the cost of war while the funding of services at home continually falls short, and deeply concerned about the wellbeing of innocent lives in the Middle East, and more. And so they joined together with one voice on January 4 to tell the Trump administration: “No War With Iran!”
Alabama
Birmingham:
http://twitter.com/pronemortalform/status/1213576017123643395
Alaska
Fayetteville:
Fayetteville residents take part in a day of protest as tensions between the U.S. and Iran increase @NWAMaryJ MORE: https://t.co/PnbyzHXqMn pic.twitter.com/DIZT8AzkGD — NWADemGaz Photos (@NWADemGazPhotos) January 4, 2020
Arizona
Phoenix:
About 2 dozen protesters gathered near Senator McSally's Phoenix office this morning.
They are against a war with Iran.@Jennifer_Fox10 has more at 5.#fox10phoenix #Iran pic.twitter.com/RdN9FtAJXA — Linda Fox 10 (@lindawfox10) January 4, 2020
'War means death': Phoenix protesters express fear of potential war with Iran after death of military leader. https://t.co/pC7MhOnjiX pic.twitter.com/JTThMqPrCB — azcentral (@azcentral) January 5, 2020
Tucson:
Rally against war on Iran – right now in Tucson. #nowar pic.twitter.com/y7SCxiAoLv — steev hise (@detritus) January 4, 2020
Arkansas
Little Rock:
HAPPENING NOW: Dozens of protestors gathering in downtown Little Rock. They’re protesting a potential war with Iran following a US-backed air strike that killed a high ranking Iranian military official earlier this week.#ARnews pic.twitter.com/1IKOFVmWQv — Scott Schneider (@scott_kark) January 4, 2020
California
Fresno:
DSA Fresno with Peace Fresno out in solidarity against war and U.S. imperialism #NoWarOnIran pic.twitter.com/2PW84D4F0L — DSA Fresno (@dsa_fresno) January 5, 2020
Los Angeles:
Hundreds of anti-war protestors gathered in Perishing Square today in Los Angeles, joining thousands of people across the world calling for the United States to withdraw from the middle east. #MyDayInLA #LosAngeles #NoWarOnIran #WorldWarThree pic.twitter.com/kuFCz6D0RW — Lexis-Olivier Ray (@ShotOn35mm) January 5, 2020
Sacramento:
Several dozen people gathered at K & 9th in Sacramento right now demanding “No War in Iran.” @kcranews pic.twitter.com/S0LyMDEMHW — Brandi Cummings (@KCRABrandi) January 5, 2020
San Diego:
NOW: Protesters with Answer San Diego, Veterans For Peace, & more rallying outside the federal courthouse downtown against #Iran & #Iraq conflicts. Stay w #FOX5SanDiego for the latest. pic.twitter.com/msGrqp7J6W — Liberty Zabala FOX 5 (@Liberty_Zabala) January 4, 2020
San Francisco:
Heading Down 4th street Los Angels #NoWarOnIran pic.twitter.com/5SX1DzIfiU — Jimmy Dore (@jimmy_dore) January 4, 2020
“From Vietnam to Iraq, Syria to Venezuela, Bolivia & Iran. All wars are bullshit!” @jimmy_dore is in the streets #NoWarOnIran #USOutOfIraq pic.twitter.com/ocUJ0eyZPJ — Abby Martin (@AbbyMartin) January 4, 2020
http://twitter.com/jrivanob/status/1213559723598811136
A view from above in #SanFrancisco as organizers introduce various speakers before marching to UN Plaza in protest of war in Iran @sfchronicle pic.twitter.com/8BpbNddAYn — Jessica Christian (@jachristian) January 4, 2020
Colorado
Boulder:
I met a group of activists in #Boulder advocating peace with Iran. pic.twitter.com/fDGSYPb261 — Boaz (@boazhsan) January 4, 2020
Denver:
#NoWarOnIran rally in Denver, one of of 70+ events being held today across the country by @answercoalition, @codepink and other groups in response to the Trump administration’s escalating conflict with Iran pic.twitter.com/bZfLYaJ8MO — Chase Woodruff (@dcwoodruff) January 4, 2020
I’d say at least 250-300 people marching pic.twitter.com/7bUkpF75fG — Chase Woodruff (@dcwoodruff) January 4, 2020
Florida
Gainesville:
Miami:
We had a great #NoWarWithIran rally in Miami pic.twitter.com/8mPVdVZBS2 — Medea Benjamin (@medeabenjamin) January 4, 2020
Georgia
Atlanta:
Joined comrades in Atlanta calling for and end to the occupation of Iraq and No War in Iran! #gapol #NoWarWithIran #NoWarButClassWar pic.twitter.com/24o8JF1hg7 — 🐜 Alexander Hernández🌹 (@nadaytu) January 4, 2020
Idaho
Boise:
Protesters and counter-protesters showed up in #Boise for one of over 70 nationwide protests called by @answercoalition, @PopResistance, @codepink, @VFPNational and many more organizations against the U.S. wars on #Iraq and #Iran. pic.twitter.com/Ra1nyh6fSE — Idaho Joe 🕊🎗🗽⏳💚🧡🖤 Cup o' Joe (@IDJoe4Congress) January 5, 2020
Illinois
Champaign-Urbana:
Chicago:
Marching down Michigan Ave from Wacker #NoWarWithIran pic.twitter.com/8LX3rV1Oiv — Chicago DSA 🌹 (@ChicagoCityDSA) January 4, 2020
Shutting down Lake Shore Drive demanding #NoWarWithIran pic.twitter.com/RWtikxRRWs — Chicago DSA 🌹 (@ChicagoCityDSA) January 4, 2020
Wow!! Chicago’s streets are FLOODED with anti-war protesters today.#NoWarWithIran pic.twitter.com/atXxS9mVWy — Read Mutual Aid by Dean Spade (@JoshuaPotash) January 4, 2020
About a couple thousand people marching on Michigan Avenue right now chanting NO MORE WAR!#NoWarWithIran #NoWarInIran #NoWarOnIran pic.twitter.com/PAhW7s9CoT — BLMChicago (@BLMChi) January 4, 2020
Indiana
Indianapolis
http://twitter.com/timwithlove/status/1213561955551731712
Iowa
Iowa City:
Amazing turnout at the today's anti-war rally in Iowa City despite the short notice and the 30° weather. A huge thanks to the @answercoalition, @WorldBeyondWar and countless others for organizing today's national day of protest and getting the word out. #NoWarInIran pic.twitter.com/jNKCzB0mQG — No Justice No Peace 🌺 (@lesha) January 5, 2020
Kentucky
Louisville:
Numerous groups have come out to Douglass/Bardstown in Louisville today to call for “No War on Iran” and no more American troops in the Middle East following this week’s dramatic events. More than 70 similar protests are planned around the U.S. today. https://t.co/ctfXEbDMzP pic.twitter.com/VCkpX82S3n — Not Ben Tobin (@Billy_Kobin) January 4, 2020
Maine
Portland:
Massachusetts
Boston:
Today on short notice we flooded the streets of downtown Boston, and we'll do it again if we must. No war with Iran. pic.twitter.com/XRTpePkvPR — Boston DSA (@Boston_DSA) January 5, 2020
STOP THE BOMBING
STOP THE WAR
BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW#NOWARONIRAN #NOWARWITHIRAN
BOSTON ANTIWAR PROTEST pic.twitter.com/l3HCTs9sC6 — WEATHER IS HAPPENING (@WEATHERISHAPPEN) January 4, 2020
BOSTON ANTIWAR PROTEST CONTINUES TO MARCH THRU STS OF BOSTON PAST GOVERNMENT PLAZA LO2MID 40S, LITE RAINBLOBS SHULD B FLOATED AWAY B4 6PM WEATHER IS HAPPENING#BOSTON #WEATHER #MAWX#NOWARONIRAN #NOWARWITHIRAN#WEATHERISHAPPENING pic.twitter.com/VbeO7WD5BP — WEATHER IS HAPPENING (@WEATHERISHAPPEN) January 5, 2020
Michigan
Detroit:
100+ people in Detroit for the first protest of 2020 #NoWarOnIran pic.twitter.com/1SGQd9FdFR — Anna Kuipers (@KuipersAnna) January 4, 2020
Minnesota
Minneapolis:
The Mind Unleashed was live on Facebook from the Minneapolis rally:
http://www.facebook.com/TheMindUnleashed/videos/503045587231705/
This was the protest in #Minneapolis today #NoWarOnIran #NoWarWithIran #NoWarInIran #IranWar #Iraq
Proud to stand together with others. Estimated 700 folks showed up. We got a very, very positive response.
Support Our Troops! No War in Iran! 🇺🇲🦅🌎 pic.twitter.com/QXrwPg695R — Lilah (@LalaLemonLemon) January 5, 2020
From Iran to the Philippines, end the US War Machine. #NoWarWithIran pic.twitter.com/ahe7cZPgnn — 🍀 #FreeJulianAssange 🍀 (@bymyelf) January 4, 2020
I have a lot from today's #NoWarWithIran protest in Minneapolis today. I'll share the gallery link when they're all uploaded but I'll post some of my favorites here.. if I can manage to narrow it down. @answercoalition @codepink @AntiwarMN @WomenMarch4Paz pic.twitter.com/oYrIlgVqDQ — 🍀 #FreeJulianAssange 🍀 (@bymyelf) January 5, 2020
Missouri
St Louis:
About 150 protesters gathered outside the Federal Courthouse in St. Louis and spoke out against a possible war with Iran. The protesters marched from the courthouse to the Soldiers Memorial. pic.twitter.com/1NbtdL612q — David Carson (@PDPJ) January 4, 2020
About 150 protesters gathered outside U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay's St. Louis office Saturday afternoon to call for #NoWarInIran. A U.S. airstrike killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad Friday, and Iran's president has vowed revenge. #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/NgxWmCo4Sv — J. Ryne Danielson (@jrynedanielson) January 5, 2020
Photos from the St Louis Rally Against War with Iran from earlier today.#NoWarWithIran pic.twitter.com/MD4Gh6lxq0 — Heather ♿📷📱 (@MissJupiter1957) January 5, 2020
Nevada
Las Vegas:
Out here protesting in Las Vegas against war with Iraq and Iran #NoMoreWar #NoWarWithIran #LasVegas pic.twitter.com/Lh8T4J3esr — Joshio Herrera (@HerreraJoshio) January 4, 2020
New Mexico
Albuquerque:
The people of Albuquerque say NO WAR ON IRAN! pic.twitter.com/z2dfjZfWvR — PSL Albuquerque (@abqpsl) January 4, 2020
100+ people gather in Albuquerque to protest against war on Iran – one of several demonstrations taking place across the country today @KOB4 pic.twitter.com/cvVqiEdM4J — Nathan O'Neal (@nateoneal) January 4, 2020
New York
Ithaca:
#Ithaca NY kicking off NO WAR WITH IRAN national day of action. Rallies taking place in over 70 cities across the US. The American people say no to war. pic.twitter.com/V6Eoc0ZWn1 — Ariel Gold אריאל 🕎 ☮🔥✡ (@ArielElyseGold) January 4, 2020
New York City
Love these veterans. A massive crowd just flooded Times Square to say #NoWarWithIran And we were joined by these veterans. They want to stop endless war. pic.twitter.com/DwMEZXyl7t — Read Mutual Aid by Dean Spade (@JoshuaPotash) January 4, 2020
BREAKING: hundreds out on a misty morning in Times Square to demand No War With Iran#NoWarOnIran pic.twitter.com/zl2EMUBoOu — Xaver Kandler (@XaverZava) January 4, 2020
There is a large anti-war protest happening now in Times Square.#NoWarWithIran pic.twitter.com/HKZV1alFCr — Minh Ngo (@minhtngo) January 4, 2020
People are outraged by the U.S.’ acts of war on #Iran! @EnasAlsaffadi joins hundreds in the streets of New York City to demand #NoWarOnIran! #PeaceWithIran #NoWarWithIran pic.twitter.com/4zNTMdkfEu — CODEPINK (@codepink) January 4, 2020
Syracuse:
100+ endured near-freezing drizzle in Clinton Square Syracuse to protest US policy toward Iran. One Iranian American worried she. Igbo lose relatives on both sides of conflict escalates to war. @waer883 #NoWarWithIran pic.twitter.com/09l7PcryF8 — WAER News (@WAERNews) January 4, 2020
Rev. Beth DuBois of @nysppc speaking out against war with Iran in Syracuse this morning. #PoorPeoplesCampaign #NoWarWithIran pic.twitter.com/VWULouNsxy — New York State Poor People's Campaign (@nysppc) January 4, 2020
Today I joined my community in Syracuse in a cold rain, on one day’s notice, to protest the escalation of the war on Iran and demand that the US military get out of the Middle East. #USOutNow #NoIranWarhttps://t.co/sermBtc2Us pic.twitter.com/xXyk8Eg81s — Howie Hawkins (@HowieHawkins) January 4, 2020
North Carolina
Asheville:
Asheville, NC: A crowd of around 50 is holding a Honk for Peace protest against a possible war with Iran. pic.twitter.com/cf6JzrsBXf — Luke N. Vargas (@thecourier) January 4, 2020
Part of a small protest today in Asheville NC against a war on Iran. Please make your voice heard. pic.twitter.com/ePP1AEitGI — James C. Klagge (@jklagge) January 5, 2020
Durham:
http://twitter.com/Aman_Aberra/status/1213520309225164806
Over 60 people showed up Saturday in Durham for a "No War in Iran" protest. Many more are expected to show up for the same cause on Sunday in Raleigh. pic.twitter.com/bgTQXTa58v — Anthony Crider (@acrider) January 5, 2020
Ohio
Cleveland:
Cleveland showed up in the rain to say No to War with #Iran – with @ClevePeace @codepink pic.twitter.com/I5a5n9PHVB — CODEPINK Cleveland (@CodePinkCLEVE) January 4, 2020
Oregon
Portland:
Here with a huge crowd in downtown #Portland, Oregon to say loud and clear: War is NOT the answer. We stand for peace and the end of U.S. imperialism. #NoWarInIran #NoWarWithIran #Iran pic.twitter.com/VNqp3c5Pwu — Damon Motz-Storey (they/them) #BlackLivesMatter (@DamonMotzStorey) January 4, 2020
Pennsylvania
Harrisburg:
About 30 people are at a protest outside the state Capitol in Harrisburg opposing any further escalation of a war with Iran. The event was organized by the city's DSA chapter. pic.twitter.com/IS6qgkMLZs — Stephen Caruso (@StephenJ_Caruso) January 4, 2020
Philadelphia:
Philadelphia is out to say #NoWarWithIran! pic.twitter.com/rqqdg82vT7 — agitator in chief (@soit_goes) January 4, 2020
Pittsburgh:
http://twitter.com/KaivanShroff/status/1213524262105034758
State College:
Members of CODEPINK, Veterans for Peace, United Antiwar Coalition, among other groups gathered in Downtown State College to protest a potential war in Iran. https://t.co/rdzTafuPpu — WTAJ News (@WTAJnews) January 4, 2020
Texas
Austin, TX:
http://twitter.com/MatthewJohn666/status/1213585820654931969
Dallas:
I don't have a sign so I just took pictures. Dallas protest against invading Iran pic.twitter.com/TVw5pydX9U — end homophobia in Ghana (@obaa_boni) January 4, 2020
Protesting the Iran war out here in Dallas. At least when Gen Z kids are bleeding in the desert I can say I was here pic.twitter.com/h5quQZWI67 — Dredgen Phil – #TeamTitan2021 (@Texas_Supernova) January 4, 2020
El Paso:
In El Paso, our peace vigil had a great turnout yesterday. Don’t Iraq Iran! pic.twitter.com/1DD7Umbzy3 — Mary Gourdoux (@gourdoux_mary) January 4, 2020
Utah
Salt Lake City:
SALT LAKE CITY: Their chants of “Hands off Iran!” and “1, 2, 3, 4, we won’t fight a rich man’s war!” echoed off the Wallace F. Bennett federal building during the chilly afternoon protest. They held signs as they… https://t.co/yK3gLMREbj — Karen R Pomer (@KarenPomer) January 5, 2020
📢 Esta tarde decenas de personas expresaron su rechazo al asesinato del líder militar iraní Qasem Soleimani en Salt Lake City, #Utah. Los asistentes temen y desaprueban una posible guerra entre #EstadosUnidos y el país islámico #Iran. pic.twitter.com/6PwscydGvQ — Sebastián Carrillo (@SebasCarrillo) January 5, 2020
Vermont
Burlington:
Virginia
Norfolk:
http://twitter.com/ydsaodu/status/1213619327464808449
Washington
Seattle:
http://twitter.com/rabbidbunnyz/status/1213621961567260672
Washington D.C.
.@Janefonda at the @answercoalition @codepink rally: "did we not learn the lessons of Vietnam?" Noting the peace mvt is also a climate mvt: the US fights wars for oil & the US military is the world's biggest polluter. #NoWarWithIran #WorldWarThree pic.twitter.com/AUKEoyvJdx — Morgan Artyukhina (@LavenderNRed) January 4, 2020
While Trump is spending his 367th day golfing at one of his own properties, a giant crowd has amassed outside of the WH chanting: “No justice! No peace! U.S. out of the Middle East!” America doesn’t want a war with Iran#NoWarWithIran pic.twitter.com/kWVwLhr9c0 — Andrew Wortman 🏳🌈 (@AmoneyResists) January 4, 2020
“US out of the Middle East!” Rally against war on Iran in front of the White House is the largest one we’ve had for years. The real resistance is here. #NoWarOnIran pic.twitter.com/SKElwr6hTo — Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) January 4, 2020
“US out of the Middle East!” Rally against war on Iran in front of the White House is the largest one we’ve had for years. The real resistance is here. #NoWarOnIran pic.twitter.com/SKElwr6hTo — Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) January 4, 2020
Beloved Black fam, We should ABSOLUTELY care about what is happening with/ in Iran. We MUST do some radical learning together about this situatiuation, and imperialism, militarism, and international solidarity in general. Our future depends on it.#NoWarOnIran #NoWarWithIran pic.twitter.com/gfUfmkizZ5 — Black Lives Matter DC (@DMVBlackLives) January 5, 2020
Happening Now: Americans protest war footing with Iran at White House. Nearly 1000 protesters demand US leave Iraq chanting “US out of the Middle East no justice no peace.” #Iran #Iraq #NoWarWithIran pic.twitter.com/R9a0FB5VFD — DCMediaGroup (@DCMediaGroup) January 4, 2020
.@MaxBlumenthal told 100s of anti war activists outside the White House today "why Qassem Soleiman was killed: He rolled back salafi jihadi forces the CIA had been backing in Syria to destabilize another independent state & he helped prevent Iraq from becoming a US client state." pic.twitter.com/Bx0nakYRb2 — Wyatt Reed (@wyattreed13) January 4, 2020
Wisconsin
Madison:
Madison Wisconsin showing up strong in the freezing cold on short notice to say: no war with Iran! US out of Iraq! Repeal the AUMF! No more blood for oil!#NoWarOnIran pic.twitter.com/Kyi175WcrI — Wisconsin Green Party (@WIGreens) January 4, 2020
Milwaukee:
Anti-war protesters in Milwaukee and nation condemn U.S. action against Iran https://t.co/ijAjfLRGeD — Journal Sentinel (@journalsentinel) January 5, 2020
By Emma Fiala | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com


wakingtimes--2020-01-03--Happy New Year! Over 11,000 Pardoned for Cannabis Crimes as Illinois Legalizes Marijuana

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker on Tuesday granted over 11,000 pardons to people convicted of low-level marijuana convictions in a move impacting residents from 92 counties across the state .
The 11,017 pardons come just ahead of the state comprehensively legalizing cannabis beginning January 1 , 2020 .
The state will become the 11th to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for any adults over the age of 21 .
The Hill reports that the pardons were announced at a church on the south side of Chicago , where Pritzker noted that marijuana convictions had held people back from decent housing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for college .
There are over 700,000 records across Illinois that will be eligible for relief because of the law , including 116,000 convictions for possession of up to 30 grams not associated with a violent offense eligible for expungement .
“ Tomorrow when adult-use cannabis becomes legal , pay attention to the fact that we are beginning to accomplish four very important things : We are ending the 50-year long war on cannabis .
We are restoring rights to many tens of thousands of Illinoisans .
We are bringing regulation and safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And we are creating a new industry that puts equity at its very core.
” The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act , which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support , provides a number of different avenues to expunge convictions and arrest records for minor cannabis offenses .
The law has also been hailed by advocates for its various social justice provisions meant to undo the damage done against those who have run afoul of the state ’ s past prohibitionist policies , especially those belonging to low-income communities of color .
“ Every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high demand and long lines in its earliest weeks , and to be sure , our state will too .
But unlike other states , in Illinois , we purposely built a system where the market has room to grow , so that entrepreneurs , including especially those from the communities devastated by the war on drugs , will have real opportunities in this industry.
” Civil liberties advocates from the ACLU of Illinois also greeted Pritzker ’ s move “ for acting to address the history of unnecessary and discriminatory enforcement of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new law , Illinoisans will be legally permitted to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis flower and up to 500 mg of THC in cannabis-infused products .
Cannabis has been subject to national prohibitionist laws since 1937 , when the plant was largely demonized and associated with Mexican immigrants amid rising racist and nativist attitudes supported by federal and local authorities and media outlets .
During the 1970s , marijuana was depicted by authorities as a drug serving no medicinal purpose that was simply abused by delinquents seeking to get high .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ state to legalize cannabis for medical use , and over 34 states have since done the same .
The rollout of Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act makes Illinois the 11th state along with Washington , D.C. that has freed the herb almost entirely for recreational purposes .
18 states have also decriminalized the plant , which still remains illegal under federal law .

Happy New Year! Over 11,000 Pardoned for Cannabis Crimes as Illinois Legalizes Marijuana
Elias Marat, The Mind Unleashed
Waking Times
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker on Tuesday granted over 11,000 pardons to people convicted of low-level marijuana convictions in a move impacting residents from 92 counties across the state.
The 11,017 pardons come just ahead of the state comprehensively legalizing cannabis beginning January 1, 2020. The state will become the 11th to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for any adults over the age of 21.
The Hill reports that the pardons were announced at a church on the south side of Chicago, where Pritzker noted that marijuana convictions had held people back from decent housing, good jobs, and financial aid for college.
There are over 700,000 records across Illinois that will be eligible for relief because of the law, including 116,000 convictions for possession of up to 30 grams not associated with a violent offense eligible for expungement.
In a statement, Pritzker said:
“Tomorrow when adult-use cannabis becomes legal, pay attention to the fact that we are beginning to accomplish four very important things: We are ending the 50-year long war on cannabis. We are restoring rights to many tens of thousands of Illinoisans. We are bringing regulation and safety to a previously unsafe and illegal market. And we are creating a new industry that puts equity at its very core.”
The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, provides a number of different avenues to expunge convictions and arrest records for minor cannabis offenses.
http://www.facebook.com/GovPritzker/posts/2674002469380763
The law has also been hailed by advocates for its various social justice provisions meant to undo the damage done against those who have run afoul of the state’s past prohibitionist policies, especially those belonging to low-income communities of color.
Continuing, Pritzker’s statement read:
“Every state that has legalized cannabis has seen high demand and long lines in its earliest weeks, and to be sure, our state will too. But unlike other states, in Illinois, we purposely built a system where the market has room to grow, so that entrepreneurs, including especially those from the communities devastated by the war on drugs, will have real opportunities in this industry.” Civil liberties advocates from the ACLU of Illinois also greeted Pritzker’s move “for acting to address the history of unnecessary and discriminatory enforcement of marijuana laws in Illinois.”
Ben Ruddell, the group’s criminal justice policy director, said:
“We know that Black Illinois residents are far more likely to be arrested and convicted for marijuana possession than whites. This is a good step forward as we begin the legal sales of recreational marijuana.”
Under the new law, Illinoisans will be legally permitted to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis flower and up to 500 mg of THC in cannabis-infused products.
Cannabis has been subject to national prohibitionist laws since 1937, when the plant was largely demonized and associated with Mexican immigrants amid rising racist and nativist attitudes supported by federal and local authorities and media outlets. During the 1970s, marijuana was depicted by authorities as a drug serving no medicinal purpose that was simply abused by delinquents seeking to get high.
In 1996, California became the first state to legalize cannabis for medical use, and over 34 states have since done the same. The rollout of Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act makes Illinois the 11th state along with Washington, D.C. that has freed the herb almost entirely for recreational purposes. 18 states have also decriminalized the plant, which still remains illegal under federal law.
By Elias Marat | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com


wakingtimes--2020-01-03--Nullify Government Tyranny: In 2020, Harness the Power of Your Discontent

Twenty years into the 21st century , and what do we have to show for it ?
Government corruption , tyranny and abuse have propelled us at warp speed towards a full-blown police state in which egregious surveillance , roadside strip searches , police shootings of unarmed citizens , censorship , retaliatory arrests , the criminalization of lawful activities , warmongering , indefinite detentions , SWAT team raids , asset forfeiture , police brutality , profit-driven prisons , and pay-to-play politicians have become the new normal .
Here ’ s just a small sampling of the laundry list of abuses—cruel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unacceptable—that have been heaped upon us by the government over the past two decades .
The government failed to protect our lives , liberty and happiness .
The predators of the police state wreaked havoc on our freedoms , our communities , and our lives .
The government didn ’ t listen to the citizenry , refused to abide by the Constitution , and treated the citizenry as a source of funding and little else .
Police officers shot unarmed citizens and their household pets .
Government agents—including local police—were armed to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a battlefield .
Bloated government agencies were allowed to fleece taxpayers .
Government technicians spied on our emails and phone calls .
And government contractors made a killing by waging endless wars abroad .
The American President became more imperial .
Although the Constitution invests the President with very specific , limited powers , in recent years , American presidents ( Trump , Obama , Bush , Clinton , etc . )
claimed the power to completely and almost unilaterally alter the landscape of this country for good or for ill .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ each successive president through the negligence of Congress and the courts—powers which add up to a toolbox of terror for an imperial ruler—empower whomever occupies the Oval Office to act as a dictator , above the law and beyond any real accountability .
The presidency itself has become an imperial one with permanent powers .
Militarized police became a power unto themselves , 911 calls turned deadly , and traffic stops took a turn for the worse .
Lacking in transparency and accountability , protected by the courts and legislators , and rife @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces became a growing menace to the citizenry and the rule of law .
Despite concerns about the government ’ s steady transformation of local police into a standing military army , local police agencies acquired even more weaponry , training and equipment suited for the battlefield .
Police officers were also given free range to pull anyone over for a variety of reasons and subject them to forced cavity searches , forced colonoscopies , forced blood draws , forced breath-alcohol tests , forced DNA extractions , forced eye scans , forced inclusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to uphold justice .
With every ruling handed down , it becomes more apparent that we live in an age of hollow justice , with government courts more concerned with protecting government agents than upholding the rights of “ we the people.
” This is true at all levels of the judiciary , but especially so in the highest court of the land , the U.S. Supreme Court , which is seemingly more concerned with establishing order and protecting government agents than with upholding the rights enshrined in the Constitution .
A review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two decades , including some ominous ones by the U.S. Supreme Court , reveals a startling and steady trend towards pro-police state rulings by an institution concerned more with establishing order and protecting the ruling class and government agents than with upholding the rights enshrined in the Constitution .
The Surveillance State rendered Americans vulnerable to threats from government spies , police , hackers and power failures .
Thanks to the government ’ s ongoing efforts to build massive databases using emerging surveillance , DNA and biometrics technologies , Americans have become sitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Billions of people have been affected by data breaches and cyberattacks .
On a daily basis , Americans have been made to relinquish the most intimate details of who we are—our biological makeup , our genetic blueprints , and our biometrics ( facial characteristics and structure , fingerprints , iris scans , etc . )
—in order to navigate an increasingly technologically-enabled world .
Mass shootings claimed more lives .
Mass shootings have taken place in virtually every venue , including at churches , in nightclubs , on college campuses , on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in government offices , and at concerts .
However , studies make clear that the government ’ s gun violence—inflicted on unarmed individuals by battlefield-trained SWAT teams , militarized police , and bureaucratic government agents trained to shoot first and ask questions later—poses a greater threat to the safety and security of the nation than any mass shooter .
Debtors ’ prisons made a comeback .
Not content to expand the police state ’ s power to search , strip , seize , raid , steal from , arrest and jail Americans for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , state courts were given the green light to resume their practice of jailing individuals who are unable to pay the hefty fines imposed by the American police state .
These debtors ’ prisons play right into the hands of the corporations that make a profit by jailing Americans .
This is no longer a government “ of the people , by the people , for the people.
” It has become a government “ of the rich , by the elite , for the corporations , ” and its rise to power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxpayer to a debtors ’ prison guarded by a phalanx of politicians , bureaucrats and militarized police with no hope of parole and no chance for escape .
The cost of endless wars drove the nation deeper into debt .
America ’ s war spending has already bankrupted the nation to the tune of more than $ 20 trillion dollars .
Policing the globe and waging endless wars abroad hasn ’ t made America—or the rest of the world—any safer , but it has made the military industrial complex rich at taxpayer expense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 177 countries throughout the world , including Africa , where troops reportedly carry out an average of 10 military exercises and engagements daily .
Meanwhile , America ’ s infrastructure is falling apart .
The interest on the money America has borrowed to wage its wars will cost an estimated $ 8 trillion .
“ Show your papers ” incidents skyrocketed .
We are not supposed to be living in a “ show me your papers ” society .
Despite this , the U.S. government has introduced measures allowing police and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens and noncitizens alike ) , demand they identify themselves , and subject them to patdowns , warrantless searches , and interrogations .
These actions fly in the face of longstanding constitutional safeguards forbidding such police state tactics .
The government waged war on military veterans .
The government has done a pitiful job of respecting the freedoms of military veterans and caring for their needs once out of uniform .
Despite the fact that the U.S. boasts more than 20 million veterans who have served in World War II through the present @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is America ’ s badge of shame , with large numbers of veterans impoverished , unemployed , traumatized mentally and physically , struggling with depression , suicide , and marital stress , homeless , subjected to sub-par treatment at clinics and hospitals , left to molder while their paperwork piles up within Veterans Administration offices , and increasingly treated like criminals—targeted for surveillance , censorship , threatened with incarceration or involuntary commitment , labeled as extremists and/or mentally ill , and stripped of their Second Amendment rights—for daring to speak out against government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knock-out punch after another .
Protest laws , free speech zones , bubble zones , trespass zones , anti-bullying legislation , zero tolerance policies , hate crime laws , shadow banning on the Internet , and a host of other legalistic maladies dreamed up by politicians and prosecutors ( and championed by those who want to suppress speech with which they might disagree ) conspired to corrode our core freedoms , purportedly for our own good .
On paper—at least according to the U.S. Constitution—we are technically free to speak .
In reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free to speak as a government official—or corporate entities such as Facebook , Google or YouTube—may allow .
The reasons for such censorship varied widely from political correctness , so-called safety concerns and bullying to national security and hate crimes but the end result remained the same : the complete eradication of free speech .
The government waged a renewed war on private property .
The battle to protect our private property has become the final constitutional frontier , the last holdout against our freedoms being usurped .
We no longer have any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live in , the car you drive , the small ( or not so small ) acreage of land that has been passed down through your family or that you scrimped and saved to acquire , whatever money you manage to keep in your bank account after the government and its cronies have taken their first and second and third cut…none of it is safe from the government ’ s greedy grasp .
At no point do you ever have any real ownership in anything other than the clothes on your back .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ government under one pretext or another ( civil asset forfeiture , unpaid taxes , eminent domain , public interest , etc. )
.
Schools became even more like prisons .
So-called school “ safety ” policies—which run the gamut from zero tolerance policies that punish all infractions harshly to surveillance cameras , metal detectors , random searches , drug-sniffing dogs , school-wide lockdowns , active-shooter drills and militarized police officers—have turned schools into prisons and young people into prisoners .
From the moment a child enters one of the nation ’ s 98,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she will be exposed to a steady diet of draconian zero tolerance policies that criminalize childish behavior , overreaching anti-bullying statutes that criminalize speech , school resource officers ( police ) tasked with disciplining and/or arresting so-called “ disorderly ” students , standardized testing that emphasizes rote answers over critical thinking , politically correct mindsets that teach young people to censor themselves and those around them , and extensive biometric and surveillance systems that , coupled with the rest , acclimate young people to a world in which they have no freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Deep State took over .
The American system of representative government was overthrown by the Deep State—a.k.a .
the police state a.k.a .
the military/corporate industrial complex—a profit-driven , militaristic corporate state bent on total control and global domination through the imposition of martial law here at home and by fomenting wars abroad .
The “ government of the people , by the people , for the people ” has perished .
In its place is a shadow government , a corporatized , militarized , entrenched bureaucracy that is fully operational and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in essence , running the country and calling the shots in Washington DC , no matter who sits in the White House .
Mind you , by “ government , ” I ’ m not referring to the highly partisan , two-party bureaucracy of the Republicans and Democrats .
Rather , I ’ m referring to “ government ” with a capital “ G , ” the entrenched Deep State that is unaffected by elections , unaltered by populist movements , and has set itself beyond the reach of the law .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has no respect for the freedom of its citizenry .
This shadow government , which “ operates according to its own compass heading regardless of who is formally in power , ” makes a mockery of elections and the entire concept of a representative government .
The takeaway : Everything the founders of this country feared has come to dominate in modern America .
“ We the people ” have been saddled with a government that is no longer friendly to freedom and is working overtime to trample the Constitution underfoot and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the government ’ s power grabs , corruption and abusive tactics .
So how do you balance the scales of justice at a time when Americans are being tasered , tear-gassed , pepper-sprayed , hit with batons , shot with rubber bullets and real bullets , blasted with sound cannons , detained in cages and kennels , sicced by police dogs , arrested and jailed for challenging the government ’ s excesses , abuses and power-grabs ?
No matter who sits in the White House , politics won ’ t fix a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For that matter , protests and populist movements also haven ’ t done much to push back against an authoritarian regime that is deaf to our cries , dumb to our troubles , blind to our needs , and accountable to no one .
So how do you not only push back against the police state ’ s bureaucracy , corruption and cruelty but also launch a counterrevolution aimed at reclaiming control over the government using nonviolent means ?
You start by changing the rules and engaging in some ( nonviolent ) guerilla @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which takes a trickle-up approach to governmental reform by implementing change at the local level ( in other words , think nationally , but act locally ) .
And then , nullify everything the government does that flies in the face of the principles on which this nation was founded .
If there is any means left to us for thwarting the government in its relentless march towards outright dictatorship , it may rest with the power of juries and local governments to invalidate governmental laws , tactics and policies that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In an age in which government officials accused of wrongdoing—police officers , elected officials , etc.—are treated with general leniency , while the average citizen is prosecuted to the full extent of the law , nullification is a powerful reminder that , as the Constitution tells us , “ we the people ” are the government .
For too long we ’ ve allowed our so-called “ representatives ” to call the shots .
Now it ’ s time to restore the citizenry to their rightful place in the republic : as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is one way of doing so .
Various cities and states have been using this historic doctrine with mixed results on issues as wide ranging as gun control and healthcare to “ claim freedom from federal laws they find onerous or wrongheaded.
” Most recently , a growing number of communities—including more than a 100 counties , cities and towns in Virginia—have declared themselves to be Second Amendment sanctuaries and adopted resolutions opposing any “ unconstitutional restrictions ” on the right to keep and bear arms .
It is mass movements such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indeed , any hope of freeing ourselves rests—as it always has—at the local level , with “ we the people.
” One of the most important contributions an individual citizen can make is to become actively involved in local community affairs , politics and legal battles .
As the adage goes , “ Think globally , act locally.
” America was meant to be primarily a system of local governments , which is a far cry from the colossal federal bureaucracy we have today .
Yet if our freedoms are to be restored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your own backyard—in one ’ s home , neighborhood , school district , town council—and taking action at that local level must be the starting point .
Responding to unmet local needs and reacting to injustices is what grassroots activism is all about .
Attend local city council meetings , speak up at town hall meetings , organize protests and letter-writing campaigns , employ “ militant nonviolent resistance ” and civil disobedience , which Martin Luther King Jr. used to great effect through the use of sit-ins , boycotts and marches .
Let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carnage , toxicity and abuse of this past decade into 2020 .
As long as we continue to allow callousness , cruelty , meanness , immorality , ignorance , hatred , intolerance , racism , militarism , materialism , meanness and injustice—magnified by an echo chamber of nasty tweets and government-sanctioned brutality—to trump justice , fairness and equality , there can be no hope of prevailing against the police state .
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America : The War on the American People , we could transform this nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harness the power of their discontent and push back against the government ’ s overreach , excesses and abuse .
Jon Rappoport is the author of three explosive collections , THE MATRIX REVEALED , EXIT FROM THE MATRIX , and POWER OUTSIDE THE MATRIX , Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29thDistrict of California .
He maintains a consulting practice for private clients , the purpose of which is the expansion of personal creative power .
Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize , he has worked as an investigative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on politics , medicine , and health for CBS Healthwatch , LA Weekly , Spin Magazine , Stern , and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe .
Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics , health , logic , and creative power to audiences around the world .
You can sign up for his free emails at NoMoreFakeNews.com or OutsideTheRealityMachine .
Like Waking Times on Facebook .
Follow Waking Times on Twitter .

Nullify Government Tyranny: In 2020, Harness the Power of Your Discontent
Jon Rappoport, Guest
Waking Times
“The people have the power, all we have to do is awaken that power in the people. The people are unaware. They’re not educated to realize that they have power. The system is so geared that everyone believes the government will fix everything. We are the government.”—John Lennon
Twenty years into the 21st century, and what do we have to show for it?
Government corruption, tyranny and abuse have propelled us at warp speed towards a full-blown police state in which egregious surveillance, roadside strip searches, police shootings of unarmed citizens, censorship, retaliatory arrests, the criminalization of lawful activities, warmongering, indefinite detentions, SWAT team raids, asset forfeiture, police brutality, profit-driven prisons, and pay-to-play politicians have become the new normal.
Here’s just a small sampling of the laundry list of abuses—cruel, brutal, immoral, unconstitutional and unacceptable—that have been heaped upon us by the government over the past two decades.
The government failed to protect our lives, liberty and happiness. The predators of the police state wreaked havoc on our freedoms, our communities, and our lives. The government didn’t listen to the citizenry, refused to abide by the Constitution, and treated the citizenry as a source of funding and little else. Police officers shot unarmed citizens and their household pets. Government agents—including local police—were armed to the teeth and encouraged to act like soldiers on a battlefield. Bloated government agencies were allowed to fleece taxpayers. Government technicians spied on our emails and phone calls. And government contractors made a killing by waging endless wars abroad.
The American President became more imperial. Although the Constitution invests the President with very specific, limited powers, in recent years, American presidents (Trump, Obama, Bush, Clinton, etc.) claimed the power to completely and almost unilaterally alter the landscape of this country for good or for ill. The powers that have been amassed by each successive president through the negligence of Congress and the courts—powers which add up to a toolbox of terror for an imperial ruler—empower whomever occupies the Oval Office to act as a dictator, above the law and beyond any real accountability. The presidency itself has become an imperial one with permanent powers.
Militarized police became a power unto themselves, 911 calls turned deadly, and traffic stops took a turn for the worse. Lacking in transparency and accountability, protected by the courts and legislators, and rife with misconduct, America’s police forces became a growing menace to the citizenry and the rule of law. Despite concerns about the government’s steady transformation of local police into a standing military army, local police agencies acquired even more weaponry, training and equipment suited for the battlefield. Police officers were also given free range to pull anyone over for a variety of reasons and subject them to forced cavity searches, forced colonoscopies, forced blood draws, forced breath-alcohol tests, forced DNA extractions, forced eye scans, forced inclusion in biometric databases.
The courts failed to uphold justice. With every ruling handed down, it becomes more apparent that we live in an age of hollow justice, with government courts more concerned with protecting government agents than upholding the rights of “we the people.” This is true at all levels of the judiciary, but especially so in the highest court of the land, the U.S. Supreme Court, which is seemingly more concerned with establishing order and protecting government agents than with upholding the rights enshrined in the Constitution. A review of critical court rulings over the past two decades, including some ominous ones by the U.S. Supreme Court, reveals a startling and steady trend towards pro-police state rulings by an institution concerned more with establishing order and protecting the ruling class and government agents than with upholding the rights enshrined in the Constitution.
The Surveillance State rendered Americans vulnerable to threats from government spies, police, hackers and power failures. Thanks to the government’s ongoing efforts to build massive databases using emerging surveillance, DNA and biometrics technologies, Americans have become sitting ducks for hackers and government spies alike. Billions of people have been affected by data breaches and cyberattacks. On a daily basis, Americans have been made to relinquish the most intimate details of who we are—our biological makeup, our genetic blueprints, and our biometrics (facial characteristics and structure, fingerprints, iris scans, etc.)—in order to navigate an increasingly technologically-enabled world.
Mass shootings claimed more lives. Mass shootings have taken place in virtually every venue, including at churches, in nightclubs, on college campuses, on military bases, in elementary schools, in government offices, and at concerts. However, studies make clear that the government’s gun violence—inflicted on unarmed individuals by battlefield-trained SWAT teams, militarized police, and bureaucratic government agents trained to shoot first and ask questions later—poses a greater threat to the safety and security of the nation than any mass shooter.
Debtors’ prisons made a comeback. Not content to expand the police state’s power to search, strip, seize, raid, steal from, arrest and jail Americans for any infraction, no matter how insignificant, state courts were given the green light to resume their practice of jailing individuals who are unable to pay the hefty fines imposed by the American police state. These debtors’ prisons play right into the hands of the corporations that make a profit by jailing Americans. This is no longer a government “of the people, by the people, for the people.” It has become a government “of the rich, by the elite, for the corporations,” and its rise to power has been predicated on shackling the American taxpayer to a debtors’ prison guarded by a phalanx of politicians, bureaucrats and militarized police with no hope of parole and no chance for escape.
The cost of endless wars drove the nation deeper into debt. America’s war spending has already bankrupted the nation to the tune of more than $20 trillion dollars. Policing the globe and waging endless wars abroad hasn’t made America—or the rest of the world—any safer, but it has made the military industrial complex rich at taxpayer expense. Approximately 200,000 US troops are stationed in 177 countries throughout the world, including Africa, where troops reportedly carry out an average of 10 military exercises and engagements daily. Meanwhile, America’s infrastructure is falling apart. The interest on the money America has borrowed to wage its wars will cost an estimated $8 trillion.
“Show your papers” incidents skyrocketed. We are not supposed to be living in a “show me your papers” society. Despite this, the U.S. government has introduced measures allowing police and other law enforcement officials to stop individuals (citizens and noncitizens alike), demand they identify themselves, and subject them to patdowns, warrantless searches, and interrogations. These actions fly in the face of longstanding constitutional safeguards forbidding such police state tactics.
The government waged war on military veterans. The government has done a pitiful job of respecting the freedoms of military veterans and caring for their needs once out of uniform. Despite the fact that the U.S. boasts more than 20 million veterans who have served in World War II through the present day, the plight of veterans today is America’s badge of shame, with large numbers of veterans impoverished, unemployed, traumatized mentally and physically, struggling with depression, suicide, and marital stress, homeless, subjected to sub-par treatment at clinics and hospitals, left to molder while their paperwork piles up within Veterans Administration offices, and increasingly treated like criminals—targeted for surveillance, censorship, threatened with incarceration or involuntary commitment, labeled as extremists and/or mentally ill, and stripped of their Second Amendment rights—for daring to speak out against government misconduct.
Free speech was dealt one knock-out punch after another. Protest laws, free speech zones, bubble zones, trespass zones, anti-bullying legislation, zero tolerance policies, hate crime laws, shadow banning on the Internet, and a host of other legalistic maladies dreamed up by politicians and prosecutors (and championed by those who want to suppress speech with which they might disagree) conspired to corrode our core freedoms, purportedly for our own good. On paper—at least according to the U.S. Constitution—we are technically free to speak. In reality, however, we are only as free to speak as a government official—or corporate entities such as Facebook, Google or YouTube—may allow. The reasons for such censorship varied widely from political correctness, so-called safety concerns and bullying to national security and hate crimes but the end result remained the same: the complete eradication of free speech.
The government waged a renewed war on private property. The battle to protect our private property has become the final constitutional frontier, the last holdout against our freedoms being usurped. We no longer have any real property rights. That house you live in, the car you drive, the small (or not so small) acreage of land that has been passed down through your family or that you scrimped and saved to acquire, whatever money you manage to keep in your bank account after the government and its cronies have taken their first and second and third cut…none of it is safe from the government’s greedy grasp. At no point do you ever have any real ownership in anything other than the clothes on your back. Everything else can be seized by the government under one pretext or another (civil asset forfeiture, unpaid taxes, eminent domain, public interest, etc.).
Schools became even more like prisons. So-called school “safety” policies—which run the gamut from zero tolerance policies that punish all infractions harshly to surveillance cameras, metal detectors, random searches, drug-sniffing dogs, school-wide lockdowns, active-shooter drills and militarized police officers—have turned schools into prisons and young people into prisoners. From the moment a child enters one of the nation’s 98,000 public schools to the moment she graduates, she will be exposed to a steady diet of draconian zero tolerance policies that criminalize childish behavior, overreaching anti-bullying statutes that criminalize speech, school resource officers (police) tasked with disciplining and/or arresting so-called “disorderly” students, standardized testing that emphasizes rote answers over critical thinking, politically correct mindsets that teach young people to censor themselves and those around them, and extensive biometric and surveillance systems that, coupled with the rest, acclimate young people to a world in which they have no freedom of thought, speech or movement.
The Deep State took over. The American system of representative government was overthrown by the Deep State—a.k.a. the police state a.k.a. the military/corporate industrial complex—a profit-driven, militaristic corporate state bent on total control and global domination through the imposition of martial law here at home and by fomenting wars abroad. The “government of the people, by the people, for the people” has perished. In its place is a shadow government, a corporatized, militarized, entrenched bureaucracy that is fully operational and staffed by unelected officials who are, in essence, running the country and calling the shots in Washington DC, no matter who sits in the White House. Mind you, by “government,” I’m not referring to the highly partisan, two-party bureaucracy of the Republicans and Democrats. Rather, I’m referring to “government” with a capital “G,” the entrenched Deep State that is unaffected by elections, unaltered by populist movements, and has set itself beyond the reach of the law. This is the hidden face of a government that has no respect for the freedom of its citizenry. This shadow government, which “operates according to its own compass heading regardless of who is formally in power,” makes a mockery of elections and the entire concept of a representative government.
The takeaway: Everything the founders of this country feared has come to dominate in modern America. “We the people” have been saddled with a government that is no longer friendly to freedom and is working overtime to trample the Constitution underfoot and render the citizenry powerless in the face of the government’s power grabs, corruption and abusive tactics.
So how do you balance the scales of justice at a time when Americans are being tasered, tear-gassed, pepper-sprayed, hit with batons, shot with rubber bullets and real bullets, blasted with sound cannons, detained in cages and kennels, sicced by police dogs, arrested and jailed for challenging the government’s excesses, abuses and power-grabs?
No matter who sits in the White House, politics won’t fix a system that is broken beyond repair.
For that matter, protests and populist movements also haven’t done much to push back against an authoritarian regime that is deaf to our cries, dumb to our troubles, blind to our needs, and accountable to no one.
So how do you not only push back against the police state’s bureaucracy, corruption and cruelty but also launch a counterrevolution aimed at reclaiming control over the government using nonviolent means?
You start by changing the rules and engaging in some (nonviolent) guerilla tactics.
Take part in grassroots activism, which takes a trickle-up approach to governmental reform by implementing change at the local level (in other words, think nationally, but act locally).
And then, nullify everything the government does that flies in the face of the principles on which this nation was founded.
If there is any means left to us for thwarting the government in its relentless march towards outright dictatorship, it may rest with the power of juries and local governments to invalidate governmental laws, tactics and policies that are illegitimate, egregious or blatantly unconstitutional.
In an age in which government officials accused of wrongdoing—police officers, elected officials, etc.—are treated with general leniency, while the average citizen is prosecuted to the full extent of the law, nullification is a powerful reminder that, as the Constitution tells us, “we the people” are the government.
For too long we’ve allowed our so-called “representatives” to call the shots. Now it’s time to restore the citizenry to their rightful place in the republic: as the masters, not the servants.
Nullification is one way of doing so.
Various cities and states have been using this historic doctrine with mixed results on issues as wide ranging as gun control and healthcare to “claim freedom from federal laws they find onerous or wrongheaded.” Most recently, a growing number of communities—including more than a 100 counties, cities and towns in Virginia—have declared themselves to be Second Amendment sanctuaries and adopted resolutions opposing any “unconstitutional restrictions” on the right to keep and bear arms. It is mass movements such as these that the government fears most.
Indeed, any hope of freeing ourselves rests—as it always has—at the local level, with “we the people.” One of the most important contributions an individual citizen can make is to become actively involved in local community affairs, politics and legal battles. As the adage goes, “Think globally, act locally.”
America was meant to be primarily a system of local governments, which is a far cry from the colossal federal bureaucracy we have today. Yet if our freedoms are to be restored, understanding what is transpiring practically in your own backyard—in one’s home, neighborhood, school district, town council—and taking action at that local level must be the starting point.
Responding to unmet local needs and reacting to injustices is what grassroots activism is all about. Attend local city council meetings, speak up at town hall meetings, organize protests and letter-writing campaigns, employ “militant nonviolent resistance” and civil disobedience, which Martin Luther King Jr. used to great effect through the use of sit-ins, boycotts and marches.
Let’s not take the mistakes, carnage, toxicity and abuse of this past decade into 2020.
As long as we continue to allow callousness, cruelty, meanness, immorality, ignorance, hatred, intolerance, racism, militarism, materialism, meanness and injustice—magnified by an echo chamber of nasty tweets and government-sanctioned brutality—to trump justice, fairness and equality, there can be no hope of prevailing against the police state.
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, we could transform this nation if only Americans would work together to harness the power of their discontent and push back against the government’s overreach, excesses and abuse.
About the Author
Jon Rappoport is the author of three explosive collections, THE MATRIX REVEALED, EXIT FROM THE MATRIX, and POWER OUTSIDE THE MATRIX, Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29thDistrict of California. He maintains a consulting practice for private clients, the purpose of which is the expansion of personal creative power. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics, medicine, and health for CBS Healthwatch, LA Weekly, Spin Magazine, Stern, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics, health, logic, and creative power to audiences around the world. You can sign up for his free emails at NoMoreFakeNews.com or OutsideTheRealityMachine.
(To read about Jon’s mega-collection, Exit From The Matrix, click here.)