Welcome to America, Where You’re Guilty Until Searched

Since 1968, Americans have been obediently conditioned like Pavlov’s mutts, salivating not at the sound of a bell, but at the sight of TSA gloves and metal detectors. The trigger? Fear. The trainers? Politicians, bureaucrats, and their obedient media lapdogs, who whipped up national paranoia and sold it as “safety.” And like good little subjects, the public bought it. This is the period when our courts carved out every possible exception to our Fourth Amendment. 

Before this authoritarian makeover, only people entering prisons and jails were searched without a warrant. Today, your average law-abiding citizen can’t walk into a courthouse, city council meeting, or even an airport without being treated like a potential terrorist. Congratulations, America: you’re all inmates now, and every building is your warden.

Fast-forward 57 years and we now live in a country where the absence of TSA gropers and rent-a-cops at doorways would terrify people. God forbid you walk into a public building without being searched like a drug mule. Americans now feel safer being searched—fondled, scanned, and sniffed like contraband—than exercising their Fourth Amendment rights.

Remember those? The Fourth Amendment, a once-vital civil right that said:

“The right of the people to be secure… against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated…”

Yeah, that thing. It’s now about as relevant as a Blockbuster card.

And just in case the “public safety” crowd still thinks they’re on solid legal ground, let’s talk about the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision—the one that obliterated the idea that constitutional rights can be casually “balanced” against vague notions of safety. As Justice Thomas wrote:

“The government may not simply posit that the regulation promotes an important interest. Rather, the government must demonstrate that the regulation is consistent with this Nation’s historical tradition…”

Translation? Public safety doesn’t magically cancel the Constitution—especially when that “safety” means strip-searching citizens with zero suspicion.

So here’s the question: When the hell do we take our rights back? When do Americans stop bending over for warrantless searches at every airport, courthouse, and government building like it’s just another part of life?

We’ve become so brainwashed that people now shrug and say, “Well, that’s just the world we live in.” Nonsense. We lived through a brutal Civil War, two world wars, and the Cold War without tossing the Bill of Rights in the shredder. Today’s dangers don’t justify the cowardice and compliance that have become our national pastime.

Wake up, America. If we don’t reclaim the Fourth Amendment now, we may as well stop pretending we’re free. The Founders didn’t risk everything so we could play security theater in the land of the frisked and the home of the scanned.

Extortion, Criminal Racketeering and Our Beloved Government

Phoenix, AZ—When I began lobbying the Arizona State Legislature for the Arizona Association of Licensed Private Investigators it was a real eye opener.

There are 90 members of the Legislature and back then they were not yet subject to term limits.  Many of them were seemingly decent.

The self-elected leadership had the real power and they were difficult to talk to about the legislation that was with beneficial or damaging to the industry, taxpayers or both. Along with the power of leadership came magnificent arrogance.

There was a price for even minimal meaningful access.   Without campaign contributions or other payments there was no access to the leadership.  Access to the unwashed members was usually free but in general getting any significant help from them was also for sale.

There was an undercover law enforcement sting conducted in 1991 called AZSCAM.  It was named after the notorious FBI sting call ABSCAM.  

The late Arizona undercover operative named, Joe Stedino brought bags of cash to members of the Legislature and found several incredibly reckless and greedy takers.  Hidden video of these fools grabbing the cash made for great television!  They were quickly indicted, disgraced and served prison terms. 

Sadly the leadership of the Legislature was warned by the late director of the AZ Dept of Public Safety and avoided Stedino like the plague. 

I knew some the defense lawyers and prosecutors well enough that they told me about the tip off. However nobody could ever prove that was the case.  Arizona’s political leaders made sure that the AZSCAM investigation would never widen.  

It's politicians that appoint all of the top law enforcement jobs and chasing corrupt government officials is a quick career ender.  There are very rare instances where the leadership wants to exile some fellow member not considered a team player and he or she just might win a trip to Club Fed.   

Every AZ lobbyist knew that they were dealing with legislative pimps and whores.  Getting their needed leadership legislative access was anything but free.   Those that could paid up and were successful.  Since I had empty pockets AALPI always went without.  

The extortion game was somewhat reversed because lobbyists learn the unwritten pay to play rules.  Matching the success moving legislation with the contributions is simple.  However nobody ever gets in trouble anymore in any city council, state legislature of for that matter the U.S. Congress.

Recently I read something that amazed me.  A professor at a prestigious university wrote about something that just rocked my conscious.  A foreign government needed access to our Congress and Whitehouse.  Yes, they have ambassadors, but in order to get access they were forced to hire a high-powered Washington lobbyist! 

I actually saw that shameful lobbyist’s contract.  How outrageous is that?  That clear and convincing evidence may never get significant attention!

How can we stop this?  Oh, you say simply make a law outlawing the practice of lobbyists handing out money?  There’s just one problem the pimps and whores in every lawmaking body in America would never vote for that!  I don’t know the solution; our founding fathers sure fell flat on that one. 

Getting elected to any legislative position is a sure ticket to wealth.  For some people crime pays not only pays, it pays really big.  You can count on law enforcement turning a blind eye for obvious reasons.

What’s the answer?  When I’m in the right neighborhood I'm going visit a certain Political Science professor for his input.  Yes, I think it's time for another documentary film!