This is a guest post from Mark C.
Boycotts are an effective first step toward rejecting an oppressive policy, but often they are just a first step. My purpose here is to inform people of additional activities and approaches that can supplement a WeWontFly boycott.
You should know of the strategy of one other organization combating federal intrusions into our privacy and into our right to monitor our government. Here’s a link to and a few key excerpts from a brief story about the National Veterans Committee on Constitutional Affairs:
www.americanfreepress.net/html/hands_off_246.html
Bolinger, legislative director of the National Veterans Committee on Constitutional Affairs (NVCCA.net), has informed AFP that the organization’s new workbook, American Leadership, contains detailed legislation that could be introduced immediately to put a stop to invasive, unnecessary security measures initiated at airports and in other public buildings. “It’s our collection of over 30 pieces of model legislation,” said Bolinger, who strongly believes in getting state and local lawmakers to play a major role in resisting federal tyranny. “There’s county-level stuff. There is sheriff-level stuff.”
One of those 30 pieces of legislation makes clear that citizens can photograph government workers on the job. This started with state and local police arresting drivers for photographing traffic arrests and now it’s leading to places like airports where the feds are clearly out-of-control.
The lone citizen or activist group directly confronting the federal government might be a longshot — for the moment. NVCCA’s approach is to have the states and state law confront the federal government. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that if something is a federal matter, then it’s not a state matter. On the contrary, if it’s a federal matter, then it’s automatically state matter.
With REAL ID, and now Obamacare, being directly challenged by multiple state governments, there is no better time than now to pressure our state officials to stop the scans, stop the groping and let us resume collecting photographic evidence helping us address grievances against government.
Don’t let the “veterans” part of NVCCA scare you. Those NVCCA veterans I met here in Pennsylvania are sickened by the way government is discarding the very rights that they took an oath to protect. Here’s their contact page: www.nvcca.net/contact.html. If you don’t like NVCCA, then find another organization and share their contact information here for us.
Boycotts are fine, but if successful then government might just fly around government workers to subsidize airlines and airports while printing more money to pay for it.
4 Responses to State Legislatures, Another Potential Ally
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I think this is brilliant. Bravo, and thank you all for all that you are doing! It is great to have proactive tools. People need to feel empowered now, more than they ever did before. Surely this is the darkest time in American history, and to discourage the masses is part of the key strategy. To break through with helpful and effective ideas such as these is really key. Again thank you.
One hitch though. I can see where some State and Local governments might be just as corrupted as the Feds and work to support instead of oppose their oppressions.
Then again many States did step forward to nullify other things in the very recent past which may not be related to the no-fly issue, so I won’t go into the details of what they were. The point is, that many of the States and maybe local governments too might be on our side. I could foresee about a 50-50 split.
Perhaps I am wrong.
I would be interested to see what others think about this, and what the solutions might be.
Again for those governments which are on the right side of the street, I think this is an absolutely brilliant idea. Thank you, and applause!
PS and the only way to make sure that nothing happens is to not try! So please don’t get me wrong. And perhaps you are right, Mark C, that the local and State governments would come to our aid.
I also suggest that we write to grassroots leaders and ask them to “plug” for the cause of State nullification of the federal mandate for the airport scanners/pat-downs, arrests for sticking up for one’s right not to be victimized, etc.
As before even I, in proposing this, could foresee some States coming to our aid and others not, but then again those that do will carry an impact. And protect their own people.
Perhaps, as more and more States and local government come to the rescue, it will become the 100th monkey.
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Dear friends
Sorry to monopolize the forum here, not my intent! This is terribly important however:
First, there was CAPPS II, the proposed legislation profiling airline passengers. This was struck down by the airlines, internationally.
Then the ACLU emailed members that yes, our own Feds were proposing that US travelers (inbound and outbound, I presume) be required to wear electronic stun bracelets, with remote control access.
This too “Did not fly”.
Now comes the groping of people’s groins in public and private alike, the nude body scans, and the virtual gunpointing at airports (don’t you dare resist the scan or you will be groped. Just try leaving the airport and you will be charged an $11,000 fine and escorted out, reported the Sun Sentinel).
What’s wrong with this picture??? I see a pattern here.
For whatever it is worth, in my analysis the Feds are trying to obscure freedom of travel, not to clamp down on terrorists. Dictatorships close the borders, as a way to control free thought and increase their brainwashing power over the people. Usually, for reasons of power and economic gain. Therefore, my prediction is that this dynamic will not stop with the airports and the airlines. Instead, it will go to bus and train stations and could even end up at our front doors, with us being frisked just for leaving home. Sound far-fetched? The former Iron Curtain would have had family members taken hostage if somebody had left the country without government permission. That’s how dictatorships work, alas. We Americans are so used to our freedoms that we just can’t fathom certain things. As soon as we say “paranoid” and “conspiracy theory”, that is when we are probably the most wrong. We are just plain *innocent* and *unsuspecting*, that is my argument to the assertion of somebody being “paranoid” .
Interestingly enough, the ACLU emailed membership to report that people currently objecting to the scans or gropings at airports are the ones who are being targeted the most. A free speech violation, for sure and another form of virtual gunpointing, if you ask me.
For all the reasons above, it is terribly important to get on board with State nullification.
If airports are key to the free exchange of cultural thought, and if they are key to economic wellness, then there is an arguing point for nullification too. Above and beyond the criminally violating sexual gropings and scans.
Anything that affects national well-being will, as Mark C pointed out, affect State economics too. Or any other imprint on national dynamics will similarly affect the States. Good talking points, thank you Mark!
While the Feds put us on red alert about computer-based pedophiles, here they go groping children themselves, on our tax dollars. The duplicity! Another reason why the States should nullify. How many stalkers will people be subject to after being publicly groped by a TSA agent? How many rapes will there be as a result of this?
I suggest the way to get the STates involved is to a) contact grassroots leaders and ask them to “plug” for state nullification via membership signatures b) arrange citizen meetings with State Senators and Representatives. This is usually done under the umbrella of an existing political organization, you choose whichever stripe or color. This is not a partisan issue, it is a Constitutional and a human one. C) Pass messages around the Internet by posting to blogs and asking readers to seed them around the web, specifically granting reprint permission (very important). Readers will comply and want to help.
Thank you all for your help.