by Joshua Pantalleresco

Created on: April 16, 2009

I think this is more true than it's ever been. Just yesterday I went inside the chamber of commerce in Pinetop Arizona. I was up all night from working, and needed a place to sit down while I waited for a few phone calls. I didn't have much money on me, and need to save what I can. Also I wanted to check out a couple of things as I still am not completely aware of what was up here. I checked out some pamphlets and grabbed a few business cards.

I used the washroom. When I came outside a cop was waiting for me. He wanted to know who I was and why I was here. He asked for my identification, and frowned when I couldn't present it. I had my work id on me, and was able to skate on by because of it. That said, I was almost arrested when I couldn't give out my proper papers. Does this sound like a free country to you?

This wouldn't have happened even ten years ago. I never would have been stopped. As long as I minded my own business and didn't make trouble for anyone, I would have been alright. Today because I am a stranger in a strange community, I found myself staring down a nice officer. He wasn't a bad guy, and for all I know he's doing his job. But instead of my constitutional rights of innocence unless proven guilty, and even pleading the fifth, I could have spent time in jail because I didn't have a picture with my name on it. Are we in America or Nazi Germany?

Now I know what some people would say reading this. This isn't the same world, there are terrorists, weapons of mass destruction, and we need to be sure of our people. My response is this: There have always been terrorists in the world. There have always been people that hate this country. There will always be these things. There is no solution to that problem.

But the United States has been going in this direction for a long time. Longer than most of us have been alive. Simply look at where money comes from. Most of us still don't know this, but our money doesn't come from government, but rather a corporation called the federal reserve. We pay income taxes - a communist concept. Nowhere in the constitution does income tax enter. Income tax is neither direct or indirect, and as such isn't legal. Yet we pay trillions year in and out.

Going farther, over the last few years we have talked about building fences for our borders, especially Mexico. I laugh at this. I'm from Canada and lived right along one of the largest, most undefended borders to this day. The United States however seems hell bent on isolating itself. Maybe it should ask itself if the walls it proposes to build is to keep people out or keep people in? Think about it.

We have had increased military involvement in policing the United States. Most notably with New Orleans, but small events here and thare as well. Check out this article here as the military involvment in our country is increasing. http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0309-02.htm

B eyond that, we have no right to know what goes in our food, where our money goes or what the government is up to. Property rights are in dispute and more and more of our rights seem to be taken away on a yearly basis. Also, there is the Homeland Security definition of extremism. This debuted a couple of weeks ago on youtube, but is right now making headlines. I recieved an email from my dad that christians can be labeled as terrorists or extremists.

There is so much more i could say. But that's a book, and not an article. So I will just say that the constitution is all but lost at this point. We proclaim the constitution in principal, but in practice we dwell somewhere in between socialism and fascism. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been stopped by anybody yesterday.

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