Federal Policy No Longer Enforced at the Local Level?

DEA Responds to Legal Weed in Colorado and Washington: “Enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act remains unchanged”

Photo- Mystery Bay scene

Categories Drug War, Marijuana, Olympic Peninsula Border Patrol, Washington I-502

The freedom talk

November 9, 2012 //

Is the freedom talk from politicians just for federal holidays and overseas military operations?

Marijuana/election update:

Justice Department: Federal marijuana law ‘unchanged’ by legalization

2 states legalize pot, but don’t ‘break out the Cheetos’ yet

Washington State Governor Gregoire not joining Colorado’s chat with Justice Department on pot legalization

She took orders from the federal government last time the issue came up:

Gregoire vetoes some medical marijuana reforms

Surely our US Senators and members of The US House of Representatives will press the issue in DC?

Liquor Board: It will take a year to set up rules for a marijuana sales system in the state

One year to set up rules?

Get ready for control freak manipulations to kick in.

Still wondering how high tax penalties will end the black market:

Study: Nearly 40 percent of cigs in Washington are contraband

An example to follow-

Local government wastes no time making a decision:

King Co. prosecutor dismissing all misdemeanor pot cases

Photo- Port Townsend scene

Categories Drug War, Fighting for our freedoms?, Glorifying military service, Marijuana, Police State, Politicians lie about jobs, Politics is something I no longer take seriously

Marijuana Update-

November 7, 2012 //

Colorado & Washington say yes to marijuana for recreational use.

Favorite objections to legalization:

“Your school bus driver, airline pilot, or heart surgeon will show up high at work.”

These folks have had access to marijuana for decades. Check with your HR department- employees across America are forbidden to report to work under the influence of alcohol, mind altering legal or illegal drugs or marijuana. Ditto for using any of these on the job. Employers maintain control Re: workplace standards of conduct. Still trying to figure out how using marijuana on New Years Eve matters days later on the job, but that is for employers to decide.

“Legalization of marijuana sends the wrong message to kids.”

Prohibition of alcohol for adults age 18-20 sends the wrong message to kids. Underage access to marijuana has been a reality for decades. Family values voters should play the role of strong parents and educate their children Re: marijuana, alcohol & life in general. Guilty until proven innocent federal policies for adults probably aren’t the way to go.

“Federal law trumps state law.”

The idea is not to be ruled by federal law.

It took a constitutional amendment to prohibit the sale of a glass of wine- why no constitutional amendment to authorize a federal war on drugs, drug czar, prohibition of marijuana, etc.

Americans celebrate independence from a powerful central government each summer.

Nice to see a couple of states are not wanting to be ruled from Washington DC on marijuana.

I-502

Law enforcement resources should be used to go after individuals who are harming others- not for policing arbitrary pre-crime scenarios.

I would have preferred an end to prohibition & the Drug War as it relates to marijuana.

Tax the hell out of it?

Do heavy tax penalties fuel the black market?

Study: Nearly 40 percent of cigs in Washington are contraband

Driving while impaired testing/legal limits for marijuana-

Medical marijuana has been here since 1998.

Has I-692 caused problems on the highways?

If this is an honest concern- what has the state been waiting on?

People have been able to get behind the wheel after using marijuana for decades.

This would remain so- even if recreational use of marijuana never became legal.

Maybe the Washington State Patrol sees this as a non-issue.

How are terrorists kept out while counterfeit goods come in?

November 3, 2012 //

“CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.”

Counterfeit goods inbound:

“The losses from counterfeit goods are enormous. Last year, customs officers seized more than a billion dollars in phony sneakers, electronics and handbags. Yet no one knows how much is still getting through.”

“It is a cat-and-mouse game,” she said. “They are always trying to stay a step ahead of us to get their products in.”

Warehouses of seized goods- safe enough to walk around in. What if it wasn’t fake handbags, but terrorists and terrorist weapons that were showing up?

June 06, 2012-

Lead-Contaminated Children’s Shoes Seized at Seattle Waterfront

How do you keep terrorists and their weapons out by checking cargo after it shows up in downtown Seattle?

Old news-

Lead tainted toys show up in Seattle-

“While our priority mission is to prevent terrorists and their weapons from entering the country, we are also responsible for keeping a wide variety of harmful products from reaching the American marketplace,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection Area Port Director Roland Suliveras Jr. said in a news release. “Lead-contaminated toys are one such product.“

Do we wait to check for terrorists and their weapons until they arrive at the Seattle waterfront?

We did in 2006-

22 Smuggled Chinese Arrested at the Seattle Seaport

Note- the headline reports the arrest- further into the article we see that prior to the arrest- people released themselves from a shipping container and wandered around the pier in the wee hours.

“Once again, CBP was on the scene as the first line of defense in cargo security and against dangerous illegal activity posing a threat to our nation’s security,” said Tom Hardy, CBP director of field operations for Seattle. “CBP screens 100 percent of all maritime containers that pose a risk for terrorism at foreign ports before they are shipped to the United States.”

But not the containers used to transport human cargo?

How are terrorists kept out while heroin comes in?

Washington’s Olympic Peninsula-

Post 911 efforts to keep terrorists from visiting the homeland- still unable to keep illegal drugs out:

‘Uptick’ in heroin use seen on North Olympic Peninsula

Domestic heroin busts are reported as some sort of law & order success-

Each one is evidence that- 11 years after 911– the US Dept. of Homeland Security is unable to prevent criminal traffic from entering the US.

Never forget-

“…one vulnerability or gap anywhere across the globe has the ability to impact security thousands of miles away.”

Looks like some vulnerabilities and gaps are present here:

Law officers seize 26 pounds of cocaine in car stop near Bellingham

Oregon State Police have seized 55 pounds of heroin in a traffic stop on Interstate 5 north of Ashland

Why does the federal government maintain a Homeland Security police state that can’t keep heroin and cocaine from entering the US?

The people who move heroin & cocaine into N. America do so free of screening, scanning, pat downs, special IDs, inspection of personal items, etc.

I-502 is heavy on arbitrary pre-crime mandates

SOURCES: U.S. NATIONAL DRUG INTELLIGENCE CENTER REPORT 2011, THE U.S. NATIONAL SEIZURE SYSTEM, AND THE JUSTICE IN MEXICO PROJECT

Photo- Salt Creek, Clallam County, WA

Categories Drug War, Heroin, Questioning the Fake War on Terror

America-

October 22, 2012 //

– a control freak society that brags about freedom anytime federal holidays and overseas military operations are in the news.

After playing make-believe during federal holidays, it’s back to reality and living in a world of authoritarian mandates on personal behaviors that harm no one.

Possession laws, paraphernalia laws, open container laws, sales restrictions linked to location, hours, day of the week, holidays, prohibition laws for adults age 18-20, suspicionless roadblocks and checkpoints away from border crossings, etc.

In Washington State- we’re all set to divide adults up into groups of first and second class citizens then see what the majority thinks about them smoking marijuana for fun or marrying their lover.

In the case of marijuana- prohibition will remain in place for adults age 18 to 20 no matter what voters have to say.

The White House position on ballot initiatives in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington that would legalize marijuana can be seen here.

The freedom talk from politicians is just for federal holidays and overseas military operations.

It took a constitutional amendment to prohibit the sale of a glass of wine- why no constitutional amendment to authorize a federal war on drugs, drug czar, prohibition of marijuana, etc.

America is a land of freedom that struggles to control peaceful & voluntary adult behavior.

Law enforcement resources should be used to go after individuals who are harming others- not for policing arbitrary pre-crime scenarios.

Americans were never meant to agree on matters of a personal nature. This is why we have so many different churches here.

Pay to camp here overnight- but don’t get caught drinking a beer during your stay-

The people who run both major parties & the conventions that nominate presidential candidates agree on the Drug War.

Ditto for the TV networks that host presidential debates & ask scripted questions of candidates.

Both major parties are OK with decades of ongoing, undeclared wars overseas.

You are free to do as we tell you.

Bill Hicks

Photo- Wooden Boat weekend at Port Townsend

Categories Drug War, Fighting for our freedoms?, Marijuana, Politics is something I no longer take seriously, Voting, Washington I-502

All set to reduce marijuana arrests-

October 10, 2012 //

Unless you:

Are an adult age 18-20-

Possess more than an ounce-

Grow a plant-

Or possess marijuana from other than state sanctioned outlets.

Looks like there will be plenty of arresting to do.

Law enforcement resources should be used to go after individuals who are harming others- not for policing arbitrary pre-crime scenarios.

Marijuana laws don’t work so we’ll go with tight regulatory control-

I-502 leaves the smaller government Drug War fully in place

Freedom Fetish

Categories Drug War, Honest management of public information, Marijuana, Voting, Washington I-502

Update: War on Terror- credibility squandered

October 3, 2012 //

Update:

Report savages terrorism ‘fusion centers’ for high cost, low value

“In the new Senate report, investigators found that with the lack of oversight, fusion centers spent money wildly, including a San Diego fusion center that bought 55 flat-screen televisions at a cost of $75,000 to watch the news and display calendars.”

Welcome Home Troops

Ever notice that the surveillance society, fusion centers, war on terror crime fighting tactics, license plate scanners, monitoring of e-mails and text messages, tracking of cell phones, use of drones, etc. seems to fail at stopping hardcore bad guys?

The federal government must have magic crime fighting powers to stop terrorists. The magic powers don’t work on crimes like bank robbery or drug trafficking.

It appears the federal government has been extremely successful in preventing major post 911 domestic terror strikes.

If the federal government has the crime fighting skills to wipe out all major terror strikes since 911- why wouldn’t they use those skills to shut down other categories of violent crimes?

Why does the federal government maintain a Homeland Security police state that can’t keep heroin and cocaine from entering the US?

The people who move heroin & cocaine into N. America do so free of screening, scanning, pat downs, special IDs, inspection of personal items, etc.

Suspects On The Loose After ‘Take Over Style Robbery’ At The McDonald’s

SOURCES: U.S. NATIONAL DRUG INTELLIGENCE CENTER REPORT 2011, THE U.S. NATIONAL SEIZURE SYSTEM, AND THE JUSTICE IN MEXICO PROJECT

Fusion centers unable to slow down these bad guys:

Lone madman shuts down Mount Rainier National Park & ties up 200 law officers for 24 hours.

Park remains closed for almost a week– madman not found until after he succumbed to the forces of nature- not a shootout with the good guys.

Josh Powell blows up house & kids

“The Sheriff’s Office estimates there are 300 to 700 gang members in our community operating in about 30 different gangs.”

41-year-old Peter Keller-

Victims shot to death prior to North Bend house fire

“After working for hours in the rugged terrain, West said some crew members needed IV infusions for exhaustion.”

“Four officers were taken to the hospital for exhaustion and dehydration overnight after navigating the rugged terrain around the bunker.”

60+ rounds fired in four Seattle drive-by shootings

Home invasion shooting

Planned Parenthood bomber

Boy, 5, brings heroin for show and tell

In a general sense- are fusion centers able to stop mass shootings, serial killings, or drug trafficking?

‘Uptick’ in heroin use seen on North Olympic Peninsula

War on Drugs Hasn’t Stemmed Flow Into U.S.

Urban Shield SWAT event- Preventing Terrorism Aim Of Operation ‘Urban Shield’

Preventing Terrorism?

More like reacting.

It will be easy to spot an attempted strike. Expect the bad guys to be sloppy- the packages they send will look like they were put together by drunken 3rd graders, or Wile E Coyote.

If all the bank robbers in North America decided to become terrorists instead- how would the Dept. of Homeland Security stop them?

Buzz around in gunboats and helicopters?

Check ID cards?

NORAD/US Air Force radar?

Scramble fighter jets?

Inspect cargo shipments at US port cities?

Internal Suspicionless checkpoints and roadblocks?

Working to prevent another 911

Possibly of interest:

Port Angeles Border Patrol Mysteries

Photo- Amphibious landing- Blaine Sector

Categories Drug War, Heroin, Honest management of public information, Magic crime fighting powers, Post 911 Homeland Security Spending Spree, Post 911 security efforts- unable to keep illegal drugs out, Questioning the Fake War on Terror, Welcome Home Troops

Drug Take Back Day!

September 29, 2012 //

A new tradition–

Federal toxic waste disposal program required to rid the community of legal drugs.

Non-toxic marijuana remains illegal–

Medication disposal event – do not flush those pills – is Sept. 29 in Port Townsend

Cross-state hazmat evacuation operation conducted to rid communities of toxic products sold by legal drug dealers:

“The pharmaceutical drugs, including highly addictive narcotic painkillers, are taken to an Environmental Protection Agency-approved incinerator in Spokane, where law enforcement officials destroy the drugs they seize on the street.”

A powerful central government knows what’s best for each one of us.

How about legal anti-depression meds that may bring on thoughts of suicide (0:34)

Photo- Fog clears at Port Townsend

Categories Clean Energy, Drug War, Marijuana

Working to prevent another 911

September 27, 2012 //

Welcome Home Troops

These are the folks with the special IDs and background checks-

Convicted TSA Officer Reveals Secrets of Thefts at Airports

Why hasn’t DHS been able to keep cocaine and heroin out of the US?

‘Uptick’ in heroin use seen on North Olympic Peninsula

Drugs, guns and child porn at Homeland Security

Photo- A symbol of freedom & federal government credibility

Categories Drug War, Heroin, Magic crime fighting powers, Post 911 security efforts- unable to keep illegal drugs out, Questioning the Fake War on Terror, Welcome Home Troops

American Culture- makes sense if you don’t think about it.

September 26, 2012 //

Insists on dividing people up into groups– then assigning a separate value to each group.

Cheers on military forces that are not in the habit of winning decades of undeclared wars in distant lands.

Credits The Troops with defending American rights and freedoms- as if the US Armed Forces function as some sort of giant civil rights organization.

Stopped supporting a draft a long time ago.

Spends money on gunboat escorts for ferries on Puget Sound while terrorists are free to put their boat on a trailer and drive it onto the ferry.

Spends months promoting the idea of buying stuff to celebrate Christmas.

Brags about freedom- then goes with a control freak approach on individual liberty.

Lies about the stories associated with federal holidays.

Celebrates independence from a powerful central government.

Tries to make people feel guilty for not properly observing some federal holidays.

Talks about legalizing marijuana while including restrictions that leave prohibition and the drug war in place for adults age 18-20, those who want to grow a plant at home, possess more than an ounce, or possess marijuana from non-state sanctioned outlets.

Talks about placing high taxes on legal marijuana.

Dealers, traffickers and cartels are good with this idea.

Supports a Homeland Security police state that can’t keep heroin and cocaine out of the US.

Tolerates reporters who do not ask questions.

Tolerates politicians who lie about clean energy.

Supports a Drug War that places us all at risk.

Photo- Port Hadlock Transit Center

Categories Anti-Liberty, Clean Energy, Drug War, Federal Holidays, Fighting for our freedoms?, Glorifying military service, Heroin, Honest management of public information, Jobs & the economy, Magic crime fighting powers, Manipulating The Troops, Marijuana, Police State, Politicians lie about jobs, Politics is something I no longer take seriously, Post 911 security efforts- unable to keep illegal drugs out, Presidential election year, Questioning the Fake War on Terror, Secret arrest statistics, Super Bowl security, Thanks for your service, The Draft, TRICARE, Veterans support all candidates 2012!, Voting, Washington I-502, Welcome Home Troops, Why wear camouflage if you are OK with calling attention to yourself?

Olympic Peninsula Drug War Update-

September 18, 2012 //

New Border Patrol station to house OPNET offices-

“The facility also has new offices for the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team.

The team — also called OPNET — will move from the county juvenile facility to the new station within about two weeks at no rental cost to Clallam County, said Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict, who attended the ceremony.

The current OPNET facility, which needs to be renovated, will be used by the county for storage, he said.”

The people tasked with cleaning up heroin in the county- now housed with those who keep heroin out of the US in the first place.

‘Uptick’ in heroin use seen on North Olympic Peninsula– any connection to the US/Canada border?

“Clallam County leads the state in per capita deaths for opiate drug overdoses, which includes prescription opiates and heroin…”

Prescription Opiates and Heroin – Clallam County

“The heroin coming to Kitsap County comes from opium poppy plants grown in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico, according to Dave Rodriguez, head of the northwest’s consortium of drug task forces.”

Cheap, easy-to-get heroin leads to spike in Oregon overdose deaths

“Clearly, now heroin is not just a big city drug,” said Caleb Bante-Green, a drug research scientist. “it really is available everywhere.”

Domestic heroin busts are reported as some sort of law & order success-

Each one is evidence that- 11 years after 911– the US Dept. of Homeland Security is unable to prevent criminal traffic from entering the US.

Keeping heroin from crossing the Strait of Juan de Fuca-

We are told the #1 US Border Patrol objective is to stop terrorists. The US Border Patrol explains this objective at a local public forum- this YouTube video covers Border Patrol objectives at 3:50.

Don’t look for local reporters to ask why the vehicle was stopped.

The US Border Patrol has had success in capturing Central American immigrants in Forks- 1500 miles north of where they likely crossed into the US.

These arrests often involve mysterious traffic stops conducted by federal agents (see Olympic Peninsula Border Patrol timeline- bottom of page).

If local arrests are not connected in any way to the US/Canada border- maybe every Port Angeles sized town- all across America- should have its own 50 agent US Border Patrol station?

The US Border Patrol at Port Angeles has stopped 2 people from illegally crossing into the US. That incident took place more than 2 years ago:

May 31st, 2010-

Two amphibious Canadian marijuana smugglers are captured on a remote Olympic Peninsula beach by the US Border Patrol.

Olympic Peninsula Border Patrol timeline here

Possibly of interest:

“Today, traffickers operating from Colombia continue to control wholesale-level cocaine distribution throughout the heavily populated northeastern United States and along the eastern seaboard in cities such as Boston, Miami, Newark, New York, and Philadelphia.”

Photo- Summer sunset at Fort Flagler

Categories Drug War, Heroin, Honest management of public information, Olympic Peninsula Border Patrol

This is not the time-

September 11, 2012 //

Veterans Day is for honoring veterans. Memorial Day is for honoring those who died in wars. Sept 11th is for honoring the victims and heroes of 911- a time to remember how the nation pulled together in the days following the event.

Commenting on newspaper web editions-

The story has to do with the tenth anniversary of 911, a large number of troops lost in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan, or a federal park ranger gunned down in Washington State. Many comments asking for or offering prayers for the families who have suffered a loss, etc. (praying to the same god who watched over as the tragedy unfolded?) Someone posts a public policy question or comment related to the story-

“This isn’t the place for your political views, we don’t want to hear your comments about the war, or gun control, have some respect for the families, this is not the time”, etc.

Hey folks- this is a news site- not a church service. I would never scold anyone for offering prayers- why the effort to suppress ideas?

Troop suicides.

Multiple National Guard deployments to distant lands- absent any military emergency, draft, or declaration of war.

A Homeland Security police state that can’t keep heroin and cocaine out of the US.

Grand opening of a $9.8 million, 50 agent US Border Patrol station at Port Angeles- access restricted “only to media with credentials and invited guests”

The time never seems right for answers to serious public policy questions.

Photo- Kitty litter scoop for popcorn at dive bar.

Categories Censorship?, Drug War, Federal Holidays, Fighting for our freedoms?, Heroin, Honest management of public information, Just don't talk about it, Magic crime fighting powers, National Guard, Olympic Peninsula Border Patrol, Police State, Questioning the Fake War on Terror, Veterans support all candidates 2012!

Honest management of public information

September 10, 2012 //

Welcome Home Troops

Several months ago, I found information posted by the DEA Re: heroin and cocaine availability in the US-

DEA-

“Heroin is readily available in many U.S. cities as evidenced by the unprecedented high level of average retail, or street-level, purity. Criminals in four foreign source areas produce the heroin available in the United States: South America (Colombia), Southeast Asia (principally Burma), Mexico, and Southwest Asia/Middle East (principally Afghanistan).”

Looks like this info is no longer available on the DEA website.

Interesting that the DEA would post info indicating that they’ve got a big job to do. Over at DHS- the message is more like- we’ve got a handle on it all-

Never forget-

“…one vulnerability or gap anywhere across the globe has the ability to impact security thousands of miles away.”

Looks like some vulnerabilities and gaps are present here:

Law officers seize 26 pounds of cocaine in car stop near Bellingham

Oregon State Police have seized 55 pounds of heroin in a traffic stop on Interstate 5 north of Ashland

Meanwhile-

Grand opening of the $9.8 million, 50 agent US Border Patrol station at Port Angeles- access restricted “only to media with credentials and invited guests”

This local story has been developing for years now. There has been plenty of time for people with the advantage of a press credential to schedule appointments, do interviews & ask questions. Unfortunately- local reporters are not in the habit of doing so.

Photo- Wooden Boat weekend at Port Townsend

Categories Drug War, Heroin, Honest management of public information, Mysterious federal traffic stops, Olympic Peninsula Border Patrol, Police State, Post 911 Homeland Security Spending Spree, Post 911 security efforts- unable to keep illegal drugs out, Secret arrest statistics, Suspicionless internal checkpoints, Welcome Home Troops

September 11th, 2012

September 2, 2012 //

Perhaps four handguns could have saved thousands on 911?

Never Forget-

The US Armed Forces were irrelevant in defending American rights and freedoms, our physical security, & The Constitution on 911.

Ditto for all other federal agencies and departments.

‘Uptick’ in heroin use seen on North Olympic Peninsula

Think terrorists are smart enough to pose as drug traffickers- then cross into the US free of screening, scanning, pat downs, special IDs, inspection of personal items, etc.

Domestic heroin busts are reported as some sort of law & order success-

Each one is evidence that- 11 years after 911– the US Dept. of Homeland Security is unable to prevent criminal traffic from entering the US.

Conspiracy Theory-

More information is better- this is how science and medicine works. Over the years some people have been freed from prison based on new DNA evidence becoming available.
Are the people who took steps to discover that new evidence conspiracy theorists?
Apply this same curiosity and desire for knowledge to some controversial topics and you’ll be labeled a conspiracy theorist.

Why the effort to suppress ideas?

Categories Censorship?, Drug War, Fighting for our freedoms?, Heroin, Honest management of public information, Post 911 Homeland Security Spending Spree, Post 911 security efforts- unable to keep illegal drugs out, Questioning the Fake War on Terror, Secret arrest statistics, Suspicionless internal checkpoints, Thanks for your service, The Draft, TRICARE, Veterans support all candidates 2012!, Welcome Home Troops, Why wear camouflage if you are OK with calling attention to yourself?

A question for the people who run the War on Terror-

August 22, 2012 //

How are terrorists kept out while heroin comes in?

‘Uptick’ in heroin use seen on North Olympic Peninsula

Think terrorists are smart enough to pose as drug traffickers- then cross into the US free of screening, scanning, pat downs, special IDs, inspection of personal items, etc.

Never forget-

“…one vulnerability or gap anywhere across the globe has the ability to impact security thousands of miles away.”

Looks like some vulnerabilities and gaps are present here:

Law officers seize 26 pounds of cocaine in car stop near Bellingham

Oregon State Police have seized 55 pounds of heroin in a traffic stop on Interstate 5 north of Ashland

911 should have been a drug trafficker’s worst nightmare. The US Dept. of Homeland Security- a whole new federal department- was created to stop terrorists and prevent another 911.

Today- fusion centers and police state tactics are the norm to keep the US safe from terrorists.

Why hasn’t the US Department of Homeland Security been able to stop cocaine and heroin from crossing into the US?

Every domestic heroin bust is evidence that the US Dept. of Homeland Security is unable to prevent hardcore criminals from crossing into the US.

Drugs, guns and child porn at Homeland Security

SOURCES: U.S. NATIONAL DRUG INTELLIGENCE CENTER REPORT 2011, THE U.S. NATIONAL SEIZURE SYSTEM, AND THE JUSTICE IN MEXICO PROJECT

If the federal government has the crime fighting skills to wipe out all major terror strikes since 911- why wouldn’t they use those skills to shut down other categories of violent crimes?

War on terror crime fighting tactics, the surveillance society, fusion centers, drones, license plate scanners, Behavior Detection Officers, tracking cell phones, reading text messages- none of it appears to work to stop crimes like bank robbery or drug trafficking.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta travels to Bremerton to motivate the USS John C. Stennis crew prior to another War on Terror mission.

Mr. Secretary- what are your thoughts on the Post 911 National Security/War on Terror progress chart?

Welcome Home Troops

“The ordinance effectively bans medical marijuana within city limits but positions the city for the possibility that a conflict between state and federal laws will someday be resolved.”

Photo- a symbol of freedom & federal government credibility

Categories Drug War, Heroin, Honest management of public information, Magic crime fighting powers, Questioning the Fake War on Terror, Welcome Home Troops

Both major parties on marijuana policy-

August 1, 2012 //

Preserving a free society, free markets, free trade, private property rights, & a minimal bureaucracy where SWAT raids are used to go after adults who want to grow a marijuana plant in the back yard.

Democrats are A-OK with the violent SWAT raids too- they just talk less about personal responsibility, individual liberty, constitutional principles, smaller, limited government, free enterprise, private property rights, etc.

He got paid to say this-

Law enforcement resources should be used to go after individuals who are harming others- not for policing arbitrary pre-crime scenarios.

It took a constitutional amendment to prohibit the sale of a glass of wine- why no constitutional amendment to authorize a federal war on drugs, drug czar, prohibition of marijuana, etc.

Photo- Calm, warm day at Deception Pass State Park

Categories Drug War, Marijuana, Voting

Medical Marijuana

July 26, 2012 //

Independence Day is over- put away all the freedom talk.

Medical marijuana has been legal here since 1998. It is still extremely controversial.

See comments below this article for lots of controversy:

This past spring- a police raid was conducted on a Port Townsend residence because of the odor of legal medical marijuana:

UPDATED: No suspects charged in morning raid
Police discover medical marijuana license on site

Raid first- ask questions later.

Preserving a free society, free markets, free trade, private property rights, & a minimal bureaucracy where violent SWAT raids are used to go after adults who want to peacefully grow a marijuana plant in the back yard.

Over the past two years- as an unpaid volunteer- I was able to collect more than 1000 signatures in the Port Townsend area for marijuana legalization.

In the case of the initiatives I volunteered for- legalization meant ending all penalties for adults at the state level.

Marijuana should be just as legal as a glass of wine.

Those who oppose medical marijuana frequently say that it is just a scam for people who want to get high.

People attend Happy Hours at bars all across America- just because they want to get high.

Maybe these folks just want to get high:

Oregon producer, French winemaker pair to produce sublime wine

Americans were never meant to agree on matters of a personal nature. This is why we have so many different churches here.

Law enforcement resources should be used to go after individuals who are harming others- not for policing arbitrary pre-crime scenarios.

Photo- Tongue Point Marine Life Sanctuary from Crescent Beach- Vancouver Island in the distance

Categories Drug War, Marijuana, Washington I-502

War on Terror- credibility squandered

July 25, 2012 //

Welcome Home Troops

On the national scene-

Why hasn’t the US Department of Homeland Security been able to stop cocaine and heroin from crossing into the US?

Video collection- DHS checkpoints

SOURCES: U.S. NATIONAL DRUG INTELLIGENCE CENTER REPORT 2011, THE U.S. NATIONAL SEIZURE SYSTEM, AND THE JUSTICE IN MEXICO PROJECT

The people who move heroin into N. America do so free of screening, scanning, pat downs, special IDs, inspection of personal items, etc.

If the federal government has the crime fighting skills to wipe out all major terror strikes since 911- why wouldn’t they use those skills to shut down other categories of violent crimes?

War on terror crime fighting tactics, the surveillance society, fusion centers, drones, license plate scanners, tracking cell phones, reading text messages- none of it appears to work to stop crimes like bank robbery or drug trafficking.

Hey VFW, Hey American Legion, Hey Joint Chiefs of Staff- love to get your take on all this.

Hey veterans- what’s going on here?

We all must do our part to keep the nation safe-

Urban Shield SWAT event- Preventing Terrorism Aim Of Operation ‘Urban Shield’

Preventing Terrorism?

More like reacting.

It will be easy to spot an attempted strike. Expect the bad guys to be sloppy- the packages they send will look like they were put together by drunken 3rd graders, or Wile E Coyote.

On Washington’s Olympic Peninsula-

Border Patrol checkpoints came to Jefferson County, WA in 2008.

We are told the #1 US Border Patrol objective is to stop terrorists.

The US Border Patrol explains this objective at a local public forum- this YouTube video covers Border Patrol objectives at 3:50

At that same forum 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

Checkpoints ended here in 2008- possibly due to well informed citizens and local protests. Looks like they weren’t vital to national security after all.

War on Terror- credibility squandered.

Photo- Port Hadlock Transit Center

Categories Drug War, Heroin, Magic crime fighting powers, Mysterious federal traffic stops, Olympic Peninsula Border Patrol, Post 911 security efforts- unable to keep illegal drugs out, Questioning the Fake War on Terror, Secret arrest statistics, Suspicionless internal checkpoints

Northwest Border Security Update

July 19, 2012 //

Welcome Home Troops

Bad news-

Port security: U.S. fails to meet deadline for scanning of cargo containers

Good news-

CBP Agriculture Specialists Detect Asian Gypsy Moth at the Port of Tacoma

“U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation’s borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.”

How do you keep terrorists and their weapons out by checking cargo after it shows up in downtown Tacoma?

Seattle men busted at the border with illegal candy

Meanwhile- the people who move heroin into N. America do so free of screening, scanning, pat downs, special IDs, inspection of personal items, etc.

Waiting in line policy to show special biometric ID fails to prevent hardcore criminals from crossing into the US- even while packing large quantities of contraband. Maybe an enhanced driver license or U.S. Passport Card will keep terrorists out- they wouldn’t be smart enough to just ride on in with shipments of illegal drugs.

Terror watch lists fail to prevent illegal drug shipments from entering North America.

Post 911 efforts to keep terrorists from visiting the homeland- still unable to keep drug traffickers out-

‘Uptick’ in heroin use seen on North Olympic Peninsula

Don’t forget-

“…one vulnerability or gap anywhere across the globe has the ability to impact security thousands of miles away.”

Looks like some vulnerabilities and gaps are present here:

Graphic: Mexican drug cartels’ spreading influence

Hey VFW, Hey American Legion, Hey Joint Chiefs of Staff- what are your thoughts on all this?

Possibly of interest:

Port Angeles Border Patrol- $9.8 million facility move in day

Gunboat escorts on Puget Sound

Photo- Coast Guard moves south through the Port Townsend Ship Canal

Categories Drug War, Heroin, Olympic Peninsula Border Patrol, Post 911 Homeland Security Spending Spree, Post 911 security efforts- unable to keep illegal drugs out, Questioning the Fake War on Terror, Welcome Home Troops

Post 911 National Security/War on Terror progress chart-

July 16, 2012 //

View the chart here

SOURCES: U.S. NATIONAL DRUG INTELLIGENCE CENTER REPORT 2011, THE U.S. NATIONAL SEIZURE SYSTEM, AND THE JUSTICE IN MEXICO PROJECT

Welcome Home Troops

Meanwhile- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff motivates USA basketball teams

Port Angeles Border Patrol assists with major drug bust- any connection to the US/Canada border?

“…nearly three pounds of black tar heroin.”

Possibly of interest:

Port security: U.S. fails to meet deadline for scanning of cargo containers

Keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out?