In 90 days ... beginning in June ... United States law enforcement will begin flying remote-controlled Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's), or "drones," throughout America at altitudes under 400 feet.
So, while you are putting burgers on the grill ... while your kids are jumping on the trampoline ... while you are standing in the street talking to a neighbor ... while you are window shopping ... or sitting outside at a café, having lunch ... the eyes of the U.S. government will be upon you.
Small drones will begin flying in June, but all types of UAV's will be allowed into the skies by September 30, 2015 - courtesy of our privacy-killing President, Barack Obama.
He signed the "FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012" into law on February 14. It allows for a broad expansion of drones over the United States. In the name of "security?" Hardly!
The Obama administration is systematically dismantling your Fourth Amendment rights:
GPS tracking: Police have the ability to tap into your cell phone, smart phone, laptop and navigation device to track your every move, and they can do this without obtaining a warrant. Last year, the Justice Department argued that warrantless tracking is permitted because Americans enjoy no "reasonable expectation of privacy" in their-- or at least their cell phones' -- whereabouts.Department of Homeland Security (DHS): The DHS recently released a series of terrorist-watch videos "See Something, Say Something" that effectively tell Americans to spy on each other. These video clips depict Americans as terror threats, and then advise citizens to report the behaviors of their fellow citizens.Transportation and Security Administration (TSA): Agents at airports across the country have harassed, groped and terrorized innocent Americans - including small children and the elderly - as they attempt to board airplanes. It is not uncommon to hear passengers complain of strip searches and humiliation, all without due cause.Social Media Spies: The Department of Homeland Security makes fake Twitter and Facebook profiles for the specific purpose of scanning these sites for "watch list" words. If you are tagged by DHS, they read your posts and dig into your account to find out who you are.Court Decisions: The Supreme Court ruled on Kentucky v. King that law enforcement have the authority to stage a search and seizure of Americans' property without obtaining a warrant from a judge. And the Indiana State Supreme Court ruled in Barnes v. State of Indiana that police can enter a resident's private property at any time - without a warrant, without suspicion, without reason - and without knocking and announcing their presence!
Quietly, without comments from the mainstream media, without opposition from anyone in Congress, America is becoming Obama's police state.
Where will this dangerous pathway end? We cannot continue to allow the majority of our elected representatives to look the other way while the government tramples on our Fourth Amendment protections. The government's encroachment of our rights will continue as long as we fail to act!
RedState warns, "[The Fourth Amendment] is bound to come under more pressure the larger the regulatory state grows."
Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:
| The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
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THESE GOVERNMENT ACTIONS ARE PARTICULARLY DISTURBING BECAUSE, this is similar to what happened in Germany when Hitler enacted dictatorial powers after a series of "decrees" that eroded civil rights and constitutional democracy.
America will not be safer once these drones are airborne. UAV's operated by inexperienced law enforcement officers on the ground will be sharing airspace with passenger aircraft operated by professional pilots.
And it is estimated that by the year 2020, there could be 30,000 of these drones in the sky - operated by police, the military, and corporations.
They won't just carry cameras, mind-you...these drone can carry weapons, too, as well as equipment capable of intercepting electronic communications and cellphone calls.
Jennifer Lynch, staff attorney for the Electronic Freedom Foundation (EFF) says, "Drones give the government and other (UAV) operators a powerful new surveillance tool to gather extensive and intrusive data on Americans' movements and activities."
The New York Times reports they are easy to operate. A drone can be controlled by an iPhone, meaning anyone with a reasonable amount of technological savvy can get in on the "action" - think paparazzi, marketers, and others who want to profit off your activity.
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety," - Benjamin Franklin
Remember ... the Fourth Amendment was written to protect us from police excess and police mistakes. In this growing police state, officers BECOME THE LAW, and our Constitutional rights cease to exist.
How much longer will you remain silent and continue to be pushed around before you tell every member of Congress to stand up and protect your Fourth Amendment rights? |
