JUST SAY NO TO SEARCHES AND SEIZURES
& fight the USA's growing police state.
As an attorney, I participated in the “Great
American Teach-in” by teaching second graders and sixth graders about “Saying
‘NO’ to searches” today. For more info see http://rexcurry.net/sntsguy.html
Each student was given a sticker that reads “Say
‘NO’ to searches,” so that they could wear the stickers on their shirts.
I explained that I often distribute the stickers to the public when I attend
parades and public events. The stickers were printed from the computer
onto sticker paper from the office supply store.
Next, I told the youngsters that lawyers are like
teachers because lawyers teach people about laws and about police officers.
The U.S. Constitution gives everyone constitutional rights, including the
right under the 4th Amendment against unreasonable searches. Under
the U.S. Constitution, people can say "no" to police who ask for permission
to search. In some countries, people cannot say “no” to searches and interrogations
by police. And in our country we are continually losing our freedom
also.
Often, adults (especially adults who have been educated
in government schools) do not know that they can say “no” to searches and
interrogations by police officers. Often, adults who allow searches
and interrogations cause their own arrests.
It is my job as a lawyer/teacher to help my clients
say "no" to searches. I explained to the class that in my law office
I will pretend to be a police officer asking my client to consent to a search
or questioning, in order to help train my client to say “no” and to ask
for a lawyer. I asked the entire class to participate in a role-playing
game, where I would pretend to be a police officer and the class would
answer the way my client (named "Bob") would answer me in my office.
“Let’s pretend I am a police officer who has come
to Bob's home,” I said.
“Hello. I am Officer Rex and the reason I knocked
on the door of your home is because there has been a report of some criminal
activity in the neighborhood, and you could help me out if you would let
me come into your house and have a look around. May I come into your house
and look around Bob?”
“What does Bob say to me in response?” I asked the
class.
The government-school children screamed in unison
“No!” (some children said "yes" but they quickly caught on).
I continued: “Well, as an officer of the law I am
only trying to do my job and help everyone. I see that your car is
parked in your driveway. You should let me search your car.
Will you let me search your car, Bob?”
The government-school children screamed unison “NNoo!!”
and pointed at their "say 'NO' to searches" stickers.
I continued: “Well, because you are standing there
right in front of me, it would not be inconvenient for me to simply search
your pockets. May I search your pockets, Bob?”
The government-school children screamed in unison
“NNNooo!!!.”
I continued “Well then, as a police officer I want
to ask you some questions about where you have been today, and what you
have been doing. You are going to answer my questions aren't you?”
The government-school children respond in unison
“No, I’m not answering any questions! I want my parents and a lawyer.”
That is how I teach adults to give similar responses.
Things are different for children inside a government
school, aren’t they?
I encourage all libertarians to participate in the
“Great American Teach-in,” especially in government schools.
SAY NO TO SEARCHES with the Libertarian
Lawyer
Dr. Rex Curry
RexCurry.net was one of a handful of lawyers who protested against
and tried to stop assembly-line searches and demands for identification
and 'papers' at government buildings and elsewhere. Many courthouses
force lawyers to submit to the degrading practices (along with everyone
else) and most lawyers submitted without a peep of protest, and many lawyers
openly defended the police-state tactics and they still do so to this very
day.