” Patriotic teenagers in the birthplace of the American Revolution held their ground and fought back attempts by school administrators to cancel an “American Pride” dance on April 10 and replace it with a more inclusive event.
Students at Lexington High School in Massachusetts said the administration had canceled their plans for a red, white and blue dance because it excluded other nationalities. Instead, the administration suggested a more inclusive “National Pride” dance.
“ It was suggested by the advisors that the students come in – maybe (a) National Pride theme so that they could represent their individual nationalities,” Asst. Supt. Carol Pilarski told television station WHDH. “Maybe it should be more inclusive and it should be ‘National Pride.’”
Word of the administration’s objections to an American-themed dance spread across town like the shot heard round the world.
“ (It’s) a lot of hypersensitivity to being politically correct,” one student told the television station. “People consider America to be a melting pot,” said another student. “So the fact that it was even considered offensive is what people are a little surprised about.”
Principal Laura Lasa told me the April 10th dance had never been canceled. They merely wanted to “dialogue” with students about inclusivity.”
” After paying your rent or mortgage, transportation, utilities, and any other bills, how much do you have left at the end of the month? The answer probably depends largely on where you live.
FindTheBest created a cost of living index based on 2013 family budget estimates for housing, taxes, healthcare, childcare, transportation, and “other necessities” (like food) from the Economic Policy Institute to compare, in over 600 counties and metro areas across the US, where your dollar goes the farthest.
The average overall index for US cities and metro areas is 100, so a city with an index of 120 is 20% more expensive than average, and a city with an index of 80 is 20% cheaper than average.”
Welcome to the wonderful northeast , land of high taxes , stifling regulation and home to ten of the fifteen most expensive places to live in America , including four out of the top five , and the “winner” of the title of most expensive place to live in the US is … drum roll please …
” 1. Nassau-Suffolk Counties, New York
Nassau-Suffolk index: 155
State index: 120
Nassau and Suffolk Counties, on Long Island, aren’t the highest in the country in terms of housing, taxes, or healthcare, but they’re up there in each category, and that’s enough to make the area the most expensive place to live in America. Also a major New York City commuting hub, it’s known for high property taxes and pricey real estate, especially in Nassau County. Suffolk is home to the Hamptons, a popular summer spot for the wealthy and the famous.”
See about your area at Business Insider . Something to consider as you peruse the map above; which states/areas are producing jobs ? With the exception of the DC area which is awash in record tax receipts , the most expensive areas are also the ones struggling to produce enough growth to meet the local population’s demands .
” The cartons of Marlboros, cans of Skoal and packs of Swisher Sweets are hard to miss stacked near the entrance of Vincent’s Country Store, but maybe not for much longer: All tobacco products could become contraband if local health officials get their way.
This sleepy central Massachusetts town of 7,700 has become an improbable battleground in America’s tobacco wars. On Wednesday, the Board of Health will hear public comment on a proposed regulation that could make Westminster the first municipality in the United States to ban sales of all tobacco products within town lines.
” To my knowledge, it would be the first in the nation to enact a total ban,” said Thomas Carr, director of national policy at the American Lung Association. “We commend the town for doing it.” “
” Republicans, now projected to take control of the Senate and build on their House majority, also made a strong showing in gubernatorial races around the country. GOP candidates in Maryland, Arkansas, Illinois and Massachusetts all took control of governor’s seats that were previously held by Democrats. The only upset Democrats were able to pull off was in Pennsylvania.
Maryland
In a major upset, Republican candidate for Maryland governor Larry Hogan is now projected to win the state’s highest office, according to ABC News. Hogan, a businessman, will replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley, representing a party switch for the state. In the last 45 years in the state, Robert Ehrlich Jr. was the only Republican to serve as governor and for only one term from 2003-2007.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts’s highest office is now projected to switched party hands again. According to ABC News, Republican Charlie Baker will likely defeat Democrat Martha Coakley, and take over for outgoing Deval Patrick, a Democrat. The last serving Republican governor in the state was Mitt Romney, who was elected in 2002. Baker is a Massachusetts native from Needham, just outside Boston. He ran on a centrist platform, highlighting his previous business and management experience as both a former healthcare CEO and former Secretary of Administration and Finance under Governors Weld and Cellucci in the early 1990s. Coakley, a two-term attorney general, also lost a statewide race for Senate in 2010 to Republican Scott Brown. Coakley and Baker came down on opposite sides of several key initiatives on the Massachusetts ballot this year, including a repeal of an incremental gas tax increase, a 5 cent plastic bottle deposit, and expanded requirements for paid sick leave.
Illinois
ABC News can project that Republican Bruce Rauner has defeated Democratic incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn, in a campaign that doubled fundraising records in President Barack Obama’s home state. Rauner threw millions of his own fortune into the race, running as a socially moderate anti-corruption businessman. “
” On Oct 8th, I was flying my quadcopter at Magazine Beach Park in Cambridge, when a hawk decided he wasn’t too happy with my invasion of his airspace…
As far as I could tell, the juvenile red-tailed hawk came out unscathed, and having defeated his prey, was happy to retreat. (As soon as he flew at me, I throttled down the props to try to minimize any harm to the bird.) The quadcopter came out unscathed as well. Funds generated through YouTube ads will be donated to the Massachusetts Audubon Society.”
” A great white shark attacked two kayakers who were trying to photograph seals off the Plymouth, Massachusetts, coast Wednesday evening at Manomet Point, authorities say.
The shark came up from beneath the two women and took a bite out of one of their kayaks, according to the Plymouth Harbormaster.
Neither of the women kayaking was injured in the attack. Officials say the women, who are in their mid-20s, were trying to take pictures of the seals at the time.”
” Like a scene from the movie “Jaws,” swimmers were ordered out of the water at the Duxbury town beach when a large shark was spotted near the shoreline.
Officials said the shark, which was tracked by a state police helicopter, was estimated to be about 15 feet in length. The waters were closed at about 2 p.m. Monday after the shark ventured a little too close to the swimming area on the beach. The all clear was given about two hours later.”
” The sweeping new measure, effective immediately, is the first of its kind in the country. The bill signed Wednesday toughens penalties for some offenses involving weapons, creates a digital portal for background checks in real time from the sale of private arms, and calls for the creation of a firearms trafficking unit within the state police.
It also allows police chiefs to ask a court to refuse firearms ID cards, which are needed to buy rifles or shotguns, to people they deem inappropriate.”
That’s an awfully white crowd of police chiefs demanding more gun people control … must be racists …
” Massachusetts police chiefs are unhappy with state lawmakers for dropping a provision that would have given them “sole discretion” in deciding who can own a long gun, be it a shotgun or a rifle.
On July 18, Breitbart News reported that although the state Senate passed new gun control, they first struck down the provision that police chiefs were eager to see passed.
According to Fox News, Massachusetts police chiefs already get the final say on who can or can’t have a handgun permit, and the chiefs argue that extending them the same authority for long guns would increase “public safety.”
” Police chiefs from throughout the state and gun control advocates converged on the Statehouse in Boston [on July 22] to blast state senators for removing the provision.” “
As it turns out, a number of SWAT teams in the Bay State are operated by what are called law enforcement councils, or LECs. These LECs are funded by several police agencies in a given geographic area and overseen by an executive board, which is usually made up of police chiefs from member police departments. In 2012, for example, the Tewksbury Police Department paid about $4,600 in annual membership dues to the North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council, or NEMLEC. (See page 36 of linked PDF.) That LEC has about 50 member agencies. In addition to operating a regional SWAT team, the LECs also facilitate technology and information sharing and oversee other specialized units, such as crime scene investigators and computer crime specialists.
Some of these LECs have also apparently incorporated as 501(c)(3) organizations. And it’s here that we run into problems. According to the ACLU, the LECs are claiming that the 501(c)(3) status means that they’re private corporations, not government agencies. And therefore, they say they’re immune from open records requests. Let’s be clear. These agencies oversee police activities. They employ cops who carry guns, wear badges, collect paychecks provided by taxpayers and have the power to detain, arrest, injure and kill. They operate SWAT teams, which conduct raids on private residences. And yet they say that because they’ve incorporated, they’re immune to Massachusetts open records laws. The state’s residents aren’t permitted to know how often the SWAT teams are used, what they’re used for, what sort of training they get or who they’re primarily used against.”
This is arrogance of the highest order . For any organizations funded by the taxpayers to claim to be private corporations is beyond the pale .
Approximately 240 of the 351 police departments in Massachusetts belong to an LEC. While set up as “corporations,” LECs are funded by local and federal taxpayer money, are composed exclusively of public police officers and sheriffs, and carry out traditional law enforcement functions through specialized units such as SWAT teams . . .
Due to the weakness of Massachusetts public records law and the culture of secrecy that has infected local police departments and Law Enforcement Councils, procuring empirical records from police departments and regional SWAT teams in Massachusetts about police militarization was universally difficult and, in most instances, impossible . . .
Police departments and regional SWAT teams are public institutions, working with public money, meant to protect and serve the public’s interest. If these institutions do not maintain and make public comprehensive and comprehensible documents pertaining to their operations and tactics, the people cannot judge whether officials are acting appropriately or make needed policy changes when problems arise . . . “
This situation cannot be allowed to stand . ALL public servants MUST be held accountable for their actions or are we to believe that these “mercenary” SWAT units are merely rogue privateers issued Letters of Marque ? If such is the case then they are no more than pirates and as such must be fought with all possible means .
Food for thought: If the SWAT teams are private corporations/private contractors , ala Blackwater , then they do not enjoy the legal immunities offered to employees of the State and thus should be subject to civil lawsuits and thus the discovery process … Let the flood gates open .
” Justina Pelletier, the Connecticut teen taken from her family more than a year ago by Massachusetts officials after her parents took her to a hospital for help, made a tearful plea to the Bay State family court judge who holds her fate in his hands.
In the 45-second, videotaped plea, first posted on a Facebook page set up by supporters of the 15-year-old, Justina is seen sitting in a chair and pleading plaintively with Massachusetts juvenile court Judge Joseph Johnston.
” All I really want is to be with my family and friends,” the girl says, her voice faltering at times. “You can do it. You’re the one that’s judging this. Please let me go home.”
Justina also directs her plea to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, whose state Department of Children and Families made the initial decision to commit the girl to state care on Valentine’s Day 2013 after doctors at Tufts Medical Center, which had been treating her for a rare condition, and doctors as Boston Children’s Hospital clashed over the cause of her medical problems, which included difficulty eating and walking.”
Fox News has more on one of the most egregious examples of the State and the medical field running roughshod over individual rights . We should all be ashamed that we have allowed America come to this .
” When Danny Keefe was born, his parents were told he would be severely handicapped both physically and mentally due to a serious brain hemorrhage.
But the dapper little boy with the infectious smile and indomitable spirit defied those predictions, the Enterprise reported.
The Mitchell Elementary School kindergartner is just like any other 6-year-old in every way but two, his grandfather Richard Osterman said.
Danny speaks with difficulty due to childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) and he wears a suit and tie every day by his own choosing.
“ CAS has not kept Danny down. He keeps up with his siblings as well as a host of friends both children and adults,” Osterman said.
Danny, the official waterboy for the Bridgewater Badgers Div. 5 Peewees, cuts quite a figure on the sidelines with his suit and fedora, like a miniature Tom Landry, Osterman said. And he’s forged an unbreakable bond with the boys on the team, his parents said.
So, when the quarterback, Tommy Cooney, heard Danny was getting picked on because of the way he speaks, he took it upon himself to do something about it.
The 11-year-old Williams Intermediate School fifth-grader decided to wear a suit to school just like Danny in a show of support for his young friend.
“ He’s such a good person. He doesn’t let it bother him. He goes on with his day. He’s a 6-year-old kid. We should all respect that,” said Tommy, whose father, Tom, is the team’s head coach.
Tommy told his fellow Badgers about “Danny Appreciation Day” and they all thought it was a great idea, including Danny’s older brother Tim, 10, who plays on the team.
On Wednesday, Nov. 20, more than 40 students from Mitchell and Williams crowded around the little boy with the winning personality in the Williams library cheering “Danny, Danny.” “
” In a ruling that deals a striking blow to the parents of Justina Pelletier, a judge has ruled that the state of Massachusetts will received “permanent” custody of Pelletier.
In what appears to be a major setback to the parents of a Connecticut teenager in the middle of a long-running custody dispute, a Massachusetts juvenile court judge Tuesday issued a ruling giving “permanent” custody of Justina Pelletier to the state Department of Children and Families, which then leaves it up to the agency to decide if or when she should be returned back home.”
Unfucking believable … Now do you believe the STATE is out of control ?
” The case is drawing national attention, as Boston Children’s Hospital filed a “medical child abuse” complaint against Justina’s parents last year, leading the state to take custody of her and hospitalize her for almost a year.
A judge had previously sentenced the Connecticut teenager, who has been caught in a yearlong custody fight between her parents and Massachusetts child protection officials, to a new foster care program in Massachusetts. The ruling triggered an anguished response from her parents when it was announced by a juvenile court judge and pro-life advocates were also up in arms.
Pelletier has only been allowed one, one hour supervised visit per week with her mom and dad and they have not been permitted to take photographs of their daughter. But, following new legal pressure asserted by Liberty Counsel and intense media scrutiny, DCF permitted the most recent visitation to be unsupervised. Rev. Pat Mahoney, a nationally known pro-life activist, accompanied Lou and Linda Pelletier to visit Justina.”
This shameful travesty of justice proves a point that we’ve long been making that the citizens can no longer expect the courts to defend them against the depravations of the State . Heads need to roll and unfortunately we are/have reached the point where that expression needs to be taken literally .
All involved , from the doctors at Boston Children’s hospital to those responsible at Massachusetts DCF to Judge Johnston himself need to be run out of practice and jailed or worse . There is no excuse for ripping a child from a loving family and banishing that child to the purgatory of State run care . Given the record of child protection services nationwide the average kid would be better off with a crackhead mom or on the streets alone than in foster care … Disgusting …
For the uninitiated you can catch up on this disgraceful example of out of control government by reading our previous posts on Justina and her family’s plight here , here , here , here , here , here , and here .
Read the rest … if it doesn’t make you want to beat someone , or worse , we’d be very surprised
” A Fall River man says he was recording a police officer who was out of control, but instead, he was arrested and his cell phone was seized.
Now the video he recorded is gone. Police say he erased it, even though they were the ones holding the phone.
George Thompson says last January he was just sitting on his front porch, watching a Fall River police officer working a paid detail. Thompson says the officer was on his phone and was swearing very loud.
That’s when Thompson pulled out his phone. Thompson says Officer Tom Barboza then rushed him and arrested him, charging him with unlawful wiretapping.
But in Massachusetts it’s perfectly legal to record video and audio of a public official, including police, as long as they are performing their duties and the recording isn’t hidden. Barboza’s own police report shows that Thompson acknowledged he was recording the officer.”
” Members of the Massachusetts chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America deliver a petition with more than 12,000 signatures to Staples this morning asking for guns to be prohibited in their stores.
Members of the Massachusetts chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America tried deliver a petition with more than 12,000 signatures at Staples headquarters in Framingham on Tuesday morning to Staples’ CEO but were asked to leave the property.”
Here’s the money quote …
“ The presence of firearms creates an inherent and unnecessary risk for Staples shoppers,” said Ann Krantz of Wenham and the communications lead for Moms Demand Action Massachusetts.
So they can’t see them but they need to ban them . Smart . A google search reveals no history of shootings at Staples stores other than the above mentioned accidental one in NC last summer and an undercover cop shooting a criminal in a Staples Parking lot .
While we couldn’t locate the annual number of customers Staples that walk through their doors with yearly sales in excess of $24 billion it is safe to say that at least one half million buyers enter the store on average in any given year . Since they’ve been in business since 1986 we have a low ball total of 13,500,000 customers with one accidental firearms mishap . That simple number reveals a minuscule chance of being harmed by a gun in Staples . Don’t these people have better things to do with their time ?
” Outside a youth home in Framingham, Mass., between 50 and 80 people gathered peacefully in below freezing temperatures and prayed for a Connecticut teen at the center of a high-profile custody battle.
The vigil held Saturday at Wayside Youth and Family Support Network was for Justina Pelletier, who has been in state care against her parents wishes for more than a year after a disagreement over a medical diagnosis.”
” We prayed for Justina, prayed for the family, prayed for the lawmakers to step up and to do this. We prayed for DCF workers, that God would touch their hearts,” Keith Mason, president of the pro-life human rights’ group Personhood USA, which co-organized the event along with Rev. Patrick Mahoney, told TheBlaze. “It was a time for prayer and was somber. We saw a lot of committed people.”
Among them were state lawmakers who plan to introduce a resolution to “free Justina” in next legislative session scheduled for March 5 and other parents who Mason said have been in similar situations with DCF. Linda and Lou Pelletier, Justina’s parents, were not present at the vigil.”
” Today the state spoke out on Justina’s situation. Massachusetts DCF spokesman, Alec Loftus said, “Our primary goal has always been the health and well-being of Justina. We want the parents to be able to work with the providers and courts to ultimately move Justina back to her home state of Connecticut. That is the objective, and is consistent with our previous efforts to find an appropriate placement near her home. A medical team has been identified at Tufts, the family’s provider of choice, with the clinical expertise to care for Justina.
While this sounds like positive news for Lou and Linda, the parents are not very hopeful.
Lou told The Blaze, “They have thrown more carrots out there over the last 13 months, dangling, teasing us, and that’s the cruelest thing you can do.” He claimed the state has made several broken promises regarding the Justina’s custody in the past. “Actions speak louder than words,” he said.”
Ben Swann has more on the state’s latest moves and if you’d like to make your feelings know about state sponsored kidnapping there will be a rally today at noon in Framingham Massachusetts:
Wayside Youth and Family Support. 1 Frederick Abbott Way, Framingham, MA 01701
On Saturday, March 1 at 12:00 P.M., we are inviting people of faith and good will to stand in solidarity with the Pelletier family and join us at a prayer vigil and public witness at the facility where there daughter Justina is being held.
It is critical that we be a loud and passionate voice for this 15 year old girl who was ripped from her home by the government against the wishes of her family. We cannot be silent when we see the rights of families and parents trampled by public officials and courts.
We want to stress this is NOT a protest or demonstration and we are there to peacefully prayer and call for Justina to be returned to the loving arms of her family. Also, where the vigil is being held, the residents of the facility will not be able to see us.
“ Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer
We’ve found that Justina will remain at the Wayside Youth and Family Center for now. We will keep you updated with her location, but for now, plan to meet at the Wayside center.
The location is: Wayside Youth and Family Support. 1 Frederick Abbott Way, Framingham, MA 01701
Parking is sparse so we recommend people carpool. Park in the Whole Foods lot on Worcester Road. You will see us gathered near the entrance on Lockland Avenue which is public property.
If you are anywhere near Framingham this afternoon please stop by and lend your support . It will be greatly appreciated and after all , the next child stolen may be yours .
” In 35 states, welfare, housing assistance and other benefits pays more than a minimum wage job, according to a new study by the Cato Institute. The study also found that in 13 states, the payout is more than $15 per hour.
Of course, this study doesn’t take into account that not everyone on public assistance receives all of the programs. But if they did, their payout would be significantly higher than even a starting teacher’s salary in 11 states or a computer programmer in 3 states.
The states with the highest welfare payouts – more than $20 per hour – are Hawaii, with payments equaling $29.13 per hour, DC at $24.43 per hour, Massachusetts at $24.30 , Connecticut at $21.33, New York at $21.01 per hour, New Jersey at $20.89 per hour, Rhode Island at $20.83 per hour and Vermont at $20.36 per hour.“
While Ms Vrotsos seems to have disappeared the post from her Facebook page , the post is still visible on Senior Airman Kolfage’s . Pat Dollard also has a post up about this obscene rant along with contact info for Ms Vrotsos’ union leaders .
Strangely Mr Dollard reports Ms Vrotsos’ Facebook page as being deleted but we had no trouble locating it . Perhaps he meant the individual post had been deleted . In that he seems to be correct .
Warning: Ms Vrotsos has a very foul mouth so be prepared if you venture onto her FB page .
Update 17: 15 EST … There is a heated debate going on at Airman Kolfage’s page as the woman Vrotsos claims her FB page was hacked :
This tory is completely false. Her Facebook account has been hacked. Both local police and the FBI have been contacted. We have also reported your post as abusive. She is getting threats on her life and her elderly mother. I know her. She has done volunteer work for veterans groups and is a patriotic American. Please remove this immediately
Chandie Morse Bartell Janet Vrotsos could do the RIGHT thing and admit and take responsibility for her actions instead of digging herself a deeper hole to lie. Give it up Janet you’ll feel better. Give it up Union supporters at least show you have one shred of honor and decency in you and tell the truth for a change and take responsibility for your actions.
Chandie Morse Bartell How dare you support a traitor to our greatest Americans, our wounded vets of the military armed forces? The reason you are even allowed the “right” to speak on this page is that these wounded warriors fought for your right. Shame on you.
Jane FastnFurious Black Whenever anyone is busted they always resort to the “I’ve been hacked” story.. Perhaps Donna needs to go to her FB page, Republican Family Values (which is actually a Republican bashing page) and view for herself how Janet feels about the military
The debate also rages at the “Republican Family Values” FB page where Vrotsos allegedly serves as an administrator . The denials are flying fast and fierce and we do not know for certain that she is an administrator but there is no denying the fact that the page is every bit as hate-filled as is Ms Vrotsos’ alleged post on Air Kolfage’s page .
Update 22:30 EST 12.29.13
As the controversy over the outrageous comments directed towards our severely wounded service people on Senior Airman Brian Kolfage‘s Facebook page rages and the claims of Ms Vrotsos’ and Republican Family Values pages being hacked , SA Kolfage has been busy proving his case and exposing the alleged hacking …
—-
Update : 07:21 EST 12.30.13
Late last night SA Kolfage issued this statement on his FB page that sums things up and explains what has been going on behind the scenes regarding Ms Vrotsos , RFV and her co-administrator Jeff Pickens :
I wish to inform you that the statement made by Union 2222 IBEW about their director Janet Vrotsos is completely FALSE. They released a statement within hours of the event happening saying it was a hoax. Yet they have supplied no evidence to how they made this determination. The union has a lot to lose, shes a major player in a major union and this will be a PR nightmare for them if they claimed anything else. Well unfortunately for them I have the facts I have the evidence, and we have taken down an entire network of liberal hate mongers who prey on peoples young children (4 month old baby) to use in political meme’s, these scum go after anyone who opposes their political views, sounds like the Obama’s IRS right? Janet was busted in an elaborate trap to which she fell into and released her real name to us, which I provided screenshots of. Janet Vrotsos stated that the hate page ‘Republican Family Values’ Facebook page was her page and she was reporting us to Facebook for interfering with her page, too bad for her she used her real account to make the statement… ooops Furthermore, we have exposed the other member of that page who we believe is the kingpin to all the hate. His name is Jeff Pickens from from Blackwood NJhttps://www.facebook.com/jeffpickens56 . Janet and Jeff both conspired to steal my newborn child’s photo to make a political meme. In addition to this, these people are living a double life online where there friends and family dont even know how hateful they are. Janet & Jeffery were very distressed that we exposed them, we have a new mole in their inner circle who is disgusted with them and is spilling the beans. Yesterday I called the FBI and was told to file a report via IC3 which I did. Today, their followers and supporters of the page they both admin at —> www.facebook.com/RepublicanFamilyValues made fake pages and posted more photos of my child with comments talking about raping her. A man by the name of Louis Caponecchia is responsible for the fake page and hate videos which he spread online about my family. He’s a real special character according to his father who we spoke to today, no one in his family speaks to him, his father said he needs real help maybe we can get him the help he needs. After the incidents today I called my local PD who came to my house and inventoried everything that you guys sent me and everything I have been saving this entire time. They were appalled and disgusted about the comments by these people about raping my newborn daughter. They are writing up their reports which are then being linked up with the FBI IC3 case I started the other day. They told me Facebook is real good about this stuff and they will obtain the IP addresses for each and every person who is involved even Janet. As soon as they have the hard evidence of IP addresses we are filling charges against each person with the help of many supporters who stated they would like to help set up a fund to punish these people for their heinous involvement in endangering my wife/child and using a minors photo without consent.
This is no HOAX, this as real as it gets and that Union better lawyer up along with everyone else involved. You will be exposed, crimes that happen online are 100% traceable you fools. And to the Union Boss who said its a Hoax, the joke is one you pal you counted your eggs before they hatched.
You cannot use any photo of a minor under the age of 13 without parental consent. Then engaging people to inflict sexual harm while search for my address is child endangerment. We have laws to protect …See More
Senior Airman Brian Kolfage Just an update. RFV is assisting now so back off them. The admin has admitted fault and is helping to clean up the mess made by his people.
” Following the release of more than 300 inmates, Annie Dookhan, a Massachusetts state chemist who used to “process” drug samples almost three times as quickly as her colleagues, pled guilty Friday to fabricating her results. Police estimate her fraud possibly tainted as many as 40,000 prosecutions that she was involved in.
The 35-year-old chemist not only lied about results, declaring untested samples positive, but also tampered with evidence, forged other people’s signatures, and lied about her own credentials. She was sentenced to three to five years in prison.
Dookhan’s superiors began to suspect something was wrong when they audited her work back in 2010 due to her unusually fast case turnover. Although the audit revealed no wrongdoing, she was caught forging a coworker’s initials just a year later. Dookhan was suspended, but still allowed to testify as an expert witness in criminal cases. ”
” Canadian photojournalist Francis Vachon was in Massachusetts earlier this month on assignment for a travel website when he came across a pair of ACLU workers asking people to sign some kind of petition in downtown Pittsfield.
Vachon lifted his camera and snapped a photo, only for the woman in the above picture to inform him that he was breaking the law.
I tell her that I am in a public place and I can do whatever I want, but then she tells me with a straight face that in Massachusetts, a law prohibit you to take a photo without first having a consent. I don’t know if she really believed that or if she was lying to me, but either way it was really weird coming from a member of the The American Civil Liberties Union
Perhaps she joined the ACLU after the civil liberties organization published its Know Your Rights: Photographers webpage along with the video below(above).”
If you like to photograph in public , and these days we all need to watching the watchers , but are not sure of your rights you can find out more about them in these articles. The Photographer’s Right is a downloadable pamphlet in PDF form provided free of charge by the law offices of Bert P Krages
” The right to take photographs in the United States is being challenged more than ever. People are being stopped, harassed, and even intimidated into handing over their personal property simply because they were taking photographs of subjects that made other people uncomfortable. Recent examples have included photographing industrial plants, bridges, buildings, trains, and bus stations. For the most part, attempts to restrict photography are based on misguided fears about the supposed dangers that unrestricted photography presents to society.
Ironically, unrestricted photography by private citizens has played an integral role in protecting the freedom, security, and well-being of all Americans. Photography in the United States has an established history of contributing to improvements in civil rights, curbing abusive child labor practices, and providing important information to crime investigators. Photography has not contributed to a decline in public safety or economic vitality in the United States. When people think back on the acts of domestic terrorism that have occurred over the last twenty years, none have depended on or even involved photography. Restrictions on photography would not have prevented any of these acts. Furthermore, the increase in people carrying small digital and cell phone cameras has resulted in the prevention of crimes and the apprehension of criminals.
As the flyer states, there are not very many legal restrictions on what can be photographed when in public view. Most attempts at restricting photography are done by lower-level security and law enforcement officials acting way beyond their authority. Note that neither the Patriot Act nor the Homeland Security Act have any provisions that restrict photography. Similarly, some businesses have a history of abusing the rights of photographers under the guise of protecting their trade secrets. These claims are almost always meritless because entities are required to keep trade secrets from public view if they want to protect them.”
The good people at Krages’ law office also provide various other resources on the subject ,including the laws for a few other places outside the US , some of which we have included below .
Don’t be intimidated when you wish to take a photo or video in a public place . Know your rights and film , film , film and in the process you will be protecting everyone else’s rights along with your own . Remember “Sunshine is the best disinfectant”
” As competitive autocross drivers, Maggie O’Brien thought she and her boyfriend were out for a typical spin at an autocross track in Ayer, Mass., when all of a sudden, he pulled a fast one on her. “You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met in my whole life,” Jake Wile told her as he brought the car to an abrupt halt. “Every minute has been a joy, and I want you to be on my team for life. I want you to be my co-driver for life.”
Wile had strategically placed an extra video camera on the dashboard of the car, facing inward, in order to secretly capture the proposal. Usually their autocross cars only have one camera, facing outward, to record the track they are driving on.”
YouViewed/Editorial 