OFF THE WIRE
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
- Thomas Paine
The Best Way to Protect Your Rights is to Exercise Them You have Constitutional rights by virtue of being a citizen of the United States of America. They have been bought and paid for with the blood of patriots who understood that freedom is anything but free. These rights do not depend on your income, race, religion, the clothes you wear or the car you drive. As Thomas Jefferson famously wrote to the British tyranny,
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..."
Liberty, or freedom, is a precious commodity that typically does not exist in the world. It is only through the noble efforts of the very best among us that freedom is realized by any person. American patriots risked life and limb to secure freedom in our nation and Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, and patriotic citizens have sacrificed, and continue to sacrifice, to prevent liberty from fading. But it is fading. The rights enshrined in the Constitution are routinely violated by law enforcement officers who do not fear the unlikely attempts of citizens to acquire justice. This lack of fear by those who violate our most basic freedoms is due to laws which do not adequately value these freedoms purchased at so high a cost.
There are several online resources detailing specific rights when dealing with law enforcement. The ACLU publishes this printable guide. Please consult a lawyer for specific questions and advice.
Leverage Cheap Technology to Provide Transparency Citizens should arm themselves with existing inexpensive audio/video recording equipment. This is what some term, "the right to keep and bear cameras." When dealing with abusive law enforcement, proof of events is an absolute must if your rights are to be preserved. If you are arrested and charged with the typical quota-induced misdemeanor and choose to fight the relatively inexpensive charge, you need proof. While the state bears the burden of proof, according to the legal books, in reality the word of a police officer often trumps the word of the citizen regardless of the lack of evidence. The reality is today the citizen is guilty until proven innocent. Recording devices are helping curb this injustice.
There are many different types of recording devices that can be purchased. We recommend this device which comes with multiple mounts allowing it to be mounted and hidden in your vehicle or worn around your neck. It records audio wonderfully and the video is sufficient.
Also, there is a free application and free service for smartphones (iPhones, Droid, etc) that allows you to stream your video/audio and location from your smartphone to the internet (privately or public) which provides an invaluable tool for preserving evidence when dealing with law enforcement. Go to www.qik.com to learn more about this fantastic application.
An outstanding device for your vehicle is this Dual Dash Camera with built in GPS. The device is small, can be easily disguised to look like a radar detector, and records quality video and audio of the front of the vehicle and, more importantly, the entire inside of the vehicle including the driver's side window where law enforcement typically approaches. With this device you can play back the audio/video and also see the speed you were driving and the location (it even plots it on Google Maps to recreate your drive). In this way you can challenge any bogus claims made by unscrupulous law enforcement officers. It's also very useful if there is a car accident. The best part is once you install it you can forget it, until you need the evidence it contains.
If you use this device to catch government agents denying your Constitutional rights, please post the video on YouTube and email us the link!
See the Dual Dash Camera in action below as it captured this blatant fourth amendment violation by the Border Patrol in Uvalde Texas on 18 March 2010.
You never know when you will be the victim of police abuse or will find yourself in a position to record abuse of another citizen.
"Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die."
- President Dwight D. Eisenhower
