[Mb-civic] Critical Juncture?

[Ian]

All:

As you may have heard, tomorrow, Friday, July 22, New York City will become a "testing ground" for the first true "police state" action in the U.S.

Ostensibly in response to the two London bombing incidents, the NYPD will be conducting "spot searches" of the knapsacks and bags of citizens getting on buses and subways.  If an officer asks to search a bag and the person refuses, the person will not be permitted to board the bus or subway.

This action is completely illegal under federal, state and city law.  Indeed, until tomorrow, had an officer requested any citizen of NYC to show ID or to undergo a "spot search" of their belongings, and the person had refused, the officer would have been obligated to allow that person to continue about their business, including boarding public transportation.  The only circumstance under which an NYPD officer can detain any citizen is if that officer has "reasonable cause" to believe that the person has either just committed or is about to commit a crime.  It is not enough that a person is simply carrying a bag onto public transportation.

Note that even the London authorities have not instituted - or even considered - this type of action, despite the fact that they have been targeted twice.

I cannot tell you how outraged I am at this blatant move toward "police state" tactics.  I will tell you this.  If an NYPD officer asks to inspect my bag, I will refuse simply out of principle.  (Since these searches will be done at random - every 10th (or whatever number) person entering the subway - I am as likely as not to be challenged).   And if he orders me out of the subway station or bus, I will refuse this as well, and challenge his/her authority to do so under the Constitution and the laws of NYC.

I urge everyone to challenge this proto-totalitarian action in whatever way you can.  I have already gone on record with CNN and NY1 via their viewer comments.  And I will be calling all my elected officials tomorrow morning.

In the words of Pastor Martin Niemoeller during WWII: "First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist, so I did not speak out.  Then they came for the Socialists and Trade Unionists, but I was neither, so I did not speak out.  Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew, so I did not speak out.  And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me."

Peace.
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