activistpost--2020-06-17--Trump EO Continues Unconstitutional Federal Meddling with Local Police

On Tuesday , President Trump signed an executive order to address police reform in the United States , continuing a long history of unconstitutional federal meddling with state and local police .
The EO titled “ Safe Policing for Safe Communities , ” orders the creation of a federal database to track police officers with multiple cases of misconduct .
It also allocates federal funds for a national credentialing system to incentivize police forces to meet higher certification standards on the use of force .
Meanwhile , Senate Republicans are drafting a police reform package of their own .
Provisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and expanded use of police body cameras .
There are also calls to end or limit qualified immunity for police officers , a legal doctrine invented by federal courts that legally shields police from being held accountable for misconduct .
Trump ’ s executive order comes as no surprise , given the calls for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd ’ s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers .
Trump finds himself under tremendous pressure to “ do something.
” But the president doesn ’ t have the constitutional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local policing .
The Constitution does not delegate any such authority to the federal government – not to Congress and certainly not to the president .
During the ratification debates , police powers were specifically singled out as the sole purview of the states .
Tench Coxe was an influential supporter of the Constitution .
In one of his essays advocating for ratification , he specifically listed “ erecting or regulating the police of cities , towns or boroughs ” as actions off-limits to the federal government .
Nevertheless , the federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement over the last several decades .
In fact , the federalization of policing created many of the problems we face today .
The money and power that flows into local police departments from Washington D.C. incentives police to focus on “ national ” priorities such as the “ war on drugs , ” federal gun control and “ anti-terrorism ” efforts instead of prioritizing more routine local policing such as murder , rape and property crime .
The unconstitutional “ war on drugs ” has also led to the militarization of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence .
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Trump wants to incentivize police to meet some nebulous federal standards on police violence , but federal incentives don ’ t have a great track record .
Federal asset forfeiture has incentivized “ policing for profit ” where cops take innocent people ’ s stuff in order to fill department budget holes .
Federal military surplus programs like 1033 incentivize local cops to arm up and march around like soldiers .
And the proliferation of joint police task @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe further centralization of law enforcement at the federal level will solve the problems facing police today .
In fact , history should lead us to believe centralization will make it worse .
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By Michael Maharrey
On Tuesday, President Trump signed an executive order to address police reform in the United States, continuing a long history of unconstitutional federal meddling with state and local police.
The EO titled “Safe Policing for Safe Communities,” orders the creation of a federal database to track police officers with multiple cases of misconduct. It also allocates federal funds for a national credentialing system to incentivize police forces to meet higher certification standards on the use of force.
Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are drafting a police reform package of their own. Provisions reportedly include a ban on certain chokehold and expanded use of police body cameras. There are also calls to end or limit qualified immunity for police officers, a legal doctrine invented by federal courts that legally shields police from being held accountable for misconduct.
Trump’s executive order comes as no surprise, given the calls for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. Trump finds himself under tremendous pressure to “do something.”
But the president doesn’t have the constitutional authority to do anything about state and local policing. The Constitution does not delegate any such authority to the federal government – not to Congress and certainly not to the president.
During the ratification debates, police powers were specifically singled out as the sole purview of the states. Tench Coxe was an influential supporter of the Constitution. In one of his essays advocating for ratification, he specifically listed “erecting or regulating the police of cities, towns or boroughs” as actions off-limits to the federal government.
Nevertheless, the federal government has increasingly meddled with state and local law enforcement over the last several decades. In fact, the federalization of policing created many of the problems we face today.
The money and power that flows into local police departments from Washington D.C. incentives police to focus on “national” priorities such as the “war on drugs,” federal gun control and “anti-terrorism” efforts instead of prioritizing more routine local policing such as murder, rape and property crime. The unconstitutional “war on drugs” has also led to the militarization of law enforcement and the increase in police violence.
Become an Activist Post Patron for $1 per month at Patreon.
Trump wants to incentivize police to meet some nebulous federal standards on police violence, but federal incentives don’t have a great track record. Federal asset forfeiture has incentivized “policing for profit” where cops take innocent people’s stuff in order to fill department budget holes. Federal military surplus programs like 1033 incentivize local cops to arm up and march around like soldiers. And the proliferation of joint police task forces.
There is no reason to believe further centralization of law enforcement at the federal level will solve the problems facing police today. In fact, history should lead us to believe centralization will make it worse.
Source: Tenth Amendment Center
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Send support to the frontlines of freedom for $1 per month to Activist Post’s Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Flote, Minds, and Twitter.
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activistpost--2020-06-16--The System Is Rigged: Qualified Immunity Is How the Police State Stays in Power

The system is rigged , the government is corrupt , and “ we the people ” continue to waste our strength by fighting each other rather than standing against the tyrant in our midst .
Because the system is rigged , because the government is corrupt , and because “ we the people ” remain polarized and divided , the police state will keep winning and “ we the people ” will keep losing .
Because the system is rigged and the U.S. Supreme Court—the so-called “ people ’ s court ” —has exchanged its appointed role as a gatekeeper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintainer of the status quo , there will be little if no consequences for the cops who brutalize and no justice for the victims of police brutality .
Because the system is rigged , there will be no consequences for police who destroyed a private home by bombarding it with tear gas grenades during a SWAT team raid gone awry , or for the cop who mistakenly shot a 10-year-old boy after aiming for and missing the non-threatening family dog , or for the arresting officer who sicced a police dog on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is how unarmed Americans keep dying at the hands of militarized police .
By refusing to accept any of the eight or so qualified immunity cases before it this term that strove to hold police accountable for official misconduct , the Supreme Court delivered a chilling reminder that in the American police state , ‘ we the people ’ are at the mercy of law enforcement officers who have almost absolute discretion to decide who is a threat , what constitutes resistance , and how harshly they can deal with the citizens they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” This is how qualified immunity keeps the police state in power .
Lawyers tend to offer a lot of complicated , convoluted explanations for the doctrine of qualified immunity , which was intended to insulate government officials from frivolous lawsuits , but the real purpose of qualified immunity is to rig the system , ensuring that abusive agents of the government almost always win and the victims of government abuse almost always lose .
How else do you explain a doctrine that requires victims of police violence to prove that their abusers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been deemed so in a nearly identical case at some prior time : it ’ s a setup for failure .
Do you know how many different ways a cop can kill , maim , torture and abuse someone without being held liable ?
The cops know : in large part due to training classes that drill them on the art of sidestepping the Fourth Amendment , which protects us from being bullied , badgered , beaten , broken and spied on by government agents .
This is how “ we the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Activist Post Patron for $ 1 per month at Patreon .
Although the U.S. Supreme Court recognized in Harlow v. Fitzgerald ( 1982 ) that suing government officials for monetary damages is “ the only realistic avenue ” of holding them accountable for abusing their offices and violating the Constitution , it has ostensibly given the police and other government agents a green light to shoot first and ask questions later , as well as to probe , poke , pinch , taser , search , seize , strip and generally manhandle anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all with the general blessing of the courts .
Whether it ’ s police officers breaking through people ’ s front doors and shooting them dead in their homes or strip searching motorists on the side of the road , these instances of abuse are continually validated by a judicial system that kowtows to virtually every police demand , no matter how unjust , no matter how in opposition to the Constitution .
Make no mistake about it : this is what constitutes “ law and order ” in the American police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a police state : where police officers , no longer mere servants of the people entrusted with keeping the peace , are part of an elite ruling class dependent on keeping the masses corralled , under control , and treated like suspects and enemies rather than citizens .
Unfortunately , we ’ ve been traveling this dangerous road for a long time now .
A review of critical court rulings over the past several decades , including rulings affirming qualified immunity protections for government agents by the U.S. Supreme Court , reveals a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rulings by an institution concerned more with establishing order , protecting the ruling class , and insulating government agents from charges of wrongdoing than with upholding the rights enshrined in the Constitution .
Indeed , as Reuters reports , qualified immunity “ has become a nearly failsafe tool to let police brutality go unpunished and deny victims their constitutional rights.
” Worse , as Reuters concluded , “ the Supreme Court has built qualified immunity into an often insurmountable police defense by intervening in cases mostly to favor the police.
” Police can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Anderson v. Creighton , the Supreme Court ruled that FBI and state law enforcement agents were entitled to qualified immunity protections after they were sued for raiding a private home without a warrant and holding family members at gunpoint , all in a search for a suspected bank robber who was not in the house .
Police can claim qualified immunity for warrantless arrests based on mere suspicion .
In Hunter v. Bryant , the Court ruled that police acted reasonably in arresting James Bryant without a warrant in order to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a letter that referenced a third-party plot to assassinate President Ronald Reagan , but police had no proof that he intended to harm Reagan beyond a mere suspicion .
The charges against Bryant were eventually dropped .
Police can claim qualified immunity for using excessive force against protesters .
In Saucier v. Katz , the Court ruled in favor of federal law enforcement agents who forcefully tackled a protester as he attempted to unfurl a banner at Vice President Gore ’ s political rally .
The Court reasoned that the officers acted reasonably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president .
Police can claim qualified immunity for shooting a fleeing suspect in the back .
In Brosseau v. Haugen , the Court dismissed a lawsuit against a police officer who shot Kenneth Haugen in the back as he entered his car in order to flee from police .
The Court ruled that in light of existing case law , the cop ’ s conduct fell in the “ hazy border between excessive and acceptable force ” and so she did not violate clearly established law .
Police can claim qualified immunity for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City of San Francisco v. Sheehan , the Court ruled in favor of police who repeatedly shot Teresa Sheehan during the course of a mental health welfare check .
The Court ruled that it was not unreasonable for police to pepper spray and shoot Sheehan multiple times after entering her room without a warrant and encountering her holding a knife .
Police officers can use lethal force in car chases without fear of lawsuits .
In Plumhoff v. Rickard , the U.S. Supreme Court declared that police officers who used deadly force to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lawsuit .
The officers were accused of needlessly resorting to deadly force by shooting multiple times at a man and his passenger in a stopped car , killing both individuals .
Police can stop , arrest and search citizens without reasonable suspicion or probable cause .
In a 5-3 ruling in Utah v. Strieff , the U.S. Supreme Court effectively gave police the go-ahead to embark on a fishing expedition of one ’ s person and property , rendering Americans completely vulnerable to the whims of any cop on the beat .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ anonymous ” tips or for “ suspicious ” behavior such as having a reclined car seat or driving too carefully .
In a 5-4 ruling in Navarette v. California , the U.S. Supreme Court declared that police officers , under the guise of “ reasonable suspicion , ” can stop cars and question drivers based solely on anonymous tips , no matter how dubious , and whether or not they themselves witnessed any troubling behavior .
Then in State v. Howard , the Kansas Supreme Court declared that motorists who recline their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and can be subject to warrantless searches by police .
That ruling , coupled with other court rulings upholding warrantless searches and seizures by police renders one ’ s car a Constitution-free zone .
Americans have no protection against mandatory breathalyzer tests at a police checkpoint , although mandatory blood draws violate the Fourth Amendment ( Birchfield v. North Dakota ) .
Police can also conduct sobriety and “ information-seeking ” checkpoints ( Illinois v. Lidster and Mich. Dep ’ t of State Police v. Sitz ) .
Police can forcibly take your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been convicted of a crime .
In Maryland v. King , a divided U.S. Supreme Court determined that a person arrested for a crime who is supposed to be presumed innocent until proven guilty must submit to forcible extraction of their DNA .
Once again the Court sided with the guardians of the police state over the defenders of individual liberty in determining that DNA samples may be extracted from people arrested for “ serious ” offenses .
The end result of the ruling paves the way for a nationwide dragnet of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can use the “ fear for my life ” rationale as an excuse for shooting unarmed individuals .
Upon arriving on the scene of a nighttime traffic accident , an Alabama police officer shot a driver exiting his car , mistakenly believing the wallet in his hand to be a gun .
A report by the Justice Department found that half of the unarmed people shot by one police department over a seven-year span were “ shot because the officer saw something ( like a cellphone ) or some action ( like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pants ) and misidentified it as a threat.
” Police have free rein to use drug-sniffing dogs as “ search warrants on leashes.
” In Florida v. Harris , a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court determined that police officers may use highly unreliable drug-sniffing dogs to conduct warrantless searches of cars during routine traffic stops .
The ruling turns man ’ s best friend into an extension of the police state , provided the use of a K-9 unit takes place within a reasonable amount of time ( Rodriguez v. United States ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ qualified immunity , but police dogs are also off the hook for wrongdoing .
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of a police officer who allowed a police dog to maul a homeless man innocent of any wrongdoing .
Police can subject Americans to strip searches , no matter the “ offense.
” A divided U.S. Supreme Court actually prioritized making life easier for overworked jail officials over the basic right of Americans to be free from debasing strip searches .
In its 5-4 ruling in Florence v. Burlington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is arrested and processed at a jail house , regardless of the severity of his or her offense ( i.e.
, they can be guilty of nothing more than a minor traffic offense ) , can be subjected to a strip search by police or jail officials , which involves exposing the genitals and the buttocks .
This “ license to probe ” is now being extended to roadside stops , as police officers throughout the country have begun performing roadside strip searches—some involving anal and vaginal probes—without any evidence of wrongdoing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into homes without a warrant , even if it ’ s the wrong home .
In an 8-1 ruling in Kentucky v. King , the U.S. Supreme Court placed their trust in the discretion of police officers , rather than in the dictates of the Constitution , when they gave police greater leeway to break into homes or apartments without a warrant .
Despite the fact that the police in question ended up pursuing the wrong suspect , invaded the wrong apartment and violated just about every tenet that stands between us and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the warrantless raid , leaving Americans with little real protection in the face of all manner of abuses by police .
Police can use knock-and-talk tactics as a means of sidestepping the Fourth Amendment .
Aggressive “ knock and talk ” practices have become thinly veiled , warrantless exercises by which citizens are coerced and intimidated into “ talking ” with heavily armed police who “ knock ” on their doors in the middle of the night .
Andrew Scott didn ’ t even get a chance to say no to such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by police who pounded aggressively on the wrong door at 1:30 a.m. , failed to identify themselves as police , and then repeatedly shot and killed the man when he answered the door while holding a gun in self-defense .
Police can carry out no-knock raids if they believe announcing themselves would be dangerous .
Police can perform a “ no-knock ” raid as long as they have a reasonable suspicion that knocking and announcing their presence , under the particular circumstances , would be dangerous or futile or give occupants a chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Richards v. Wisconsin ) .
Legal ownership of a firearm is also enough to justify a no-knock raid by police ( Quinn v. Texas ) .
For instance , a Texas man had his home subject to a no-knock , SWAT-team style forceful entry and raid based solely on the suspicion that there were legally-owned firearms in his household .
The homeowner was actually shot by police through his closed bedroom door .
Police can recklessly open fire on anyone that might be “ armed.
” Philando Castile was shot and killed during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broken tail light merely for telling police he had a conceal-and-carry permit .
That ’ s all it took for police to shoot Castile four times in the presence of his girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter .
A unanimous Supreme Court declared in County of Los Angeles vs. Mendez that police should not be held liable for recklessly firing 15 times into a shack where a homeless couple had been sleeping because the grabbed his BB gun in defense , fearing they were being attacked .
Police can destroy a home during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gives their consent to enter and search it .
In West v. Winfield , the Supreme Court provided cover to police after they smashed the windows of Shaniz West ’ s home , punched holes in her walls and ceilings , and bombed the house with so much tear gas that it was uninhabitable for two months .
All of this despite the fact that the suspect they were pursuing was not in the house and West , the homeowner , agreed to allow police to search the home to confirm that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ inadvertently , in the process of subduing them .
“ I can ’ t breathe ” has become a rallying cry following the deaths of Eric Garner and George Floyd , both of whom died after being placed in a chokehold by police .
Dozens more have died in similar circumstances at the hands of police who have faced little repercussions for these deaths .
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America : The War on the American People , we are dealing with a nationwide epidemic of court-sanctioned police violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little or no real threat .
So what ’ s the answer to reforming a system that is clearly self-serving and corrupt ?
Abolishing the police is not the answer : that will inevitably lead to outright anarchy , which will give the police state and those law-and-order zealots all the incentive it needs to declare martial law .
Looting and violence are not the answer : As Martin Luther King Jr. recognized , “ A riot merely intensifies the fears of the white community while relieving the guilt.
” Using the looting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brutality is also not the answer : As King recognized , “ It is not enough … to condemn riots… without , at the same time , condemning the contingent , intolerable conditions that exist in our society .
These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention .
And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard .
And what is it America has failed to hear ?
It has failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negro poor has worsened over the last twelve or fifteen years .
It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met .
And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity.
” Police reform is necessary and unavoidable if we are to have any hope of living in an America in which freedom means something more than the right to stay alive , but how we reform the system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done .
We don ’ t need to wait for nine members of a ruling aristocracy who primarily come from privileged backgrounds and who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo to fix what ’ s broken in America .
Nor do we need to wait for 535 highly paid politicians to do something about these injustices only when it suits their political ambitions And we certainly don ’ t need to wait for a president with a taste for totalitarian tactics to throw a few crumbs our way .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is a national one .
Be fair .
Be nonviolent .
Be relentless in your pursuit of justice for all .
Let ’ s get it done .
Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of .
His new book Battlefield America : The War on the American People is available at .
Whitehead can be contacted at [ email protected ] .
John W. Whitehead ’ s weekly commentaries are available for publication to newspapers and web publications at no charge .
Please contact [ email protected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Send support to the frontlines of freedom for $ 1 per month to Activist Post ’ s Patreon .
Follow us on SoMee , HIVE , Flote , Minds , and Twitter .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By John W. Whitehead
“What’s been most striking to me is just how one-sided the rules are when Americans take on their own government…. It has been dismaying to learn the extent to which rules and laws shield the government from accountability for its abuses—or even lawbreaking…. It’s been a long and frightening lesson…. The rules seem rigged to protect government lawlessness, and the playing field is uneven. Too many processes favor the government. The deck is still stacked.” — Journalist Sharyl Attkisson
The system is rigged.
The system is rigged, the government is corrupt, and “we the people” continue to waste our strength by fighting each other rather than standing against the tyrant in our midst.
Because the system is rigged, because the government is corrupt, and because “we the people” remain polarized and divided, the police state will keep winning and “we the people” will keep losing.
Because the system is rigged and the U.S. Supreme Court—the so-called “people’s court”—has exchanged its appointed role as a gatekeeper of justice for its new role as maintainer of the status quo, there will be little if no consequences for the cops who brutalize and no justice for the victims of police brutality.
Because the system is rigged, there will be no consequences for police who destroyed a private home by bombarding it with tear gas grenades during a SWAT team raid gone awry, or for the cop who mistakenly shot a 10-year-old boy after aiming for and missing the non-threatening family dog, or for the arresting officer who sicced a police dog on a suspect who had already surrendered.
This is how unarmed Americans keep dying at the hands of militarized police.
By refusing to accept any of the eight or so qualified immunity cases before it this term that strove to hold police accountable for official misconduct, the Supreme Court delivered a chilling reminder that in the American police state, ‘we the people’ are at the mercy of law enforcement officers who have almost absolute discretion to decide who is a threat, what constitutes resistance, and how harshly they can deal with the citizens they were appointed to ‘serve and protect.”
This is how qualified immunity keeps the police state in power.
Lawyers tend to offer a lot of complicated, convoluted explanations for the doctrine of qualified immunity, which was intended to insulate government officials from frivolous lawsuits, but the real purpose of qualified immunity is to rig the system, ensuring that abusive agents of the government almost always win and the victims of government abuse almost always lose.
How else do you explain a doctrine that requires victims of police violence to prove that their abusers knew their behavior was illegal because it had been deemed so in a nearly identical case at some prior time: it’s a setup for failure.
Do you know how many different ways a cop can kill, maim, torture and abuse someone without being held liable?
The cops know: in large part due to training classes that drill them on the art of sidestepping the Fourth Amendment, which protects us from being bullied, badgered, beaten, broken and spied on by government agents.
This is how “we the people” keep losing.
Become an Activist Post Patron for $1 per month at Patreon.
Although the U.S. Supreme Court recognized in Harlow v. Fitzgerald (1982) that suing government officials for monetary damages is “the only realistic avenue” of holding them accountable for abusing their offices and violating the Constitution, it has ostensibly given the police and other government agents a green light to shoot first and ask questions later, as well as to probe, poke, pinch, taser, search, seize, strip and generally manhandle anyone they see fit in almost any circumstance, all with the general blessing of the courts.
Whether it’s police officers breaking through people’s front doors and shooting them dead in their homes or strip searching motorists on the side of the road, these instances of abuse are continually validated by a judicial system that kowtows to virtually every police demand, no matter how unjust, no matter how in opposition to the Constitution.
Make no mistake about it: this is what constitutes “law and order” in the American police state.
These are the hallmarks of a police state: where police officers, no longer mere servants of the people entrusted with keeping the peace, are part of an elite ruling class dependent on keeping the masses corralled, under control, and treated like suspects and enemies rather than citizens.
Unfortunately, we’ve been traveling this dangerous road for a long time now.
A review of critical court rulings over the past several decades, including rulings affirming qualified immunity protections for government agents 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, protecting the ruling class, and insulating government agents from charges of wrongdoing than with upholding the rights enshrined in the Constitution.
Indeed, as Reuters reports, qualified immunity “has become a nearly failsafe tool to let police brutality go unpunished and deny victims their constitutional rights.” Worse, as Reuters concluded, “the Supreme Court has built qualified immunity into an often insurmountable police defense by intervening in cases mostly to favor the police.”
The system is rigged.
Police can claim qualified immunity for warrantless searches. In Anderson v. Creighton, the Supreme Court ruled that FBI and state law enforcement agents were entitled to qualified immunity protections after they were sued for raiding a private home without a warrant and holding family members at gunpoint, all in a search for a suspected bank robber who was not in the house.
Police can claim qualified immunity for warrantless arrests based on mere suspicion. In Hunter v. Bryant, the Court ruled that police acted reasonably in arresting James Bryant without a warrant in order to protect the president. Bryant had allegedly written a letter that referenced a third-party plot to assassinate President Ronald Reagan, but police had no proof that he intended to harm Reagan beyond a mere suspicion. The charges against Bryant were eventually dropped.
Police can claim qualified immunity for using excessive force against protesters. In Saucier v. Katz, the Court ruled in favor of federal law enforcement agents who forcefully tackled a protester as he attempted to unfurl a banner at Vice President Gore’s political rally. The Court reasoned that the officers acted reasonably given the urgency of protecting the vice president.
Police can claim qualified immunity for shooting a fleeing suspect in the back. In Brosseau v. Haugen, the Court dismissed a lawsuit against a police officer who shot Kenneth Haugen in the back as he entered his car in order to flee from police. The Court ruled that in light of existing case law, the cop’s conduct fell in the “hazy border between excessive and acceptable force” and so she did not violate clearly established law.
Police can claim qualified immunity for shooting a mentally impaired person. In City of San Francisco v. Sheehan, the Court ruled in favor of police who repeatedly shot Teresa Sheehan during the course of a mental health welfare check. The Court ruled that it was not unreasonable for police to pepper spray and shoot Sheehan multiple times after entering her room without a warrant and encountering her holding a knife.
Police officers can use lethal force in car chases without fear of lawsuits. In Plumhoff v. Rickard, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that police officers who used deadly force to terminate a car chase were immune from a lawsuit. The officers were accused of needlessly resorting to deadly force by shooting multiple times at a man and his passenger in a stopped car, killing both individuals.
Police can stop, arrest and search citizens without reasonable suspicion or probable cause. In a 5-3 ruling in Utah v. Strieff, the U.S. Supreme Court effectively gave police the go-ahead to embark on a fishing expedition of one’s person and property, rendering Americans completely vulnerable to the whims of any cop on the beat.
Police officers can stop cars based on “anonymous” tips or for “suspicious” behavior such as having a reclined car seat or driving too carefully. In a 5-4 ruling in Navarette v. California, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that police officers, under the guise of “reasonable suspicion,” can stop cars and question drivers based solely on anonymous tips, no matter how dubious, and whether or not they themselves witnessed any troubling behavior. Then in State v. Howard, the Kansas Supreme Court declared that motorists who recline their car seats are guilty of suspicious behavior and can be subject to warrantless searches by police. That ruling, coupled with other court rulings upholding warrantless searches and seizures by police renders one’s car a Constitution-free zone.
Americans have no protection against mandatory breathalyzer tests at a police checkpoint, although mandatory blood draws violate the Fourth Amendment (Birchfield v. North Dakota). Police can also conduct sobriety and “information-seeking” checkpoints (Illinois v. Lidster and Mich. Dep’t of State Police v. Sitz).
Police can forcibly take your DNA, whether or not you’ve been convicted of a crime. In Maryland v. King, a divided U.S. Supreme Court determined that a person arrested for a crime who is supposed to be presumed innocent until proven guilty must submit to forcible extraction of their DNA. Once again the Court sided with the guardians of the police state over the defenders of individual liberty in determining that DNA samples may be extracted from people arrested for “serious” offenses. The end result of the ruling paves the way for a nationwide dragnet of suspects targeted via DNA sampling.
Police can use the “fear for my life” rationale as an excuse for shooting unarmed individuals. Upon arriving on the scene of a nighttime traffic accident, an Alabama police officer shot a driver exiting his car, mistakenly believing the wallet in his hand to be a gun. A report by the Justice Department found that half of the unarmed people shot by one police department over a seven-year span were “shot because the officer saw something (like a cellphone) or some action (like a person pulling at the waist of their pants) and misidentified it as a threat.”
Police have free rein to use drug-sniffing dogs as “search warrants on leashes.” In Florida v. Harris, a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court determined that police officers may use highly unreliable drug-sniffing dogs to conduct warrantless searches of cars during routine traffic stops. The ruling turns man’s best friend into an extension of the police state, provided the use of a K-9 unit takes place within a reasonable amount of time (Rodriguez v. United States).
Not only are police largely protected by qualified immunity, but police dogs are also off the hook for wrongdoing. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of a police officer who allowed a police dog to maul a homeless man innocent of any wrongdoing.
Police can subject Americans to strip searches, no matter the “offense.” A divided U.S. Supreme Court actually prioritized making life easier for overworked jail officials over the basic right of Americans to be free from debasing strip searches. In its 5-4 ruling in Florence v. Burlington, the Court declared that any person who is arrested and processed at a jail house, regardless of the severity of his or her offense (i.e., they can be guilty of nothing more than a minor traffic offense), can be subjected to a strip search by police or jail officials, which involves exposing the genitals and the buttocks. This “license to probe” is now being extended to roadside stops, as police officers throughout the country have begun performing roadside strip searches—some involving anal and vaginal probes—without any evidence of wrongdoing and without a warrant.
Police can break into homes without a warrant, even if it’s the wrong home. In an 8-1 ruling in Kentucky v. King, the U.S. Supreme Court placed their trust in the discretion of police officers, rather than in the dictates of the Constitution, when they gave police greater leeway to break into homes or apartments without a warrant. Despite the fact that the police in question ended up pursuing the wrong suspect, invaded the wrong apartment and violated just about every tenet that stands between us and a police state, the Court sanctioned the warrantless raid, leaving Americans with little real protection in the face of all manner of abuses by police.
Police can use knock-and-talk tactics as a means of sidestepping the Fourth Amendment. Aggressive “knock and talk” practices have become thinly veiled, warrantless exercises by which citizens are coerced and intimidated into “talking” with heavily armed police who “knock” on their doors in the middle of the night. Andrew Scott didn’t even get a chance to say no to such a heavy-handed request before he was gunned down by police who pounded aggressively on the wrong door at 1:30 a.m., failed to identify themselves as police, and then repeatedly shot and killed the man when he answered the door while holding a gun in self-defense.
Police can carry out no-knock raids if they believe announcing themselves would be dangerous. Police can perform a “no-knock” raid as long as they have a reasonable suspicion that knocking and announcing their presence, under the particular circumstances, would be dangerous or futile or give occupants a chance to destroy evidence of a crime (Richards v. Wisconsin). Legal ownership of a firearm is also enough to justify a no-knock raid by police (Quinn v. Texas). For instance, a Texas man had his home subject to a no-knock, SWAT-team style forceful entry and raid based solely on the suspicion that there were legally-owned firearms in his household. The homeowner was actually shot by police through his closed bedroom door.
Police can recklessly open fire on anyone that might be “armed.” Philando Castile was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop allegedly over a broken tail light merely for telling police he had a conceal-and-carry permit. That’s all it took for police to shoot Castile four times in the presence of his girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter. A unanimous Supreme Court declared in County of Los Angeles vs. Mendez that police should not be held liable for recklessly firing 15 times into a shack where a homeless couple had been sleeping because the grabbed his BB gun in defense, fearing they were being attacked.
Police can destroy a home during a SWAT raid, even if the owner gives their consent to enter and search it. In West v. Winfield, the Supreme Court provided cover to police after they smashed the windows of Shaniz West’s home, punched holes in her walls and ceilings, and bombed the house with so much tear gas that it was uninhabitable for two months. All of this despite the fact that the suspect they were pursuing was not in the house and West, the homeowner, agreed to allow police to search the home to confirm that.
Police can suffocate someone, deliberately or inadvertently, in the process of subduing them. “I can’t breathe” has become a rallying cry following the deaths of Eric Garner and George Floyd, both of whom died after being placed in a chokehold by police. Dozens more have died in similar circumstances at the hands of police who have faced little repercussions for these deaths.
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, we are dealing with a nationwide epidemic of court-sanctioned police violence carried out with impunity against individuals posing little or no real threat.
So what’s the answer to reforming a system that is clearly self-serving and corrupt?
Abolishing the police is not the answer: that will inevitably lead to outright anarchy, which will give the police state and those law-and-order zealots all the incentive it needs to declare martial law.
Looting and violence are not the answer: As Martin Luther King Jr. recognized, “A riot merely intensifies the fears of the white community while relieving the guilt.” Using the looting and riots as justification for supporting police brutality is also not the answer: As King recognized, “It is not enough … to condemn riots… without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the negro poor has worsened over the last twelve or fifteen years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity.”
Police reform is necessary and unavoidable if we are to have any hope of living in an America in which freedom means something more than the right to stay alive, but how we reform the system is just as important as getting it done.
We don’t need to wait for nine members of a ruling aristocracy who primarily come from privileged backgrounds and who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo to fix what’s broken in America.
Nor do we need to wait for 535 highly paid politicians to do something about these injustices only when it suits their political ambitions
And we certainly don’t need to wait for a president with a taste for totalitarian tactics to throw a few crumbs our way.
This is as much a local problem as it is a national one.
Be fair. Be nonviolent. Be relentless in your pursuit of justice for all.
Let’s get it done.
ABOUT JOHN W. WHITEHEAD
Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute . His new book Battlefield America: The War on the American People is available at www.amazon.com . Whitehead can be contacted at johnw@rutherford.org.
Publication Guidelines / Reprint Permission
John W. Whitehead’s weekly commentaries are available for publication to newspapers and web publications at no charge. Please contact staff@rutherford.org to obtain reprint permission.
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activistpost--2020-06-16--Documents Reveal That US Military Is Planning For A “Gen Z Bitcoin Rebellion”

Before Bitcoin became the newest trend for silicon valley bros , it was a tool for hackers and revolutionaries who wanted to undermine the banking system .
In fact , this was the original vision of the cryptocurrency ’ s mysterious creator Satoshi Nakamoto , and the group of anarchist hackers called “ cypherpunks ” that developed the technology .
It appears that this original vision was not missed by the US government , which has been developing plans to contend with a potential cryptocurrency rebellion .
Documents obtained by The Intercept through a freedom of information act request show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created war game scenarios in which a rebellion of Gen Z revolutionaries used cryptocurrency to undermine and evade the establishment .
In one of the war games , the Pentagon prepared for hordes of Gen Z hackers who used cyberattacks to steal money and convert it to Bitcoin .
The revolutionary group in the war game was given the name “ Zbellion.
” This exercise happened two years ago , in 2018 , but it was set in the future year of 2025 .
In the scenario , Gen Z was involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ global cyber campaign to expose injustice and corruption and to support causes it deem [ s ] beneficial.
” It was noted that Gen Z sees themselves “ as agents for social change ” and believe that the “ system is rigged against them.
” In light of the protests that have developed around the world over the past months , activists are starting to revisit the original spirit of the technology , and are seeing its potential as a tool for revolutionary movements .
The details of the Pentagon war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congressman Matt Gaetz suggested freezing the financial accounts of demonstrators who are spotted at the ongoing protests against police violence .
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Nathaniel Whittemore , a bitcoin and cryptocurrency consultant , and strategist , previously told Forbes that , “ One of the most important tools in the authoritarian toolkit is the ability to freeze the funding of legitimate political dissent .
By separating the infrastructure of money from the infrastructure of state power , bitcoin makes it that much harder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ In the wake of unprecedented central bank action around the Covid-19 crisis , it seemed like the most relevant narrative of bitcoin in 2020 was as a hedge against inflation .
It appears , however , that its capacity for censorship resistance might be just as relevant , ” he added .
John Vibes is an author and journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture , and focuses solutions-oriented approaches to social problems .
He is also a host of The Free Your Mind Conference and The Free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by John Vibes Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
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By John Vibes
Before Bitcoin became the newest trend for silicon valley bros, it was a tool for hackers and revolutionaries who wanted to undermine the banking system. In fact, this was the original vision of the cryptocurrency’s mysterious creator Satoshi Nakamoto, and the group of anarchist hackers called “cypherpunks” that developed the technology.
It appears that this original vision was not missed by the US government, which has been developing plans to contend with a potential cryptocurrency rebellion. Documents obtained by The Intercept through a freedom of information act request show that the US Department of Defense has created war game scenarios in which a rebellion of Gen Z revolutionaries used cryptocurrency to undermine and evade the establishment.
In one of the war games, the Pentagon prepared for hordes of Gen Z hackers who used cyberattacks to steal money and convert it to Bitcoin. The revolutionary group in the war game was given the name “Zbellion.” This exercise happened two years ago, in 2018, but it was set in the future year of 2025. In the scenario, Gen Z was involved in protests all over the world and waged a “global cyber campaign to expose injustice and corruption and to support causes it deem[s] beneficial.”
It was noted that Gen Z sees themselves “as agents for social change” and believe that the “system is rigged against them.”
In light of the protests that have developed around the world over the past months, activists are starting to revisit the original spirit of the technology, and are seeing its potential as a tool for revolutionary movements. The details of the Pentagon war games were not made public until Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz suggested freezing the financial accounts of demonstrators who are spotted at the ongoing protests against police violence.
Become an Activist Post Patron for $1 per month at Patreon.
Nathaniel Whittemore, a bitcoin and cryptocurrency consultant, and strategist, previously told Forbes that, “One of the most important tools in the authoritarian toolkit is the ability to freeze the funding of legitimate political dissent. By separating the infrastructure of money from the infrastructure of state power, bitcoin makes it that much harder for this type of politically motivated confiscation.”
“In the wake of unprecedented central bank action around the Covid-19 crisis, it seemed like the most relevant narrative of bitcoin in 2020 was as a hedge against inflation. It appears, however, that its capacity for censorship resistance might be just as relevant,” he added.
Image Credit: Richard Patterson
Source: Truth Theory
John Vibes is an author and journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture, and focuses solutions-oriented approaches to social problems. He is also a host of The Free Your Mind Conference and The Free Thought Project Podcast. Read More stories by John Vibes
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activistpost--2020-06-16--Protesters Who Attend Black Lives Matter Rallies In Australia Face Imprisonment And $1000 Fine

Protesters in Australia who take part in demonstrations to support the Black Lives Matter movement will be facing fines of up to $ 1000 .
Demonstrations to support the movement for racial equality has spread all over the world in the past month , but the issue is especially fitting for Australia , where the country ’ s indigenous populations suffer massive injustices at the hands of the government .
Protesters have also called for the release of refugees who were captured by immigration enforcers while attempting to enter the country .
However , law enforcement officials deemed the event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attendees with fines of up to $ 1,000 .
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said that the gatherings were banned due to public health orders relating to the coronavirus pandemic .
NSW police minister , David Elliott said that protesters can even be arrested for attending a demonstration .
“ I urge those thinking of protesting despite the Supreme Court decision and against the health advice to promptly reconsider their plans , ” Elliot said .
This ruling is reportedly in response to massive BLM protests that occurred in Melbourne on Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have shown up for the protest , and officials say that some people developed symptoms shortly after .
However , many of the demonstrators say that refugees are being kept in unsafe conditions which could further the spread of the virus , and they suggest that this is one of their reasons for hitting the streets .
Despite the threats of fines and imprisonment , thousands of people showed up for the protests over the weekend , although it is not entirely clear how many were arrested or ordered to appear in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for $ 1 per month at Patreon .
The protest is organized by Anticolonial Asian Alliance , Indigenous Social Justice Association , and the University of Sydney Autonomous Collective Against Racism .
Organizers posted notices warning demonstrators to watch out for police and be careful to follow all of the pandemic protocols .
John Vibes is an author and journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture , and focuses solutions-oriented approaches to social problems .
He is also a host of The Free Your Mind Conference and The Free Thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Vibes Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
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By John Vibes
Protesters in Australia who take part in demonstrations to support the Black Lives Matter movement will be facing fines of up to $1000. Demonstrations to support the movement for racial equality has spread all over the world in the past month, but the issue is especially fitting for Australia, where the country’s indigenous populations suffer massive injustices at the hands of the government. Protesters have also called for the release of refugees who were captured by immigration enforcers while attempting to enter the country.
However, law enforcement officials deemed the event to be “unauthorized” and threatened attendees with fines of up to $1,000.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said that the gatherings were banned due to public health orders relating to the coronavirus pandemic. NSW police minister, David Elliott said that protesters can even be arrested for attending a demonstration.
“I urge those thinking of protesting despite the Supreme Court decision and against the health advice to promptly reconsider their plans,” Elliot said.
This ruling is reportedly in response to massive BLM protests that occurred in Melbourne on Saturday, June 6th. Over 10,000 were estimated to have shown up for the protest, and officials say that some people developed symptoms shortly after.
However, many of the demonstrators say that refugees are being kept in unsafe conditions which could further the spread of the virus, and they suggest that this is one of their reasons for hitting the streets.
Despite the threats of fines and imprisonment, thousands of people showed up for the protests over the weekend, although it is not entirely clear how many were arrested or ordered to appear in court.
Become an Activist Post Patron for $1 per month at Patreon.
The protest is organized by Anticolonial Asian Alliance, Indigenous Social Justice Association, and the University of Sydney Autonomous Collective Against Racism. Organizers posted notices warning demonstrators to watch out for police and be careful to follow all of the pandemic protocols.
Source: Truth Theory
John Vibes is an author and journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture, and focuses solutions-oriented approaches to social problems. He is also a host of The Free Your Mind Conference and The Free Thought Project Podcast. Read More stories by John Vibes
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Send support to the frontlines of freedom for $1 per month to Activist Post’s Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Flote, Minds, and Twitter.
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activistpost--2020-06-16--Meet The Company Who Created More Than 500 Police Snitching Apps

The company responsible for creating a network of police snitching apps in the U.S. and Canada is trying to convince the public to use a new app .
Want to report your neighbor for not social distancing , report them for being a George Floyd protester , or perhaps you have seen something suspicious ?
Chances are pretty good that OCV , LLC has created that app .
As The Daily Globe explains , OCV ’ s latest app allows users to “ lookup jail inmates and wanted lists , as well as submit anonymous tips about crime.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s department has already received a tip from a concerned citizen .
Because who doesn ’ t want to send police an anonymous tip about their neighbors ?
OCV ’ s “ TheSheriffApp.com ” is particularly good at masking its real purpose .
Want to help re-brand law enforcement ’ s image ?
OCV has at least 500 apps that will help convince the public that law enforcement is here to help .
Activist Post Recommended Book : Snitch Culture : How Citizens Are Turned Into The Eyes And Ears Of The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what TheSheriffApp ’ s real purpose is , it is easy to miss .
TheSherrifApp is specifically designed to allow users to send anonymous tips to law enforcement .
The first thing they mention in their “ Common Features ” section is submitting a tip .
TheSherrifApp has taken public snitching to a whole new level by combining real-time social media accounts .
Would anyone like to guess what the “ Main Feature ” of TheSheriffApp is ?
If you guessed public snitching , congratulations .
Submit a tip with a tap by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can easily submit tips directly from their smartphone .
Take advantage of a mobile app and use your smartphone to be as detailed as possible with your submission : upload pictures , videos… even include the GPS location of an incident !
Users also have the option to submit a tip anonymously .
During the coronavirus outbreak , the news has been littered with stories of neighbors snitching on each other .
Private companies like NextDoor have even gone so far as to shower law enforcement with gifts so they can spread public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As part of the chosen group , Charles Husted , the chief of police in Sedona , Arizona would be flown to San Francisco on President ’ s Day , along with seven other community engagement staffers from police departments and city offices across the country .
Over two days , they ’ d meet at Nextdoor ’ s headquarters to discuss the social network ’ s public agency strategy .
Together , the plan was , they ’ d stay at the Hilton Union Square , eat and drink at Cultivar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive matching Uniqlo jackets .
All costs — a projected $ 16,900 for the group , according to a schedule sent to participants — were covered by Nextdoor .
Hasn ’ t law enforcement learned anything about the recent slew of “ Karens ” calling police on black people ?
The last thing Americans need or want is a “ Karen ” police app disguised as “ TheSherrifApp.
” If there is to be any hope of police reform , then we must demand an end to the culture of police surveillance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Send support to the frontlines of freedom for $ 1 per month to Activist Post ’ s Patreon .
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By MassPrivateI
The company responsible for creating a network of police snitching apps in the U.S. and Canada is trying to convince the public to use a new app.
Want to report your neighbor for not social distancing, report them for being a George Floyd protester, or perhaps you have seen something suspicious? Chances are pretty good that OCV, LLC has created that app.
OCV has created a mind-boggling 500 law enforcement apps.
With over nine years of experience serving public safety agencies, OCV, LLC. has developed over 500 custom mobile apps and proudly serves over 40 states and Canada.
As The Daily Globe explains, OCV’s latest app allows users to “lookup jail inmates and wanted lists, as well as submit anonymous tips about crime.”
In Rock County, Minnesota, the Sheriff’s department has already received a tip from a concerned citizen. Because who doesn’t want to send police an anonymous tip about their neighbors?
OCV’s “TheSheriffApp.com” is particularly good at masking its real purpose.
TheSheriffApp.com will help your office brand itself as innovative leaders in law enforcement within your community and provide easy access to important information to your citizens.
Want to help re-brand law enforcement’s image? OCV has at least 500 apps that will help convince the public that law enforcement is here to help.
Activist Post Recommended Book: Snitch Culture: How Citizens Are Turned Into The Eyes And Ears Of The State
OCV is so good at masking what TheSheriffApp’s real purpose is, it is easy to miss.
App users have the ability to receive instant push notifications from your sheriff’s office, submit a tip, view the most wanted page, see a map of sex offenders in their area and more – all from an app!
TheSherrifApp is specifically designed to allow users to send anonymous tips to law enforcement. The first thing they mention in their “Common Features” section is submitting a tip.
Submit tips right from your smartphone. Use your smartphone capabilities to include pictures, GPS location and more in your tip.
TheSherrifApp has taken public snitching to a whole new level by combining real-time social media accounts.
Combine all social media accounts into one continuous stream within the app. Updated in real time.
Would anyone like to guess what the “Main Feature” of TheSheriffApp is? If you guessed public snitching, congratulations.
Submit a tip with a tap by using our tip submission feature! Users can easily submit tips directly from their smartphone. Take advantage of a mobile app and use your smartphone to be as detailed as possible with your submission: upload pictures, videos… even include the GPS location of an incident! Users also have the option to submit a tip anonymously.
During the coronavirus outbreak, the news has been littered with stories of neighbors snitching on each other. Private companies like NextDoor have even gone so far as to shower law enforcement with gifts so they can spread public snitching to every neighborhood in America.
As part of the chosen group, Charles Husted, the chief of police in Sedona, Arizona would be flown to San Francisco on President’s Day, along with seven other community engagement staffers from police departments and city offices across the country. Over two days, they’d meet at Nextdoor’s headquarters to discuss the social network’s public agency strategy. Together, the plan was, they’d stay at the Hilton Union Square, eat and drink at Cultivar, share a tour of Chinatown, and receive matching Uniqlo jackets. All costs — a projected $16,900 for the group, according to a schedule sent to participants — were covered by Nextdoor.
Hasn’t law enforcement learned anything about the recent slew of “Karens” calling police on black people? The last thing Americans need or want is a “Karen” police app disguised as “TheSherrifApp.”
If there is to be any hope of police reform, then we must demand an end to the culture of police surveillance, and the corporations who profit from it.
Source: MassPrivateI
Image credit: OCV.com
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Send support to the frontlines of freedom for $1 per month to Activist Post’s Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Flote, Minds, and Twitter.
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activistpost--2020-06-17--Norway Halts Smartphone Contact Tracing App, While Other European States Roll Out Tech

Norway has suspended use of its smartphone app meant to track and trace those who have been diagnosed with covid .
This is amid a roll out in other European countries of contact tracing spyware technology .
Geir Bukholm , an official at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health , said the decision to delete data and halt any further information gathering from the app “ weakened the country ’ s preparedness ” should the infection rate increase .
The app was being tested in three municipalities before being halted , Associated Press reported .
The Norwegian Data Protection Agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate meant data harvesting on the app could no longer be justified over privacy concerns .
However , this isn ’ t the end ; a health directorate will argue against the data watchdog that it should be turned back on during a meeting on Friday due to fears of a second wave or localized spread of the infection , Associated Press reported .
European governments have been rolling out smartphone tracing apps to help combat any fresh CV outbreaks .
Norway was one of the first , and its “ Smittestopp ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GPS tracking and uploaded data to central servers every hour .
Although Norway seems to have temporarily halted contact tracing apps , elsewhere in the European Union , Italy and Germany have begun to roll out their contact tracing smartphone apps , according to the New York Times .
Five European nations recently signed a joint letter calling on major technology companies to offer more flexibility in allowing them to design and implement contact tracing and warning applications .
Government officials from France , Germany , Italy , Spain and Portugal called on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to effectively relax rules regarding the development of apps during the crisis , The Washington Post reported .
Activist Post previously warned that the CV pandemic would lead to an open door or Trojan horse for digital smart phone surveillance .
When Activist Post originally reported on the digital rights group ’ s list , there was only a total of 15 countries which had already started measures to track the phones of coronavirus patients , ranging from anonymized aggregated data to monitor the movement of people more generally , to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contacts , known as “ contact tracing.
” Now , there are 28 countries that have implemented contact tracing through smartphone apps ; that ’ s a significant increase in such a short period of time .
In response to the outbreak of COVID-19 : • Contact Tracing Apps are being used in 28 countries • Physical surveillance technologies are in use in 11 countries • COVID-19-related censorship has been imposed by 18 governments • Internet shutdowns continue in 3 countries despite the outbreak Norway currently has between 50 and 100 confirmed cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are between 20 and 50 new cases each week .
Activist Post has consistently expressed that measures being put into place now will likely remain long after the pandemic has stopped and the virus has run its course .
That ’ s the everlasting effect that COVID-19 will have on our society .
The coronavirus is now classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organization , and it may very well be a legitimate health concern for all of us around the world .
But it ’ s the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more in the long run .
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Send support to the frontlines of freedom for $ 1 per month to Activist Post ’ s Patreon .
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Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By Aaron Kesel
Norway has suspended use of its smartphone app meant to track and trace those who have been diagnosed with covid. This is amid a roll out in other European countries of contact tracing spyware technology.
Geir Bukholm, an official at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, said the decision to delete data and halt any further information gathering from the app “weakened the country’s preparedness” should the infection rate increase. The app was being tested in three municipalities before being halted, Associated Press reported.
The Norwegian Data Protection Agency fired back stating that the low infection rate meant data harvesting on the app could no longer be justified over privacy concerns.
However, this isn’t the end; a health directorate will argue against the data watchdog that it should be turned back on during a meeting on Friday due to fears of a second wave or localized spread of the infection, Associated Press reported.
European governments have been rolling out smartphone tracing apps to help combat any fresh CV outbreaks. Norway was one of the first, and its “Smittestopp” raised the most concerns because it used GPS tracking and uploaded data to central servers every hour.
Although Norway seems to have temporarily halted contact tracing apps, elsewhere in the European Union, Italy and Germany have begun to roll out their contact tracing smartphone apps, according to the New York Times.
Five European nations recently signed a joint letter calling on major technology companies to offer more flexibility in allowing them to design and implement contact tracing and warning applications. Government officials from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal called on companies, without naming Google and Apple, to effectively relax rules regarding the development of apps during the crisis, The Washington Post reported.
Activist Post previously warned that the CV pandemic would lead to an open door or Trojan horse for digital smart phone surveillance.
When Activist Post originally reported on the digital rights group’s list, there was only a total of 15 countries which had already started measures to track the phones of coronavirus patients, ranging from anonymized aggregated data to monitor the movement of people more generally, to the tracking of individual suspected patients and their contacts, known as “contact tracing.” Now, there are 28 countries that have implemented contact tracing through smartphone apps; that’s a significant increase in such a short period of time.
Top10VPN writes the following:
In response to the outbreak of COVID-19:
Contact Tracing Apps are being used in 28 countries
are being used in 28 countries Alternative digital tracking measures are active in 35 countries
are active in 35 countries Physical surveillance technologies are in use in 11 countries
are in use in 11 countries COVID-19-related censorship has been imposed by 18 governments
has been imposed by 18 governments Internet shutdowns continue in 3 countries despite the outbreak
Norway currently has between 50 and 100 confirmed cases of CV, according to the NIPH. There are between 20 and 50 new cases each week.
Activist Post has consistently expressed that measures being put into place now will likely remain long after the pandemic has stopped and the virus has run its course. That’s the everlasting effect that COVID-19 will have on our society. The coronavirus is now classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, and it may very well be a legitimate health concern for all of us around the world. But it’s the government’s response that should worry us more in the long run.
**By [@An0nkn0wledge](https://hive.blog/@an0nkn0wledge)**
Aaron Kesel writes for Activist Post.
Image: Pixabay
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Send support to the frontlines of freedom for $1 per month to Activist Post’s Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Flote, Minds, and Twitter.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-06-17--Lawyer Explains How Municipal Governments Can Stop Cell Tower Installation

Andrew J. Campanelli has been hired many times to stop unwanted cell towers from being installed in American communities AND he was one of many experts kind enough to speak during last week ’ s 5G Summit .
If your local elected officials are whining that “ their hands are tied ” regarding any sized cell tower installation in your community , send them the following link and instruct them to skip to the 43-minute mark to hear what he has to say about that : There are many reasons to NOT want cell towers installed near your home or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ value .
They can catch fire and/or collapse .
They can also create clusters of illness because they emit harmful biologically and environmentally harmful radiation 24/7 ( see 1 , 2 , 3 ) .
Firefighter unions oppose cell towers and antennas at their stations due to health risks .
Opposition to 5G small cell technology is worldwide .
Cities in the U.S. and around the world and ENTIRE COUNTRIES continue taking action to ban , delay , limit , and stop 5G deployment ( see 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 8 ) due to valid health and safety risks that include base stations overheating !
!
!
Congress members have asked for evidence that 5G is safe AND that installation be slowed down during the pandemic .
Some municipalities have filed lawsuits against unwanted deployment .
Last December , doctors , scientists , and public advocates asked for a moratorium last December .
5G warnings and opposition have even been issued by the Departments of Defense , Energy , and Transportation , as well as NASA , NOAA , and the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Become an Activist Post Patron for $ 1 per month at Patreon .
Since 2018 , there have been reports of people and animals becoming sick after 5G was turned on including in the U.S. ( see 1 .
2 , 3 , 4 ) .
Of course , other sources of Electromagnetic Radiation ( aka “ Electrosmog ” ) can cause symptoms and illness too .
This includes 4G towers as well as Bluetooth , Cell Phone Radiation and WiFi .
Activist Post reports regularly about unsafe technology .
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By B.N. Frank
Andrew J. Campanelli has been hired many times to stop unwanted cell towers from being installed in American communities AND he was one of many experts kind enough to speak during last week’s 5G Summit.
If your local elected officials are whining that “their hands are tied” regarding any sized cell tower installation in your community, send them the following link and instruct them to skip to the 43-minute mark to hear what he has to say about that:
There are many reasons to NOT want cell towers installed near your home or throughout your community. They reduce property value. They can catch fire and/or collapse. They can also create clusters of illness because they emit harmful biologically and environmentally harmful radiation 24/7 (see 1, 2, 3). Firefighter unions oppose cell towers and antennas at their stations due to health risks.
Opposition to 5G small cell technology is worldwide. Cities in the U.S. and around the world and ENTIRE COUNTRIES continue taking action to ban, delay, limit, and stop 5G deployment (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,. 7, 8) due to valid health and safety risks that include base stations overheating!!! Congress members have asked for evidence that 5G is safe AND that installation be slowed down during the pandemic. Some municipalities have filed lawsuits against unwanted deployment. Last December, doctors, scientists, and public advocates asked for a moratorium last December. 5G warnings and opposition have even been issued by the Departments of Defense, Energy, and Transportation, as well as NASA, NOAA, and the U.S. Navy (see 1, 2).
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Since 2018, there have been reports of people and animals becoming sick after 5G was turned on including in the U.S. (see 1. 2, 3, 4). Of course, other sources of Electromagnetic Radiation (aka “Electrosmog”) can cause symptoms and illness too. This includes 4G towers as well as Bluetooth, Cell Phone Radiation and WiFi.
Activist Post reports regularly about unsafe technology. For more information visit our archives and the following websites.
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Send support to the frontlines of freedom for $1 per month to Activist Post’s Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Flote, Minds, and Twitter.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-06-16--Trump Admin to Spend Millions More on 5G Despite Opposition from Gov’t Agencies, Elected Officials,

Trump Admin to Spend Millions More on 5G Despite Opposition from Gov’t Agencies, Elected Officials, etc.???!!!

Cities in the U.S. and around the world and ENTIRE COUNTRIES continue taking action to ban , delay , limit , and stop 5G deployment ( see 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ) due to valid health and safety risks that include base stations overheating .
In the U.S. , 5G warnings and opposition have been issued by the Departments of Defense , Energy , and Transportation , as well as NASA , NOAA , and the U.S. Navy ( see 1 , 2 ) .
Congress members have asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that installation be slowed down during the pandemic .
Some municipalities have filed lawsuits against unwanted deployment .
Doctors , scientists , and public advocates asked for a moratorium last December .
But whatever , right ?
The Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) continues to force deployment on land and in space ( see 1 , 2 , 3 ) .
Apparently now the Trump administration is also considering more taxpayer money to speed up the process .
The Trump administration is preparing a nearly $ 1 trillion infrastructure proposal as part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s largest economy back to life , according to people familiar with the plan .
A preliminary version being prepared by the Department of Transportation would reserve most of the money for traditional infrastructure work , like roads and bridges , but would also set aside funds for 5G wireless infrastructure and rural broadband , the people said .
President Donald Trump is scheduled to discuss rural broadband access at a White House event Thursday .
An existing U.S. infrastructure funding law is up for renewal by Sept. 30 , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to push through a broader package , the people said .
They asked not to be identified because the Trump proposal isn ’ t final and hasn ’ t been announced .
Since 2018 , there have been reports of people and animals becoming sick after 5G was turned on including in the U.S. ( see 1 .
2 , 3 , 4 ) .
Of course , other sources of Electromagnetic Radiation ( aka “ Electrosmog ” ) can cause symptoms and illness too .
This includes Bluetooth , cell phone radiation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on top of all the other Electrosmog emitting sources is a recipe for disaster – hence the continued bans , delays , and moratoriums being issued worldwide .
Activist Post reports regularly about 5G and other unsafe technology .
For more information visit our archives and the following websites .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Send support to the frontlines of freedom for $ 1 per month to Activist Post ’ s Patreon .
Follow us on SoMee , HIVE , Flote , Minds , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By B.N. Frank
Cities in the U.S. and around the world and ENTIRE COUNTRIES continue taking action to ban, delay, limit, and stop 5G deployment (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) due to valid health and safety risks that include base stations overheating. In the U.S., 5G warnings and opposition have been issued by the Departments of Defense, Energy, and Transportation, as well as NASA, NOAA, and the U.S. Navy (see 1, 2). Congress members have asked for evidence that 5G is safe AND that installation be slowed down during the pandemic. Some municipalities have filed lawsuits against unwanted deployment. Doctors, scientists, and public advocates asked for a moratorium last December.
But whatever, right? The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) continues to force deployment on land and in space (see 1, 2, 3). Apparently now the Trump administration is also considering more taxpayer money to speed up the process.
From MSN:
The Trump administration is preparing a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure proposal as part of its push to spur the world’s largest economy back to life, according to people familiar with the plan. A preliminary version being prepared by the Department of Transportation would reserve most of the money for traditional infrastructure work, like roads and bridges, but would also set aside funds for 5G wireless infrastructure and rural broadband, the people said. President Donald Trump is scheduled to discuss rural broadband access at a White House event Thursday. An existing U.S. infrastructure funding law is up for renewal by Sept. 30, and the administration sees that as a possible vehicle to push through a broader package, the people said. They asked not to be identified because the Trump proposal isn’t final and hasn’t been announced. Read full article
Since 2018, there have been reports of people and animals becoming sick after 5G was turned on including in the U.S. (see 1. 2, 3, 4). Of course, other sources of Electromagnetic Radiation (aka “Electrosmog”) can cause symptoms and illness too. This includes Bluetooth, cell phone radiation and WiFi. Nevertheless, adding 5G on top of all the other Electrosmog emitting sources is a recipe for disaster – hence the continued bans, delays, and moratoriums being issued worldwide.
Activist Post reports regularly about 5G and other unsafe technology. For more information visit our archives and the following websites.
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Send support to the frontlines of freedom for $1 per month to Activist Post’s Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Flote, Minds, and Twitter.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-06-17--How Federal Courts Gave us Qualified Immunity and Forced it on All 50 States

A legal doctrine first created out of thin air by judicial fiat went unchallenged – and the court did what @ @ @ @ @ it eventually forced that same doctrine on all 50 states .
Michael Boldin [ send @ @ @ @ @ founder of the Tenth Amendment Center .
He was raised in Milwaukee , WI , @ @ @ @ @ Angeles , CA .
Follow him on twitter – @ michaelboldin and Facebook .
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Get a free issue @ @ @ @ @

By Michael Boldin
A legal doctrine first created out of thin air by judicial fiat went unchallenged – and the court did what it does so well, it eventually forced that same doctrine on all 50 states.
SHOW LINKS:
Source: Tenth Amendment Center
Michael Boldin [send him email] is the founder of the Tenth Amendment Center. He was raised in Milwaukee, WI, and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA. Follow him on twitter – @michaelboldin and Facebook.
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Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.