"Michigan is for canine lovers."
That might be the new state motto after a Michigan court said it's legal for police to walk up to homes and have their drug dogs sniff around. Michigan residents should get ready for a lot more canines on their property.
The Michigan Court of Appeals last week ruled that it's okay for police to use dogs to sniff around the exterior of a home to detect drugs without a search warrant. Thus, it's now perfectly legal in Michigan for the police to walk up to a home, use a sniffer dog and then obtain a warrant.
It might time to send WWTFFD* bracelets to police departments in Michigan. Of course, the number of police officers concerned with whether the work they do would meet with The Founding Fathers' approval is not known.
* - What Would The Founding Fathers Do?
But we can make a guess.
They would all fit in a phone booth.
The law is whatever a judge today rules it is--and two Michigan justices ruled that "police, acting on a tip, can go to someone's home with drug-detection dogs, sniff the front door and use that information to get a warrant to search inside the house."
Just another example that everyday--somewhere in the USA--there are judges (as well as unelected officials, bureaucrats and political hacks) taking away rights and freedoms that American patriots died for 232 years ago.
More on the ruling:
The 2-1 ruling released Wednesday is a setback for Jeffrey Jones of Detroit.
A Wayne County judge had suppressed evidence and dismissed marijuana possession charges against Jones because he argued the sniffing was an illegal search. Prosecutors appealed.
Two judges on the appeals court say police, acting on a tip, can go to someone's home with drug-detection dogs, sniff the front door and use that information to get a warrant to search inside the house.
A dissenting judge says the ruling erodes the protections of privacy and the sanctity of the home guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment.
In a comment to the original story, roballmighty poses a few questions that others may be asking in the future.
I heard on NPR that one of the reasons the judges said it was legal is because your front porch is public property... If the dog is sniffing something in my house then isn't that a search OF my house? Can't use thermal sensors to find grow lights in a house, but a dog is ok?
"You don't mind if we sniff around your car, do you?""You don't have to answer that. We're going to do it anyway."
The creeping power of the drug police state is what's behind the ever more frequent sight of the cars of innocent citizens lined up at a police checkpoint. These people and their cars are inspected--many times with drug dog--and if they meet with the approval of the checkpoints officers, are free to continue on their way. Does anyone else notice what's wrong with this picture?
The standard line you're likely to hear every time a court rules that the police can stop a person and search drugs, drunks or whatever is: "Well, if you're not doing anything wrong, you have no reason to worry."
The only trouble with that argument--as the Michigan case, and countless others before it, have demonstrated--is that the list of "anything wrong" never stops growing. That argument was likely popular with law-abiding Germans in 1933. But it never stops there, it's only the beginning. Someone always wants to add to the roster of proscribed activities.
As long as that "someone" is Joe at the office or Mary from the bar down the street, then it's not a problem: it's a discussion. But when that someone holds power over the lives and property of others--as police and judges do-- then, the discussion might end up turning into a police checkpoint.
Or a showing up to sniff your house, if you live in Michigan.
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If you live in Washington state, you may live next to someone who's down on their luck. In which case, the state of Washington provides a strong incentive to perhaps do a little "creative financing".
In the State of Washington, for example, where the large majority of the marijuana, Washington's number one cash crop, is grown indoors, a well-publicized $5000 reward awaits informants who will turn in marijuana farms. Remarkably, no advertised reward encourages those who turn in murderers, rapists, robbers, child molesters or criminals who prey on the vulnerable. Even dealers of the harder drugs have no advertised bounty on their heads.
So: if you live in Seattle, need both some bucks and some scruples, might it not be to your advantage to "plant" a real plant in your neighbors shrubbery?
What would The Founding Fathers have thought about:
* Rewards for informing on your neighbors?
* Random stops of law-abiding citizens to "check up" on them?
* Bring dogs onto your property to sniff around?
The American Revolution was fought over less. Whether you agree with the drug war or not, it should give Americans who put a priority on freedom pause. It continues the march of intrusive state power.
The Michigan decision is just one more step away from what The Founding Fathers would have done. They fought a revolution to keep the British from coming onto their property and conducting fishing expeditions without a warrant.
Anyone who argues otherwise is likely a cop.
Or one of two judges on the Michigan Court of Appeals.
by Mondoreb
images:
* buckdog politics
* stop the drug war
* nashville police
* bbc
Sources:
* Court: Drug dogs can sniff outside home without search warrant
* onlinepot
Coming to a Gas Pump Near You?
Rep. John Dingell (D-oofus) has proposed a 50-cent tax on every gallon of gasoline to try to slow down American's gas consumption.
We don't know if a half-buck tax per gallon will cut back on American's gas consumption, but it will cut back on American's desire to vote Democrat come November.
The Michigan congressman's proposal comes as a reminder that most Democrat--and some Republican--members of Congress never met a tax they didn't like.
Some polls declare that a majority of Americans support policies that would reduce greenhouse gases--although with the record snow falls this past winter some Americans could've done with a few more greenhouse gases--when it comes to paying for those policies, there's a different story to be told.
Dingells' tax proposal will just make it harder for most Americans to make ends meet. If Dingell had paid attention in Econ 101, he would have learned that some products, for which there is no good substitutes, are known as inelastic.
That is, they don't respond to price increases like other products. Gasoline consumption is, for most people, an inelastic product. The majority of their gasoline consumption is for work and essential motoring.
A new poll, scheduled to be released on Thursday, shows 48 percent don't support paying even a penny more, 28 percent would pay up to 50 cents more, 10 percent would pay more than 50 cents and 8 percent would pay more than a dollar.
"I don't want to pay more, I don't think anyone wants to," said Karen Deacon, a motorist.
What do other motorists think of the idea of a 50-cent tax hike on gasoline?
Read the rest of "Democrat Dingell Wants 50-cent Tax Increase on Gasoline".
by Mondoreb
image: wecleanyourtoilet; DBKP
Source:
* Michigan Congressman Wants 50-Cent Tax Hike on Every Gallon of Gas
DBKP.com - Bigger, Better!.
Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.
This is strange and it really IS amazing!!
I got this from a friend of mine in California that used to live in the same little town in Northern Michigan (Marenisco) as I did. I'm not sure where he got it from but he sent it to me a while back and then I got it again today from one of my cousins in Chicago .
When I left Marenisco about 35 years ago, the DNR was just then introducing moose into the area. Never thought they'd take up there but apparently they did!
When I saw these pics, I was amazed as I know exactly where they were taken. We used to hunt that area all the time. Used to be some prime deer and bear hunting there. The "highway" (we called it a road) that's mentioned is M-64 that runs between Presque Isle Wisconsin and Marenisco Michigan.
The following text isn't mine and I have no idea who shot the pics or wrote the text.
Not one, but two ! Truly amazing ! These animals were photographed just north of the Wisconsin border on a highway near Marenisco , MI .
Once in awhile there is an opportunity to take in a piece of nature that you may never see. I n these days of unrest and turmoil it is great to see that Mother Nature can still produce some wondrous beauty.
The odds of seeing an albino moose are astronomical and to see this in the upper peninsula of Michigan, near Wisconsin , is even greater than astronomical. To see two of them together is nearly impossible.
We wanted to share these photos with as many people as possible because you will probably never have a chance to see this rare sight again. This is a really special treat, so enjoy the shot of a life time.
by RidesAPaleHorse
image: RAPH
source: email
DBKP.com - Bigger, Better!.
Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.
Walmart is set to open tomorrow a new, one of its kind, Supercenter in Dearborn, Michigan.
The store will carry over 500 items that will cater to the Dearborn Muslim shopper.
The range of products from the Middle East and other areas includes a large variety of olives, halal meats, Lebanese spices, Greek olive oil, date-filled cookies from Saudi Arabia, chewing gum from Jordan, Turkish candies, frozen okra, Lebanese-style yogurt and Bulgarian feta cheese.
Most items are supplied by Tut's International Export & Import Co. in Dearborn. John Shenouda, vice president at Tut's, helped Wal-Mart determine which products to stock at the store. Wal-Mart also obtains goods from other local vendors such as the New Yasmeen Bakery in Dearborn.
The store will also have the same amount of shelf space for items which appeal to the Mexican shopper.
Signs in the store will be in three languages, Arabic, Spanish and English while employees will wear nametags which inform shoppers that a particular clerk speaks other languages than English.
According to the Dearborn Free Press, the 2000 United States Census found that 30% of the total population of Dearborn are Muslim, with 115, 284 Arab Americans residing in the state of Michigan.
Local merchants are not thrilled with the new superstore, worried that Walmart's pricing will hurt the littler shop owners in the area. The chairman of the Arab American Chamber of Commerce in Dearborn commented on the new Walmart and its impact on the local merchants:
"They have been trying to gear the store up to attract shoppers from our community," Beydoun said. "Our community has been traders and merchants for thousands of years. So Wal-Mart's entry will make an impact, but it won't be disastrous."
The store will also sell Mexican music and videos, Middle Eastern music and greeting cards, and developing a line of Islamic cards.
Just recently Walmart apologized to a Muslim woman shopping in a store in Riverdale, Utah. The woman, who wore a veil, claims she was mocked by a cashier who said to her "please don't stick me up".
Walmart Regional Manager and Vice-President Rolando Rodiquez sent a letter to the woman which was released by the local chapter of CAIR, the Council of American-Islamic Relations:
"I can assure you that the associate in question was disciplined in accordance with our employment policies as a result of the situation," Rodriguez said without disclosing details.
Walmart also vowed that the employees at the Riverdale store will undergo sensitivity training on Islamic religion and Muslim culture.
Source - Acc-TV
Source - Detroit Free Press
Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.
Image - Walmart
DBKP.com - Bigger, Better!.
Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.
