lewrockwell--2020-06-18--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 .
Battlefield America : T ... John W. Whitehead Best Price : $ 10.95 Buy New $ 18.80 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 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by government agents .
This is how “ we the people ” keep losing .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 Government of Wolves ... John W. Whitehead Best Price : $ 2.06 Buy New $ 10.42 A review of critical court rulings over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police defense by intervening in cases mostly to favor the police.
” 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
Rise of the Warrior Co ... Radley Balko Best Price : $ 3.56 Buy New $ 10.95 Americans have no protection against mandatory breathalyzer tests at a police checkpoint , although mandatory blood draws violate the Fourth Amendment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 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 reign 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 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was actually shot by police through his closed bedroom door .
Police State : How Amer ... Spence , Gerry Best Price : $ 5.89 Buy New $ 11.49 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 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
The Best of 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. Battlefield America: T... John W. Whitehead Best Price: $10.95 Buy New $18.80 (as of 10:15 UTC - Details)
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.
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 Government of Wolves... John W. Whitehead Best Price: $2.06 Buy New $10.42 (as of 01:25 UTC - Details)
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. Rise of the Warrior Co... Radley Balko Best Price: $3.56 Buy New $10.95 (as of 05:55 UTC - Details)
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 reign 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 State: How Amer... Spence, Gerry Best Price: $5.89 Buy New $11.49 (as of 04:00 UTC - Details)
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.
The Best of John W. Whitehead


Immune Systems Matter

Plans and demands for school reopenings are coming in fast and furious from government and nongovernment organizations alike .
Some are hundreds of pages long , requiring a phalanx of Ph.Ds to sort through the details before implementation .
What seems universally clear is that no one is taking into account that the vast majority of us have immensely powerful immune systems that play a critical role in keeping us healthy and alive .
One plan calls for using sanitizing spray on all classroom surfaces multiple times per day , that children use hand sanitizer upon entering and exiting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff wear masks for the entire school day and of course , ensure social distancing .
The bureaucrats at the CDC would be proud of the results .
Selenium 200mcg for Th ... Buy New $ 16.95 ( $ 0.19 / Count ) But all of these “ specialists ” would have ignored the fact that from the day we are born we are assaulted by germs — by the millions , if not billions .
Our very existence is dependent on a robust immune system — that is , the ability of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of bacteria , viruses , fungus , mold , and other pathogens .
Fortunately , we were created with a powerful internal standing army of cells ready to protect us in each battle and capable of winning most wars .
Frunutta Zinc 5 mg + V ... Buy New $ 14.99 ( $ 0.17 / Count ) In order for our immune system to be prepared for those battles , it has to train regularly and bring new recruits to the effort .
Even before we are born , our immune system is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us .
The result is our body creates germ-specific special ops fighters to defeat a variety of enemies that life throws against us .
Each time we are exposed to new or old germs our immune system grows smarter and stronger .
It is healthy and necessary for our very survival , to be exposed to different germs and to recover to fight another day .
If we purposely prevent such exposure , we may gain in the short term , but we may also lose in devastating ways in the long term @

Plans and demands for school reopenings are coming in fast and furious from government and nongovernment organizations alike. Some are hundreds of pages long, requiring a phalanx of Ph.Ds to sort through the details before implementation.
What seems universally clear is that no one is taking into account that the vast majority of us have immensely powerful immune systems that play a critical role in keeping us healthy and alive.
One plan calls for using sanitizing spray on all classroom surfaces multiple times per day, that children use hand sanitizer upon entering and exiting the classroom, and that all children and staff wear masks for the entire school day and of course, ensure social distancing. The bureaucrats at the CDC would be proud of the results. Selenium 200mcg for Th... Buy New $16.95 ($0.19 / Count) (as of 03:32 UTC - Details)
But all of these “specialists” would have ignored the fact that from the day we are born we are assaulted by germs — by the millions, if not billions. Our very existence is dependent on a robust immune system — that is, the ability of our bodies to fight off any invasion of bacteria, viruses, fungus, mold, and other pathogens. Fortunately, we were created with a powerful internal standing army of cells ready to protect us in each battle and capable of winning most wars.
Frunutta Zinc 5 mg + V... Buy New $14.99 ($0.17 / Count) (as of 05:10 UTC - Details) In order for our immune system to be prepared for those battles, it has to train regularly and bring new recruits to the effort. Even before we are born, our immune system is exposed to germs and working to protect us. The result is our body creates germ-specific special ops fighters to defeat a variety of enemies that life throws against us.
Each time we are exposed to new or old germs our immune system grows smarter and stronger. It is healthy and necessary for our very survival, to be exposed to different germs and to recover to fight another day. If we purposely prevent such exposure, we may gain in the short term, but we may also lose in devastating ways in the long term.
Read the Whole Article


lewrockwell--2020-06-18--Where Do I Start With Homeschooling?

Where Do I Start With Homeschooling?

You made it through the school year “ homeschooling ” your children and either you ’ re saying “ never again ” , or you are now considering homeschooling this next school year .
There are differences between coping with an unplanned and potentially chaotic quarantine school at home and planning for a homeschool experience in the fall .
If you ’ ve questioned your ability to homeschool based on your experiences with this recent lock down , don ’ t .
There is no comparison between having something ill prepared and untested foisted upon you in addition to all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own successful homeschool .
What will schools look like ?
There are good reasons to consider homeschooling in the fall given the current requirements for children to return to school .
The CDC has issued recommendations for reopening schools and they include having children wear masks all day , bringing their own food to school , discouraging sharing of supplies , staggering arrival and drop-off times , and students remaining 6 feet apart at all times .
We ’ ve already seen stores install arrows directing movement through the store and it wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagination to see this in schools as well .
We ’ ve also seen adults “ peer ” policing for wearing masks and no doubt , children will follow suit .
You Can Teach Your Chi ... Ruth Beechick Best Price : $ 0.35 Buy New $ 6.62 Your school system will decide how to manage these recommendations , but I suspect we ’ ll see some pretty consistent implementation methods .
Following the CDC recommendations for strategies to prevent COVID spread gives schools some perception of legal cover .
If they follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to result from re-opening the schools .
We live in a litigious society and there ’ s institutional safety in implementing procedures that are consistent across the country .
What are the laws ?
As you make the decision to homeschool , check your state and local requirements for homeschooling .
Use this searchable map for homeschool organizations and laws in every US state .
also has a searchable map for your state and shows options for how to manage in states that are more highly regulated .
If you ’ re in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I begin to figure out how to homeschool ?
Just as there are a score of teaching methods , there are many ways to homeschool .
Perhaps the reason why you want to homeschool defines what method you choose for your children .
Parents choose homeschooling for various reasons .
Some choose to homeschool for religious reasons .
Others choose homeschooling to ensure their children are challenged or are better supported in their learning .
Others choose homeschooling to ensure their child ’ s safety or to help them escape bullying .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afford a private school .
There are many valid reasons to homeschool .
Some parents choose a predetermined curriculum with videos and grading done by the issuing school .
Others choose a more modified version in which the parent grades assignments .
Still others research and put together their own curriculum , while others choose unschooling .
What is unschooling , you ask ?
This site can answer your questions .
With the resurgence in homeschooling in the 1970 ’ s , there wasn ’ t any curriculum .
Parents cobbled together their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or private schools .
Many homeschoolers were Christians , and many of the earliest curricula reflect those values .
Now , there is a universe of choices to help you in your homeschool experience .
It can be overwhelming to try to figure out what will work for you and your children .
Start reading and talking to veteran or current homeschoolers .
The links below are ones respected friends or I have used .
• Cathy Duffy Reviews has been for many the best review of homeschool curriculum for years .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Amazon .
You can order directly from the company and often in e-book format .
• The Well-Trained Mind : A Guide to Classical Education at Home ( Fourth Edition ) Fourth Edition I have not used this book , however , friends have highly recommended it .
• You Can Teach Your Child Successfully : Grades 4-8 2nd ed .
Edition is by far the best advice I ’ ve ever read on homeschooling .
• Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons We taught both our kids to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enjoy reading today as young adults .
• Real Science 4 Kids presents science as integral to other learning with fun experiments .
We used the “ Focus On ” series , but many people like the “ Building Blocks ” format .
• Mary Pride ’ s Complete Guide to Getting Started in Homeschooling I am not familiar with this particular book , but we did use many of Mary Pride ’ s materials when formulating our approach to homeschooling .
• Singapore Math is a system of teaching math mastery and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that both the child and the parent learn the system , which is very different from how math is typically taught in the US .
We did not use this system , but friends who were in the STEM field highly recommended it .
• We used Saxon Math in middle school and beginning high school years because my children wanted to attend public high schools and Saxon tracked well with the school math curriculum .
• Timberdoodle was our go to for educational toys and they have morphed into selling curriculum that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HearthSong has many educational toys , but you can just as easily contact an appliance dealer for a free refrigerator box for your kids to convert to a fort or ask for scrap pieces of wood from the local wood yard for the children to create things with hammer and nails .
Public schools often sell their old equipment .
We acquired a couple non-working microscopes and other mechanical items that my oldest enjoyed bringing back to life .
• Calvert curriculum is a well-respected comprehensive Catholic curriculum .
I haven ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many people who are very happy with it .
• Sonlight is a Christian curriculum that we used in the early years because of its international view .
There is a heavy focus on reading : both the parent reading aloud and the child reading at their level .
Perhaps the best thing you can do is to read aloud to your children .
We read every night and worked our way through many books , including Tolkien ’ s works , C.S .
Lewis ’ s The Chronicles of Narnia ( twice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of our favorites , The Little Britches series .
• The Khan Academy is a free resource for learners , parents , teachers and school districts worldwide .
I have heard it is helpful and is especially useful for high school students .
If you have used Khan Academy , please share your experience in the comments below .
• The Five Most Important Money Lessons to Teach your Kids discusses what you can teach your children about managing money from the youngest ages .
Schools , in general , do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Duolingo offers language learning in an interactive format .
I have used this in advance of traveling to another country to familiarize myself with the language .
• Grasshopper teaches how to code in a fun and enjoyable format and I liked the interface .
Find descriptions and reviews by homeschoolers on just about any curriculum and publisher here .
Another great resource is a homeschool convention .
Typically , there will be keynote speakers , along with lectures from vendors .
While the conventions may be postponed this year because of COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still active .
I began going to homeschool conventions when my oldest was two and got practical information while doing my own research .
Used bookstores can be a tremendous help in finding both curriculum and homeschool support groups .
Public libraries will sometimes order books if you request them or may have a reciprocal arrangement with another library system in which they can offer the book for checkout .
Abebooks.com is a great resource for both used and new books if you know what you ’ re looking for .
Amazon and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both used and new books and videos .
Homeschooling may be met with lots of resistance from friends and family .
In our case , my parents were both educators so the choice to homeschool was met with derision .
There was no help offered , in fact there was a lot of discouragement expressed .
Fortunately , we had many friends who homeschooled and they became our lifeline .
We joined a co-op , explored playgroups until we found one that fit our family , attended rehearsal performances of the arts for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performance center , and met other families at the park once a week for lunch and playtime .
Our kids took music lessons , played on teams , and were part of church groups .
We found our people and you need to do the same .
Who are your people ?
Find them and you can support each other .
Teach Your Child to Re ... Bruner , Elaine Best Price : $ 5.02 Buy New $ 13.44 Well , that ’ s all well and good , but both of us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I agree that in the last 20 years , it ’ s become more difficult to have one parent at home .
However , an argument can be made that it ’ s not efficient to have both parents working either .
With both parents working , someone has to take on the tasks of running a household , maintaining cars , paying bills , grocery shopping , cleaning and cooking .
Someone also has to take on the task of caring for preschool age children or retrieving children from after-care in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the life tasks are not fewer , yet there is less time to accomplish them , leaving less time to build a relationship with each other .
There is a continual pull between what you instinctively know is necessary and right for your family and what your employer demands .
It can become a rat race and suck the life out of all who try to maintain it .
A case can be made that both parents working with children in daycare does not advance financial health .
I ’ m a single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Being a single parent is the hardest job I know .
Not only do you need to provide for your family , but homeschooling would be an additional responsibility that occupies what little free time you have .
If homeschooling is something you want to try , let me suggest a couple of things .
Find like-minded parents with whom you could share schooling responsibilities .
If you are able , work later hours and spend the daytime hours with your children .
Better yet , see if you can work from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can help you care for the children while you ’ re at work and homeschool when you get home .
Perhaps there is a Grandma in your life who would love to homeschool your children .
Be creative .
What are the potential options open to you ?
What about all our living expenses ?
Living expenses can be high and may go higher if the increase in food prices continues , but do we really need to maintain our current lifestyle ?
Could we downsize , eat out less , be happy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a walk around the neighborhood or have a picnic in the park for entertainment ?
Do we need that large TV to be happy ?
Do we need all those expensive video games and gaming systems ?
Choosing homeschooling is choosing a lifestyle that is different .
It is choosing to resist the hype in advertisements that we need all that stuff to be happy .
When our kids were little , we ’ d watch Veggie Tales .
One of our favorites was the one with Madame Blueberry and Stuff Mart , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It also demonstrated how we think we can buy happiness .
It was really more a lesson for me than my children !
I ’ ve learned that the more stuff I have , the more I have to maintain , store and protect .
Don ’ t get me wrong , I ’ m not advocating an austere lifestyle .
I am suggesting if we dial back what we think we need , we can save a lot of money , which opens up other possibilities .
For example : one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to save money for things that really matter , and living a more simple , less-stressed lifestyle .
Melissa & Doug Deluxe ... Best Price : $ 60.44 Buy New $ 63.99 When you don ’ t have as much , improvise and use what you have .
Interestingly , in this quarantine situation , I ’ ve gone back to many things I did when my kids were little and we had less income .
Things like washing out plastic bags or containers and reusing them , letting a potential purchase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ save up before I make a buy/no-buy decision , carefully planning meals to create a new meal with the leftovers , and doing simple things like taking a walk and noticing the birds and flowers to enjoy life .
I ask you , do we really need everything we have ?
Do we encourage each other to acquire new “ stuff ” because we want to conform to a norm or because we think we deserve it ?
I challenge you to think about it and consider the possibilities .
I truly believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up a world of possibilities .
Reprinted with permission from The Organic Prepper .

You made it through the school year “homeschooling” your children and either you’re saying “never again”, or you are now considering homeschooling this next school year. There are differences between coping with an unplanned and potentially chaotic quarantine school at home and planning for a homeschool experience in the fall. If you’ve questioned your ability to homeschool based on your experiences with this recent lock down, don’t. There is no comparison between having something ill prepared and untested foisted upon you in addition to all the other stresses and planning for your own successful homeschool.
What will schools look like?
There are good reasons to consider homeschooling in the fall given the current requirements for children to return to school. The CDC has issued recommendations for reopening schools and they include having children wear masks all day, bringing their own food to school, discouraging sharing of supplies, staggering arrival and drop-off times, and students remaining 6 feet apart at all times. We’ve already seen stores install arrows directing movement through the store and it wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to see this in schools as well. We’ve also seen adults “peer” policing for wearing masks and no doubt, children will follow suit.
You Can Teach Your Chi... Ruth Beechick Best Price: $0.35 Buy New $6.62 (as of 04:02 UTC - Details) Your school system will decide how to manage these recommendations, but I suspect we’ll see some pretty consistent implementation methods. Following the CDC recommendations for strategies to prevent COVID spread gives schools some perception of legal cover. If they follow CDC recommendations, lawsuits are less likely to result from re-opening the schools. We live in a litigious society and there’s institutional safety in implementing procedures that are consistent across the country.
What are the laws?
As you make the decision to homeschool, check your state and local requirements for homeschooling. Use this searchable map for homeschool organizations and laws in every US state. The Home School Legal Defense Association also has a searchable map for your state and shows options for how to manage in states that are more highly regulated. If you’re in Canada, check out this resource .
How do I begin to figure out how to homeschool?
Just as there are a score of teaching methods, there are many ways to homeschool. Perhaps the reason why you want to homeschool defines what method you choose for your children. Parents choose homeschooling for various reasons. Some choose to homeschool for religious reasons. Others choose homeschooling to ensure their children are challenged or are better supported in their learning. Others choose homeschooling to ensure their child’s safety or to help them escape bullying. Some families homeschool because they can’t afford a private school.
There are many valid reasons to homeschool. Some parents choose a predetermined curriculum with videos and grading done by the issuing school. Others choose a more modified version in which the parent grades assignments. Still others research and put together their own curriculum, while others choose unschooling. What is unschooling, you ask? This site can answer your questions.
What about curriculum?
With the resurgence in homeschooling in the 1970’s, there wasn’t any curriculum. Parents cobbled together their own or bought used books from public or private schools. Many homeschoolers were Christians, and many of the earliest curricula reflect those values. Now, there is a universe of choices to help you in your homeschool experience. It can be overwhelming to try to figure out what will work for you and your children. Start reading and talking to veteran or current homeschoolers.
The links below are ones respected friends or I have used.
Find descriptions and reviews by homeschoolers on just about any curriculum and publisher here.
Another great resource is a homeschool convention. Typically, there will be keynote speakers, along with lectures from vendors. While the conventions may be postponed this year because of COVID, the organizations that sponsor them are still active. I began going to homeschool conventions when my oldest was two and got practical information while doing my own research. Used bookstores can be a tremendous help in finding both curriculum and homeschool support groups. Public libraries will sometimes order books if you request them or may have a reciprocal arrangement with another library system in which they can offer the book for checkout. Abebooks.com is a great resource for both used and new books if you know what you’re looking for. Amazon and eBay are always options as well for both used and new books and videos.
Find your people
Homeschooling may be met with lots of resistance from friends and family. In our case, my parents were both educators so the choice to homeschool was met with derision. There was no help offered, in fact there was a lot of discouragement expressed. Fortunately, we had many friends who homeschooled and they became our lifeline.
We joined a co-op, explored playgroups until we found one that fit our family, attended rehearsal performances of the arts for children during the daytime at our local performance center, and met other families at the park once a week for lunch and playtime. Our kids took music lessons, played on teams, and were part of church groups.
We found our people and you need to do the same. Who are your people? Find them and you can support each other. Teach Your Child to Re... Bruner, Elaine Best Price: $5.02 Buy New $13.44 (as of 04:02 UTC - Details)
Well, that’s all well and good, but both of us have to work to support our family.
I agree that in the last 20 years, it’s become more difficult to have one parent at home. However, an argument can be made that it’s not efficient to have both parents working either. With both parents working, someone has to take on the tasks of running a household, maintaining cars, paying bills, grocery shopping, cleaning and cooking. Someone also has to take on the task of caring for preschool age children or retrieving children from after-care in schools. When both parents work, the life tasks are not fewer, yet there is less time to accomplish them, leaving less time to build a relationship with each other. There is a continual pull between what you instinctively know is necessary and right for your family and what your employer demands. It can become a rat race and suck the life out of all who try to maintain it. A case can be made that both parents working with children in daycare does not advance financial health.
I’m a single parent, where does this leave me?
Being a single parent is the hardest job I know. Not only do you need to provide for your family, but homeschooling would be an additional responsibility that occupies what little free time you have. If homeschooling is something you want to try, let me suggest a couple of things. Find like-minded parents with whom you could share schooling responsibilities. If you are able, work later hours and spend the daytime hours with your children. Better yet, see if you can work from home. Find a family member who can help you care for the children while you’re at work and homeschool when you get home. Perhaps there is a Grandma in your life who would love to homeschool your children. Be creative. What are the potential options open to you?
What about all our living expenses?
Living expenses can be high and may go higher if the increase in food prices continues, but do we really need to maintain our current lifestyle? Could we downsize, eat out less, be happy with the clothes we have, take a walk around the neighborhood or have a picnic in the park for entertainment? Do we need that large TV to be happy? Do we need all those expensive video games and gaming systems? Choosing homeschooling is choosing a lifestyle that is different. It is choosing to resist the hype in advertisements that we need all that stuff to be happy.
When our kids were little, we’d watch Veggie Tales. One of our favorites was the one with Madame Blueberry and Stuff Mart, which was ultimately a lesson in thankfulness. It also demonstrated how we think we can buy happiness. It was really more a lesson for me than my children! I’ve learned that the more stuff I have, the more I have to maintain, store and protect.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating an austere lifestyle. I am suggesting if we dial back what we think we need, we can save a lot of money, which opens up other possibilities. For example: one of the parents not working, being able to save money for things that really matter, and living a more simple, less-stressed lifestyle. Melissa & Doug Deluxe ... Best Price: $60.44 Buy New $63.99 (as of 04:02 UTC - Details)
When you don’t have as much, improvise and use what you have.
Interestingly, in this quarantine situation, I’ve gone back to many things I did when my kids were little and we had less income. Things like washing out plastic bags or containers and reusing them, letting a potential purchase “incubate” for a time and save up before I make a buy/no-buy decision, carefully planning meals to create a new meal with the leftovers, and doing simple things like taking a walk and noticing the birds and flowers to enjoy life.
I ask you, do we really need everything we have? Do we encourage each other to acquire new “stuff” because we want to conform to a norm or because we think we deserve it? I challenge you to think about it and consider the possibilities. I truly believe a shift in this paradigm can open up a world of possibilities.
Reprinted with permission from The Organic Prepper.


lewrockwell--2020-06-18--Who Is Bill Gates? (Full Documentary, 2020)

His name has been at the top of headlines for months since the COVID-19 pandemic began .
Why ?
Why is a person who is not a doctor or scientist getting so much attention around this time ?
Don ’ t get me wrong , it ’ s not that I feel you MUST be a doctor or a scientist to understand what ’ s going on with COVID-19 , it ’ s just that , he is on the world stage like no one else , while legitimate doctors are being censored for their views on COVID-19 which happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Well , just in time for # ExposeBillGates Global Day of Action , The Corbett Report has released the full Who Is Bill Gates ?
documentary in a single upload for your viewing pleasure .
This documentary is truly an incredible deep dive into Bill Gates and what he is up to .
Fire Your Doctor !
How ... Andrew Saul Best Price : $ 6.40 Buy New $ 1.99 We are in a time where , as a collective we are Breaking The Illusion .
This is the first step of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that in order for us to create change we must first see past the smokescreen or wake up from the spell we have bee under that stops us from seeing what ’ s really going on in our world .
It ’ s crucial step in conscious awakening .
So as people sift through documentaries , read articles and have conversations about new ideas during this COVID-19 pandemic , it has initiated a mass awakening to information they may never have spent the time to uncover if there was no lockdown .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to how we will engage with and create our world .
Watch the film below .
You can also watch this on CETV if you are a member .
The 9 Steps to Keep th ... Buttar , Rashid A .
Best Price : $ 36.68 Buy New $ 21.56 The Treatment Trap : Ho ... Singh , Janardan Prasad Best Price : $ 8.42 Buy New $ 7.90

His name has been at the top of headlines for months since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Why? Why is a person who is not a doctor or scientist getting so much attention around this time? Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I feel you MUST be a doctor or a scientist to understand what’s going on with COVID-19, it’s just that, he is on the world stage like no one else, while legitimate doctors are being censored for their views on COVID-19 which happen to bring people relief and calm.
Well, just in time for #ExposeBillGates Global Day of Action, The Corbett Report has released the full Who Is Bill Gates? documentary in a single upload for your viewing pleasure. This documentary is truly an incredible deep dive into Bill Gates and what he is up to.
Fire Your Doctor! How ... Andrew Saul Best Price: $6.40 Buy New $1.99 (as of 11:00 UTC - Details) We are in a time where, as a collective we are Breaking The Illusion. This is the first step of the CE Protocol and it outlines the idea that in order for us to create change we must first see past the smokescreen or wake up from the spell we have bee under that stops us from seeing what’s really going on in our world. It’s crucial step in conscious awakening.
So as people sift through documentaries, read articles and have conversations about new ideas during this COVID-19 pandemic, it has initiated a mass awakening to information they may never have spent the time to uncover if there was no lockdown. The information learned informs completely new actions as to how we will engage with and create our world.
Watch the film below. You can also watch this on CETV if you are a member.
Reprinted with permission from Collective Evolution.
The 9 Steps to Keep th... Buttar, Rashid A. Best Price: $36.68 Buy New $21.56 (as of 04:50 UTC - Details) The Treatment Trap: Ho... Singh, Janardan Prasad Best Price: $8.42 Buy New $7.90 (as of 03:41 UTC - Details)


lewrockwell--2020-06-18--Church and State in Romans 13

Church and State in Romans 13

Regular readers here will know the commenter RMB .
He has recently written an extensive post examining the church-state relationship – whose dysfunctionality has recently been brought to the surface by the recent corona : The Church And State in Romans 13 .
I will touch on a few aspects of his post , but encourage those interested to read through it in its entirety as it is well documented and well thought-out .
Just to set things up properly : RMB begins by examining the original meaning of the terms used in this well-known passage , concluding : Liberty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christopher A .
Best Price : $ 17.00 Buy New $ 29.95 This could mean any properly ordered governance structure .
These range from family to an HOA to political leaders to what are referred to in shorthand as spiritual beings .
The modern idea of a nation-state does not hold exclusive rights to this concept , and depending on behavior , may not hold any rights in it at all ( more on this to come ) .
RMB concludes this passage : And it can not be denied ; but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the authorities .
In Acts , when Peter was ordered to stop his preaching , he replied : “ We must obey God rather than men.
” From here , RMB examines some of the conditions placed on these governing authorities ; he does it through the lens of natural law .
First , he makes an important clarifying point : Why do I find this point important ?
On the one hand , anything written by Thomas must be considered through the lens of Scripture : does it conform , or at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understanding ?
On the other hand , as we all know even in our day-to-day communication : difficult concepts require explanation ; these require further development to make them understandable and meaningful to our lives .
This has been the ongoing work of Christian scholars since the first century .
But on to RMB ’ s important point regarding the conditions placed on governing authorities at all levels : The authority must act properly .
This means acting in a way supportive of – and not hindering – one ’ s pursuit of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as this pursuit is performed in a manner respecting the same for others .
The manifestation of this , for those in the US , can be found in the Bill of Rights in the Constitution .
One can quibble around the edges , but on the whole these first ten amendments spell out an order that respects the natural rights derived from natural law .
And this raises a further important point in this discussion : Is our governing authority ( in the sense used by many Christians ) the mayor ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ( or any legislative body ’ s or court ’ s ) proclamation , or is it the Constitution ?
To ask the question is to answer it – they swear to uphold the Constitution , for goodness ’ sake .
The Great Facade : The ... Woods Jr. , Thomas Buy New $ 9.99 RMB continues by examining other words in the Bible that translate to “ authority , ” but are different words in the original language , with different meaning .
It is important to note that Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carefully choosing the words he used .
The definitions of these other words are much more easily seen in a dictatorial , domineering governing authority – in other words , one not bound by any natural law nor any Scriptural guidance .
He then notes the famous passage from Augustine , summarizing : “ a government that does not support justice is a band of thugs.
” How might we measure “ justice ” ?
At minimum , go back to the Bill of Rights , and further , back to the Natural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , what are Christians to do ?
RMB offers a reasoned discussion of how one might consider each situation .
He then looks specifically at the situation that has recently brought this issue to the fore : COVID-19 .
Governments at various levels have violated what can be deemed a proper use of governing authority in numerous ways , for example : declaring some businesses “ essential ” and others “ non-essential ” ; treating the healthy as if they are sick ; blocking access to public spaces that were built and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give advice and counsel ; it even has a duty where the risk is overwhelming ( I am thinking of nursing homes – if proper focus was placed just here , and every other aspect of life was left to common sense based on rational guidance , how much less would the damage – in every way – have been ) .
RMB concludes that Christians have a duty to respect properly ordered governing structures : The Church and the Lib ... Christopher A. Ferrara Best Price : $ 55.00 Buy New $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by RMB .
When I recently wrote on Romans 13 , I relied – as I do in much of my writing – on a much more rhetorical ( some might even say “ fact-free ” ) style .
In contrast , RMB has literally examined chapter and verse .
There is much more detail to his work than I have hinted at here .
With this said , our conclusions are similar : we are to obey governing authorities ( in the sense used by the Apostle Paul and as described above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our understanding of God ’ s commandments and our Natural Rights as derived from Natural Law .
Almost nothing about this recent corona episode conforms to this justice .
Frankly , very little done by our political governing authorities over more than my lifetime does either .
But on Sunday , once again , the American flag will be on display – worshipped , with equal standing alongside God , in His house .
The Best of Bionic Mosquito

Regular readers here will know the commenter RMB. He has recently written an extensive post examining the church-state relationship – whose dysfunctionality has recently been brought to the surface by the recent corona: The Church And State in Romans 13. I will touch on a few aspects of his post, but encourage those interested to read through it in its entirety as it is well documented and well thought-out. Just to set things up properly:
[Romans 13] is commonly used as a throw away statement to say that churches must obey whatever the government says in light of the pandemic. …But is that God’s will?
RMB begins by examining the original meaning of the terms used in this well-known passage, concluding:
So “governing authorities” means those who are placed at a higher rank over us who are given the right to make decisions for those underneath. In each case the words have a broad meaning of leadership.
Liberty, the God That ... Ferrara, Christopher A. Best Price: $17.00 Buy New $29.95 (as of 03:13 UTC - Details) This could mean any properly ordered governance structure. These range from family to an HOA to political leaders to what are referred to in shorthand as spiritual beings. The modern idea of a nation-state does not hold exclusive rights to this concept, and depending on behavior, may not hold any rights in it at all (more on this to come). RMB concludes this passage:
There is no way to honestly deny that Christians are to be in submission to authority, including governments in a broad sense. That is the plain language of Romans 13. But what does that mean?
And it cannot be denied; but the meaning does not give carte blanche to the authorities. In Acts, when Peter was ordered to stop his preaching, he replied: “We must obey God rather than men.” From here, RMB examines some of the conditions placed on these governing authorities; he does it through the lens of natural law. First, he makes an important clarifying point:
While [Natural Law] isn’t Scripture, [Aquinas] makes important observations about the created order of the God of the Bible.
Why do I find this point important? On the one hand, anything written by Thomas must be considered through the lens of Scripture: does it conform, or at least not contradict, a proper Scriptural understanding? On the other hand, as we all know even in our day-to-day communication: difficult concepts require explanation; these require further development to make them understandable and meaningful to our lives. This has been the ongoing work of Christian scholars since the first century.
But on to RMB’s important point regarding the conditions placed on governing authorities at all levels:
The obligations in Natural Law are applied to all persons, including those in Authority.
The authority must act properly. This means acting in a way supportive of – and not hindering – one’s pursuit of his purpose or telos, as long as this pursuit is performed in a manner respecting the same for others.
The manifestation of this, for those in the US, can be found in the Bill of Rights in the Constitution. One can quibble around the edges, but on the whole these first ten amendments spell out an order that respects the natural rights derived from natural law. And this raises a further important point in this discussion:
For those of us who live in the US this has even more relevance because the ultimate governing authority for us is the US Constitution including the Bill of Rights. Laws and orders from politicians that are Unconstitutional are not legitimate.
Is our governing authority (in the sense used by many Christians) the mayor’s or governor’s or president’s (or any legislative body’s or court’s) proclamation, or is it the Constitution? To ask the question is to answer it – they swear to uphold the Constitution, for goodness’ sake. The Great Facade: The ... Woods Jr., Thomas Buy New $9.99 (as of 04:04 UTC - Details)
RMB continues by examining other words in the Bible that translate to “authority,” but are different words in the original language, with different meaning. It is important to note that Paul did not use these other words, carefully choosing the words he used. The definitions of these other words are much more easily seen in a dictatorial, domineering governing authority – in other words, one not bound by any natural law nor any Scriptural guidance.
He then notes the famous passage from Augustine, summarizing: “a government that does not support justice is a band of thugs.” How might we measure “justice”? At minimum, go back to the Bill of Rights, and further, back to the Natural Rights derived from Natural Law.
So, what are Christians to do? RMB offers a reasoned discussion of how one might consider each situation. He then looks specifically at the situation that has recently brought this issue to the fore: COVID-19.
Governments at various levels have violated what can be deemed a proper use of governing authority in numerous ways, for example: declaring some businesses “essential” and others “non-essential”; treating the healthy as if they are sick; blocking access to public spaces that were built and are maintained by taxpayers.
Government can certainly give advice and counsel; it even has a duty where the risk is overwhelming (I am thinking of nursing homes – if proper focus was placed just here, and every other aspect of life was left to common sense based on rational guidance, how much less would the damage – in every way – have been).
RMB concludes that Christians have a duty to respect properly ordered governing structures:
But at the same time, in order to obey God fully, the Church has a right, even an obligation, to worship God together in the same room when the State commands otherwise. It does not matter if there is a viral pandemic or those in Authority simply wish to change public policy.
Conclusion
The Church and the Lib... Christopher A. Ferrara Best Price: $55.00 Buy New $851.90 (as of 03:13 UTC - Details) I very much appreciate this work by RMB. When I recently wrote on Romans 13, I relied – as I do in much of my writing – on a much more rhetorical (some might even say “fact-free”) style. In contrast, RMB has literally examined chapter and verse. There is much more detail to his work than I have hinted at here.
With this said, our conclusions are similar: we are to obey governing authorities (in the sense used by the Apostle Paul and as described above) when these do not conflict with our understanding of God’s commandments and our Natural Rights as derived from Natural Law.
Almost nothing about this recent corona episode conforms to this justice. Frankly, very little done by our political governing authorities over more than my lifetime does either. But on Sunday, once again, the American flag will be on display – worshipped, with equal standing alongside God, in His house.
Reprinted with permission from Bionic Mosquito.
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