This short documentary shows how federal checkpoints harmed the economy and cultural life of a pacific northwest community, and how individuals organized to repel the invaders. Among other things, I see that local government officials came out against the federal goons. This is an important tactic. Anything that divides them and unifies us will lead to victory.
The border patrol has established what many consider to be illegal checkpoints inside the borders of the US under the guise of protecting the border. This power grab has resulted in significantly reduced civil liberties across the nation. The ACLU famously published a map of the US with a 100-mile “constitution-free” zone highlighted in orange. In this zone, the government seems to think that normal civil liberties do not apply.
Are the TSA checkpoints another example of this constitution-free zone? Given that the government thinks it is not limited by the constitution at these airport checkpoints, that is a reasonable claim. TSA apologists want us to think that we give extra powers to the government when we buy a plane ticket, but I haven’t seen any evidence to back this up. Frankly, given that the TSA uses coercion to insert itself between us and the airlines (parties to a contract), any claims that we voluntarily waive rights are baseless. When coercion is used, there can be no consent.
When a mugger says “Your money or your life,” and you give him your money, did you voluntarily waive your rights to your possessions? Of course not! The mugger used coercion. Where there is coercion, there can be no consent or contract. Consent and contracts can only occur in an environment free of coercion. Likewise, the TSA says “Your obedience or your boarding pass!” Nobody is handing extra powers to the government. The government took those extra powers in violation of its own mandate.
TSA abuse is part of a larger trend of out-of-control government. We can keep it in check but not by writing letters to congress. Consider the above video. Let’s think about how we can apply lessons learned in other struggles to this one.
it seems that they are taking their jobs way too seriously and are turning the country into a police state and no one likes this and they shouldn’t need this crap
I’m shocked that they don’t extend the 100 mile no-constitution zone out of EVERY international airport in the country.
The government did this several years ago in the Florida Keys, creating a checkpoint for residents to enter and leave the mainland of Florida.
-The Florida Keys advised they were succeeding from the union, and establishing their own government since they weren’t being treated like U.S. citizens. The government closed the border gates almost immediately.
We have defended and stood up for our rights before, and WE’LL DO IT AGAIN. Freedom is worth fighting for.
I live in Key West and a proud carrier of a Conch Republic Passport! I would love to see US 1 close down again!
Why can’t the border patrol do their job AT the border? Apparently, they are not hurting any terrorists with their heavy-handed approach in small communities 100 miles inside of quiet borders. So who is being hurt by this not-exactly-the- Border Policy?
Most of us are aware of the flagrant illegal traffic across our Southern Border. Yet many of those areas remain ignored. Our efficient Border Patrol posts signs to warn the unsuspecting traveler that the Federal Government has chosen to ignore the illegal traffic in “this area”. Then they show up, in force, at a point of limited or non- entry.
This goes beyond the negligence of sworn duty; unfortunately this begins to look like an attack on the American citizen. The statistics are hard to ignore.
Yeah, it seems any intelligent terrorist would just walk across one of the thousands of miles of our unprotected borders. It doesn’t make any sense, unless . . . unless . . . there are no external terrorists . . . unless it’s all “security theater” . . . unless 9/11 was an inside job.
This article over-states the case, imo. I am originally from New Orleans, which is in the ACLU’s orange zone, apparently. I have never felt like my civil liberties were being denied by the feds here or anywhere along the gulf coast. Admittedly, it’s a different animal at the Mexican border crossing, and there are Border Patrol checkpoints in the interior about 60 or so miles from the border as well. One time (along the 59 well north of Laredo, TX), I spent about an hour with these dudes. I had already been cleared crossing into Laredo from Nuevo Laredo, Tamps., so I am not sure what they wanted. Slow day in the cactus fields I guess…
Let me clarify. There are some valid issues here, and I am not a big fan of these internal checkpoints. Looking at the WA example, maybe they have changed quite a bit since I last went through one. It sounds like a serious over-reach in WA. Still, the video also is pro-illegal immigration or immigration reform probably through an amnesty scheme. I’m not about that. I could care less. If I am a law-abiding citizen, then I want the government to leave me alone. It’s that simple.
I’m dumbfounded. I live in Florida… if this is considered a “Constitution-Free” zone, I don’t want to live here any more!!!
I used to live in Washington State and simply stopped going to Canada — which used to be a frequent destination — after the Border Patrol started making travel an all-day proposition instead of a couple of hours each way. You know the thing that took the longest? My wife made a joke about hauling banned items into Canada. We sat by for the rest of the day while they took our car apart, and then we got to put it back together.
Never joke with the border patrol. They do not have a sense of humor, they take their job WAAAAY too seriously, and they like to harass US citizens.
What can you say about idiots that work in those agensies… Apparently mainly idiots work there.
Don’t even ask me to relate what happens when you are in the wrong place at the wrong time and get nabbed by these jack-booted thugs. I was tossed into a 6×6 cell without sund, wthout lights, without human contact long enough for me to mentally go insane temporarily and try to take the steel door down by fingernails. I was then taken out and thrown into said 6×6 cell shared by 5 other women (illegals) and covered in ants. I was then questioned and set free once I proved my citizenship. (I’m extremely pale w/ redhair, and only speak english.. no way could they seriously think I was a Mexican illegal) Ever since that torture session I cannot sleep if lights are off, I cannot have any doors closed in my own home and suffer severe panic attacks if locked in the dark inadvertantly (I broke down my bedroom door in a fit when it got stuck and dislocated my shoulder). They aren’t protecting us. They are torturing us.
Keep in mind, two-thirds of the United States population lives within this no constitution zone.
There have already been checkpoints with coordinated efforts of Customs Border Patrol and State Police in Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
“Your Papers! I MUST SEE YOUR PAPERS!!!
Sealing the borders, harassing citizens via searches without cause, interfering with people’s ability to travel, snooping on people’s private lives, and throwing people in jail for dissenting or questioning all of this. I’m talking about the early days of Nazi Germany, the dawning of Lenin’s USSR, and… today’s America. The trend in this country is very scary, and I hope that we fight back before it is too late.
It’s all just sick ! We all know globalists want to remove all borders to create North American Union.
I consider myself pretty aware, politically, but I’ve never heard of the plan to remove the borders and have a North American Union. Done right, it could be great. Done wrong, though, it could really suck. Given the people we always elect, the ones who run things, I would have a very sickly feeling about this.
The Adirondack Northway is an Interstate highway that connects Albany, NY with Montreal. I have never been to the border crossing, but I am sure there is a full checkpoint there with border guards and drug-sniffing dogs and all. Some 75 miles south of the border is a SECOND checkpoint, where I have been. For most of the year it is an information center and rest stop. But they have lights set up on the highway; when the lights flash you MUST pull over and submit to whatever is requested. Because at that time, it becomes another border checkpoint. I have always wondered what they are looking for, so far south of the actual crossing.
It’s like something right out of the Black Arrow. We don’t seem to have any civil rights anymore. Does the TSA/DHS have the authority to deputize the local police? Because if they do it’s pretty much over.
Apparently I live in a constitution free zone, yet I’ve never encountered any checkpoints. This article may be exaggerating things just a bit.
This zone reminds me of the East German “Sperrzone”, but that began 5 km from the border with West Germany. The East German border patrol severely restricted who could enter and leave the Sperrzone.
It is interesting to listen to Republican propaganda about limited government, yet the Bush Administration saddled us with all the trappings of a police state. Department of Homeland Security? Isn’t it totalitarian dictatorships that have departments of state security, like the AVH in 1950s Hungary and the Stasi in East Germany?
It is time for Americans to rebel and overthrow this rotten, corrupt government…or for individual states to secede and grant their residents the freedoms that are being taken away in Washington. How about a good, old-fashioned, European-style general strike? Shut down the country and get some independent truckers to blockade all the roads going into Washington, D.C. until the government collapses!
And, no, the Democrats aren’t doing a damn thing to stop these abuses, either!
I live in Jefferson County, WA – where we had checkpoints in 2008:
https://www.seattlepi.com/local/387945_pot15.html
Here is a look at where our county is situated Re: the US/Canada border:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Washington_highlighting_Jefferson_County.svg
The US Border Patrol held a public forum here in 2008-
A lady asked:
“What is the penalty for not identifying oneself to federal agents at an internal, suspicionless checkpoint?”
US Border Patrol said they would call in the Sheriff when a person refused to identify themselves.
Sheriff says they will not respond to a non-emergency situation involving a person peaceably refusing to interact with federal agents.
Question about providing ID is at 0:35
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eJQ1IzS6FE
Checkpoints ended here in 2008- possibly due to well informed citizens and local protests.
It is possible that the US Border Patrol still does bus checks locally:
https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090630/NEWS/306309993
A man from Arizona has demonstrated that motorists are under no obligation to interact with federal agents at these checkpoints- they are under no obligation to move to secondary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDLlEh0x2XA
Today- The US Border Patrol is moving to establish a 50 agent station at Port Angeles:
https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100824/NEWS/308249990/border-patrol-move-almost-a-certainty-no-special-permits-needed
What we do not know:
How many US Border Patrol arrests have been made out of the Port Angeles Station in the past 12 months?
What percentage of US Border Patrol arrests out of the Port Angeles Station are connected in any way to the US/Canada border?
https://tinyurl.com/DontAskDontTellUSBP
I like this video. Very informative. But I don’t like the PRO-ILLEGAL ALIEN MESSAGE HERE.. We’ve already taken in 50 million Mexican-Americans… We can get people to work on farms here through temporary visas. Or explore moving unemployed americans around to work the farms.
20 MILLION ILLEGALS HAVE FLOODED INTO AMERICA. They bankrupt schools, flood prisons, etc.
They also lower wages (supply and demand).
We now have a 17% unemployment rate.
We already have the most liberal immigration policy on earth.
Immigrants do not take jobs away from American citizens. Our own corporate-friendly tax policies that encourage the shipping of good jobs overseas, does that. By the way, how many railroads and skyscrapers would have been built without immigrants? “Illegal” simply means some laws have been enacted to make immigration a crime.
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