Wednesday, February 29, 2012

The Bastards did it AGAIN... Say Bye Bye to the First Ammendment

The Rumor Mill News Reading Room 

The Bastards did it AGAIN... Say Bye Bye to the First Ammendment
Posted By: Watchman
Date: Wednesday, 29-Feb-2012 09:04:23

Just when you thought the government couldn’t ruin the First Amendment any further: The House of Representatives approved a bill on Monday that outlaws protests in instances where some government officials are nearby, whether or not you even know it.
The US House of Representatives voted 388-to-3 in favor of H.R. 347 late Monday, a bill which is being dubbed the Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011. In the bill, Congress officially makes it illegal to trespass on the grounds of the White House, which, on the surface, seems not just harmless and necessary, but somewhat shocking that such a rule isn’t already on the books. The wording in the bill, however, extends to allow the government to go after much more than tourists that transverse the wrought iron White House fence.
Under the act, the government is also given the power to bring charges against Americans engaged in political protest anywhere in the country.
Under current law, White House trespassers are prosecuted under a local ordinance, a Washington, DC legislation that can bring misdemeanor charges for anyone trying to get close to the president without authorization. Under H.R. 347, a federal law will formally be applied to such instances, but will also allow the government to bring charges to protesters, demonstrators and activists at political events and other outings across America.
The new legislation allows prosecutors to charge anyone who enters a building without permission or with the intent to disrupt a government function with a federal offense if Secret Service is on the scene, but the law stretches to include not just the president’s palatial Pennsylvania Avenue home. Under the law, any building or grounds where the president is visiting — even temporarily — is covered, as is any building or grounds “restricted in conjunction with an event designated as a special event of national significance."
It’s not just the president who would be spared from protesters, either.
Covered under the bill is any person protected by the Secret Service. Although such protection isn’t extended to just everybody, making it a federal offense to even accidently disrupt an event attended by a person with such status essentially crushes whatever currently remains of the right to assemble and peacefully protest.
Hours after the act passed, presidential candidate Rick Santorum was granted Secret Service protection. For the American protester, this indeed means that glitter-bombing the former Pennsylvania senator is officially a very big no-no, but it doesn’t stop with just him. Santorum’s coverage under the Secret Service began on Tuesday, but fellow GOP hopeful Mitt Romney has already been receiving such security. A campaign aide who asked not to be identified confirmed last week to CBS News that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has sought Secret Service protection as well. Even former contender Herman Cain received the armed protection treatment when he was still in the running for the Republican Party nod.
In the text of the act, the law is allowed to be used against anyone who knowingly enters or remains in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority to do so, but those grounds are considered any area where someone — rather it’s President Obama, Senator Santorum or Governor Romney — will be temporarily visiting, whether or not the public is even made aware. Entering such a facility is thus outlawed, as is disrupting the orderly conduct of “official functions,” engaging in disorderly conduct “within such proximity to” the event or acting violent to anyone, anywhere near the premises. Under that verbiage, that means a peaceful protest outside a candidate’s concession speech would be a federal offense, but those occurrences covered as special event of national significance don’t just stop there, either. And neither does the list of covered persons that receive protection.
Outside of the current presidential race, the Secret Service is responsible for guarding an array of politicians, even those from outside America. George W Bush is granted protection until ten years after his administration ended, or 2019, and every living president before him is eligible for life-time, federally funded coverage. Visiting heads of state are extended an offer too, and the events sanctioned as those of national significance — a decision that is left up to the US Department of Homeland Security — extends to more than the obvious. While presidential inaugurations and meeting of foreign dignitaries are awarded the title, nearly three dozen events in all have been considered a National Special Security Event (NSSE) since the term was created under President Clinton. Among past events on the DHS-sanctioned NSSE list are Super Bowl XXXVI, the funerals of Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford, most State of the Union addresses and the 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions.
With Secret Service protection awarded to visiting dignitaries, this also means, for instance, that the federal government could consider a demonstration against any foreign president on American soil as a violation of federal law, as long as it could be considered disruptive to whatever function is occurring.
When thousands of protesters are expected to descend on Chicago this spring for the 2012 G8 and NATO summits, they will also be approaching the grounds of a National Special Security Event. That means disruptive activity, to whichever court has to consider it, will be a federal offense under the act.
And don’t forget if you intend on fighting such charges, you might not be able to rely on evidence of your own. In the state of Illinois, videotaping the police, under current law, brings criminals charges. Don’t fret. It’s not like the country will really try to enforce it — right?
On the bright side, does this mean that the law could apply to law enforcement officers reprimanded for using excessive force on protesters at political events? Probably. Of course, some fear that the act is being created just to keep those demonstrations from ever occuring, and given the vague language on par with the loose definition of a “terrorist” under the NDAA, if passed this act is expected to do a lot more harm to the First Amendment than good.
United States Representative Justin Amash (MI-03) was one of only three lawmakers to vote against the act when it appeared in the House late Monday. Explaining his take on the act through his official Facebook account on Tuesday, Rep. Amash writes, “The bill expands current law to make it a crime to enter or remain in an area where an official is visiting even if the person does not know it's illegal to be in that area and has no reason to suspect it's illegal.”
“Some government officials may need extraordinary protection to ensure their safety. But criminalizing legitimate First Amendment activity — even if that activity is annoying to those government officials — violates our rights,” adds the representative.
Now that the act has overwhelmingly made it through the House, the next set of hands to sift through its pages could very well be President Barack Obama; the US Senate had already passed the bill back on February 6. Less than two months ago, the president approved the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, essentially suspending habeas corpus from American citizens. Could the next order out of the Executive Branch be revoking some of the Bill of Rights? Only if you consider the part about being able to assemble a staple of the First Amendment, really. Don’t worry, though. Obama was, after all, a constitutional law professor. When he signed the NDAA on December 31, he accompanied his signature with a signing statement that let Americans know that, just because he authorized the indefinite detention of Americans didn’t mean he thought it was right.
Should President Obama suspend the right to assemble, Americans might expect another apology to accompany it in which the commander-in-chief condemns the very act he authorizes. If you disagree with such a decision, however, don’t take it to the White House. Sixteen-hundred Pennsylvania Avenue and the vicinity is, of course, covered under this act.
http://rt.com/usa/news/348-act-tresspass-buildings-437/

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Laughable.
People, puleeze. You do not get your rights from their Constitution. You have unalienable rights from your Creator. But you don't know that. So you look for a leader, a political leader, a galactic leader, a conspiracy leader, some sort of leader. Then when they do things to say "I'm your leader, Simon, and 'Simon says, Shut up I am close by whether you know it or not.'"
Rather than wake up and drop the leader and be responsible for yourself, you want to change the leader and their thoughts and ideas and you are mad that others are asleep while the leader makes dumb rules for you to follow.
I will do what Simon says.
You have the right to not have a leader. You have a right to find your way. They are exercising their rights and you complain about a loss of a right. This is ridiculous! My pre-teen knows her rights better than anyone posting on these sites. She knows how to stand up for them and she has not 'consented to be governed', so none of them are her leader. If she's ever kidnapped by their minions she'll know how to protect her sovereignty even in their courts. She's peaceful and would not sue nor fight, only protect her right to live. We have no guns and we know how to love those Created just like we are loved by our Creator.
This message is for those who haven't found out who they are yet.
Your rights come from your Creator, not a piece of paper written on by a man. No man can give you what you already have from your Creator, unless you place them before your Creator.
Thou shalt have no other Gods before thee (before me)

Anonymous said...

This is nothing more than showing us the USA citizens that these clowns are scared of us, and that we are doing something about their illegal laws they are creating to try to protect their arses... They are on the run with nowhere to go. I want all their cronies that are helping these s _ bs to know that they are an accessory the crimes being committed, and they need to cease and desist.

Anonymous said...

Learn how to spell it, first!

princesirki2012 said...

A MESSAGE TO "ALL THAT IS"

ALL WHO REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SOVEREIGNTY OF ALMIGHTY GOD--THE HIGHEST JUDGE OF ALL--ARE IN DIVINE DISHONOR OF THE ONE LAW OF HEAVEN, WHICH SUPERCEDES ANY AND ALL LAWS THAT MAN HAS USED TO TRY TO CIRCUMVENT HIS ABSOLUTE RIGHTEOUS DECREES! THERE IS NO RESTRAINING ORDER IN ALL OF CREATION THAT CAN PREVENT THE EXPOSURE OF THESE HEINOUS ACTS, AND THE EXECUTION OF DIVINE JUSTICE THAT IS NOW BEING CARRIED OUT ON THIS WORLD! THEY HAVE SOWN THOUGHTS AND WORDS AND DEEDS THAT AMOUNT TO MERE GUSTS OF WIND IN THE RIGHTEOUS KINGDOM OF GOD, AND NOW THEY ARE REAPING THE WHIRLWIND OF GOD'S WRATH!!! THEIR CONTINUED ABUSE OF "ALL THAT IS" IS A STENCH IN THE NOSTRILS OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD, AND HE LAUGHS IN SCORN AND DERISION AT THEIR FOOLISHNESS! IT IS TIME NOW TO FOCUS THE INTENSITY OF OUR UNIFIED CONSCIOUSNESS UPON THE GOAL OF DRIVING THEM OFF OF OUR PLANET!!! USE THE POWER OF YOUR AWAKENED THOUGHTS TO RE-CREATE THE WORLD THAT GOD INTENDED FOR US TO ENJOY!! A WORLD OF ABUNDANT PEACE AND PROSPERITY, WHERE DARKNESS IS NON-EXISTENT! WE HAVE THIS POWER AT OUR DISPOSAL NOW! AS TRUE MESSENGERS AND STEWARDS OF ALL THAT IS, COMMAND THESE MORTAL BAGS OF HOT AIR TO CEASE AND DESIST!!! THEY ARE NOW UNDER DIVINE ARREST, AND NO SECRET SERVICE PERSONNEL WILL PROTECT THEM FROM THE EXECUTION OF THEIR SENTENCE! BELIEVE IT, SEE IT, AND ACT UPON IT!

AS I WILL, SO BE IT DONE!

Anonymous said...

If anyone doubts that the federal government has deemed The People enemy of federal corporation- here is the proof. Any lip service to "homeland security" concerns is BS! Shame on 99.7% of the House of Representatives.