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July 21, 2005
New York City Police begin illegal searches in subways
The police in New York City started illegally searching people in the subways in clear violation of the 4th amendment. There's a surprise, right? They were already illegally searching people in the airports. It was only a matter of time.
Former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik said on Fox News "we need more security, we need more surveillance, we need technology, we need dogs" on the U.S. rail system. He wants to "check out" people carrying "a large backpack or package".
In a related story, Bush said of terrorists today "...they don't understand our country though. They don't understand that when it comes to the defense of universal freedoms, this country won't be frightened."
Does anyone else see the irony in this? What "universal freedoms" is he referring to? The freedom to be searched against our will? Thanks a lot. Where are the Cecilia Beaman's of the world now? Where's the eternal vigilance?
Posted by Peenie Wallie on July 21, 2005 at 7:16 PM
Comments
"Hmmm, should I search that bad-smelling olive-skinned guy with the bulky jacket, or Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha?"
Posted by: Robert on July 22, 2005 at 9:16 AM
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0530,weblee,66189,5.html
NYers to NYPD: 'I Do Not Consent to Being Searched'
by Chisun Lee
July 21st, 2005 6:36 PM
Reacting to the NYPD's announcement Thursday afternoon that police would randomly—but routinely—search the bags of commuters, one concerned New Yorker quickly created a way for civil libertarians to make their views black-and-white.
In a few outraged moments, local immigrant rights activist Tony Lu designed t-shirts bearing the text, "i do not consent to being searched." The minimalist protest-wear can be purchased here, in various styles and sizes. (Lu will not get a cut. The shirts' manufacture, sale, and shipment, will be handled by the online retailer. Lu encourages budget-conscious New Yorkers to make their own and wear them everywhere.)
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly had announced the legally obvious—that New Yorkers are free to decline a search and "turn around and leave." But Lu, who is a lawyer at Urban Justice Center, warned that even well-intentioned cops could interpret people's natural nervousness or anger as "reasonable suspicion." The possibility of unjustified interrogation and even arrest is real, Lu said.
Although police promised they would not engage in racial profiling, Lu said that, as with all street-level policing, people of color and poor immigrants would be particularly vulnerable, especially if encounters lead to arrests.
Posted by: Robert on July 22, 2005 at 10:56 AM
Posted by: Robert on July 22, 2005 at 10:57 AM
We need more kids like this:
A 15-year-old took Tony Blair's government to court over curfew laws that allow police to force home anyone under 16 who is out at night without supervision. And the boy won. His rationale for putting up a fight:
"Of course I have no problem with being stopped by the police if I've done something wrong," he said in a statement. "But they shouldn't be allowed to treat me like a criminal just because I'm under 16."
That's a principle so simple even a child can understand it. Even if political leaders on both sides of the Atlantic have trouble
Posted by: Robert on July 22, 2005 at 10:59 AM