Posted on 01/02/2010 3:21:29 PM PST by nickcarraway
The L.A. Times, in a cutesy story about elderly Pasadena Rose Parade volunteers, inadvertently included details of a Pasadena Police program that would make Pol Pot jealous.
Nicknamed "Parade Watch", the program consists of 50 volunteers trained by local police to "be on the lookout for suspicious activity" . In order to help "look out for the bad guys", participation in the program requires citizens to sign a form agreeing that their own vehicle can be searched.
The article, entitled 'Pasadena police train volunteers to be on 'Parade Watch' includes details of RV enthusiasts parked and waiting to see the annual Rose Parade, who are approached by trained police volunteers under the guise of keeping everyone safe. The program was implemented after the attacks of 9/11/01.
A few excerpts from the article:
"Wearing a cap and a bright-yellow jacket bearing the words "Pasadena Police Volunteer," Kendall is traveling the parade route and reaching out to RV and motor home drivers lining the streets.. He instructed the group to introduce themselves as canvassers rather than inspectors, and told them not to go inside the motor homes. If a driver refuses to fill out a form with their name and address or to post a Parade Watch sticker on their vehicle, the volunteers are told to back off and call the parade desk..... They drove a police car with flashing yellow lights and carried radios, clipboards, stickers and forms.
"......Patrick Ward, 32, gave Lech the sticker to post on his windshield and a form agreeing that his vehicle could be searched. "Thank you guys," said Lech, who arrived Monday. "We're going to have a great time again."..
The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states "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".
Now if someone is willing to waive their rights to privacy and grant government the arbitrary authority to search their vehicle and personal possessions with no probable cause whatsoever, they are certainly free to do that.
My question is, why would people be so willing to do so, and more importantly why would a police department ask them to do so? The Pasadena Police Dept. which touts "public safety and customer satisfaction as our mainstay", makes no mention of the "Parade Watch" consent form on their website.
Neighborhood watch programs have been around for years; I recall them popping up in the 1980's, Basically it was neighborhood groups who would post stickers and signs and maybe have monthly meetings and barbeques, get to know your neighbors, and watch our for suspicous activity. A perfectly fine idea.
Sure enough- the 'National Neighborhood Watch Institute', which sells the now-famous orange and black "neighborhood watch" signs to "over 13,000 police and sheriff agencies, housing authorities, emergency management agencies, as well as concerned citizens", was established in 1982. (What a brilliant business idea that was, eh?)
But they were never so bold and heckles as to require participants to sign away their right to privacy in their homes. Why in the world, if the participants are volunteering to contribute to the good will and safety of the community, would they be treated as a suspect, asked to surrender their God given and fundamentally protected rights?
Is this sort of some subliminal conditioning program, where people are just trained, without even thinking, to surrender their personal liberties for no reason? "After all you have nothing to hide, do you? And you're with us, right"? Note that the police volunteers in the story are instructed to 'call the' [police] 'parade desk' if an RV spectator does not wish to comply with their program.
The old line "The evils of tyranny are rarely seen but by him who resists it." is attributed to statesman John Hay in 1872. It's one of my favorite quotes, and is very applicable today. (although Hay was assistant to tyrant Abraham Lincoln, I'll set that aside, because most people view Lincoln as a "Hero", have no idea he was a tyrant, and no one has ever heard of John Hay). Now look, I've gone and taken this article off a cliff. Anyway, it's a great quote. Do not give up liberty under the guise of security, especially a particularly baseless demand to allow unwarranted searches for the "privilege" of pasting a "Pasadena Police Parade Watch" sticker on your vehicle.
I hope you all have a happy, blessed and prosperous New Year in 2010. May true freedom return in our time.
Rose Bowl Parade, imma gonna let you finish, but Sully Sullenberger had the best Airplane float of All Time!
“If a driver refuses to fill out a form with their name and address
or to post a Parade Watch sticker on their vehicle,
the volunteers are told to back off and call the parade desk...”
-
So...what happens next?
When I sign away my fourth amendment rights, the day will be cold, the place will be Hell and there will be numerous pigs flying overhead.
Airplane float? Is there rootbeer in that?
HAHAHAHA!
So you're an RVer away from home dumb enough to give your address. What's to stop one of these pseudo-cops from alerting criminal friends that it's all clear for a burglary at your house?
Did they sign away forever or is there a specific time limit on that form?
Oops. I forgot to tell you that on rereading the Constitution, it turns out the Fourth Amendment only applies to militia groups. So, it doesn’t really apply to you.
Interesting.
I have seen FReeps before post that they would gladly allow their homes to be searched by authorities without any warrant or reason because “they have nothing to hide”. 0_0
Just because I don’t have anything to hide does not mean I want anyone else looking at it.
Your answer puzzles me. The Fourth Amendment reads as follows: “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 probably cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
Absolutely beautiful...81 degrees, a very nice on-shore Pacific breeze, unlimited visibility...Orange trees are loaded, and flowers are blooming...Starting the BBQ in about 20 minutes!
Man, it don't get any better!
As a law-abiding citizen who has spent the night at the Rose Parade many times, I am all for a volunteer police force keeping an eye out for unusual activity. People come from all over the world; you don’t think ONE jihadi would really mess things up?
The cool thing is — no one has to go to the parade, for a start. And no one has to sign this release, it sounds like, although I only skimmed the article.
Is this sort of some subliminal conditioning program, where people are just trained, without even thinking, to surrender their personal liberties for no reason? “After all you have nothing to hide, do you? And you’re with us, right”? Note that the police volunteers in the story are instructed to ‘call the’ [police] ‘parade desk’ if an RV spectator does not wish to comply with their program.
In a nutshell??? Yep...
Go ahead, make the phonecall...And when the real law shows up, and interrupts my Constitutional right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...Well, I’ll refuse the search again...
Yep, I have nothing to hide, but everything to protect...And no one does that better than I...
Besides, who really needs to watch a parade, right???
ANY reaction to this article?
Martin Hill who wrote this is a libertarian and a full blown 9/11 Truther.
He supports Charlie Sheene with his wild 9/11 conspiracy
propaganda.
The PaulBot libertarians don’t think there should be security because they don’t believe terrorism is a problem.
I was being somewhat facetious, but it does seem like judges have excuses why existing Constitutional rights, “don’t apply anymore.”
Wassup with that 81 degrees? Santa Ana condition? It barely tipped 70 or 72 out here in the Coachella Valley today.
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