The Erosion of Hope

By: Kelly Diamond, Publisher

The deterioration of our society is directly attributable to the very social construct people rely on for order and leadership.

Liberty is a pretty word tossed about by politicians like a soft pillow, but later bludgeoned in a dark alley when no one is looking.

I went through a huge phase on GWP covering the various data, wealth and power grabs perpetrated by the various tentacles of the US Federal Government.  So in some regard this article will come as little surprise, while still offending your sensibilities. 

When the Department of Justice (DoJ) decided to just wiretap the Associated Press for no specific reason, the POTUS feigned some indignation, spoke some encouraging words in support of a free press, and otherwise did nothing.  This is all okay because they played the “national security” card, so they win, right?

This administration, specifically the NSA, is also hot and heavy over Glenn Greenwald and his part in working with whistle-blower Edward Snowden.  In the Snowden case, I see WHY the government is particularly eager to stop the hemorrhaging of information as it was thoroughly embarrassing.

But here we are confronted with yet another overreach into the free press.  This time, it’s the DHS of all agencies, seizing the handwritten notes of a well-known DC reporter while executing a warrant on fire-arms.

Evidently, this reporter’s husband was charged with and found guilty of “resisting arrest” in NINETEEN EIGHTY-SIX.  Since then he’s been prohibited from possessing any firearms.  His wife, however, is not.  He owned guns he was not supposed to and the local police knew about it for six years and never did anything about it. 

SIDEBAR: I never lend much credence to “resisting arrest” charges.  Ever wonder why that charge sticks while the original reason for arrest falls to the wayside?  As a citizen at large, I have to wonder if people who resist the tyranny of a police state which would seek to arrest someone on charges that they know won’t stick are dangerous… especially when juxtaposed with the actions of the officers on site?  I don’t feel safer knowing people are being prosecuted and punished at the expense of the taxpayer for resisting arrest. 

Wait.  The DHS staged a 4:30 AM raid on a reporter’s home to confiscate guns from a man who was guilty of “resisting arrest” TWENTY-SEVEN years ago?  Not the local police.  DHS. 

“After the search began, Hudson said she was asked by an investigator with the Coast Guard Investigative Service if she was the same Audrey Hudson who had written a series of critical stories about air marshals for The Washington Times over the last decade. The Coast Guard operates under the Department of Homeland Security,” writes Alex Pappas of the Daily Caller.

A month AFTER this raid, Hudson finds out from the lead investigator that he took several files which contained many more of her insider sources.  Many of the whistleblowers for the story she’d been covering.  “She said she asked Bosch why they took the files. He responded that they needed to run them by TSA to make sure it was ‘legitimate’ for her to have them.”

Am I meant to appreciate that it hasn’t gotten quite as bad as the U.K. (assuming I can force feed that idea to myself and keep it down)?

Sadly, I can’t offer any words of consolation.  While I am the world’s largest cynic when it comes to the media as a whole, I am also cognizant of the individual reporters who are diligently trying to hold government to account and report more than what they are thrown at press conferences.  I want to support those reporters, as well as the sleeper cells of whistle-blowers waiting for a safe situation to share what they have seen from inside the belly of the beast. 

But these days, it would seem, if you don’t have the cunning of someone like Ed Snowden, you will be condemned to the life of Bradley (Chelsea) Manning. 

In theory, and what we are taught in grade school, the Legislative Branch writes the laws, the Executive Branch enacts and enforces the laws, and the Judiciary Branch interprets the laws.  Basically, the Legislature and Executive can scribble whatever they want… and it’s up to someone with enough time and money to challenge the constitutionality of the laws. 

How often does a law get called out as unconstitutional?  Well, according to Buzzfeed: “Over one million laws were passed by Congress and all 50 state legislatures between 1954 and 2002. But the Supreme Court struck down only 555 of these laws. That’s less than 0.054%.”

The only ones left with liberty are the ones taking liberties with our liberties!  Seriously, the latitude given to the government to trample our rights is mind-numbing.  What constitutes “blight” in a situation where a city wants to generate revenues off privately owned land in an immanent domain case?  What constitutes “the press” when people like Dianne Feinstein don’t want smaller alternative journalists digging too deep and covering government stories?  What constitutes “regulations” when legislators just want to look like they’ve accomplished something or if there are established businesses in a particular industry that would rather not have the competition?  Hell, what constitutes where the Constitution actually applies within the United States, because right now, if you live within 100 miles of the US border, your ass is bare my friend. 

Those of you who think we can vote and protest this all away are kidding themselves.  You have choices.  You can assume you are doing nothing wrong and therefore have nothing to hide, and that government officials will be well aware of this and leave you alone.  If you like playing really scary odds and like hedging on those types of things, then there ya go!  You can also take measures to secure your information because you realize that anyone who is even tangentially connected to the government can and will use whatever you say against you in a court of law.  (Case and point, this young mom here.)  The latter being the more realistic angle.  Choose your own adventure, but the pages are turning and the story will roll out on you one way or another.