The End of Same Sex Marriage Ban in Florida

January 6th marks the end of a ban on same sex marriages in the State of Florida. Already there have been multiple licenses issued and ceremonies performed across the state. I want to say congratulations to all of the couples and families now allowed to be seen as "legal" in the eyes of the state. But there are some other things that need to be said.

1. You didn't win anything.
The decision to allow the marriages to take place and licenses to be issued was not won by any group or activism, it was just the failure of government to stand in the way any longer, in essence, they took the boot off your throat. It was the expiration of a law that is allowing this all to take place, for now. It is a highly contested issue and one that very well may come back to the courts and could be overturned.

2. You are still seeking State approval for your relationship.
The act of marriage should not be in the hands of the State as it is (my opinion). There should be no reason any state should be allowed to issue licenses or permissions for two or any amount of people to be in any sort of relationship as long as it is mutual and voluntary.

3. There are county court officials that have taken a religious stand against performing the ceremonies of same sex couples. This should not be seen as a total negative in the issue. Yes those people should be held accountable for their dereliction of duty but the positive is that a government official has stepped out of the way of marriage altogether, now if the rest would follow suit and step out of the issue completely we would be getting somewhere.

In closing I say Congratulations and good luck to you all.

Florida Sheriffs and the fight against Marijuana

Florida will be the next battleground for the Medical Marijuana issue to surface. In 2014 voters will have the opportunity to voice their opinions on the matter; this has also given the state’s law enforcement brigades a reason to form an alliance to combat this issue.  Elected Sheriffs from all across the state are teaming up to write articles in local papers, performing community outreach projects and citizen awareness campaigns on what they see as the dangers to society if medical marijuana were to be legalized or at a very least decriminalized.  What I am here to say is “Sheriffs, Shut up already”.

If it is to be said that Law enforcement is the part of any government that’s sole reason for existence is to enforce the laws, ticket, fine or apprehend and incarcerate law breakers, then it should matter not what the laws are. As a collective of elected officials that swear to uphold the states laws and codes there should be no comment from this group as it would be in their special interest that any substance and product be illegal. In line with the most common defense of their actions, “just doing their jobs”, this would mean that groups of elected sheriffs and officers should not try to influence the changing of these laws by activism or advocacy campaigns.

The Florida Sheriffs Association cites multiple reasons why they oppose these reform measures. Most of these reasons are for the belief in the order to protect the common good or public welfare. Other reasons given by law enforcement are the reports of rising crime rates in areas where marijuana is legalized or decriminalized. Some of these reports are false and others unsupported, but that’s no reason to throw out the results say officers. “Florida’s sheriffs believe that legalizing smoking marijuana, which has no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, is a dangerous decision for our state and its citizens. Florida’s Sheriffs stand firm in their opposition to the legalization of the use, possession, cultivation, delivery and sale of marijuana”, Says their website.

The Association also puts in a disclaimer, “Florida sheriffs agree that there may be strains of marijuana that can provide relief for children with severe, intractable seizures.  This type of marijuana is high in CBD, a pain relieving and anti-convulsing component of marijuana, and contains minimal amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (the psychoactive ingredient that produces a high).  Sheriffs are concerned about manipulation of families in need if the production, distribution, monitoring and quality control are not well defined and regulated.” This is an example of exclusionary or discretionary liberty. When a group or groups are permitted while others are punished for the same act it does not send a clear message as to the reason for the ban in the first place. If the health risks are too great for recreational use by non-sick people than it stands that the health risk would be the same for sick persons. If the safety and security of the community be the reason it stands that the Association would define all crimes as being committed by those who do not suffer from these diseases. Though no study has been done to find this I would bet there would be at least some crime being committed by those that would be accepted to use medical marijuana.

On another side of this issue is the group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). LEAP is a group of law enforcement personnel that oppose not only the prohibition of marijuana but of all recognized drugs and substances. Their statement is, “History has shown that drug prohibition reduces neither use nor abuse. After a rapist is arrested, there are fewer rapes. After a drug dealer is arrested, however, neither the supply nor the demand for drugs is seriously changed. The arrest merely creates a job opening for an endless stream of drug entrepreneurs who will take huge risks for the sake of the enormous profits created by prohibition. Prohibition costs taxpayers tens of billions of dollars every year, yet 40 years and some 40 million arrests later, drugs are cheaper, more potent and far more widely used than at the beginning of this futile crusade.” This is a different view in that instead of police punishing users, seller, buyers, cooks, growers and producers the riddance of prohibition will lead to more crimes of violence or property theft and damage. LEAP believes in a system of regulation and distribution but doesn’t mention who would have this control. This is an area I would like more details to be released.

One more way to look at this issue is the idea of complete abolition of all laws and regulations on every substance, natural plant or drug that is currently under the control of government. This belief is one that reduces the issue down to the basic aspect of property rights and self-ownership. If every man be respected to own and use his property in any way that does not interfere in the rights of others this issue is resolved under this ultimate idea. We do not live in such a world though. We live in a world where what a man does in his own home to his own body by voluntary means has somehow directed an effect unto the entirety of the public and should be shunned and punished by captivity.

The idea of self-governance and self-ownership is lost on the majority of the public. It is a concept that takes away the power to dictate others actions and set prejudices against things or situations that they morally admonish or oppose and replace it with  responsibility for one’s own self and nothing more.

The War on Drugs is ultimately a war on freedom and choice. It is a war on individual liberty and self-ownership. It is the opposition to the freedom that many people claim they seek and many more claim they support. The War on drugs is in one sentence a War on People.

A tale of concealed carry and abuse of power by police.

This is an experience of Eric Faden of Miami, Florida. What follows is his recent  experience with Miami Dade Police Department. This is just a small example of the abuse of power Police Officers and their Departments all across the country perpetrate.

Friday night on the way to a show the red and blues that nobody wants to see flash behind them lit up my rear view mirror like the 4th of July. I veer off the road into a shopping center and abruptly pull over. My friend hands me my registration from the glove compartment so I couple that with my driver’s license and concealed weapons permit to hold all three out of the window.

A man in an ugly brown uniform walks up to my car to grab the bundle of documents and seconds later he draws his gun from his holster and the barrel of a Glock is pointed at my forehead, a flashlight attached to it shining in my eyes making it hard to see.

Cop: WHERE IS IT?! WHERE IS YOUR WEAPON?!
Me: (My hands as high as they can be inside of a Honda) Whoa Whoa relax, it’s on me.
Cop: WHERE
Me: On my body
Cop: KEEP YOUR RIGHT HAND UP, REACH FOR IT WITH YOUR LEFT AND GIVE IT TO ME.
(I do).

He takes the gun and walks back to his car behind me with all my stuff. Shortly after, three more police cars arrive. Two of them park behind me and one parks in front of me. Now he’s coming back and terror doesn't begin to describe the feeling myself and the four others in the car are experiencing. Having a gun pointed at us by someone we can’t legally do anything to in response makes your stomach react all sorts of ways. Helplessness has saturated the air in the car.

Cop: Why did you take a stop sign and why were you speeding back there? (In an obvious attempt to unlock a self-incrimination from me)
Me: ..Silence..
Cop (Louder this time): WHY DID YOU TAKE A STOP SIGN AND SPEED BACK THERE?
Me: ..Silence..
Cop: IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU? ARE YOU MUTE? IM ASKING YOU A QUESTION!
Me: ..Silence..
Cop: OKAY YOU WANNA PLAY THIS GAME? WHY AREN'T YOU ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS?
Me: Officer, I’m not playing any games but I know my rights and I don’t have to answer those questions.
Cop: OKAY STEP OUT OF THE CAR
-Reaches into my window and unlocks the door and pulls it open- (Illegal)
I step out.

He puts me up against my car and pats me down, allowing him to reach far up enough to feel my nuts (probably his favorite part of the job) “Anything on you I should know about”? No, I respond while thinking to myself that there isn't a damn thing on me or near me or anywhere I have ever been that he needs to know about.

Then all of a sudden he’s yanking my wrists behind my back and putting them in handcuffs.

Me: WHY AM I BEING ARRESTED?
Cop: FOR RECKLESS DRIVING

I should have known better and not expected anything other than this by now but still, I didn't believe what was happening and it was totally surreal to me.

Me: Are you serious, you’re really arresting me for taking a stop sign?
Cop: Yes (While shoving me into the back of the patty wagon).
Me: Why are you giving me a hard time, I’m not a bad guy, we’re just going to a concert and we’re late.
Cop: Oh yeah? Who the fuck goes to concert with a loaded gun? Gimme a fucking break
Me: I’m not at a concert, I’m in my car.
Cop: Where is the concert?
Me: Little Haiti.
Cop: OH so you’re gonna go to a high robbery area and risk someone seeing you take your gun out and putting it in your glove compartment and then breaking into your car to get it?

By this point I had already had enough time to realize from here to the moon why this guy chose to be a police officer as his profession….because he was too stupid and or emotionally unstable to work as anything other than a knuckle-dragging arrest machine and revenue generator for the state. In short, he was a barbarian. An animal.

Arrested again. This time equally if not more ridiculous than the last. Let’s re-examine, shall we? I was driving my vehicle at a rate of miles per hour that which was deemed to be too high by the “authorities” so I was signaled by bright red and blue lights to drive off the road where a gun was pointed at my face, mind you with his finger on the trigger and only a sneeze away from killing me; Then, since I chose not to talk to this person who thought it was fine to point a gun at my face even though I had no legal obligation to do so, he found it in his will to kidnap me using restrictive circular metal devices around my wrists that left welts for days and drive me to a place where I was placed in a cage.

This cage is where crimes such as assault, attempted murder, murder, and rape happen more frequently than anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere.

It must have really hurt his feelings that someone didn't feel like talking to him. Now I owe him and the cage facility money. Apparently, it is for the services they provided me. Thank you sir, may I have another?

If you believe this is justice, hang your head.

20 modest hours was not bad. It was less than last time but that’s because I was bailed out. $500 and a 6 hour wait time punishment for the person who just wanted to see their loved one out of barbarian custody. 20 hours without food or temperatures that felt above 60 degrees but plenty of screaming, banging against walls, smells of sewers, being pushed around and barked at by more pathetic souls in dumb uniforms who take pleasure in the anguish of others, sleeplessness, and the company of people you don’t want the company of. Do you doubt that there were better ways I could have spent those 20 hours?

…for taking a stop sign.

Of course the fabricated official affidavit report goes way further than that. Speeding or taking a stop sign aren't close to enough. I also took an additional stop sign, was swerving in and out of lanes, was going 25 mph over the speed limit, and was cutting off not one but two other drivers with clear criminal intent and a blatant disregard for their safety. Right. Glad I remembered that part during the writing of this section, needed the comic relief.

Is it not clear by now that the police are a gang? The police are the biggest gang. The structure is the same, albeit more organized. They engage in: theft, human trafficking, murder, kidnapping, extortion, drug as well as firearms sales, battery, stalking…etc. etc. Like other gangs, they are more prominent in larger cities. Their jurisdiction or turf is limited to a certain geographical area and it runs out when the next gang’s starts. The structure of a police department is completely parallel to that of a gang. There are leaders and lower members.

The latter are forced to pursue the least desirable initiatives, like policing the most dangerous neighborhoods. There are standards that must be held up and examples to be made of people. You will also be laid off or kicked out of the gang if your numbers don’t show up in the form of arrests or tickets handed out (how else can they monitor efficiency if not by the amount of people you make your victim over a certain period of time?) It is in their interest for there to be more crime, more criminals, and more new laws making new criminals. It is job security. We couldn’t let some areas become too docile now could we? Then they wouldn’t be needed and would actually have to find more productive jobs, like dropping potatoes in oil at McDonald’s.

The first myth I want to dispel completely out of the minds of everyone is that they work for us. They don’t. They DO NOT. The Police do not exist to serve and protect anyone, except the state itself and its interests. It’s extremely rare to see someone beat up the person they work for, but in the land of the tooth fairy where cops “work for us” it is the protocol. We are NOT their constituents, customers, the people they look out for, the people who pay them, none of that. We are their subjects.

In fact, the following non-exhaustive list of court cases decided they have no obligation whatsoever to protect you or even respond to your calls for help even in the event of a life-threatening situation: Hartzler v. City of San Jose, Riss v. New York, Warren v. District of Columbia, Deshaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services, Balisteri v. Pacifica Police Department. Some of the above cases even guarantee that the police are supposed to provide a higher protection to suspected criminals in custody than to would-be victims of the public.

You are a walking case of naiveté if you believe you have the right to any protection from the police. So if their job is not to protect us then why are we forced to pay them? Why do they even exist?

The cops are law enforcement. They protect the laws, not the people. Do the laws protect the people? Definitely not all of them, probably not the vast majority of them either. One only needs to know what it takes for a bill to become a law to demonstrate how distant the process is from the interests of the mass citizenry and how little their opinions matter. Many laws are bad >> Cops enforce the laws =? You do the math.

Next, I want to address the notion of “but they’re just doing their job”!
So fucking what? So were the gestapo but that defense didn't work out too well in Nuremberg, nor should it have. Most of the people who use this justification would nod their heads in agreement if you asked them whether or not beating people, kicking their doors in, spraying mace on students, asking strangers personal questions, caging people for growing vegetation or downloading songs were wrong or immoral.

Oh but voila! On comes the magic suit with matching hat, tacky boots, cyborg utility belt full of little gadgets to punish people and plastic badge and now all of a sudden all of these actions are somehow okay. They’re more than okay, they are the law! They are a "public service." We obviously owe them for our safety after all.

If someone would commit these acts without the magic suit on they would be considered a psychopath. The blind authority follows next like a cat after a laser pen. People quiver in their presence. They speak differently, drive differently, they do everything differently. This is understandable of course. They don’t want to end up like me and who does?

Kiss the boot that rests upon your neck or pay up, that’s the way to get by. Make sure to kiss it enough so that your saliva makes it shiny, shiny enough to see the person in the reflection responsible for letting that happen to you.

Yes they are just doing their job. I am not contesting that. The question we must ask ourselves though is what kind of person would sign up for a job like this, with these job requirements? And why are we so accepting of the blatant psychopathy present in the list of qualifications needed? Are there not any other fucking jobs they can apply for?

I’m convinced it was those who were picked on growing up, or doing the picking on. The ones who salivate at the opportunity to be the one the teacher appoints to write the names of the students who were talking on the board, the snitches, the tattle-tales, the ones who were always in trouble for putting their hands on other kids, the busy bodies, bullies, the violent ones.

Retract what little respect is left for this horrid profession and this gang of criminals. If your friend wants to become a cop try to talk them out of it. If they don't listen, cease to be their friend. Socially ostracize them. Ridicule them. Make those who think its okay to become one or even support them think twice. If you get stopped by one, film them. Put it on Youtube. Don't be scared. They deserve it. Make them know if they act out that thousands will be able to see their ugly faces spouting lies about the laws they are supposed to uphold.

If you thought my story from the first couple of paragraphs was a nightmare, then take notice. If you thought the Hialeah Harlem shakedown was an outrageous debacle, then take notice. These were nothing in comparison to the other horror stories being reported everyday. I am not a martyr, not even close. But please listen to me when I say they're out of control. Take away all their legitimacy. Speak out, and don't stop. They will hear.

A C A B.

Governor Rick Scott and Half the Truth

Governor Rick Scott of Florida released this statement via email earlier today.

 

Breaking News From Governor

Good Morning from Orlando!

It’s official - Florida’s unemployment rate dropped from 6.7 percent in October to 6.4 percent in November.

We haven’t experienced an unemployment rate this low in over five years (July 2008).

At 6.4 percent, we’re well below America’s 7 percent unemployment rate, and we added 6,000 new private sector jobs.

We’ve cut taxes, made government more effective and provided for a brighter future for Florida families. The result: an opportunity economy that created more than 446,000 private sector jobs since December 2010.

To learn more about Florida's incredible turnaround story, click HERE.

Today’s news is great, but we’re not finished. We’re proposing to cut your automobile taxes and fees by $401 million in our next budget. In 2009 those fees were raised, and we’re going to undo that 54 percent increase.

As we continue into the holiday season, Ann and I wish you and your family a healthy and prosperous 2014.

Rick Scott

Governor

 

While this is a great piece of campaign material it of course has its half-truths and full lies. Lets take a look.

1.       Florida’s unemployment rate dropped from 6.7 percent in October to 6.4 percent in November.

Historically employments rates rise beginning in the end of the month of October and will continue until the beginning of January. This sleight of hand trickery is used in almost every political advertisement in an effort to catch reactions on the state of the economy. This is what I would label as the half- truth. It was not the actions of Rick Scott or his administration that led to this rise in employment, but merely out of necessity of the private sector business owners in response to increased shopping during the holiday months. In these months (Oct-Jan) the semblance of an economic recovery or increase will always attract politicians willing to take that easy half-truth and label it their own handiwork

2.       At 6.4 percent, we’re well below America’s 7 percent unemployment rate, and we added 6,000 new private sector jobs.

This statement has multiple falsities in it. Number one is the assumption, though generally wrong, that the national unemployment numbers are at a much lower rate than what they are in fact. The Federal Government uses a few different ways to fudge these numbers, such as not taking into account people who had completely exhausted all unemployment benefits and have decided not to look for work. This miscalculation can lead to an annual increase of 2% on average. Another way to hide the unemployed is to give them a new status, the new term for 2013? Disabled.  The rate of increase of person applying for disability insurance in the State of Florida has risen somewhat proportionately to the decline in unemployed persons receiving benefits.  

The second folly of this statement is the private sector job creation claim. First and foremost, Government does not in any way, shape, or form, have the ability to create a private sector job. ALL jobs created by any government fall under GOVERNMENT JOBS. This CANNOT be stressed enough.  Government is the antithesis to a free market and its increasing regulation a hindrance on business. The numbers put forth in this letter are also in error; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://bls.gov/eag/eag.fl.htm) the State of Florida gained 9,395 private sector jobs in November of 2013 which is where Governor Scott’s office would have gotten their numbers. This is a lie on their part, but why? Why would they purposely alter the numbers to show less private sector job growth? One has to look at the other sectors to find this out. In November of 2013 the State of Florida’s Government grew by 1,070 employees, this 1 to 9 rate is about equal to the 5 previous months average increase of newly hired government workers. While Government increases so does the tax required to keep it running.

 

3.       We’re proposing to cut your automobile taxes and fees by $401 million in our next budget.

The truth about this one is that while Rick Scott may be taking the glory for this one it was not his idea at all. In 2013 two bills were presented in the Florida House and Senate

HB 61 - Motor Vehicle License Taxes

Sponsored by: Hill (CO-SPONSORS) Eagle; Hood; Santiago; Stewart

Filed Sept 18th

 

SB 156 - Motor Vehicle License Taxes

Sponsored by: Negron (CO-SPONSORS) Benacquisto; Clemens; Evers; Brandes; Hukill

Filed: Sept 12th

 

Both of these bills were for lowering the auto registration fee and this bill was talked about LAST session by BOTH Negron and Hill. So how convenient coming up on an election year that Rick Scott can now wave this as his idea and watch the GOP panties drop….. Oh but I forgot to mention this is all after the fee was raised under the GOP congress in 2009.

 

Not as truthful or transparent as anyone would like their politicians to be, Rick Scott has led his campaigns and administrations on half-truths and lies. In 2014 there are multiple reasons to make Rick Scott a one term Governor. 

End the Federal Reserve Rally Jacksonville Florida November 23rd 2013

On November 23rd in Jacksonville Florida myself and other activists held our End The Federal Reserve rally. Thanks to the hard work of our group and some new friends we were able to have Josh Tolley and Adrian Wyllie speak. In attendance were around 50 local activists, including some from local Anonymous groups and the Saint Augustine Tea Party's Town Criers.

Josh is a nationally syndicated radio host, author and all around great guy. His speech gave way into an area I had recently been thinking about. Why are we waiting for the creators and facilitators of these institutions to give up their power? We, individuals, have the capability and opportunity to create an alternative source of currency to replace or get around the state mandated fiat. Just as BitCoin was created to do, and as more and more alternate currencies replace the everyday transactions we can end the Federal Reserve's Monopoly on currency and with a fighting chance hope to take back our economy and monetary structure.

Here in Florida, in the past we haven't been left with much of a choice in regards to our selection of Governors. But this year aims to be different. Adrian Wyllie plans to change the fate of the State of Florida. At our Rally he stayed away from a campaign stop speech. Following Tolley he gave us again a simple message of creating our own way around the State institution. His speech brought in Nullification by non compliance and alternative currencies.


All together this was a great event and we will use it to build future events.
Let's just hope they decide not to resign the Federal Reserve Contract and it finally shuts down the presses, and if not we will be there next year.