OFF THE WIRE AND FELLOW MEMBER OF B.A.D
Hammerin' Hank's Editorial Rogue,a biker,had no idea he was about to be arrested for suspicion of murder simply because of his cell phone records. The police needed to prove that Rogue was heading IN the direction of the victim moments before the victim was killed and to do so they matched Rogues cell phone records with the victims...Each cell phone we use nomatter where we are has to "ping" off an area tower to get signals. That "ping" is recorded in phone company records. There are thousands of towers throughout the USA and when a call is made the records will show on a map the area in which you were at the time you made the call. In Rogue's case, he told police he was at another location when ,in fact,he was calling from his cell phone moments before the murder in the exact area the victim made a call moments before his murder - both "pinging" off the same tower.
On that tiny evidence (no weapon,no witness) the jury found Rogue guilty of murder! No one knows if Rogue is really guilty or not! That is the kind of futuristic evidence we face in challenges against our freedom. Soon the authorities will have no need for witnesses or undercover operatives - Just the magical explainations of technology to convince the jury who have all seen Harry Potter.
Recently, ABC news presented a report on a device called the individual position locator device (IPLD). It is a radar device which is capable of "seeing" through walls and detecting biological signs of life on the other side - even heartbeat and respiration! Imagine this tiny chip which has an individual's biological signature or "bio-fingerprint" being used by authorities to monitor citizens! This is a more advanced device which derived from the electronic bracelet used to control some criminal offenders. Simular devices have allegedly been implanted under the skin of CIA agents and even federal agents during operations as a way to monitor their location (which is why terrorists and international criminals have resorted to dismemberment of suspected agents).
With the invasive Internet surveillance technique called "data-mining" the FBI collect internet data through internet co. cooperation on all activity in the particular area their subject is in - which means they are also collecting info from innocent citizens uninvolved! Then they are able to pick and choose the info they want and have,in many cases,found crimes they initially were not searching for - So much for constitutional protections. Bikers and citizens of all walks of life are being monitored! One may say,"well I aint doin nuthin' so what do I care" which is interpreted to mean "I like the govt and give them permission to invade on my privacy".
In a recent report from EPIC (Electronic Privacy Info Center) on a report to Congress, the Justice Dept. revealed a substantial increase in the use of NATIONAL SECURITY LETTERS to acquire info on American citizens without court order. In 2008, the FBI made 24,744 NSL requests pertaining to 7,225 persons. These security letters also get permission to conduct surveillance and physical searches WITHOUT A COURT ORDER! As I write this article a drone called "Predator" flies quietly over the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation and the U.S.-Canadian border near Massena,NY, allegedly to stop smuggling(?) while sending back to the govt pictures of everything and anyone uninvolved. The Predator flies at about 19,000 feet for up to 18 hours. It takes high definition, infrared video of anything within a 25-mile radius and has extra-sensitive radar. According to John Stanton, exec director of the CBP’s National Air Security Operations "the drone HAS BEEN carrying out surveillance missions for American and Canadian law enforcement agencies during its test runs in upstate New York".(!?!) Imagine a drone following an MC or motorcycle event flashing pics and info back!
A citizens legal argument against these govt intrusions by use of technology are based upon the 4th ammendment & our right to privacy. As we question intrusions more we force the govt to justify the use of these techniques... As it stands today,if GPS, a drone and a cell phone call to my 'ole lady or biker brother put me in an area in which someone I knew and didnt like was killed I could be a likely suspect and a jury WOULD find me guilty;
