Federal Trade Commission Plans More Control over Blogs

The Federal Trade Commission is currently making plans to exercise more control over blogs. At issue is bloggers who endorse products and services. If a blogger endorses a product or service, the FTC wants to place the blogger under scrutiny to make sure the blogger is not receiving undisclosed compensation. For example, if a mother likes a toy she bought for her kids and writes a positive article about the toy, the FTC would want to make certain she did not receive any sort of compensation for the article from the manufacturer or retailers.

On the surface, this FTC initiative sounds like a commonsense measure to protect the consumer from false testimonials and deceptive marketing practices. The reality, however, is much worse. This move is probably just a way for the Federal government to expand its jurisdiction over blogs.

The blogosphere is one of the few places left where people can report and/or read unvarnished truth. Bloggers freely report what they see and know. Sometimes the bloggers are absolutely right, and sometimes they are dead wrong. Regardless, the blogger exercises his or her freedom of speech, and the Web community has the choice to accept or reject the blogger's facts and views. In an age of diminishing mainstream media, numerous press scandals, and outright bias in the major news outlets, the blogs have become an important tool for delivering news and commentary. Sometimes, the only place to find the truth is on a blog.

The Federal government currently has significant influence over major media outlets, so politicians and officials know they can somewhat manage their message in the mainstream press if need be. The politicians and officials have far less control over the blogs. They have to know that, when the rest of the media fails to report the truth to the population, the bloggers can still disseminate the important facts and write the tough things that need to be written. This freedom of expression has got to make a lot of powerful people nervous. Certainly, they are looking for a way to control the voices of the bloggers.

This FTC initiative is just the first intrusion into the Web-based free press. The Federal government will use this expanded jurisdiction as a launch pad for deeper intrusions. This year, the government wants to go after product endorsements. Next year they may want to go after political endorsements. Where does it stop? Perhaps, in a few years, any blogger who writes about politics or current events will have to register with the Federal Communications Commission and be subject to their scrutiny. What is we ever have a corrupt President who chooses to abuse this sort of authority.

The FTC's move to investigate blogs should deeply concern us all. When the Federal government begins exercising control over private citizens' freedom of speech, it jeopardizes the ability of private individuals to freely express opinions and report information. If you ever think you may want to express yourself on a blog or want to have the option of seeking the truth from independent citizen journalists, this affects you. Be concerned, because the First Amendment is in danger.

Homeland Security Considers Veterans Potential Terrorists

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, a woman who is eerily similar to former Attorney General Janet Reno, is standing behind a controversial Homeland Security report it recently sent out to law enforcement offices. In the document, "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment," Homeland Security wants law enforcement to watch certain Americans who it perceives as domestic terrorist threats. If you are against abortion, support immigration controls, etc., Homeland Security considers you a possible right-wing extremist and potential terrorist.

The Homeland Security report also identifies veterans as potential domestic terrorists. These brave veterans have gone overseas and risked their lives to serve this country. The Department of Homeland Security now intends to thank them for their service by spying them in case they decide to become terrorists and attack the country they once defended.

Congress Targets Specific Citizens with the AIG Bonus Tax

Today the House of Representatives voted to tax the recipients of AIG bonuses to be taxed at 90%. These bonuses were contractual obligations, which were recently approved by Barack Obama and Congress. Now, amid public outcry, the House of Representatives wants to seize this legally acquired money from private citizens with a specific tax.

Did you ever imagine Congress would be writing laws to seize money from specific people? Did you ever imagine, Congress would go after individuals? Today, it is AIG employees. Next time it could be you.

Barack Obama Officially Has Gun Rights in His Sights

Look at what is on the official White House Web site. This is Barack Obama's official plan for gun legislation. It is tucked away in his Urban Policy agenda.

Address Gun Violence in Cities: Obama and Biden would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts the ability of local law enforcement to access important gun trace information, and give police officers across the nation the tools they need to solve gun crimes and fight the illegal arms trade. Obama and Biden also favor commonsense measures that respect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, while keeping guns away from children and from criminals. They support closing the gun show loophole and making guns in this country childproof. They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent.

We should assume this statement is carefully worded. Breaking down each part of this statement, one could assume the paragraph expresses the following goals.

• national database of gun serial numbers
• traceable, serial-numbered ammunition linked with a national database of sales data
• ban of high-capacity (>10) magazines for all weapons
• heavy regulations on semi-automatic weapons
• heavy regulation on handguns
• enhanced background checks
• increased waiting periods for gun purchases
• mandatory, built-in electronic gun locks, which require a microchip or PIN to fire the weapon
• outlawing all private person-to-person gun sales
• permanent ban of all weapons deemed to be assault weapons
  

The scariest term in Obama's gun policy is commonsense measures. Any time someone uses the word commonsense to support his position, you can be sure he has some radical plans that he cannot support with logical arguments. If something is presented as commonsense, the presenter is establishing there is no reason for debate.

Your Second Amendment rights are in serious jeopardy. All it will take is one big school shooting for the Democrats to feel obligated to start banning weapons. Hopefully, nothing like that happens, but it probably will. When it does, look for the most egregious and brazen violation of Second Amendment rights in American History. Once these rights are gone, they may never return.

Obama Lied to America About Control

When Barack Obama got elected in November 2008, people across America began to get concerned about the loss of their gun rights. In the weeks after the election, gun stores were filled with shoppers. Guns were flying off the shelves and gun prices increased to match the increased demand. Barack Obama, apparently aware of the Second Amendment worries, came out and said that gunowners have nothing to worry about.

On February 25, 2009, Attorney General Eric Holder announced the Barack Obama administration plans to pursue a new assault weapons ban. Chairman Obama has been in office just a few weeks, and he has already gone back on his promise to gunowners. In fact, gunowners do have something to worry about. They have a lot to worry about. The Obama administration is openly admitting it intends to violate the Second Amendment.

Even worse, in the fall of 2008, when Obama assured gunowners their rights were not in jeopardy, he knew full well he was going to attack their rights in 2009. He was just simply pacifying gunowners to slow down the rate of gun sales. He probably did not like the idea of people stocking up on weapons before he could have a chance to ban them. Now that Obama finally has the opportunity to ban the guns, he is starting to reveal his intentions.

Even if you do not care about your Second Amendment rights, you should be alarmed by this sort of brazen lying. If Chairman Obama will lie to us about gun rights, he will lie to us about anything. What rights do you cherish? How can you trust Obama not to trample on them?

One Man’s Sign Affects Two of His Civil Rights

According to Bridget Nash of the Enid News and Eagle, Chip Harrison, an Oklahoma City man, was driving on the interstate with a sign in his window. The sign read, “Abort Obama, not the unborn.” The man was pulled over by an Oklahoma City police officer who confiscated the sign. The sign was later returned by the police department, but the Secret Service later visited the man’s house and asked to conduct an informal search. The Secret Service walked through Harrison’s house to determine if Harrison was a threat.

Harrison was unwise in the way he worded his sign, but government overreaction over Chip Harrison’s sign lead to infringements on his First and Fourth Amendment rights. Harrison did get his sign back, and he voluntarily allowed the Secret Service to search his house, but this event should be a warning to all that the reach of government is extensive. Who knows what might have happened to Harrison had he not cooperated with the police and Secret Service. Harrison probably has his own special Secret Service file now, but things could have been much worse for him if he had tried to stand up for his freedom of speech and his right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure.

Enid News and Eagle Article
"OKC Officer Pulls Man over for Anti-Obama Sign on Vehicle"