Military Rolls Tanks Onto St. Louis Streets…But Why?

I have to say that this event, which is being labeled a “training exercise”, makes very little sense to me.  U.S. Army troops all the way from Maryland running open exercises in armored personnel carriers on the busy streets of St. Louis?  I know Maryland is a small state, but is there really not enough room at Ft. Detrick to accommodate a tank column and some troops?  Are there not entire fake neighborhood and town complexes built with taxpayer dollars on military bases across the country meant to facilitate a realistic urban environment for troops to train in?  And why travel hundreds of miles to Missouri?  At the very least, this is a massive waste of funds.

On the other hand, such an action on the part of the Department of Defense makes perfect sense if the goal is to acclimate citizens to the idea of seeing tanks and armed military acting in a policing capacity.  Just check out the two random idiots the local news affiliate picked to interview in St. Louis on the subject.  Both state that they think the exercise is a “great idea”, because having the military on the streets would help to “reduce crime”:

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/06/us-military-to-run-urban-exercises-in-north-st-louis-residents-hope-it-will-cut-down-on-crime/

I suspect that the news affiliate did not go out of its way to get any counter-opinions, even though they admitted to being contacted by those voicing concerns over martial law.

Even so, it’s sad and simultaneously terrifying that there are plenty of mindless dupes out there who do not understand the dangers of the Army crossing the Rubicon and acting in a civil law enforcement capacity, never mind that they are completely ignorant of the fact that it violates the Posse Comitatus Act.  One of the interviewees points out that in some countries they don’t use police at all; only military.  This is true.  We call those countries “tyrannies”…

Add to the mix the reality that the DOD refuses to respond to any further inquiries by the press concerning details of the training, and you get yet another suspicious instance of behavior on the part of the establishment that seems preparatory for domestic action.  I believe that the high frequency at which these activity reports have been coming in over the past year is certainly cause for alarm…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlLRx-uSXtA

Brandon Smith, Associate Editor

Fed Approves First Communist Chinese Takeover of U.S. Bank

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Original Article Here -

http://www.thenewamerican.com/economy/sectors/item/11344-fed-approves-first-communist-chinese-takeover-of-us-bank

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The increasingly controversial Federal Reserve offered a green light on Wednesday [May 09, 2012] for banks controlled by the Communist Chinese dictatorship to gobble up American financial institutions and enter the U.S. banking market despite national security concerns, sparking warnings among critics about the rapid spread of the brutal regime’s influence within America. Analysts, meanwhile, called the unprecedented approval a “landmark step” for regulators that could have global implications.

Under the U.S. central bank’s decision, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the largest bank in the Communist Party-run country with assets estimated at some $2.5 trillion, will be allowed to become a holding company and acquire the Bank of East Asia in New York. It marks the first time that a Communist Chinese bank — ICBC is more than 70 percent owned by the regime — has been permitted to take over an American bank. All 13 branches of the U.S. institution will be taken over.

As part of the deal, U.S. authorities also granted bank holding company status to the regime’s sovereign wealth fund, China Investment Corp, which participated in the deal. Central Huijin Investment, which holds the regime’s shares in ICBC, was approved for the classification as well. And according to analysts, Wednesday’s decision by the Fed is just the beginning.

The central bank also approved an application by the communist dictatorship’s massive Bank of China to open another branch in Chicago, adding to its existing footprint in America that includes branches in New York and Los Angeles. In a statement released online, the state-run bank — which has an estimated $1.87 trillion in assets — said it would also be expanding into the central and western regions of the country.

Another megabank owned and operated by the Chinese regime, the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), was given permission to open its first real U.S. branch in New York. The bank already has a “representative” office in America, but with the Fed’s decision, it will now be allowed to expand its operations with a retail branch.

-Continue reading at The New American:

http://www.thenewamerican.com/economy/sectors/item/11344-fed-approves-first-communist-chinese-takeover-of-us-bank

COMMENT FROM BRANDON SMITH, OATH KEEPERS ASSISTANT EDITOR:

For the first time ever, U.S. banks are now open for purchase by the Chinese Government through subsidiary corporations.  If you had any doubts before over where global economic power is shifting to, the evidence should be crystal clear now.  China is on the move to buy anything of concrete value, including U.S. properties and gold, and is obviously in preparation to expand its financial influence around the world.  The point?  China is being groomed by globalist organizations to become the next major economic hub, or engine, while America is being set up for massive system failure.  The writing is on the wall for anyone with eyes…

Coup D’etat: Pentagon & Obama Declare Congress Ceremonial

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Coup D’etat: Pentagon & Obama Declare Congress Ceremonial

Congressman Jones introduces bill that would subject Panetta & Obama to impeachment

Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars.com
Thursday, March 8, 2012

Read original posting of this article here:

http://www.prisonplanet.com/coup-detat-pentagon-obama-declare-congress-ceremonial.html

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s testimony asserting that the United Nations and NATO have supreme authority over the actions of the United States military, words which effectively declare Congress a ceremonial relic, have prompted Congressman Walter Jones to introduce a resolution that re-affirms such behavior as an “impeachable high crime and misdemeanor” under the Constitution.

During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing yesterday, Panetta and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey brazenly admitted that their authority comes not from the U.S. Constitution, but that the United States is subservient to and takes its marching orders from the United Nations and NATO, international bodies over which the American people have no democratic influence.

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Panetta was asked by Senator Jeff Sessions, “We spend our time worrying about the U.N., the Arab League, NATO and too little time, in my opinion, worrying about the elected representatives of the United States. As you go forward, will you consult with the United States Congress?”

The Defense Secretary responded “You know, our goal would be to seek international permission. And we would come to the Congress and inform you and determine how best to approach this, whether or not we would want to get permission from the Congress.”

Despite Sessions’ repeated efforts to get Panetta to acknowledge that the United States Congress is supreme to the likes of NATO and the UN, Panetta exalted the power of international bodies over the US legislative branch.

“I’m really baffled by the idea that somehow an international assembly provides a legal basis for the United States military to be deployed in combat,” Sessions said. “I don’t believe it’s close to being correct. They provide no legal authority. The only legal authority that’s required to deploy the United States military is of the Congress and the president and the law and the Constitution.”

In an effort to re-affirm the fact that “the use of offensive military force by a President without prior and clear authorization of an Act of Congress constitutes an impeachable high crime and misdemeanor under article II, section 4 of the Constitution,” Republican Congressman Walter Jones has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives.

The full text reads;

Expressing the sense of Congress that the use of offensive military force by a President without prior and clear authorization of an Act of Congress constitutes an impeachable high crime and misdemeanor under article II, section 4 of the Constitution.

Whereas the cornerstone of the Republic is honoring Congress’s exclusive power to declare war under article I, section 8, clause 11 of the Constitution: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that, except in response to an actual or imminent attack against the territory of the United States, the use of offensive military force by a President without prior and clear authorization of an Act of Congress violates Congress’s exclusive power to declare war under article I, section 8, clause 11 of the Constitution and therefore constitutes an impeachable high crime and misdemeanor under article II, section 4 of the Constitution.

Under the terms of Jones’ resolution, both Panetta and Obama would be subject to impeachment for abusing their power and violating the Constitution in disregarding the authority of Congress and placing a foreign power above its jurisdiction.

Despite the Pentagon’s efforts to claim that Panetta’s words were misinterpreted, the Obama administration itself has routinely cited the authority of the United Nations in relation to last year’s invasion of Libya, which was conducted without approval from Congress.

In June last year, President Obama arrogantly expressed his hostility to the rule of law when he dismissed the need to get congressional authorization to commit the United States to a military intervention in Libya, churlishly dismissing criticism and remarking, “I don’t even have to get to the Constitutional question.”

Obama tried to legitimize his failure to obtain Congressional approval for military involvement by sending a letter to Speaker of the House John Boehner in which he said the military assault was “authorized by the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council.”

In boldly asserting the authority of international powers over and above the legislative branch, Panetta and Obama are openly declaring that they no longer represent the American people and instead are water carriers for a global dictatorship that has usurped the sovereignty of the United States.

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Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a regular fill-in host for The Alex Jones Show and Infowars Nightly News.

Northern California Sheriffs Leading The Way Back to the Constitution – Full Video

Northern California Sheriffs are leading the way back to the Constitution.  This is the full video of a recent event in Northern California.  Thank you Sheriffs for waking up and fighting for truth, freedom, and liberty.

http://RTR.org | Americans are pushing back all over the country. It’s very clear that a revolution is in full swing. Tea Parties have been organizing to fight the bailouts and taxation. Occupy Movements have be springing up to fight against Wall St corruption at the hands of the Federal Reserve. Americans are pulling their cash out of Big Banks and supporting local Credit unions, as we move into a heated election season where it looks like it’s anyone’s game.

In today’s exclusive special report Gary Franchi is joined by Former Graham County Sheriff Richard Mack. They discuss the County Sheriff Project, a movement that will compound the effort to push back against an over reaching Federal Government, a movement that needs your support.

There are a few things you can do to support the County Sheriff Project:

1st. Visit their website at http://CountySheriffProject.org and make a financial contribution

2nd. Simply share this video to your social networks and email lists.http://on.fb.me/sharvid

3rd. Give your local Sheriff a copy of Sheriff Mack’s book “The County Sheriff: America’s Last Hope” available at http://SheriffMack.com, and tell them about the County Sheriff Project.

Website: http://CountySheriffProject.org
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/County-Sheriff-Project
Share it: http://on.fb.me/sharvid

Category:

News & Politics

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Kelly Thomas / Fullerton PD Case: Recap & Invalid / Fraudulent Oaths of Office of Police Chief & Officers and City Officials

Fullerton CA Police Beat and Kill Homeless Man, Kelly Thomas

Recap: On July 5th, 2011 Kelly Thomas was brutally beaten into a coma by six Fullerton Police officers.

He never regained consciousness. After several days in intensive care, his family was forced to make the awful decision to remove him from life support and he passed away.

Reason.TV documentary short:
‪Cops Vs. Cameras: The Killing of Kelly Thomas & The Power of New Media‬

Oath Keepers of Orange County, CA, Oath Keepers and people from all over Southern California, were present to show support for the Thomas family and to stand up peacefully to protest against the unconstitutional behavior of the 6 Fullerton police officers who beat Kelly Thomas to death:

9-21-2011:

From previous posts on ocoathkeepers.wordpress.com: Update on the Kelly Thomas Beating and Death

From this PDF file: Kelly-Thomas-Charges.PDF

SANTA ANA – Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) Tony Rackauckas filed charges this morning against two police officers from the Fullerton Police Department (FPD) for their criminal participation in the beating-death of a homeless man, 37-year-old Kelly Thomas.

Officer Manuel Ramos is charged with one felony count of second degree murder and one felony count of involuntary manslaughter. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in state prison if convicted. Corporal Jay Cicinelli is chargedwith one felony count of involuntary manslaughter and one felony count of the use of excessive force. He faces a maximum
sentence of four years in state prison if convicted.

The defendants surrendered this morning to OCDA Investigators and will be arraigned today, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011, at 2:00 p.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Per the statutory bail amounts, the People will request $1 million bail for Ramos and $25,000 bail for Cicinelli.

Due to a lack of evidence, as described below, criminal charges were not filed against the remaining four officers involved in the incident including Officer Joseph Wolfe, Officer Kenton Hampton, Sergeant Kevin Craig, and Corporal James Blatney.

The decision regarding the filing of criminal charges was made by District Attorney Rackauckas following an extensive investigation and thorough legal review by the OCDA. The District Attorney will be announcing the trial team at a later date.

….Please read the rest of the PDF file from the above link which includes the DA’s remarks.

Invalid and Fraudulent Oaths of Office of Police Chief & Officers and City Officials

An Interview on Republic Broadcasting Network:

Common Sense Revisited Archive Interview by Todd McGreevy with guest Corey Eib on Third Rail Blog

Corey explains how the infamous “Fullerton Six” police officers embroiled in the murder of a homeless man have invalid and fraudulent oaths of office and brings us up to speed on their status. His research is at the link directly below:
http://www.easu.org/FullertonPD.html

Legal Document for Obtaining Copies of any Oath of Office in California:

White Paper on California Public Records Act - PDF Download (this is also located on our Documents page)

Brandon Smith: NDAA Protests End In Ironic Swarm Of Arrests

Occupy_NDAA

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NDAA Protests End In Ironic Swarm Of Arrests

Brandon Smith January 10, 2012

http://www.alt-market.com/articles/494-ndaa-protests-end-in-ironic-swarm-of-arrests

The absurdity of America today never ceases to amaze.  In fact, it has become so elaborate that one might even suggest it has reached a kind of poetic symmetry.  When a protest group is willing to stick their necks out to expose the horror of the National Defense Authorization Act and its open door strategy for unconstitutional arrest and indefinite detainment of American citizens, I have to stand up and applaud.  This is the kind of protest we need to see all over the country.  Of course, any establishment system which is willing to dissolve the inherent liberties of its citizens certainly isn’t going to stand by quietly while they blatantly point out the injustice.  The Grand Central Terminal action featured in the video below is a perfect example of the swift and immediate stifling of peaceful dissent by an increasingly totalitarian government:

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Responses to the event vary.  Most people who have actually been exposed to the facts on the NDAA have expressed utter disgust and fury.  Rightly so.  Some, however, have taken the old elitist mantra, perpetuated effectively by the Neo-Cons in their heyday, that if you are not for the system, then you are a danger to society.  Not surprisingly, there are still plenty of useful idiots out there buzzing about like parasites in search of blood.

For those who would applaud these arrests, and suggest that they are well deserved, I would have to ask very pointedly; why?

Is it right to crush free speech as long as the message is offensive to you personally?  Do peaceful protestors really present a legitimate threat to our national stability?  Are they truly more dangerous than a corrupt government hellbent on assassinating the legal protections of our natural rights which have existed for centuries?  Would any supporter of the jackboot methodology like to explain to me in a coherent manner why they believe their skewed world view should be shielded from sincere questions?  Please, I can’t wait to witness the kind of ridiculous mental gymnastics required to make such arguments palatable.  If this kind of ignorance wasn’t so destructive, it might actually be entertaining.

The bottom line is, it doesn’t matter if these activists were in Grand Central Terminal, on the streets, or busting through the doors of the Oval Office.  While New York authorities will attempt to argue property loopholes in free speech protections for Grand Central, or national security because of the vulnerability of the terminal, really, this has nothing to do with either.  This is about the removal of American voices from a room, and nothing more.   If the message is going to be suppressed by the mainstream media, and shrugged off by representatives, then protesters must go to where the people are, and make the truth heard by whatever means necessary.

Ultimately, activism is about disturbing people’s normal mundane routines and shocking them out of their pop-culture stupor, even if for a moment.  If we aren’t allowed to do that without constant police intervention, then the First Amendment is not being served, and then, my friends, we have a problem, a problem which should be forced down the throat of government with even more public action.

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You can contact Brandon Smith at:  brandon@alt-market.com

Alt-Market is an organization designed to help you find like-minded activists and preppers in your local area so that you can network and construct communities for mutual aid and defense.  Join Alt-Market.com today and learn what it means to step away from the system and build something better.

To contribute to the growth of the Safe Haven Project, and to help us help others in relocating, or to support the creation of barter networks across the country, visit our donate page here:

http://www.alt-market.com/donate

Stewart Rhodes Interview – Senate Detention Bill is Pure Treason – Declares War on American People

Guest Stewart Rhodes, founder of Oath Keepers, joins Alex to discuss the implications of indefinite detention and torture for American citizens under the looming National Defense Authorization Act.

Please spread this video and the below statement far and wide. Americans need to know about this grave threat to our Constitution and our liberty.

Here is what Stewart Rhodes wrote about this bill yesterday. He will have a more detailed write up soon.

NOTE FROM STEWART RHODES:

The Senate is very near to passing Senate Bill 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012, which contains provisions that will give clear congressional support and authorization for indefinite military detention and military trial of American citizens. If passed, this will amount to a declaration of war against the American people, authorizing the Obama Administration and all future administrations to treat Americans the same as citizens of occupied Iraq or Afghanistan, subjecting us all to military jurisdiction and the jurisdiction of the international laws of war, rather than our Bill of Rights and our domestic criminal laws, upon the mere say so of Obama or one of his minions.

There is a great deal of confusion about this bill, with some incorrectly interpreting it as not affecting American citizens. There is also confusion about the very dangerous legal precedents that this bill seeks to codify and bolster.

I am writing an in-depth article where I will do my best to clarify both what this bill does, how all three branches of the federal government have worked to impose the international laws of war on the American people, the historical and legal precedents, and just how close we are to losing our Bill of Rights forever. I will send that article out shortly, but please act now to put some serious pressure on your Senators to stop the detention provisions in S. 1867.

For an in-depth analysis of “enemy combatant status” see my 2004 Yale paper, available at: http://oathkeepers.org/oath/2010/11/09/solving-the-puzzle-of-enemy-combatant-status-stewart-rhodes/

We are now very nearly at the point where all that will save liberty in America is another American Revolution. This bill, if it becomes law, will shove us across that line, placing us in almost exactly the same position our forefathers were in when they were forced to take up arms in defense of their liberty in 1775. If you wish to avoid that, you must stop this bill from becoming law, right now.

- Stewart Rhodes, Founder of Oath Keepers

Read the bill below or download here: Senate Bill 1867 (PDF)

Especially pay attention to Sec. 1031 and 1032 which state Detainee Matters:

•      Sec.1031.Affirmation of authority of the Armed Forces of the United States to detain covered persons pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force.

•      Sec.1032. Requirement for military custody.

View this document on Scribd

Stop Indefinite Detention of U.S. Citizens Without Due Process

NOTE FROM STEWART RHODES: Below is an urgent alert from the John Birch society regarding Senate Bill 1867, the Defense Authorization Act of 2012, which will give clear congressional support and authorization for indefinite military detention and military trial of American citizens. If passed, this will amount to a declaration of war against the American people, authorizing the Obama Administration and all future administrations to treat Americans the same as citizens of occupied Iraq or Afghanistan, subjecting us all to military jurisdiction and the jurisdiction of the international laws of war, rather than our Bill of Rights and our domestic criminal laws, upon the mere say so of Obama or one of his minions.

There is a great deal of confusion about this bill, with some incorrectly interpreting it as not affecting American citizens. There is also confusion about the very dangerous legal precedents that this bill seeks to codify and bolster. I am writing an in-depth article where I will do my best to clarify both what this bill does, how all three branches of the federal government have worked to impose the international laws of war on the American people, and just how close we are to losing our Bill of Rights forever. I will send that article out shortly, but please act now to put some serious pressure on your Senators to stop the detention provisions in S. 1867.

We are now very nearly at the point where all that will save liberty in America is another American Revolution. This bill, if it becomes law, will shove us across that line, placing us in almost exactly the same position our forefathers were in when they were forced to take up arms in defense of their liberty in 1775. If you wish to avoid that, you must stop this bill from becoming law, right now.

- Stewart Rhodes, Founder of Oath Keepers

Immediate action required!

Deep inside the National Defense Authorization Act (S. 1867) that the Senate is currently considering is a dangerous and unconstitutional portion that needs to be stripped out. Congress would grant the President the power to use the military in order to detain certain individuals, including American citizens, without trial or due process, indefinitely.

Section 1031 of the National Defense Authorization Act reads: “Congress affirms that the authority of the President to use all necessary and appropriate force … includes the authority for the Armed Forces of the United States to detain covered persons…. [including] [d]etention under the law of war without trial….” This “indefinite detention” section hands over to the Executive Branch the power to have the military arrest U.S. citizens.  No trial needed.  Simple suspicion would suffice.

This could be quite reminiscent of Stalinist Russia where a knock on the door in the middle of the night meant that the person taken by the military was often never seen again, perhaps having been imprisoned in Siberia or executed. The Japanese American Citizens League has warned that this measure’s detention principles are similar to the ones that sent innocent Japanese-Americans into concentration camps during WW II.

Sadly, this bill has already been passed in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives with nary a whimper by a 322-96 vote. The excuse given for such an egregious disregard for the Constitution by supporters of the bill including authors Senators John McCain (R- Ariz.)  and Carl Levin (D-Mich.) is that the provision would strengthen and codify the legal framework necessary for dealing with “terrorists.” Other supporters insist that the language doesn’t necessarily include American citizens.

U.S. Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) who voted against the bill in the House, thinks differently. Amash says the act would indeed “permit the federal government to indefinitely detain American citizens on American soil, without charge or trial, at the discretion of the President.” He notes that the language “does not preclude U.S. citizens from being detained indefinitely, without charge or trial, it simply makes such detention discretionary,” therefore it is misleading and outrageous.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is speaking out in opposition to the “indefinite detainment” provision of S. 1867. He is also offering an amendment that would simply strike out Section 1031 of the bill. As this alert is being written on November 29, the Senate is debating S. 1867 and could vote on the Paul amendment this evening or tomorrow, November 30. A related amendment by Senator Udall to revise the detainee provisions of S. 1867 has already been defeated today by a vote of 37 yeas and 61 nays.

Indefinite detention without due process leaves citizens without the legal protection of the Constitution and strikes at the heart of the essence of U.S. law. It is positively shameful that any elected representative would even consider voting for such an assault on so sacred a fundamental value as the right to due process.

Far too much power has already been either usurped or given over to the Executive Branch under the guise of national security. Contact your Senators immediately and demand that they safeguard individual freedom and liberty by upholding the protections guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Have them support the Rand Paul amendment that would completely strike Section 1031 from S. 1867, or any other amendment that would accomplish the same purpose.

If one or more amendments are added to S. 1867, it will likely go to a conference committee and then return to both the House and the Senate for a final vote.  So, a word to your Representative on this issue is also advised. Make sure you find out how he or she voted on the NDAA before getting in touch.

Thanks.

Your friends at The John Birch Society

Feds Raid Washington State Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

Drug Thugs

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Feds Raid Washington State Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

By Laura L. Myers

SEATTLE | Tue Nov 15, 2011 11:41pm EST

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/16/us-marijuana-raids-washington-idUSTRE7AF0BN20111116

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(Reuters) – Federal agents and police raided state-sanctioned medical marijuana dispensaries across western Washington on Tuesday, targeting storefronts deemed to be engaged in illegal drug trafficking and money laundering.

The dispensaries singled out by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration were essentially operating under the state’s medical marijuana law to conceal criminal activity, U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan said in a statement.

Federal officials did not immediately disclose the number of suppliers shut down in the sweep.

But the Cannabis Defense Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy group for marijuana, said on its website that 15 “medical cannabis access points” in at least six western Washington cities — Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Puyallup, Lacey and Rochester — were raided on Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for Durkan’s office, Emily Langlie, said one person was arrested by federal agents, and that additional arrests had been made by sheriff’s deputies in separate raids across three counties although she could not say how many.

Search warrant affidavits unsealed in federal court cited evidence that the dispensaries targeted in the sweep were involved in large-scale drug distribution and money laundering.

Storefront cannabis shops are neither explicitly permitted nor banned under a 1998 voter-approved state law that legalized pot in Washington for medical purposes, but they have widely proliferated nevertheless.

State law does allow collective medical marijuana gardens of up to 45 plants, or a maximum of 15 plants per patient.

Although cannabis is still listed as an illegal narcotic under federal law, 16 states and the District of Columbia have statutes decriminalizing marijuana for medical reasons, according to the National Drug Policy Alliance.

NOT GOING AFTER PATIENTS

Tuesday’s sweep marked the first major federal crackdown on pot shops in western Washington since Governor Christine Gregoire in April vetoed most provisions of a bill that would have established a new regulatory system for medical marijuana.

Gregoire has said she was swayed by a legal opinion from U.S. prosecutors threatening to target not only dispensary owners but state regulators who would enforce the proposed new law.

Federal prosecutors said they were not going after patients who have a legitimate medical need for pot.

“We will not prosecute truly ill people or their doctors who determine that marijuana is an appropriate medical treatment,” Durkan said.

Federal agents had raided more than seven dispensaries in the eastern Washington city of Spokane in May and April after facility operators there refused to shut down.

Last month, federal prosecutors announced a get-tough stance against dispensaries in California that were found to be engaged in drug trafficking under the guise of supplying medical marijuana patients.

The raids on Tuesday appeared to take dispensary operators by surprise, said Seattle defense attorney Aaron Pelley, who told Reuters that two pot dispensary clients were “served with pre-indictment paper” by law enforcement but not jailed.

“In eastern Washington and California, they fired a shot over the bow. Here in western Washington, it looks like the feds put boots on the ground and started kicking down doors.”

In July, Seattle’s mayor signed into law a city licensing system for medical marijuana distribution, requiring suppliers to comply with city codes that govern public nuisance complaints, plumbing and food-handling, for example.

Three of the facilities that Cannabis Defense Coalition said were raided are in Seattle.

(Editing by Steve Gorman and Cynthia Johnston)

Howard Nemerov: A Veterans Day Tale of Woe

Gun Rights

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A Veterans Day Tale of Woe

by Howard Nemerov

http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2011/11/11/a-veterans-day-tale-of-woe/

This unpleasant experience began with a simple inquiry: Were we coming to the banquet honoring veterans, being held at the local high school?

I had previously declined a Tea Party invitation to speak at this venue, asking promoters: How can we celebrate Liberty when the law makes us felons if we don’t agree to void our Second Amendment rights? (It’s a third degree felony in Texas to bring a firearm into a school’s premises.)

I expressed doubt about attending, based upon this reflection.

Their response was that this was “not so much celebrating liberty as it is recognizing those who have served in our military.”

But how can the two be separated? The mental compartmentalization resulting from rationalizing is a great concern of mine. Experience has taught that humans are not so much rational as rationalizing.

My reply: Veterans offered their lives to protect our once-in-history Constitution that actually acknowledges Divinely-endowed inalienable rights, and that the government is supposed to serve the People. Why should we then turn around and let the government tell us we are the servants, and that we may not enjoy the God-given rights that so many gave their lives to preserve? I cannot in good conscience support such a dishonor against those who have honor, foisted upon us by those without honor in the name of safety and security. We either honor the words of the Founders and reject the illusion that the government, even if it wanted to, could provide security at the expense of Liberty, or we dishonor those who served to uphold those Founding principles.

Unfortunately, they chose to label themselves Patriot–implying I’m not–and tell me that considering my attitude, my presence “would be an insult to those who served.”

Disheartened, I submitted to the Oath Keepers for judgment on the matter.

Stewart Rhodes, Oath Keepers’ Founder and President, replied:

“It’s disgusting and disturbing to have an event supposedly honoring     veterans for their service “in defense of freedom” but also insisting that they disarm when they attend the event. Public schools are now nothing more than little Petri dishes of how the elites would like our whole nation to be – Bill of Rights free zones where only those in official power have the full rights of citizens, including the right to bear arms.”

It’s a sad day, when we start rationalizing to justify support for government infringement of our God-given, Constitutionally-acknowledged, and honor-defended Liberty.