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MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – Milledgeville police say they handcuffed an elementary school student for safety after she allegedly threw a tantrum.
According to the police report, kindergartner Salecia Johnson is accused of tearing items off the walls and throwing furniture. The report says the girl knocked over a shelf that injured the principal.
She was crying in the principal’s office at Creekside Elementary before police arrived Friday. The report says when the officer tried to calm the child, she resisted and was cuffed.
read more at:http://www.13wmaz.com/news/article/178448/175/Milledgeville-Police-Handcuff-6-Year-Old-Girl
A U.S. military veteran kills himself every 80 minutes, with more than 6,500 dying by their own hand every year.
These numbers get pulled out and held to the light every so often, then fall away as the magnitude and scope of the issue leaves the public numb and uninterested.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/nick-kristof-on-veteran-suicides-2012-4#ixzz1sJ5ylhV1
Last week the City of Boston agreed to pay Simon Glik $170,000 in damages and legal fees to settle a civil rights lawsuit stemming from his 2007 felony arrest for videotaping police roughing up a suspect. Prior to the settlement, the First Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that Glik had a “constitutionally protected right to videotape police carrying out their duties in public.” The Boston Police Department now explicitly instructs its officers not to arrest citizens openly recording them in public.
read more at:http://reason.com/archives/2012/04/05/7-rules-for-recording-police/singlepage
A federal appeals court has rejected claims by passengers and pilots that the TSA invaded their privacy and violated their rights by demanding pat-down inspections or full-body scans.
The decision affirms a district court ruling from Judge Henry H. Kennedy Jr., who cited a “secret” order from the TSA as the reason he rejected the cases.
The government, insisting that the “secret” order contains “sensitive security information,” has refused to make public the document outlining the procedures, according to John Whitehead, president of the Rutherford Institute.
Institute attorneys had argued that since the TSA “order” has remained “secret,” there has been no opportunity for the public to comment on it, and “passengers and pilots are not only being deprived of their Fourth Amendment rights, but also their due process right to a fair hearing on their challenge to the secret TSA policy.”
Whitehead said today the ruling is a dark cloud.
“This ruling does not bode well for attempts to ensure transparency in government or efforts to safeguard Americans against virtual strip searches and other excessive groping of our bodies by government agents, especially when there’s no suspicion of wrongdoing,” he said.
“When civil liberties are tossed out the window – by government agents or by the courts – we all lose. No American should be forced to undergo a virtual strip search or be subjected to such excessive groping of the body as a matter of course in reporting to work or boarding an airplane when there is no suspicion of wrongdoing,” he said.
He noted it was the D.C. Court of Appeals that rejected an appeal on behalf of airline pilots and passengers who refused to submit to virtual strip searches – or highly invasive pat-down searches.
Institute attorneys wanted to reverse district court judgments in Fourth Amendment lawsuits filed in 2010 against Janet Napolitano, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and John Pistole, administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, challenging the constitutionality of the TSA’s airport security screening policy.
The cases were brought in 2010 on behalf of Adrienne Durso, a recent breast cancer survivor. She repeatedly and aggressively was groped by TSA agents in the area where she had undergone a mastectomy, even after informing agents of her condition.
Another plaintiff was Chris Daniels, a frequent business traveler, was aggressively and repeatedly touched in his genital area after initial screening showed an abnormality in his genitals that was the result of a childhood injury. Whitehead reported when Daniels asked to leave the security area and forgo flying rather than submit to the intimate groping, he was told that he was not free to leave and would have to submit to the enhanced pat-down.
“The pilots, Michael Roberts and Ann Poe, in two separate incidents taking place in 2010, were on their way to work when told by TSA screeners they must submit to whole-body scanning or be subjected to a full pat-down frisk of their persons. Upon refusing, both pilots were prevented from passing through security, and unable to report to work on the days in question,” the Rutherford report said.
The case cited the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.
The fight over the invasive TSA procedures has been raging for several years, after the government agency started implementing “enhanced” security screenings that present two options: an X-ray that is a virtual strip search of a passenger and a pat-down that critics have likened to sexual assaults in public.
Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, earlier proposed a change in the law that would specify that screeners are “not immune from any U.S. law regarding physical contact with another person, making images of another person, or causing physical harm through the use of radiation-emitting machinery on another person.”
“It means they are not above the laws the rest of us must obey,” he wrote at the time.
Also, officials with the Libertarian Party of Florida formally have asked sheriffs across the state to start arresting TSA agents in the 67 counties for sexual battery.
“As sheriff, you have the absolute duty to enforce the law uniformly and without prejudice. You are, at best, engaged in selective enforcement by choosing to further ignore these flagrant violations of federal and state law. At worst, you are complicit,” said a message to the 67 sheriffs from the party signed by chairman Adrian Wyllie.
“If you have TSA agents within your county that are violating the law, then you must act. Warn the TSA agents that they are subject to arrest if they continue to violate the law. Should they continue, then you must begin making arrests,” the letter said. “We urge you to remember the oath you took to support, protect and defend the Constitution of both the state of Florida and the United States of America. On behalf of all Floridians, the Libertarian Party of Florida calls on you to do exactly that.”
On the state level, Texas fell narrowly short of moving forward with a bill that would have required “probable cause” for agents to act against a passenger. While the plan was under consideration, the federal government threatened to close down air traffic to and from the state.
U.S. Attorney John E. Murphy asserted that federal agents must be allowed to touch people when and how they want.
“The proposed [Texas] legislation would make it unlawful for a federal agent such as a TSO to perform certain specified searches for the purpose of granting access to a publicly accessible building or form of transportation,” he told Texans at the time. “That provision would thus criminalize searches that are required under federal regulations in order to ensure the safety of the American public.”
Perhaps among the most dramatic expressions of concern came from Miss USA Susie Castillo, who was reduced to tears by federal agents ensuring she was not a terrorist.
Castillo produced a viral video describing her experience at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.
“I mean, she actually… touched my vagina,” Castillo said through her tears. “They’re making me … choose to either get molested … or go through this machine that’s completely unhealthy and dangerous. I don’t want to go through it, and here I am crying.”
In a commentary at the Tenth Amendment Center by Connor Boyack with Brian Roberts and Michael Boldin, the organization supported plans to address the traveling public’s concerns.
“Castillo isn’t the only person who would be protected under this Texas legislation. All other innocent travelers would likewise be shielded. That includes the six year old girl who made the headlines last month for being groped by a TSA agent (an action which the TSA defended as being alright since it ‘followed the current standard operating procedures’), as well as the eight-month-old infant subjected to a pat down while cradled in the arms of her mother.”
source: http://republicbroadcasting.org/
A story in today’s Washington Post written by veteran columnist Al Kamen suggests that the Bilderberg Group may have a decisive role to play in picking Mitt Romney’s running mate, continuing a recent trend in which the secretive cabal has had a direct influence on the U.S. presidential election.
Kamen has been writing for the Washington Post for over three decades and also worked with Watergate icons Woodward and Bernstein, suggesting the title of his colum
n, “In the loop,” has some meaning behind it.
read more at: http://www.infowars.com/washington-post-suggests-bilderberg-to-pick-romneys-running-mate/
By Stephen Lendman
4-11-12
Delay may end up denial. More on that below.
On March 16, 2003, an Israeli bulldozer driver murdered Rachel in cold blood.
Trying to stop a Rafah refugee camp home demolition, eye witnesses said she climbed atop the giant Caterpillar tractor, spoke to the driver, climbed down, knelt 10 – 20 meters in front in clear view, and blocked its path with her body.
With activists screaming for it to stop, the soldier-operator deliberately crushed her to death. To be sure, he ran over her twice.
Rachel’s family wants justice. So should everyone. The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace & Justice (RCFPJ) supports it. Its mission and guiding principles state:
The Foundation continues what Rachel began. It reflects “her vision, spirit, and creative energy….” It supports “build(ing) understanding, respect, and appreciation for differences, and that promote cooperation within and between local and global communities.”
“The foundation encourages and supports grassroots efforts in pursuit of human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice, which we view as pre-requisites for world peace.”
Its guiding principles include:
challenging injustice and resisting oppression;
teaching justice and peacemaking skills;
advancing “human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice for all….;”
seeking creative ways to achieve these goals; and
committing to people and places the way Rachel did, especially those most disadvantaged and repressed.
Rachel was 23 when murdered. She believed in nonviolent direct action. She supported oppressed Palestinians. It became her life’s struggle. She gave it doing what’s right. What greater sacrifice than that!
In her own words, she said:
“I’m here for other children.
I’m here because I care.
I’m here because children everywhere are suffering and because forty thousand people die each day from hunger.
I’m here because those people are mostly children.
We have got to understand that they dream our dreams and we dream theirs.
We have got to understand that they are us. We are them.
My dream is to stop hunger by the year 2000.
My dream is to give the poor a chance.
My dream is to save the 40,000 people who die each day.
My dream can and will come true if we all look into the future and see the light that shines there.
If we ignore hunger, that light will go out.
If we all help and work together, it will grow and burn free with the potential of tomorrow.”
Her dedication and humility came out in comments like “I can’t be Picasso. I can’t be Jesus. I can’t save the planet single-handedly. I can wash dishes.”
From Occupied Palestine, he emailed often. Her comments showed dedication. They’re inspirational for others. They reflect a spirit vital to be kept alive. The Foundation, Rachel’s family, friends, and kindred spirits do it.
What better life’s mission than supporting peace and justice. Rachel died for it. It bears repeating. What greater sacrifice than that!
Rachel’s Family Lawsuit
In 2005, representing Rachel’s family, attorney Hussein abu Hussein sued the State of Israel. It bears full responsibility for her death.
On March 10, 2010, oral testimonies began. Fifteen court hearings were held. Twenty-three witnesses testified. They included four International Solidarity Movement (ISM) activists with Rachel when she died. They saw what happened close up. Over 2,000 court transcript papers were produced.
US embassy officials attended each hearing. So did Rachel’s family members, as well as numerous international legal and human rights organization observers.
On July 11, 2011, proceedings concluded. Judge Oded Gershon scheduled dates for both sides to present written summations and closing arguments. He also set April 23, 2012 for his ruling. Multiple delays along the way postponed it.
Rescheduling hasn’t been set. The longer it’s delayed, the more likely justice will be denied. Whatever the ruling, Rachel’s lost life can’t be restored.
In her absence, her inspirational spirit motivates others to continue her important work. Helping others and pursuing justice defines it. The Rafah City/Rafeh refugee camp Rachel Corrie Clinic and Children’s Center performs vital services in her name.
The Rachel Corrie Memorial web site provides information about her and what everyone can do. The best way to honor her is follow her example. Support peace and justice issues. What’s more important than those.
Source: republicbroadcasting.org
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Cliff Stearns (R-FL) responded this week to the Department of Treasury Inspector General’s report on the Obama administration’s ill-fated $535 million loan guarantee to Solyndra by saying “it was a bad bet from the beginning.
The report, “Consultation on Solyndra Loan Guarantee Was Rushed,” reveals that Department of Energy cut out the Treasury Department officials from issues regarding Solyndra, ignoring the agency’s advice and limiting its opportunity to review the high-priced, high-risk financing of what critics call “an Obama green pipe dream.”
read more at:http://www.newswithviews.com/NWV-News/news304.htm
George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who shot and killed unarmed Trayvon Martin, was charged with second-degree murder Wednesday in a case that has riveted the nation.
Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey announced the charge at an early-evening news conference in Jacksonville. She said Zimmerman had turned himself in and was being held in the state.
“It is the search for justice for Trayvon that has brought us to this moment,” Corey said. She said she had informed Martin’s parents of the outcome of her investigation.
Under Florida law, a conviction is punishable by life in prison.
Martin, 17, was fatally shot Feb. 26 while walking to a townhouse in Sanford, Fla., where he was staying with his father and his father’s fiancee. He was on the way back from nearby convenience store, where he bought a bottle of iced tea and a bag of Skittles.
Zimmerman, who had called the police to report a suspicious person in his neighborhood, has maintained that he was acting in self-defense when he pulled a 9 mm and shot Martin, who was unarmed, after the two got into a scuffle.
Sanford police decided not to charge Zimmerman, citing Florida’s “stand your ground” law, which allows a person to use force in self-defense when there is a reasonable belief of a threat. The decision prompted a wave of protests, led in part by Martin’s parents.
His mother, Sybrina Fulton, expressed appreciation Wednesday evening for the prosecutor’s action.
“We feel much closer to justice with the decision to bring charges against our son’s killer. We are thankful to the millions of people around the world who signed the petition on Change.org and called for justice for Trayvon,” she said in a statement.
Zimmerman has been in hiding for more than 40 days since the incident. The two lawyers who had been representing Zimmerman, Craig Sonner and Hal Uhrig, withdrew from the case Tuesday, saying Zimmerman had taken actions without consulting them.
Media reports Wednesday said Zimmerman had retained new counsel.
Benjamin Crump, the attorney for Trayvon Martin’s parents, has said for days that he was “cautiously optimistic” that Zimmerman would be arrested and charged in the case. The Martins were in Washington on Wednesday to attend the annual convention of the National Action Network, a civil rights organization founded by Rev. Al Sharpton.
Sharpton has helped lead some of the protests demanding Zimmerman’s arrest. Many of the protesters wore hooded sweatshirts in memory of Martin, who was described by Zimmerman as wearing a hoodie when he called the 911 dispatcher the night of the shooting.
Corey, a Florida state attorney, was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to investigate the case after State Attorney Norm Wolfinger recused himself. Wolfinger had scheduled a grand jury for April 10, but Corey announced this week that she was not going to bring the Martin case before the grand jury.
In a developing news piece just unleashed by a courthouse news wire, Monsanto is being brought to court by dozens of Argentinean tobacco farmers who say that the biotech giant knowingly poisoned them with herbicides and pesticides and subsequently caused ”devastating birth defects” in their children. The farmers are now suing not only Monsanto on behalf of their children, but many big tobacco giants as well. The birth defects that the farmers say occurred as a result are many, and include cerebral palsy, down syndrome, psychomotor retardation, missing fingers, and blindness.