2 letters posted in our local small town newspaper

[Jay]

the first written by a "doomer" friend:
"Unhappy with Burnet county courthouse searches"
Three years ago I experienced a situation at the Burnet county courthouse annex, in Burnet, where I was not allowed past the foyer of the building without permitting a deputy to search my purse. I did not permit this and was not allowed any further into the building. I was told I had the right to leave my purse in the car. This is not a right. It is a blatant disregard of my true rights.
This year I was called to jury duty at the courthouse on the square, and was forced to leave my purse in my vehicle for the same reason. My God-given Constitutional right was violated.
The forth amendment to the United States Constitution states: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches 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."
This means that my house, my car, my purse, my personal belongings, CANNOT be searched without probable cause and a warrant, supported by oath, with MY name on it, stating the reason for search.
When the deputies at the Burnet County Courthouse locations search peoples bags, they are violating the peoples rights. They are treating them as criminals who are guilty and as such need to be searched.
I have committed no crime and there is no reason for someone to search through my personal belongings, as I have done nothing wrong. And the searches certainly don't make me feel secure. These searches are in total violation of the 4th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.
I know that the searches are being conducted to supposedly keep people safe. I am created in the image of the almighty God. He Himself endowed me with certain unalienable rights when I was born. This is what our Constitution is based on. God is the only one who can keep me safe, and under him, and by the Constitution.
I am allowed to try to keep myself safe. When that right is taken away by the illegal searches at the Burnet County Courthouse locations, I am no longer safe, and I don't feel safe.
The very people who are supposedly keeping people safe are, in reality, making them less safe. The job of law enforcement is to protect and serve. That means that they are supposed to protect the peoples God given Constitutional rights, and serve the people, not protect them from themselves and each other. Law enforcement is meant to enforce Constitutional law, not break the law by taking away peoples rights.
When a Burnet County officer looks into a persons purse or bag, it is a humiliation, frankly, an embarrassment to law enforcement. How that officer can live with himself or sleep at night is beyond me.
These people make their living by taking away the God given Constitutional rights of free human beings. The people of our country are seeing the obvious elimination of their rights under the United States Constitution, and they are not happy about it. I don't understand why they are accepting of this and will not say anything.
I know that I am not the only person in Burnet county who sees that these searches are a violation of our rights. It is time that the citizens of Burnet County stand up and speak out. It is time to let our elected officials know that we want the illegal searches to stop. If they don't, then the rest of our rights are sure to be eliminated. As Thomas Jefferson said, "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."


I have to run an errand, then I will type the second letter.

 

[Jay]

Letter #2:

"Are we all guilty until proven innocent at the courthouse?"

The reason that I am writing is that I heard that funding was approved for two deputies/bailiffs, benefits, metal detectors, and so forth, to search taxpaying citizens as they enter the courthouse annex and the south annex like what is already being done at the north annex, which actually belongs to the taxpaying people.
I don't want this to happen.
I want to make one thing perfectly clear. I am not opposed to there being a security check system for those entering the courtroom.
My concern is about what ordinary citizens have to submit to and how they are being treated when all they are doing is attempting to go get their drivers license, to visit the Agrilife offices or other offices at the courthouse annex.
If you have gone to the north annex to those offices to take care of business that we are required by law to do, then you will understand my point.
In March last year when I went to the north annex to have my drivers license renewed I was treated like a felon by the sheriff at the front door. I was threatened with jail class C misdemeanor and talked to like a rabid dog for a four inch poket knife that I - like thousands of others - carry.
I was threatened, my rights violated, and I was honestly appalled. Any person that acts in this manner should not be wearing a badge. I left, and walked directly to the sheriffs office but in the meanwhile the bailiff called the sheriffs office and lied, saying I was armed and it took me several minutes to even get into the sheriffs office.
I spoke with (Chief Deputy) Randy Service, who told me to file a complaint, and (Sheriff) W.T. Smith said he could not reprimend or fire his deputies. They basically belong to a union and have their own lawyers and board of defense, he said.
W.T. said that the policy of having a bailiff at the front door of the north annex was out of his control. He said he would take a complaint.
An individual and their possessions should not be searched and then the person made to walk through a metal detector to conduct business that is required by law. Reference the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.
Are we all guilty until proven innocent? Why is this being done to the people of the community?
We are not the enemy.
The number one responsibility of the Sheriff is to protect our rights. When our rights are protected, we are safe.
Three things happen over and over throughout history - rights are taken, wealth is taken, and then lives are taken.
Winston Churchill said, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom said: "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it".
Benjamin Franklin said, "It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority".
"Those who surrender freedom for security will not have nor do they deserve either one." and "Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are."
Paul said to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
I don't mean to cause any trouble. I just think we should treat each other like we would want to be treated.

 

[pmbug]

She's got some spirit, but I'm guessing her words will find deaf ears. Zombies are too asleep to think about such things.

 

[11C1P]

She should live here where they like to have gestapo check points pulling everyone over, interrogating them and doing at minimum of a quick search of the interior of the vehicle with their flashlights. These all are just a few examples of why I have to grind my teeth and bite my tongue when people blithely say "It's a free country." Well it's not even close. It still might be the freest country on the planet, but that doesn't mean it's as free as it is supposed to be or should be. Politicians abhor the notion that a government that governs least governs best.

 

[Penn]

where were these 2 knuckleheads at when we been screaming and protesting? We begged people to vote for Ron PAUL.

We were mocked, ridiculed- even on the local level I had to put some lawyers between the public and me.

The letter writers wanted this- so cry me a river

 

[Jay]

where were these 2 knuckleheads at when we been screaming and protesting? We begged people to vote for Ron PAUL.

We were mocked, ridiculed- even on the local level I had to put some lawyers between the public and me.

The letter writers wanted this- so cry me a river

Penn, I know the first lady personally. She has been an "activist" for ten years. She took her kids out of school when they were trying to force the bird flu vaccines because no one would listen to her then. These letters are a breakthrough for our backwards small town. Cut he some slack. The second guy is an old retiree, who is noticing something wrong.

edited to add, Ron Paul was a waste of time. They would never have allowed him to win.

 

[ancona]

I wholeheartedly agree with both letter writers Jay. Our rights have been eroded under the pretext of security and we have permitted it to happen. The boiling frog analogy comes to mind. Soon enough, when FEMA is knocking at your door demanding that you accept some vaccine or another for the good of the community, and that if you refuse the vaccine you will be "quarrantined" at a facility "nearby" for your own good, you will suddenly realize what Stalin realized a long time ago: Terror works. We have constructed a "security apparatus" here in the USA that rivals anything ever constructed before on earth. DHS has tanks, billions of rounds of hollow point ammunition tha5t cannot be used in foreign conflict because of the Geneva Convention, but can be used on our own population, they have gas cartridges large enough to disperse huge crowds with stinging tear gas, they have microwave "personnel denial devices" that cook the outer quarter inch of tissue on a human body and more, and more, and more. Where was the complaining and protesters when this shit was introduced? They were in Zuccotti Park bitching about banker bonuses.

 

[Penn]

TARP in 2008 was the defining moment.