When I woke up this morning it was already 80 outside. I checked the WeatherBug on my android phone and saw something new. A fire alert! The forecast today is high temps near 100, humidity around 25% and lower, plus strong winds, 15-20mph with gusts up to 35mph. All the right conditions for a flash ground fire.
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In Illinois, a man is facing jail sentences that could send him away for the rest of his life. His offense? Recording the police in a public area.
There’s just one thing wrong. It’s not against the law. The First Court of Appeals, ruling on a number of similar cases, has just affirmed the right of people to film and record the police and government official in public places.
Americans still being arrested for recording cops as a consequence of mass hoax
Despite the mass hoax still being promulgated by both the mainstream media and local authorities across America, the First Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that it is not illegal for citizens to videotape police officers when they are on public duty.
“The filming of government officials while on duty is protected by the First Amendment, said the Court,” reports Daily Tech.
“The filming of government officials engaged in their duties in a public place, including police officers performing their responsibilities, fits comfortably within these principles [of protected First Amendment activity].,” said the Court. “Gathering information about government officials in a form that can readily be disseminated to others serves a cardinal First Amendment interest in protecting and promoting the free discussion of governmental affairs,” stated the ruling, adding that this has been the case all along, and that the right to film police officers is not just restricted to the press.
The case cited several examples where citizens were arrested for documenting acts of police brutality on recording devices, including that of Simon Glik, who was arrested after he filmed Boston police punching a man on the Boston Common.
Another case involved Khaliah Fitchette, a teenager who filmed police aggressively removing a man from a bus in Newark. Fitchette was arrested and detained for two hours before police deleted the video from her cellphone.
The court ruling also made it clear that bloggers who report news based on their recordings of police have equal protection under the law as journalists.
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Obama had to eat some crow. I hope he enjoyed the taste. After weeks of bragging that his “jobs” plan was just about ready—just as soon as he finished his vacation, he scheduled it to be announced at a joint session of Congress for the same evening when the Republican debates to be held. Just a coincidence?
Except the all-powerful Obama forgot one thing. To have a joint session of Congress, he has to get the leadership of the two Houses to agree.
Obama chose the evening of the NFL season opener, the Packers vs. the Saints. Somehow, I don’t think the residents of Green Bay, WI will be watching Obama.
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Dick Cheney has been making the rounds of the talk-show circuit. He’s been on Rush and Hannity, maybe Laura Ingraham too. The Republican establishment in DC is not amused.
Heh, heh!
I think Colin Powell was the first. Ahhh. And, Powell claims to be a ‘Pub but he voted of Obama.
Powell deserves every embarrassment Cheney exposes.
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