Buried in a Zogby poll about the right of secession—35% of those under age 30 would support their state if it decided to secede from the US!— Buried at the bottom is a separate question, “I believe the United States’ system is broken and cannot be fixed by traditional two-party politics and elections.” 44% of respondents agreed with that statement, that the US political system is broken.
Little wonder, considering the growing dissatisfaction with the political process and the general feeling of helplessness when one looks at the choices we’re given by the ruling elite. Or maybe I’m just projecting.
In any case, I then ran across this tidbit, which I’ll have to work into Abe’s Turn at some point. This is just so Sam Baedes. (Thanks to Chris Brunner from The LRC Blog for posting a link to this story.) As reported by KTHV, the CBS affiliate in Little Rock, AR, Mayor James Valley last Thursday confined everyone who lives in Helena-West Helena (a neighborhood on the Westside of Helena) to their homes, in a non-stop curfew that “could last for days.” (As of now, Monday night, August 11, I’ve been able to find no word that martial law.. er, I mean, the curfew has been lifted.)
The justification? Fighting crime. Yes, you read that right. This dickwad has apparently made everyone, innocent and guilty, a prisoner in his own home, because he wants to curb the actions of a few criminals.
Get these quotes:
“Nobody can walk down the street and be safe, that is, be free from police interference,” says Valley.
They know exactly who’s doing the shooting, the robbery, but it seems like we’re never going to get any justice around here,” says [neighborhood resident Mary] Stevens.
Assistant Police Chief Ronald Scott says since the curfew was implemented late Thursday afternoon, people are sleeping better. “We’ve taken some drugs off people, a couple of guns off people,” says Scott.
OMG! I definitely have to steal some of this stuff. This is too sick and demented for even me to make up.
I wonder what all the people are going to do when they run out of food. They can’t go to the grocery store, because that violates Stalin’s order— er, I mean, Valley’s order.
The ACLU quickly faxed Valley an open letter, informing him that this Stalin-esque order is “blatantly unconstitutional on numerous grounds,” and then they set to lay out what those grounds are, saying that he has put innocent residents under “house arrest” and that by his order “the Fourth Amendment is waived for all persons, including those suspected of no criminal activity.” (And I swear I wrote my own comments above even before I read the ACLU letter.)
The ACLU’s summary begins:
Notwithstanding the City Code and Curfew Order, the residents of Helena-West Helena have the right to sit under shade trees in their front yard, to ride their bicycles along the streets, protest this policy, and drive around the city with the full protections of the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments. Citizens, including those expressing opposition to the curfew order, should be subject to no special scrutiny by law enforcement unless they are suspected of some criminal activity.
Hmm. I wonder how the Conscience would handle this…
-TimK
UPDATE: The story gets even better, as they say stuff they could have ripped off of the Abe’s Turn About page.
Comments
Scary
TY for the info. Just one comment—Little Rock is in AR, not AK (Alaska)
If this happened in my town,
If this happened in my town, I would defiantly walk down the street, shouting for others to come out of their homes and stand up for their rights. And whether or not anyone followed me, I would probably be harassed by the police and possibly arrested.
However, I would consider it my DUTY to perform an act of civil disobedience in response to a local government’s unjust and unconstitutional trampling of my freedom.
Re: Scary
> Little Rock is in AR, not AK
Hi, Coralie. Oy vey! Let me fix that. Thanks for the correction.
I honestly don’t know what I would do. Probably sneak out of town as soon as I could, then move out permanently as soon as I could thereafter. Maybe I could get out Mission-Impossible-style, by calling an ambulance or something. Does that make me a coward? Maybe I would act differently, though, if I didn’t have a family.
-TimK
America is dead
America is dead. It will just roll over when martial law comes … and it IS coming.
Re: Hmm?
WTF? This country is screwed up from the floor up!
what is our real reality?
Hmmmm has anyone seen the HBO documentary about Little Rock?The gang situation is a little bit bad in AR,but I say Let “them kill themselves”.You may say its racist,but look at who is the majority of the crime? You act like monkey’s you will be treated like one.
I feel for the “real” citizens that don,t really help anyone.AAAAHHHH screw it nevermind
Re: If You Thought It Couldn't Happen Here:
Jesus, above poster, what are you on about? Majority? Hahaha, when did you ever conduct a poll of crime statistics?
Either way, gang mentality isn‘t a ‘black‘ thing, just come over to Glasgow, Scotland any day of the week, you‘ll see a gang problem as bad as anywhere, and (almost) all of them are caucasian.
Look at thre root cause of gang culture, it will always come back to the same thing, parenting. Every time.
Just my 0.01 GBP.
Cheers.
Curfew
they gotta go inside at a certain time or is it 24 hour lock-down? if i lived there i’d have a huge BBQ in my yard, not in the house, and i’d invite the whole ’hood over. i’d harass the cops to go get my food for me, “serve and protect” right? SERVE beatings to citizens and PROTECT the elite. “harass & inspect” without prejudice, beatings served with severe prejudices. we should citizens arrest the police for obstruction of true justice.
Re: If You Thought It Couldn't Happen Here
Thank you for this fine post. I’d like to mention it in my blog on myspace, and include a link to it. Hope you don’t mind.
I’ve also subscribed to your blog, and will look forward to reading it in the future.
Did you happen to read the
Did you happen to read the part where the town voted on it. This is what they asked for. This is democracy! wake up man…
Doesn't matter if it was *voted in*
The *town council* voted on it, but even if the whole town by referendum voted in favor of the “curfew”, it would still be blatantly unconstitutional. The “Supreme Law of the Land” is widely ignored by legistative bodies everywhere.
thanks for spreading paranoid bullshit to the mindless masses
you are a fucking idiot. do you know what a police state is? thanks for spreading paranoid bullshit to the mindless masses thanks for spreading paranoid bullshit to the mindless masses
Re: If You Thought It Couldn't Happen Here: A Real-life Police S
It is unfortunate that unparented, unsupervised youth has gotten so out of control that the police (who are trying to PROTECT) must enforce this. Good on the mayor. I wish they would do this in my neighborhood. Damned thugs and wild children run the streets all hours of the night. When the majority behaves as wild animals it becomes necessary to treat them as wild animals.
You want the curfew lifted? Get the animals under control. Force them out of your neighborhood. Turn them into the police. Seriously. But stop your pussified whining about your right to come and go as you please. What about the rights of people to live free of criminal behavior in their neighborhoods? Something has to be done. This sounds like a good option if it is working. Instead of whining….help. Now, there’s a novel idea, right?
Re: If You Thought It Couldn't Happen Here: A Real-life Police S
To those saying that this is just fear mongering or that the people voted so it’s okay to violate their constitutional rights, or that you wish they would do this in your neighborhood:
1) On waiving our constitutional rights, Ben Franklin said it best, “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
2) Being that it is ILLEGAL to enforce a curfew except in time of war (on HOME soil) or a Natural Disaster/Emergency (i.e. Katrina), the mayor and police should have SUGGESTED that innocent civilians stay in their homes past a certain time in the interest of personal safety, without forcing them into an unconstitutional curfew.
3) I live in New Orleans, I don’t care how dangerous or crime ridden your city is, New Orleans has almost certainly got you beat. If you’re smart, you know there are places you DO NOT GO when the sun goes down. If you’re so damn scared of where you are, move; or choose to give yourself a curfew.
I’ll actually be moving to Memphis soon due to a new job. If I ever live in a city where a curfew is enforced, I will break curfew and sue the city for violating the U.S. Constitution. We seem to forget that the constitution doesn’t necessarily tell US what we CAN do; it tells the government what it CAN’T do.
Re: thx for spreading paranoid bullshit to the mindless masses
You said mindless masses twice. Plus, If you were confined to your home illegally you may be a bit paranoid as well.
Re: If You Thought It Couldn't Happen Here: A Real-life Police S
Look I’m 48 and law enforcement subhumans have fucked with me all my life, and I don’t have a record I try to live a lawful life as best I can.
I call them subhumans because to be a law enforcer you had to have been a bully as a child, why they know better to fuck with people that will harm them.
When a law enforcer approaches you in there corrupt minds you are guilty of something, so even if your dead right and know it, you have to prove yourself innocent.
So to save yourself money and time, just play along with yes em officer I be going home right now and will do what you say, then when they turn there back just say fuck em.
Look try to do the right things stay away from them but never be scared of them, just learn when to say your mind and when it would be better to shut the fuck up.
You may not wen the battle, but stay alive to fight another day, that should be your adopted motto.
Have fun and don’t worry if a new Hitler comes to town, because you’ll either join or sent to a camp of no return. The law is on there side all of the time and on your side sometimes, remember you are guilty in the eyes of the law until you prove yourself innocent Not innocent till proven guilty as it is written.
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