Further Evidence Of The Creeping (Or Leaping) American Police State
Steve Strayer
I recently attended a birthday party for a friend at his house.  After the typical rituals — barbecue, birthday song, cake & ice cream, opening of gifts — we somehow drifted into a discussion of stereotypes associated with various races.  After hearing several jokes and accounts of incidents involving blacks, Orientals, Mexicans, etc., I treated the group to what I considered a humorous story involving stereotypical Mexican behavior.  Everybody seemed to enjoy my joke except for one woman I'd never met before.  She sternly announced that she worked for the federal Department of Labor organization which prosecutes companies where such jokes are tolerated.  After she left, the birthday boy (turns out she's his sister) told of her boasting about shutting down several small companies for such violations.
I've been aware for some time of police specialization for punishment for some specific offense:  homicide, terrorism, espionage, "vice", traffic violations, drugs.  A couple of times recently I've noticed Fremont cop cars designated as "Disabled Parking Enforcement."  A few days ago I saw one occupied by two cops cruising around the Home Depot parking lot.  This leads me to believe I am paying for at least two full time thugs to go around harassing people for parking in spaces reserved, but not needed for certified sickies.  Hopefully we can soon expect protection by similar special forces against other threats to civilization such as seatbeltless auto passengers, helmetless bicyclists, jaywalkers, sidewalk spitters, people who use larger then ten watt light bulbs or fail to recycle gum wrappers, students who fail to line up quickly enough when the bell rings, and patrons who fail to show proper deference to postal clerks.
Recently the US Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of jail sentences for driving without a seatbelt (from an article reported on dailynews.yahoo.com:  "Minor Offense Equals Jail Time" by Molly Ivins, May 8, 2001.
You can now get hauled off to jail, booked, printed and held for 48 hours for a seatbelt violation, not to mention dog-off-the-leash, spitting-on-the-sidewalk and aggravated mopery.  Should you have an encounter with a cop having a bad day, you can kiss your freedom farewell.
It was a seat-belt violation in a sleepy suburb of Austin (Texas) called Lago Vista, on Lake Travis.  Here one fateful day in 1997, Ms Gail Atwater was driving her two children, ages 2 and 5, home from soccer practice when they were all busted for driving without seatbelts.  Fine for same in Texas is $25 to $50.
Nevertheless the police officer took Atwater — leaving the two kids in the car, the seatbeltless little outlaws — down to the hoosegow, and there put her through the procedure that has, until this astounding decision, been reserved for those accused at least of a serious misdemeanor.
The court majority cheerfully admitted Atwater was subjected to "gratuitous humiliations" and "pointless indignity" before finding her fate highly constitutional.  (Familiarity with the constitution is probably not a requirement for Supreme Court justices.)
The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution states, "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable search and seizures shall not be violated."
Don't worry, be happy, tra-la-la.

The usefulness of the Bill of Rights  is much overstated.  Unreasonable search and seizure is a good example.  The Fourth Amendment doesn't say what is unreasonable or who gets to decide.  In practice, the government decides, making that amendment pretty much of a mockery.

Poor No Philtre
Sam Aurelius Milam III
People are still trying to require "porno filters" in places like public libraries, where children might have unsupervised access to the internet.  Oh, the poor innocent little bastards!  What if they should happen to see a "bad" word!?!?
Here's the problem.  If a porno filter is really going to catch all of the bad words, then we won't be able to get any information about a cock fight or a tail fin.  We won't be able to read about tennis balls.  We won't be able to study hazel nuts or check the specifications for wood screws.  We won't be able to order pussy willows from the garden companies.  We won't be able to access the latest research about breast cancer and, maybe, even some advertisements about chickens might be prohibited.  Sleeping Beauty won't be able to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel, at least not on the internet.  Dick Cheney and Peter Jennings will vanish from the news.  I thought for a while that we wouldn't even be able to access items about Our Fearless Leader, but I'm told that the particular usage that I have in mind for the word bush¹ is regional, so maybe that won't be a problem in some places.  Nevertheless, I was amused for a while to think that the country would be led by a dick and a bush.

Letters to the Editor
According to my information, Michaela Wrong's book In the Footsteps of Kurtz claims that King Leopold's mercenaries, in the Congo, would go into a village and if it had not made its rubber quota, they would cut off the hands of all the young men.  Sure seems like chopping off workers' hands should be effective in increasing production.  Similar logic is now being applied in some government schools here in Fremont.
My daughter's sixth grade teacher recently instituted a program whereby any student who fails to turn in homework when due has to stay after school and pick up trash.  This occupies time the student might otherwise use for the next day's homework, thus increasing opportunities for further punishment.  A sadistic dream.
To date, my daughter hasn't participated in this game even though she didn't have time to complete a couple of papers.  I told her to refuse the punishment, and I let the teacher know I would chop off her hands if she pressed the issue.  Apparently she's no masochist.

hi,
no error really — just happened to read your newsletter [February and March 1998].  the editor is not very wrong in saying dow chemical company, usa is responsible for the december '84 industrial massacre in bhopal (10-15 people still die of diseases from exposure today).  dow merged with union carbide on feb 6th this year.

In the February 1998  issue, I mistakenly attributed the event to the Dow Chemical Company.  Actually, the plant was owned at the time by Union Carbide.  My error was corrected by a letter to the editor from Steve, of San Antonio, Texas, which I printed in the March 1998 issue.  Now, it seems that circumstances have conspired to bring reality into conformance with my original statement.  Darn!  Right again!

Editor's Note:  The next two items were written in calligraphy.  They were pretty, but very difficult to read in places.  If I've printed any part of them in error, I apologize.

Within the tsunami of silly thought ...
Serious foams shall drop their serious crests .... or so better I say
Sweet spits were mine while local freedoms died on the vine ...
And while Barbara's burning G. W. Bush hailed from the land bovine ...
A once robust economy died on the vine.

Dear Sam A. U. III
R.E. "Egyptology:  Might Not Be Suitable For All Family Members", April 2001 A.D.
After reading your latest report on the state, or shall we best say, lack of historical humour (Hysterectomics):  I got to thinking:  "We moderns think that our ancient forebears were humourless;  stale-souled J. Edgar Hooveresque, Pyramid-bucking bimbos" ....
.... Sorry to disappoint you;  boys 'n girls ... But our modern machismos (as) won't cleave a candle to those post-Atlantean proto-hyroglyphical halcyon Alexandrian B. C. days.  Then —
The world was rife with the ancient Seven Wonders .. all non-rated pleasure domes.  (Let's not forget "Cleopatra's Needle")
Then, cast your eyes east to the Orient — and ancient Egypt becomes quite tame.  The Silk Road was anything but G-P-13 rated!  Our lusty traveler must first usher his caravan through the harems of Constantinople — along with those kinky Caliphs.  And if you were "man" enough it was on to the Khyber Pass — and the mysterious riches of India.  This is where ancient sex knew no bounds:  A few intrepid ancients discovered the joys of the Vedic Ways ... a gyno-whirl on a Shiva Lingam — they were found to be smoother than a pyramid.
Did the female Egyptologist make any mention of Cleopatra's Needle?  Or did her gynecologist decide that archeology was her new majour? ....
"We free and absorbent thinkers must never allow history to be bent, convoluted;  or restructured, in any way" — S.B.
Oh!  and Sam — Regarding your ex GE work-mate "Paolo" from Italy — and your observation regarding his lack of "trans-cultural" humour (or not getting it) it occoured to my speculations:  Paolo was the old prostitute & the "fire hydrant" was the Dome of St. Peter's.

I guess I'm rendered speechless.

Temporary Accommodations
Original Source Unknown.  Forwarded by David, of Idaho Falls, Idaho
The Pope, Billy Graham, and Oral Roberts were in a plane crash over the Atlantic Ocean.  Tragically, they all died.  At the pearly gates, St. Peter was surprised to see them.  "Oh, dear!  We weren't expecting you and your quarters aren't ready yet.  We can't take you in and we can't send you back!"  Getting an idea, he picked up the celestial phone and called Lucifer.  "I have three gentlemen who are ours, but their places aren't ready yet.  Could you put them up for a couple of days?  I'll owe you one."  The Devil reluctantly agreed.  Two days later, St. Peter got a call.  "Pete, this is Lucifer.  You have to come get these three guys that are yours.  This Pope guy is forgiving everybody, the Graham fellow is saving everybody, and Oral Roberts has raised enough money to buy air conditioning!"

Games For When We Are Older
Original Source Unknown.  Forwarded by Cassandra, of Pocatello, Idaho

1.		Sag, You're It
2.		Pin the Toupee on the Bald Guy
3.		20 Questions Shouted into Your Good Ear
4.		Kick the Bucket
5.		Red Rover, Red Rover, the Nurse Says Bend Over
6.		Simon Says Something Incoherent
7.		Hide and Go Pee
8.		Spin the Bottle of Mylanta
9.		Musical Recliners

Frontiersman  479 E.  700 N.  Firth, Idaho 83236          SWAT Team? Swagger While Administering Tyranny

Acknowledgments
•     My thanks to Sir John the Generous http://www.jwebster.com/ and Sir Donald the Elusive for their contributions. 
•     My thanks to The Affiliate, of Vankleek Hill, Ontario, http://www.the-grand-barn.com/, and The Thought, of Glendale, Arizona, http://home.att.net/~guildmaster/wsb for printing reviews of the Frontiersman.

Actual Writings on Hospital Charts
Source Unknown.  Forwarded by Sir Donald the Elusive
•     The patient has no previous history of suicides.
•     The patient has left white blood cells at another hospital.
•     Patient's medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40 pound weight gain in the past three days.
•     Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.
•     She is numb from her toes down.
•     While in ER, she was examined, X-rated, and sent home.
•     The skin was moist and dry.
•     Occasional, constant, infrequent headaches.
•     Patient was alert and unresponsive.
•     Skin:  somewhat pale but present.

Information for prospective Jurors (i.e. -- US citizens who are registered to vote)

In a courtroom, the Jurors are in charge and are empowered to seek Justice.  The Judge is there only to serve as administrator and adviser.  However, over the years our courts, with the help of the State Legislature, has devised ways to steal back control from the Jurors and put it into the hands of the Judge who is sworn to "uphold the law" rather then to seek Justice.  This difference between Justice and Law is important to understand since lately more and more laws ignore and/or violate the rights of the individual in favor of enforcing so called "Fairness", "Political Correctness" or "Cultural Standards".

The US Supreme Court has ruled that a Jury does have the right to question the law but that they can be legally kept in the dark about it so as to discourage their use of this power.  As a result the courts now use questionnaires to try to weed out those jurors that know about this right.  During the trial an attorney can even be cited with Contempt of Court if he so much as mentions to the jury that they have this power.  For more information visit the Fully Informed Juror Association web-site: http://www.fija.org/

Once the jury is selected the judge then attempts to control what evidence that the jury even hears about.  For example, where a defendant is facing a "Three Strikes" conviction that would result in an absurd amount of time in prison for a minor crime, the jury is purposely left uninformed.  The hope is that they will only judge the "facts of the case" and blindly enforce the law rather then act to prevent a miscarriage of justice. 

The Big Lie:  "That Law is Sacred".  That because someone "Broke the Law" gives the Justice System the moral right to put that person in prison or otherwise punish him or her.  This just isn't so.  More and more it is the law that is morally wrong and not the lawbreaker.  Laws that fail to acknowledge the rights and property of the individual are simply Bad Laws and should be ignored by Juries in their search for Justice.

The Drug War:  Controlling what people put in their own bodies.  These laws are about things that the "Public" doesn't even own therefore has no right to enforce on the individual.  Only if the drug user/seller was initiating violence or was on public property while "drunk and disorderly", or operating a vehicle while under the influence, does the public have the jurisdiction to enforce these laws.  Even then the punishment must be consistent with the crime -- say, comparable to that for the misuse of alcohol. 

Because the punishment for possessing or transporting a "Controlled Substance" on public property is so completely out of proportion to what at most should only be a "ticketed infraction", the Juror may choose to find the defendant "Not Guilty".

The Witch-Hunt:  Catching the Child Molester.  Yes, people that commit Sexual Assault/Rape against a child should be put away forever.  However some people charged with molesting a child are really only guilty of "Inappropriate Affection".  This is particularly the case if the instigator is someone close to the child such as a parent, sibling, uncle, or teacher.  The "Harm" supposedly done is in introducing that child to the

While some punishment would be appropriate in these cases, the punishment resulting from a "Guilty" verdict is again so far out of proportion to the real crime of "Custodial Interference" that a juror may choose to find the defendant "Not Guilty" just to avoid a miscarriage of Justice.

Fact:  Police Falsify Evidence and lie in Sworn Statements.  After the police decide who is guilty, they don't trust a jury to reach the same decision so they "stack the deck" against the defendant by blatantly lying under oath and falsifying evidence.  Recent examples where the police where actually caught include LA Rampart division and Oakland Police corruption. 

The police know that the judge will usually look the other way and at most will simply disallow the evidence.  In reality evidence tampering is a far more heinous crime then that committed by many of the defendants the police are witnessing against. 

Example: 
San Jose Police and Fed's commit Organized Criminal Activity.  Back in 1990 the San Jose Police in cahoots with the US Postal Inspection Service ran an illegal entrapment sting that was blatantly active.  Before they could bring charges against the victims of this scam for certain talk/thought crimes, they had to remove much of the undercover policewoman's talk (her solicitations, encouragement, fantasies, etc.) from the evidence tapes so as to make her out as only a passive listener. 

In one such case, Officer Brenda Herbert of the SJPD even provided voiceovers to help an edited portion of conversation fit in better with the original conversation.  Later in a sworn statement she says that the tapes were not altered in any fashion (as if a police officer that altered evidence would actually admit it), and sites her long service in the police department as proof.  Judge Daniel Creed of the SCC Superior Court then used her statement as justification as to why he would not allow the tapes to be analyzed by a forensic expert for proof of alteration.  He had to know he was covering up for Bad Cops.

In Summation:  A Juror has the Right to question the law (and can decide to do this even after answering a questionnaire to the contrary) and has the Duty to stop a miscarriage of justice.  Also, if a juror strongly suspects that a police officer has lied or altered or hidden evidence then the defendant needs to be found "Not Guilty" simply to stop police from using these tactics in the future. 

The major threats to our freedoms come not from the occasional lawbreaker that goes free but from the corrupt Legislature, Judge and Police Officer that continue to subvert our Justice System into a Police State.

This paper has been written by:  John Webster -- Libertarian Activist
See web-site http://www.JWebster.com for more information.