HOMELAND DEFENSE-------SELF-DEFENSE
Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2002 7:30 pm
Does the Martial Arts have a significant role or charge under the proposed Homeland Defense legislation, or in the mission given all citizens to defend the home front?
We can all remember the rude awakening of this country in the aftermath of 9/11.
This forum addressed one of the first major actions by Congress, namely, the USA Patriot Act.
The FBI and other law enforcement agencies needed to be able to act quickly and expeditiously in order to be able to investigate possible terrorists and terrorist activity, and this Act certainly gave them some ammunition to do this.
Many of us wonder what this will do to constitutional rights we all enjoyed living in a republic which has existed much longer than founders such as Madison and Washington envisioned, both of whom feared absolute rule or monarchy.
Putting this aside, the president asked us to participate in “homeland defense”, by being aware of our surroundings and suspicious activity, which I suppose means to be aware and observant as you would be in neighborhood “crime watch”.
Congress discovered the flaws in the present dissemination and sharing of valuable information after the lady FBI agent blew the whistle, Congress once again acted by eliminating and FBI agents requirement of obtaining certification from headquarters before applying for search warrants, and enacting other legislation enhancing the USA Patriot Act, once again the president took further action by seeking to integrate and share knowledge to defend the “homeland’
The following will give some insight concerning the proposal:
Homeland Defense Program - enhances the response capabilities of military, federal, state, and local emergency responders to terrorist incidents involving weapons of mass destruction. http://www2.sbccom.army.mil/hld/
More sites about: Soldier and Biological Chemical Command
More speculative and uncertain is the role of us as citizens, and more personally , as MA’s is our participation and conduct in the charge given us by President Bush.
One can easily create scenarios as to how, under certain conditions, we can report or thwart terrorist attacks or pending attempts at sabotage.
The problem as I see it is that the laws governing our present conduct could impede or destroy the efficacy of what is expected.
As an example, we could be on the scene of a terrorist attempting to detonate a device, there would be no time to contact a law enforcement agency, but you could stop him with your 40 caliber pistol.
You all can create better examples than the above, but there is a thorn in your foot, which takes the form of the present law concerning citizen arrest, restricting your action to a far greater degree than that of a LEO. The same can be said if you employ action in defense of others.
The use of deadly force is highly restrictive in either case and your defense of yourself, your neighbors and your homeland could result in your own imprisonment.
While the laws are changing to relax constraints on law enforcement and other agencies and to develop liaison between federal agencies and congressional committees, the action expected of the majority in numbers, that is to say to US Citizens, is not defined.
I will be happy to publish a synopsis of the laws relating to citizens’ arrests and use of force, and those actions taken to protect others.
Does anyone have any ideas on how, we as citizens and martial artists can participate and employ the charge given us by the president, and if so what would we need to enjoy useful exemptions, in order to effectively combat terrorism on the home front.
We welcome your response.
Alan K
------------------
"The Goddess of Justice is Blind"
We can all remember the rude awakening of this country in the aftermath of 9/11.
This forum addressed one of the first major actions by Congress, namely, the USA Patriot Act.
The FBI and other law enforcement agencies needed to be able to act quickly and expeditiously in order to be able to investigate possible terrorists and terrorist activity, and this Act certainly gave them some ammunition to do this.
Many of us wonder what this will do to constitutional rights we all enjoyed living in a republic which has existed much longer than founders such as Madison and Washington envisioned, both of whom feared absolute rule or monarchy.
Putting this aside, the president asked us to participate in “homeland defense”, by being aware of our surroundings and suspicious activity, which I suppose means to be aware and observant as you would be in neighborhood “crime watch”.
Congress discovered the flaws in the present dissemination and sharing of valuable information after the lady FBI agent blew the whistle, Congress once again acted by eliminating and FBI agents requirement of obtaining certification from headquarters before applying for search warrants, and enacting other legislation enhancing the USA Patriot Act, once again the president took further action by seeking to integrate and share knowledge to defend the “homeland’
The following will give some insight concerning the proposal:
Homeland Defense Program - enhances the response capabilities of military, federal, state, and local emergency responders to terrorist incidents involving weapons of mass destruction. http://www2.sbccom.army.mil/hld/
More sites about: Soldier and Biological Chemical Command
More speculative and uncertain is the role of us as citizens, and more personally , as MA’s is our participation and conduct in the charge given us by President Bush.
One can easily create scenarios as to how, under certain conditions, we can report or thwart terrorist attacks or pending attempts at sabotage.
The problem as I see it is that the laws governing our present conduct could impede or destroy the efficacy of what is expected.
As an example, we could be on the scene of a terrorist attempting to detonate a device, there would be no time to contact a law enforcement agency, but you could stop him with your 40 caliber pistol.
You all can create better examples than the above, but there is a thorn in your foot, which takes the form of the present law concerning citizen arrest, restricting your action to a far greater degree than that of a LEO. The same can be said if you employ action in defense of others.
The use of deadly force is highly restrictive in either case and your defense of yourself, your neighbors and your homeland could result in your own imprisonment.
While the laws are changing to relax constraints on law enforcement and other agencies and to develop liaison between federal agencies and congressional committees, the action expected of the majority in numbers, that is to say to US Citizens, is not defined.
I will be happy to publish a synopsis of the laws relating to citizens’ arrests and use of force, and those actions taken to protect others.
Does anyone have any ideas on how, we as citizens and martial artists can participate and employ the charge given us by the president, and if so what would we need to enjoy useful exemptions, in order to effectively combat terrorism on the home front.
We welcome your response.
Alan K
------------------
"The Goddess of Justice is Blind"