A Shady Deal

The Commonwealth's Attorney for Richmond, Virginia, Michael Herring has offered a deal to a group of women's rights protesters, arrested on the Capitol Square earlier this year.  The protesters can avoid jail if they stay out of trouble AND admit police acted within their authority.

This smells.  The very fact that the CA is asking for the protesters to admit Police acted within their authority, immediately tells me, they did not.  Why else would he, right out of the gate, drop all charges of unlawful assembly?  Possibly because there is no such thing.  The First Amendment guarantees the rights of Americans to assemble peacefully. In my opinion, Herring knows law enforcement violated that right.  With Capitol Police and State Troopers responding in riot gear, the only people responsible for creating an other than peaceful situation were the cops themselves.

Our brave Governor and fearless General Assembly members (insert sardonicism here) must have been quivering in their collective boots as this group of boogeymen demonstrators streamed into the Square. I have one word to describe both they and law enforcement...COWARDS!

CA Herring will be "working with the appropriate state agencies to determine whether state regulations can be revised to better accommodate state Capitol protesters."  I think not.  Herring, politicians and law enforcement have zero intention of "better accommodating" anyone who dares to question or hold accountable the status quo.  They want to amend laws in order to shuffle protesters off into areas in/around the Capitol, commonly known as "First Amendment Expression Areas," in order to keep them from the general public's view and dilute/negate their message. 

**Note to all of my countrymen....The ENTIRE United States of America is a First Amendment Expression Area!

This is yet another example of how pathetically out of touch politicians are with their constituents.  How police in general are nothing more than thug like puppets, at the beck and call of their masters, being utilized to abuse and violate the rights of their fellow citizens. Sadly and in my opinion, more often than not, with smiles on their faces. 

On A Roll

The State of Texas appears to be on a roll and not in a good way.  The Northside ISD will be introducing RFID chips into the id cards of students at two of its schools.  Not surprisingly, not only did the School Board unanimously approve this flagrant abuse of its students right to privacy, the soon to be new superintendent, Brian Woods, also defended the use of tracking; comparing the chips to security cameras. 

The chip readers on campuses and school buses can track a student but can't follow them once they leave the school campus.  Really?  The why are there RFID trackers on school buses?  Will they magically stop working once the bus departs the school?

Still, there's no need to worry as "Only authorized administrative officials will have access to the information."  Right, no school official would ever think of abusing their position and using this information in some unauthorized manner, would they?

Some parents say they understand the benefits but have reservations about privacy?  Que Ben Franklin..."Those willing to give up freedom for security, deserve neither."

And in other Texas news:  The Montgomery Sheriff's Office has its own drone.  Granted they crashed it into their BearCat SWAT vehicle (I would have loved to have seen that fiasco), but that hasn't deterred Chief Deputy Randy McDaniel, nor has the outcry from Civil Liberties organizations.  Despite violation of privacy issues, Deputy McDaniel is still planning on deploying the drone with rubber bullets and tear gas.

With DHS fully supporting the adoption of unmanned drones to police and other agencies, the Police State of America, previously known as the Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts, in the 1930's, has arrived.  DHS, POTUS and the Federal Government in general, have little to no concern for the citizens of America or any of their rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.  My elected representatives, Rob Wittman and Mark Warner, having foresworn their oath's of office to "uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States," continue to vote for laws that restrict our freedoms and, in my opinion, are traitors to their country; while at the same time, abdicating any personal honor and integrity they may once have possessed.  A somewhat harsh assessment some will say, but one I wholeheartedly believe. 

I wait in rapt anticipation for these issues to come to Fredericksburg.  Will my fellow citizens blithely accept the slow creep of tyranny that invades the country today or will they stand together when the time comes and take back the freedoms which are being erased?

Sheeples or People...which will they be?

Honoring 15,300

Here in Fredericksburg we have Marye's Heights, billed as one of the "foremost landmarks in American Military history."

This aspect of the American's Civil War, Battle of Fredericksburg, was set aside as a National Cemetery, after the war.  15,300 men are buried here.

Of this number, approximately 3,000 were formally identified.  The remainder are simply numbers on small flat stones.  Many have 3 or more on them, corresponding to the number of bodies buried below.

Every Memorial Day weekend, Boy & Girl Scouts Troops from around the area descend on Marye's Heights and place flags and luminaries at each headstone.  On Saturday evening, just before sunset, the luminaries are lit.  For the next 4 hours, every 30 minutes on the hour, a bugler blows taps.

This is a sight to behold.  Thousands of people milling about, taking in the amazing spectacle before them.  The first note comes out of the bugle and there is utter silence.  The hair raises up on your arms, tears flow and soft, muffled sobs can be heard.

If you haven't experienced The Heights on Memorial Day, it is a must for your bucket list.