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Military Power Grab

May 22, 2013 by

Pentagon

Thanks to GrumpyT for the heads up on this. Of everything I’ll mention today, I believe this is the most important. In an article from LongIslandPress.com called “U.S. Military ‘Power Grab’ Goes Into Effect, Pentagon Unilaterally Grants Itself Authority Over ‘Civil Disturbances’” it is explained:

“…the military has quietly granted itself the ability to police the streets without obtaining prior local or state consent, upending a precedent that has been in place for more than two centuries.”

The article is a tad long, but important and worth the read. I’ll briefly explain it and why this is important. The article explains what was done quite nicely, stating that:

“The U.S. military is prohibited from intervening in domestic affairs except where provided under Article IV of the Constitution in cases of domestic violence that threaten the government of a state or the application of federal law. This provision was further clarified both by the Insurrection Act of 1807 and a post-Reconstruction law known as the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 (PCA). The Insurrection Act specifies the circumstances under which the president may convene the armed forces to suppress an insurrection against any state or the federal government. Furthermore, where an individual state is concerned, consent of the governor must be obtained prior to the deployment of troops. The PCA—passed in response to federal troops that enforced local laws and oversaw elections during Reconstruction—made unauthorized employment of federal troops a punishable offense, thereby giving teeth to the Insurrection Act.”

There was similar legislation passed by Congress under President Bush but that was repealed the following year. While I disagree with the legislation, at least they did it the right way. The Pentagon didn’t just grant it to themselves.

The Pentagon has essentially granted themselves more power. With this new power, they have set aside 200 years of precedence and have made it much easier for the President to deploy troops domestically to quash a “civil disturbance” without being asked to do so by the state government.

Is this something congress can correct, or would they even want to?

If this stands, I can see many more instances like what occurred in Boston.

To me this is very concerning. Other than this report from the Long Island Press I have not seen anything else about this. After you read the linked article, I would like to hear your take on this.

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Filed Under: Signs of the Times

3 Dangers To Food Storage And How To Avoid Them

May 20, 2013 by

Today we have a guest post written by Lee Flynn

3 Dangers To Food Storage And How To Avoid Them

People tend to think that disasters don’t happen very often, or at least only happen to someone else. Of course, to someone else, we’re all someone else. And have you turned on the news recently? Tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, wars… do you really think that your little corner of the earth is going to stay safe forever? If you want to survive the disasters that are sure to happen sooner or later, you’re going to need to prepare. In many cases, this means having a well supplied food storage. But stocking up on water and rations is only a part of the equation, because once you’ve got everything you need, you then need to protect it. Here are three dangers to your food storage, and how to overcome them.

1. Time

Just because something is called non-perishable, doesn’t mean that it will last forever. Canned goods only really have a shelf-life of about five years, at most, and Meals-Ready-to-Eat stay good for only about three years. Instead of relying on food that might spoil and leave you up a creek without a paddle, stick with freeze-dried and dehydrated foods, which last a good deal longer. Storing your food in the right place will also have a big effect on how long it lasts. That means that you should find someplace cool, dry, and dark. Also, make sure that the food is well packed in airtight containers, because exposure to oxygen can speed up the spoiling process.

2. Animals

Insects and other invertebrates are natural born food-storage thieves. They’re small, so they can usually get into any room or building that they want to. And guess what? they’d like nothing better than to burrow into your sack of flour and raise a couple thousand kids. But although you may not be able to keep these pests from getting to your storage room, you should be able to at least keep them out of the food. Store your food in secure plastic, metal, or glass containers, and be sure to clean up any spills as quickly as you can. Rodents such as mice or rats, and even larger mammals like raccoons pose a different threat. They might have a harder time breaking into the building, but with the help of gnawing teeth and dexterous fingers, they’ll have a much easier time getting into the food. Store all your food well off of the ground, and avoid using baited traps, as other pests might be attracted by the smell. Above all, be vigilant. Check your food storage repeatedly for signs of incursion. If you find damaged containers or infested food, discard it immediately, and replace it. Regularly clean out your storage area, and make sure to keep it free from crumbs and moisture that might catch the notice of uninvited animal guests.

3. People

No one likes to consider the possibility of having to defend their emergency storage from other human beings, but if a disaster occurs and food and water become scarce, then even the most kind and charitable individual will start fighting for survival. Looting has been known to happen regularly in the wake of disasters, and to a desperate and hungry person, there’s not much difference between robbing a grocery store and robbing a home. The best way to keep looters from taking your storage is to keep it secret. Only eat food at home, and never take it out into public where people might notice and be enticed by it. If possible, keep the area in which your food is stored locked, and keep the key well hidden. Don’t allow any strangers into your home, no matter how sorry you might feel for them, nor how friendly or harmless they may seem. And last but not least, be prepared to defend your food storage with lethal force, if need be. The thought of taking a human life over something like a few cans of stew or a jug of water is repulsive, but without that food, you or your family might starve.

Lee Flynn is a freelance writer, survival enthusiast, and food storage expert.

Filed Under: Food Tagged With:

Two New Deadly Viruses to Be Aware of

May 17, 2013 by

Yahoo news has an article called “2 new viruses could both spark global outbreaks” that details two new deadly viruses. One is a coronavirus related to SARS, about which they had the following to say:

“The coronavirus related to SARS spread to France, where one patient who probably caught the disease in Dubai infected his hospital roommate. Officials are now trying to track down everyone who went on a tour group holiday to Dubai with the first patient as well as all contacts of the second patient. Since it was first spotted last year, the new coronavirus has infected 34 people, killing 18 of them. Nearly all had some connection to the Middle East.”

Here is what they had to say about the other virus:

“At the same time, a new bird flu strain, H7N9, has been infecting people in China since at least March, causing 32 deaths out of 131 known cases.”

Some of what I find concerning is that, as of the time of this writing, there are some theories but it is unknown how the virus is transmitted. The thing I find most alarming is the high mortality rate of each. The coronavirus is killing 50% of those infected and the H7N9 bird flu variant is killing roughly 25%.

The article goes on to say:

“WHO, which is closely monitoring the viruses, says both have the potential to cause a pandemic — a global epidemic — if they evolve into a form easily spread between people. Here’s a crash course in what we know so far about them:”

f you think back a few years to the H1N1 or swine flu, you might remember it was classified as a pandemic. However, the morbidity (infection rate) and mortality (death rate) were lowered to classify it as one. H1N1 had a mortality rate of 9.6%. It did, however, have a much higher morbidity rate than either of the two new viruses.

I have covered pandemic in other articles, so I’ll not rehash it all, but just link to it. First, in “How a True Pandemic May Look”, I explain what we can expect if a true pandemic, similar to those we have seen in history, sets in. In “Review of After Armageddon”, I review a History Channel show that explores what life may look like during and after a pandemic-like event.

Lastly, I covered “The N95 Face Mask”. There are many who push the N95 as a means to limit exposure to contagions. As I explain in that article, health professionals use a variation of the N95 called NIOSH certified. Keep in mind that health professionals use these as a precaution and do not know for sure if it will stop the spread, as they have not been tested against a pandemic.

If you want to keep up-to-date with these or other virus outbreaks, you can do so at WHO Disease Outbreak News (DONs).

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Filed Under: Medical and First Aid Tagged With:

There is no Such Thing as Privacy and yes Big Brother is Watching

May 15, 2013 by

Big Brother

You know that feeling you get when you’re in public and realize your zipper is down? Exposed, uncovered, vulnerable and maybe even a little violated? Some of you are going to feel that way after reading today’s article. Some might accuse me of needing a tinfoil hat after reading this, but I assure you this information is credible. I have used the best sources I can find. If I had to guess, this is only scratching the surface.

There is no such thing as privacy…at least in the modern age of technology; oh and Big Brother is watching. What you say on your cell phone, data you save on your smartphone, write in emails, post to social media, search on the Internet for, say near a cell phone (even if it’s off) and more is all susceptible to being actively stored, cataloged and monitored.

I realize what I have said so far might seem a bit dramatic, so instead of writing my opinion I will give sources for the statements I have made and give you my $.02. Before I go on, I want to address what some of you may be thinking; “I’m not doing anything illegal! Why should I care who tracks what?” You may not be doing anything illegal now but there may well come a day when simply living out our Christian beliefs may be illegal. Saying that marriage should be between one man and one woman could, in the future, be viewed as a hate crime. Don’t think so? Here is an article from the Christian News network called “Canadian Supreme Court Rules Biblical Speech Opposing Homosexual Behavior is a ‘Hate Crime’.” As I will explain below, some of what you say now, can come back to haunt you.
 
 
Internet

There are so many security and privacy concerns when it comes to the Internet that I can’t cover them all. Here are some that I think you should be aware of. As Forbes.com states in their article called “Google Hands Over User Data For 94% Of U.S. Law Enforcement Requests”

“When law enforcement comes looking for evidence hidden in your Google search history, Gmail or the uncountable other Google services that touch many Internet users’ lives, don’t expect Google to turn the investigators away. In 19 out of 20 cases in the second half of last year, the company handed over at least some of the data the government demanded.”

I have read from multiple sources that in some cases, Google didn’t require a warrant.
This means that every search term, every site visited, every document in Google Documents or similar online document hosting software, every download that is done from your computer has the possibility of being compiled and stored about you. I don’t know about you but I have done some research related to preparedness and potential threats that, if taken out of context, could make me look like a homegrown terrorist.
 
 

The National Security Agency (NSA)

Here is where things get a little spooky. I have read quite a lot about the abilities, practices and plans of the NSA and it is all very concerning to me. In short, the NSA has put nearly every American on virtual surveillance by keeping track of every email and other online habits, storing them for possible future use. This has all been done without warrants and according to one of the videos shown below, one whistle blower from the NSA claims it was all done under something called “Terrorist Surveillance Program”. It’s not that the NSA is actively monitoring all digital communications, but that they are storing it and, if the need should arise, they can do a search for a suspect’s name and pull all digitally stored data relevant to that person. In one of the videos below, NSA whistleblower William Binney states that the NSA has been collecting this data for at least the last ten years.

As you can imagine this would require a massive datacenter to store all of this data, which is why the NSA has recently built a “spy center” in Bluffdale, Utah. To help put the amount of data they will be capable of storing into perspective, FOX news, in their article called NSA data center front and center in debate over liberty, security and privacy” says:

“The agency will neither confirm nor deny specifics. Some published reports suggest it could hold 5 zettabytes of data. (Just one zettabyte is the equivalent of about 62 billion stacked iPhones 5’s– that stretches past the moon.”

As an example of what the NSA is capable of, the Blaze, in an article called “NSA Whistleblower Explains Chilling Interview: ‘Everyone in the U.S. Is Under Virtual Surveillance’” notes:

“Binney then discussed the recent resignation of Gen. David Petraeus over an extra-marital affair, and how his private communications were intercepted.
“As far as the actual government goes, [adultery] is not a high crime and misdemeanor here,” co-host Stu Burguiere weighed in. “It’s sort of secondary, and they’ll go to that extent to out somebody who may have had a political issue. That’s frightening.”

Here are two more articles on the Bluffdale “Spy Center”; one called “Is the NSA building a $800 million data center to spy on Americans? Utah desert facility code-named Bumblehive ‘will monitor emails of U.S. citizens’” and another called “The NSA Is Building the Country’s Biggest Spy Center (Watch What You Say)”.
Here is an article on NSA whistleblower William Binney from the NY Times whistleblower, as well as two videos with Thomas Drake and William Binney.
 
 

 
 

 
 
Cell Phones

I have seen different reports of this over the last few years, but here is a good article from the Seattle Times called “Even if they’re off, cellphones allow FBI to listen in”

“The FBI converted the Nextel cellphones of two alleged New York mobsters into “roving bugs,” microphones that relayed conversations when the phones seemed to be inactive, according to recent court documents.

Authorities won’t reveal how they did this. But a countersurveillance expert said Nextel, Motorola Razr and Samsung 900 series cellphones can be reprogrammed over the air, using methods meant for delivering upgrades and maintenance. It’s called “flashing the firmware,” said James Atkinson, a consultant for the Granite Island Group in Massachusetts.”

As if that weren’t creepy enough, here is an article from the New York Times called Build Up Your Phone’s Defenses Against Hackers

“Chuck Bokath would be terrifying if he were not such a nice guy. A jovial senior engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute in Atlanta, Mr. Bokath can hack into your cellphone just by dialing the number. He can remotely listen to your calls, read your text messages, snap pictures with your phone’s camera and track your movements around town — not to mention access the password to your online bank account.”

Believe me, if the good guys can think of this, you had better believe that Joe Dirtbag can as well.

Here is a video from CNN where the host is interviewing a former FBI agent. He claims that when it comes to national security, “there is a way to listen to all digital communications in the past”. That means that all digital communications are stored and may be pulled if needed.
 
 

 
 
Final Thoughts

I have nothing to hide. The only “offense” I might occasionally commit is going a bit over the speed limit. So why does all of this concern me? Partly because of how the IRS was used to target Tea Party and other conservative groups. There have been accusations from different people in Washington calling veterans, fundamentalist Christians and “far-right-wingers” potential terrorists. I am sure that at some point I have said something on or near a cell phone, written something online via a forum or email that, if taken out of context, could paint me in a negative light. The fact that the Attorney General has stated the President has full authority to use drone strikes on Americans, on American soil, against potential terrorists, also has me a bit concerned.

Don’t get me wrong. I like technology as much as the next guy. But it has come at a great cost. If you’re “plugged in”, there is no such thing as privacy and yes, Big Brother is watching!

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Filed Under: Security Tagged With:

Fifteen Must Have Downloads

May 13, 2013 by

Here are 15 documents that I think are well worth downloading, some you may want to print sections of to have a hard copy.  Oh yeah and they’re all free!

 

FM 3-05.70 Army Survival Manual

This manual explains how to provide the five basic needs for survival, food, water, shelter, energy and security in multiple climates. 

 

SH 21-76 Army Ranger Handbook

This manual has a lot of information relating to battle drills, building clearing techniques.  I added it because if things really get bad, this information can be useful to share with our neighbors to protect the neighborhood.

 

FM4-25.11 Army First Aid Manual

I believe everyone should have basic first aid training, but this is a good book to use as a reference.

 

Where there is no Doctor And Where there is no Dentist

Both of these books are worth downloading, lots of great medical and dental information, would be great to have if 911 isn’t coming.  Hesperian the company that gives away free PDF copies has asked no one post the books on their own site.  You can still get these two plus many more free ebooks be clicking one of the links above.  I actually like these books so much I bought hard copies of several.

 

Survival and Austere Medicine

This is another good resource for medical information.

 

1881 Household Cyclopedia

This book list a huge amount of information that has been lost in current society.  This would be great info if the grid did fail, so printing off sections might be a good idea.

 

Introduction to Permaculture

This is a great resource that can help you begin to create your own food forest.

 

Vegetable Gardening in Containers

I picked this book because not everyone has land available to plant a garden, but even if you live in an apartment you should be able to grow something in a container.  If you do have land to plant a garden, much of the information will still apply.

 

Everything you always wanted to know about composting

Learn how to create your own compost, one of the best things for a garden.

 

USDA Principles of Home Canning

Knowing how to preserve food is a must, this pdf is full of practical information.

 

Home Canning Meat Poultry, Red Meats, Game and Seafood

Knowing how to preserve meats is also great info to have, that not many of us know.

 

Preserving Food: Drying Fruits and Vegetables

There are other ways to preserve fruits and vegetables besides canning.

 

Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness

FEMA document that is comprehensive, covering multiple types of disasters that will help the individual, family and community prepare.

 

Abundaculture; Pathways to God’s Abundance

Christian Homesteader that created a document on living off grid. He covers solar, composting, composting toilet among other things 170+ pages.

 

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Filed Under: General Preparedness

Starting Seeds With a Soil Cubes and Building Rain Catchment

May 10, 2013 by

Here are a couple garden projects we’ve been working on this week. I know some of you are gardeners so I thought I would share them with you.

Soil Cubes

I know its past time to start seeds for many of you but we got a late start on it this year. Over the years I have used many things to start seeds, some worked better than others and some just plain didn’t work. This year I used something called a Soil Cube. While the seeds haven’t sprouted yet, I am pretty impressed. The soil cube is $19.99 +shipping, which gets you the soil cube maker and a tong to move the cubes with.

The problem I have had and seen with several seed starters is that the roots coil around the inside of a container, and are shocked when you transplant the seedling. The idea behind the Soil Cube is that your potting mix is the container. When the time is right you just put the cube in your garden. There is no root shock. Because the soil cube is the container, the roots stop at the edge of the soil, so there is no root coiling. We made fifty cubes in (maybe) thirty minutes and will transplant them to containers later this spring.

You can learn much more by visiting the Soil Cube Site I’ve also posted the intro video below.

 

Rain Catchment

Rain water is better for a garden than city water, so building a rain catchment system has been something on my to-do list for a while. I finally got to it this week. For every inch of rain that falls on a 1000 square foot roof, you can catch approximately 600 gallons of water. Believe it or not catching rain is actually illegal in some states, so check your local laws before building a rain catchment system.

We have two barrels that have holes on the left and right and screened tops. We also purchased a product called a Rain Reserve that you attach to a downspout. It diverts some of the rain water to your barrel. The Rain Reserves are pretty pricey now at $89. But you buy one and get one free. We paid half that at a farmers market a year or two ago.

As you can see from the pictures, we set one barrel up higher than the other. When that one is full, it will then transfer over to the second barrel through the hose. We put them on blocks to add some pressure if we decide to add drip irrigation later.

We’ll use the water for the garden but, if we needed to in a pinch, we could use it to flush the toilet, bathe or even drink. We would need to purify it first if we were going to drink it.

BeforeAfter

Rain Reserve

The top right picture shows that the Rain Reserve is pretty low. This is because that is where it was already cut, and I didn’t want to make another one if I could help it. It rained and it turns out I will need to make another cut and raise the rain reserve above the barrel.

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Filed Under: Preparedness Tips Tagged With: , ,

Getting to Know LPC Survival, aka; The Berkey Guy

May 8, 2013 by

I try to support local businesses whenever possible. I like that I can get to know them and their history in the area. I also like that they are a part of the community and often support it in various ways. As an extension of this kind of thinking, I like to find out about the sites on the Internet that I do business with as well. Because the Internet can make things feel more impersonal, I often research potential companies before I spend my money there.

I do the same for companies that would like me to advertise their site or give a discount to the Preparedness Club. I’m not saying I have to know them well, but I try to find out if they’re shady and how they treat their customers. Because of this, I have decided that I would give companies who advertise on the site or support the Preparedness Club the chance to let you get to know them a little better. To do this, I will make a post from time to time, giving them the chance to do a little question and answer session with me.

Before I get to the Q/A session, I wanted to just say that I did research LPC Survival and purchased my Berkey from him as well as a Berkey sport bottle for each BOB. I want to thank Jeff for his support of Prepared Christian and of the Preparedness Club.
 

LPC Survival 

1. How did your company get started and what was its main goal?
We started over 7 1/2 years ago, and started offering Berkey Water Purification Systems & our main goal is to help people prepare while time is on their side.

2. What major changes have you seen since then?
People are more interested in prepping and survival then when we first started.

3. What would you like people to know about your company?
We have helped thousands of people get better prepared, and look forward to helping people for years to come.

4. How can your company help people to be better prepared?
We offer Berkey Water purification Systems, which help people have purified water using gravity only. We also offer many other products that help people prepare for whatever may happen.

Preparedness Club members save 7% on all purchases at LPC Survival. On a Big Berkey, that could be almost $20!

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Filed Under: General Preparedness

21 Blogs with Advice on How to Create an Emergency Plan for Your Family

May 6, 2013 by

Today’s post is a guest post by Hannah Anderson; the original can be found at Full-Time Nanny.com

You never know when an emergency situation may arise; however, you can take certain steps to ensure that you are as prepared as possible for if and when one occurs. Start by preparing an emergency plan for a fire.  You will need to determine at least two ways to get out of every room and pick a safe meeting spot that is away from the house. Practicing your evacuation route with your family will help everyone remain calm in the event of an emergency. Stocking up on nonperishable foods and emergency supplies will help you ride out a storm if severe weather strikes. Preparing an emergency preparedness kit and locating a safe place to ride out the storm are essential steps in getting your family ready for any severe weather – expected or unexpected. Take a look at these 21 blog posts for details on how you can be better prepared for the next emergency your family encounters.

 

Fire

In the event of a fire, you want to make sure that each family member knows exactly how to respond and what to do.  How are you going to get out of the house and where are you going to meet up with the rest of the family? Is there somewhere you can go to use the telephone to call the fire department?  Do the kids know what to do if a fire breaks out while you are not home?  Make sure that everyone knows how to use the fire extinguisher and that you have enough of them in the house.  Keep fresh batteries in your smoke detectors.  You can read these tips and more in these seven blog entries.

 

Storm

Severe weather can mean anything from a tornado to a hurricane to flooding. Having a plan in place can make these types of disasters a little less scary. It’s important to have a safe place to go in your home when severe weather strikes. Check out these seven blogs for more tips on preparing an emergency plan for severe weather.

 

Emergency Preparedness Kit

After you create an emergency plan, you should create an emergency preparedness kit.  Make sure that you have food for at least three days, plenty of bottled water and a way to stay warm and safe.  Flashlights and batteries are necessities in your emergency preparedness kit.  To create your own kit, look at these seven blogs.

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Filed Under: General Preparedness Tagged With:

five security tips you may not have thought of

May 1, 2013 by

I have covered situational awareness and the Cooper Color Code in the past.  Here are five security tips that you may not have thought of. 

 

Advertising on Your Vehicle

Bumper stickers advertise our opinions on various issues to the world around us.  They also tell Joe Dirtbag about us as well.  Do you have an NRA sticker? If so, Joe Dirtbag now has a pretty good idea you have guns at home.  He might not break in when you’re there, but now he knows what your car looks like and can wait for you to go to work.

The white decals that people put on their back window showing off mom, dad and the kids as well as what each loves also tell Joe Dirtbag about you.  He might now know that you have expensive sporting equipment at home or whether or not you have any pets.

 

Firing Range Safety

 

You may be aware of how Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and one of his friends and coworkers was murdered at a gun range by someone suffering from PTSD.  People committing suicide, committing murder or both is more common at gun ranges than you may think. 

I recommend keeping one firearm loaded and on your person.  If you go with a partner, one can be practicing situational awareness for you both while the other is shooting.

 

Public Restrooms

A few years back, I read that there was a survey of sorts done, asking convicted criminals the locations they preferred to commit their crimes.  One of the most popular was men’s restrooms.  One criminal said it was the easiest, by far, as men are less likely to put up any kind of fight when they are exposed at a urinal.

There was a man going into men’s restrooms in Minneapolis, blitz attacking men.  He would walk behind a man at the urinal and then slam their head into the wall in front of them, hard enough to knock them out; he then emptied their pockets.  Women might be onto something with the group trips to the rest rooms!  Men, another option is to always use the stall.

 

Smart Phones

A recent crime wave includes Joe Dirtbag ripping a smart phone out of people’s hands as they absentmindedly use them in public.  Situational awareness can aid with this in large part, but it might also be a good idea to leave it secure in a pocket or purse while in public.

 

Communion

There have been many reports of criminals waiting for church members to go forward for Communion.  They then go through their purses and jacket pockets looking for cash.

A sad fact is that many places that were once sacred, no longer are.

 
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Filed Under: Security Tagged With:

Trading Liberty for Safety

April 29, 2013 by

In the weeks since the Boston Marathon bombing I have noticed a few things in the MSM, other blogs and in some forums that concern me.  When there is an attack such as the Boston Marathon bombing, 9-11 or school shootings, human beings are shaken.  The emotions from the aftermath of these events, can cause things to be said and done, things that might betray our calmer, more logical and rational selves.  Here are some of the things I have seen that concern me.
 
 
What They Knew and When They Knew It
 
I have seen a few statements that either insinuate or flat out say that the government either knew, or had intelligence that there would be a terrorist attack.  I have seen people say that the government may have planned it and that is why there were so many first responders at the event.  There was a congressman who said there may have been information on an attack before it happened.  There may have been intelligence but I don’t believe they knew enough to know when or how the attack would occur.  If they had nonspecific information, that could be part of the reason there were so many first responders on scene. 
 
I do not believe that the government planned or “let” the bombing occur.  But I do believe they will, as the Presidents former Chief of Staff once said, “never let a serious crisis go to waste.”  There were many calls for changing our gun culture and many more similar statements made.  One company even took pressure cookers off the shelves.  Now Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ] has introduced S.792 – A bill to strengthen the enforcement of background checks with respect to the use of explosive materials. In other words, they want to restrict and limit black powder sales.
 
 
Warrantless Searches

In desperate attempts to find the terrorists, police were given authority to carry out door-to-door searches in certain neighborhoods and they were not required to have a search warrant. Below is one of many videos that can be found on youtube of this event taking place.  Police knocked on doors and in many cases ordered innocent home owners to keep their hands above their heads and leave the house.
 

 
I have seen video of news reporters talking to people who were told to evacuate their homes, saying they were happy the police were there and happy they did their job.  I have seen on blogs and forums where people who were not in Boston believe these warrantless searches were a good thing.
 
Before I go any further, let me say now that I am a supporter of the police.  I have donated money to local police charities and organizations several times.  I believe that those who protect and serve are heroes and that the vast majority are stellar human beings. There were some stories about individual police going out of their way to help some civilians who were on lock down.
 
That being said, those searches were a complete violation of the Fourth Amendment and, while not declared, Boston was under Martial Law during that time.  People were told to stay in their homes, and in certain neighborhoods were ordered, at gun point, to leave their homes while officers then stormed in, searching for one of the bombers.

The Fourth Amendment states:

“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.”

I fully understand that there was a set of horrible events that led up to this, but our freedoms are defined by how our authorities act in times like this.  If the police believed there was probable cause that Joe Dirtbag was in that neighborhood, they should have had an officer at every entrance and exit to watch for the suspect.  They should have knocked on every door with guns holstered, explaining to the resident that they believed the suspect was in the neighborhood.  They should have asked for permission to search the house and property.  One may say that the police did ask and the residents gave consent to the search, but nothing is consensual when the person asking you has a gun in your face.

Imagine this; a very similar attack takes place in the largest city near you.  There are reports that say the police believe the suspects have fled and have hidden in your town and are looking for them.  They have asked residents to stay in their homes for the time being.  What would you do?  If I answer that, I would say that our windows and doors would be locked and that we would be armed.  What happens if/when the police knock on your door and you give them access?  Do you think that once the police saw you were armed you would be treated as a law abiding civilian who is protecting their house and family?  Or do you think you may be treated as a potential hostile suspect, handcuffed and guns taken?

I didn’t see any reports of people saying “no”, but ask yourself what might have happened had someone said “no”.  Again, I am a supporter of the police, but I believe that when they show up with overwhelming force, “no” isn’t an acceptable answer to them.
 
 
But I Have Nothing to Hide
 
There are some who say, “I have nothing to hide, why should I say no?”  Pastor Niemoller once said,
 
“First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.  Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.  Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.  Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
 
You may not have anything to hide and you might not even be armed in the scenario I mentioned above, but what happens if we go down this slippery slope and warrantless searches become more common place?  Now, instead of only doing warrantless searches when there is a terrorist on the loose, warrantless searches become the norm for the “suspected” terrorist?  A bit further down the slope, warrantless searches are done against fundamentalist who believe marriage should be between one man and one woman and those who believe that abortion is a sin.  These people are accused of spreading hate and are suspected of planning hate crimes.  Do you have a crucifix in your home?  Have you ever had a pro-life or pro marriage sign in your yard, or on your car?  How many Bibles do you have in your home?
 
Think this is a stretch?  Recently, a trooper in Colorado gave a seminar on the dangers of biker gangs, and Sovereign Citizens,where he added the following:
 
“Among those groups, Kluczynski had listed, were those who believe America was founded on godly principles, Christians who take the Bible literally, and “fundamentalists”.  Kluczynski did not explain what he meant by “fundamentalists” but from the context it was clear he was referring again to those who took the Bible literally or “too seriously.”

We are told in scripture that we will see increased persecution.  For many Christians around the world, it is already their daily life.  We will see it escalated here inside America and every other nation.  On a side note, I know a bit about Sovereign Citizens, and they have nothing to do with Christianity.  I bring this up as it is the most recent reference accusing Christians of being potential terrorists.

I do not think the police did a great service going door-to-door, searching homes without warrants.  No, I believe it was a bad precedent to set and could very likely be used as an example of how to respond in the future.  How fruitful were these house-to-house warrantless searches?  Not at all!  Joe Dirtbag was discovered by the homeowner who owned the boat Joe Dirtbag was hiding in.
 
 
All Amendments Need to be Protected

I saw a few occasions on blogs and forums where people who previously said they would not budge an inch when it came to their Second Amendment said they thought the warrantless searches were a good thing.  Maybe they think this way because they believe the danger of the loose terrorist was greater than the danger to the Fourth Amendment.  Maybe it was done because they believe there was enough probable cause to issue house-to-house warrantless searches.  Maybe it was done out of a sense of loyalty to our police and FBI, believing they had the best of intentions.
 
Whatever the reason, I believe we need to exercise and protect all of our God given rights that are listed in the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was designed to protect the average, law abiding, citizen from an over-reaching government.  If we hold a loose grip on one amendment, how much longer will it be before it, and others begin to slip away?
 
 
I’ll close with one of my favorite quotes:

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

– Benjamin Franklin
 
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