Double the KODOS !

Annoying as they sometimes are, threads of this sort do show one very important thing, that I am very very glad of and should thank God for every day. -- That there are so many of us that still get it; that are still willing to stand up for their rights - and by so doing, end up standing for my rights too - "No man is and Island entire of itself" - what happens to that other guy will sooner or later happen to you too. As Ben Franklin is quoted as saying - "We had better hang together in this - or we will most assuredly hang separately." That is just as true today!

What Joe seems to not understand though, is that anyone caving-in to a false report of suspicious activity or a bullying cop, without taking legal action, weakens all our civil rights. The courts are there for this very purpose - to redress such grievances. But the more caving-in that happens - the weaker and less meaningful our rights become - until we have none. There are countless examples in history of liberties lost by just this kind of neglect.

Besides; this issue has already been settled by the words of the "Bill of Rights" - whether you or any bully policeman likes it or not. You should read and study it Joe. You will be amazed by what our forefathers wrought! -- I once took an oath to defend that document with my life if necessary - And defend it I will. And the best way for a now-civilian to do just that, is to hold the government's feet to the fire in court whenever the police get out of line. While applauding and supporting others in their efforts helps too. The fact is the the vast majority of righteous cops out there, are also protected by such actions. They are citizens too!

And what were those sacred words: --- "The right of the people to be secure in their
persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,
shall not be violated;and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported
by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the
persons or things to be seized."

Simply put, in America the police must have a "Reasonable" cause to stop and question anybody. Like it or not - that is the way it is. My policeman friends (I have several) call it having "PC" ("probable cause") before even one question may be asked - let alone stopping you or detaining you.

So what is reasonable? --- Perhaps he witnesses an actual crime, or what seems like a preparation for a crime (eg. pulling out a gun, casing the joint, etc), or perhaps someone calls in information on someone's criminal intent or supposed suspicious activity. But all of that still requires honestly rational and reasonable belief that criminal activity is involved.


So what rankles me Joe, is just how does lawfully standing on public property with a non-threatening object such as a camera in your hands, constitute a suspicious activity. What the hell is suspicious about what thousands or even millions of people do every day. And don't give me that bull bleep that trains have not always been a very popular shutterbug target - worldwide.

And oh gee-whiz. A trainman sees the same van driven by a guy with a camera, twice along the same parallel highway. WOW - how unusual is that - WOW. Actually, it's almost unavoidable when a highway parallels the track - let alone unusual or suspicious. So because that camera hostile railroader calls it in as suspicious when it isn't - we are supposed to just kiss up and take the harassment?

It was not unusual or suspicious at all (with or without the camera); and was motivated by pure hostility or even hate (your posts reek of it Joe). But such constitutes a false report to the police and should be dealt with as such. Fact is - such hostility and hate was always the most common motive for abuses of gov't power. That's why the Founding Fathers put it in the Constitution in the first place. So take the railroad to court for the false reports and see how fast this crap stops!


Joe, it is the patently unreasonable nature of these suspicious activity reports, and some government agencies and police actions, over perfectly lawful photography; that is getting everybody all fired up.

And hoooray for that!


OPB