Government tyranny

The state is the enemy of the individual, always and everywhere.

Areas of the world

Africa     Asia/Pacific     Central/South America     Europe     Middle East     United States & Canada     Worldwide


(Country codes)

Africa

LBR: Charles Taylor sentenced to 50 years in prison - June 3, 2012

"The 50-year-jail term slammed on former Liberian President, Charles Taylor, is a strong signal that the world is tired of tyrants. On May 30, 2012, the International Criminal Court jailed 64-year-old Taylor for his genocidal activities during the Sierra Leonean civil war. This means he will spend the rest of his life in a British prison or will be out of jail at age 114."

SDN: Ethnic cleansing of Christians - April 4, 2012

"The government of the predominantly Muslim nation of Sudan has stripped its 500,000 to 700,000 Christians of citizenship and has put them on notice that they have one week to leave the country. Even sub-Jim Crow dhimmi status is to be denied them."

ZWE: Policeman jailed for using Mugabe's loo - May 27, 2011

"While on duty at a trade fair, the Zimbabwean police sergeant could not hold on and allegedly dashed to the nearest toilet – disastrously, it transpired, as it was reserved for President Robert Mugabe. He was arrested and imprisoned on suspicion of invading the presidential privy."

MWI: Parliament to make breaking wind illegal - January 28, 2011

"Breaking wind is set to be made a crime in an African country. The government of Malawi plan to punish persistent offenders 'who foul the air' in a bid to 'mould responsible and disciplined citizens.'"

ZWE: Mugabe's bloody deal with China - September 22, 2010

"Cargo planes bring in men and arms from China and leave with large quantities of rough uncut diamonds. The Chinese and their co-conspirators in Mugabe's military, force the locals to mine the diamonds at gunpoint under the most appalling of conditions. The Marange fields have been surrounded by three individual fences and a number of military outposts to ensure that the flow of diamonds and information will be kept under complete control of the regime."

ZWE: Abuse in Zimbabwe diamond fields - June 26, 2009

"Human Rights Watch said Friday that Zimbabwe's armed forces have taken over diamond fields in the east and killed more than 200 people, forcing children to search for the gems and beating villagers who get in the way."

ZWE: First person from Zimbabwe - June 1, 2009

"Those who have not lived through a time of terror at the hands of a dictatorial government will never understand what it is like."

Tyranny & development in sub-Saharan Africa - January 8, 2009

"The unfortunate legacy of Sub-Saharan Africa is one of tyranny and oppression. This ties into rather abysmal economic conditions as well. This study will examine the relationship between tyranny and protection that keeps African economies largely closed to outside influence."

ZAF: Tutu talks about 'tyranny' of ANC - October 30, 1998

"Archbishop Desmond Tutu says the African National Congress has done itself tremendous damage by trying to stop the publication of the Truth Commission report. In the 3,500-page report, the ANC is held responsible for deaths and injuries during its time as an exiled movement trying to overthrow apartheid."

Asia & Pacific

PRK: Parents eating their own children - January 27, 2013

"A starving man in North Korea has been executed after murdering his two children for food, reports from inside the secretive state claim. A 'hidden famine' in the farming provinces of North and South Hwanghae is believed to have killed up to 10,000 people and there are fears that incidents of cannibalism have risen. The grim story is just one to emerge as residents battle starvation after a drought hit farms and shortages were compounded by party officials confiscating food."

PRK: Prison camps massive and growing - May 4, 2011

"New satellite images and firsthand accounts from former political prisoners and former jailers in North Korea have confirmed the enormous scale and bleak conditions of the penal system in the secretive North..." [Can now be seen from space.]

CHN: Christians seized in Easter raid - April 24, 2011

"Dozens of Chinese Christians were arrested on Sunday when police prevented an evangelical Protestant church from holding its Easter Sunday service, as the state continued its attack on protests against one-party rule."

CHN: Beijing police halt church service - April 10, 2011

"Beijing police on Sunday detained dozens of worshippers from an unapproved Christian church who were trying to hold services in a public space after they were evicted from their usual place of worship..."

MYS: 100 couples arrested for celebrating love - February 15, 2011

"Malaysian religious authorities arrested more than 100 Muslim couples on Monday who defied a ban on any activities marking Valentine's Day."

PRK: Brutal religious persecution - December 9, 2010

"But the Kim dynasty in the so-called Democratic People's Republic of Korea is more than confrontational. The regime is brutally repressive. The North's prison camps are full of political dissidents, would-be refugees, and religious believers."

IND: Village bans cell phones for unwed women - November 24, 2010

"A northern Indian village has banned unmarried women from using cell phones for fear they will arrange forbidden marriages often punishable by death."

CHN: Using mental wards to break activists - November 12, 2010

"Xu Lindong’s confinement in a locked mental ward was all the more notable, his brother says, for one extraordinary fact: he was not the least bit deranged. Angered by a dispute over land, he had merely filed a series of complaints against the local government. The government’s response was to draw up an order to commit him to a mental hospital — and then to forge his brother’s name on the signature line."

CHN: Twitter user seized - October 26, 2010

"Chinese police seized a woman from her house in the middle of the night after she tweeted her intention to demonstrate with a banner congratulating jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo on winning the Nobel peace prize..."

CHN: Third trimester abortion forced - October 22, 2010

"An eight-months pregnant woman was dragged from her home and forced to have an abortion because she had broken China’s one-child-per-family law. Twelve government officials entered Xiao Aiying’s house where they hit and kicked her in the stomach, before taking her kicking and screaming to hospital."

PRK: World Cup fans not voluntary - June 16, 2010

"But today, the truth behind the "supporters" emerged when it was revealed that one group of North Koreans - none of whom knew each other in advance - had been hand-picked by Kim Jong-il's government, while another party were actually Chinese, "volunteered" to back their Communist cousins."

CHN: Harvesting and selling human organs - April 27, 2010

"China's hidden policy of executing prisoners of the forbidden quasi-Buddhist group Falun Gong and harvesting their organs for worldwide sale has been expanded to include Tibetans, "house church" Christians and Muslim Uighurs..."

CHN: Gendercide - April 10, 2010

"In the cruel old China, baby girls were often left to die in the gutters. In the cruel modern China, they are aborted by the tens of millions, using all the latest technology. There is an ugly new word for this mass slaughter: gendercide."

PRK: Map of five major prison camps - 2009

"North Korea has operated political prison camps for more than 50 years, twice as long as the Gulag in the former Soviet Union. People suspected of opposing the government are forced to do slave labor in the camps, which hold an estimated 200,000 prisoners. North Korea's government says the camps don't exist, but high-resolution satellite images show otherwise."

PRK: Christian executed for Bible - July 24, 2009

"North Korea publicly executed a Christian woman last month for distributing the Bible, which is banned in the communist nation, South Korean activists said Friday."

MMR: Burma continues to get worse - July 23, 2009

"The facts of the dreadful situation in Burma barely need repeating. ...systematic denial of basic freedoms (including freedom of expression, association, and assembly), regular imprisonment of political activists and human rights defenders, a doubling of the number of political prisoners to more than 2,150, violation of civilian rights in ethnic conflict areas, extrajudicial killings, forced labor, and land confiscation without due process."

PRK: Defector on inner workings of regime - July 2, 2009

"He described two economies in North Korea: one administered by the North Korean Cabinet and nominally oriented toward serving the needs of the people; and a "Royal Court economy," financed by illicit enterprises worldwide and providing the stream of hard currency that keeps Kim Jong Il, and his cronies, ensconced in power and luxury."

AUS: Man cooked to death in police van - June 13, 2009

"The family of an Australian Aboriginal elder who died after being "cooked" in the back of a prison van on a scorching hot day is considering suing, they said. A coroner Friday dismissed treatment of the 46-year-old man as inhumane and a "disgrace,"..."

PRK: Two U.S. journalists stand trial - June 4, 2009

"Two American journalists faced trial Thursday in North Korea on accusations of illegal entry and "hostile acts" in a case that could send them to a labor camp for 10 years. Back home, their families pleaded for leniency."

CHN: Gov't swarms Tiananmen Square - June 4, 2009

"China blanketed Tiananmen Square with police officers on Thursday, determined to prevent any commemoration of the 20th anniversary of a military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters that left hundreds dead."

SGP: Christian couple convicted for booklets - June 2, 2009

"A Christian Singaporean couple were found guilty of sedition on Thursday for distributing evangelical publications that cast Islam in a negative light, court officials said."

Central/South America

VEN: Catholic leaders warn of totalitarianism - January 11, 2011

"The Venezuelan Bishops' Conference condemned a package of laws approved last month by the National Assembly, including one that grants Chavez power to enact laws by decree for the next 18 months. Chavez gained those powers shortly before a new congress took office with more opposition lawmakers. A statement from the bishops released Tuesday accuses Chavez of trying to impose a totalitarian system in Venezuela."

VEN: Chavez wants golf courses seized - October 31, 2010

"President Hugo Chavez said some of Venezuela’s golf courses should be expropriated and used for other purposes. “That’s an injustice -- that someone should have the luxury of having I don’t know how many hectares to play golf and drink whiskey and, next door, there’s misery and children dying...""

VEN: Expropriation of Owens-Illinois - October 25, 2010

"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Monday ordered the expropriation of U.S.-based glass maker Owens-Illinois Inc.'s unit in the South American country."

VEN: Killing fields Of Caracas - August 25, 2010

"Quick, what's the murder capital of the world: Kabul? Juarez? Try Caracas, Venezuela, a city whose dictator, Hugo Chavez, has made murder a means of extending his control."

VEN: Anti-Chavez TV boss arrested - June 11, 2010

"Venezuela issued an arrest warrant and raided the home of the president of an opposition TV news station on Friday, as the government kept up pressure on prominent critics of President Hugo Chavez."

VEN: Chavez orders takeover of iron-makers - May 15, 2010

"President Hugo Chavez announced Saturday the expropriation of a group of iron, aluminum and transportation companies in Venezuela's mining region. Among the expropriated companies is Materiales Siderurgicos, or Matesi, which is the Venezuelan subsidiary of Luxembourg-based steel maker Tenaris SA. Venezuela's socialist president said in a televised that his government was going to take over Matesi because "we couldn't reach an amicable and reasonable settlement with the owners.""

VEN: Anti-Chavez TV channel removed - January 25, 2010

"Police and supporters of President Hugo Chavez clashed with students in cities across the country Monday during protests over the government forcing an opposition channel off cable TV."

CUB: Eyewitness accounts of healthcare - undated

"One of the greatest fallacies about the so called 'Cuban Revolution' has to do with healthcare. Foreigners who visit Cuba, are fed the official line from Castro's propaganda machine: "All Cubans are now able to receive excellent healthcare, which is also free." But the truth is very different. Castro has built excellent health facilities for the use of foreigners, who pay with hard currency for those services."

VEN: Chavez shutting down radio stations - August 1, 2009

"More than a dozen of 34 radio stations ordered shut by the Venezuelan government went off the air on Saturday, part of President Hugo Chavez's drive to extend his socialist revolution to the media."

VEN: "Freedom of expression must be limited" - July 30, 2009

"Venezuela's top prosecutor insisted Thursday that freedom of expression in Venezuela "must be limited" and proposed legislation that would slap additional restrictions on the country's news media."

HND: Defends its democracy - June 29, 2009

"Hugo Chávez's coalition-building efforts suffered a setback yesterday when the Honduran military sent its president packing for abusing the nation's constitution."

VEN: Chavez to expand nationalizations - June 6, 2009

"A former soldier inspired by Cuba's Fidel Castro, Chavez has made energy nationalization the linchpin in his drive to build his own brand of socialism. He has also taken over assets in telecommunications, power, steel and banking."

Europe

NLD: Anti-Islam hate speech trial resumes - April 13, 2011

"Wilders, leader of the country's third-largest political party, says he has done nothing wrong by expressing his opinions that Islam is a violent ideology comparable with fascism, and that the Quran should be banned."

GBR: Candidate arrested for burning Koran - April 11, 2011

"Sion Owens, 41, of Bonymaen, Swansea, South Wales, was arrested and charged at the weekend under Section 29 of the Public Order Act."

FRA: Journalist convicted of anti-Muslim hate speech - February 22, 2011

"According to the New York Times, the French court said Zemmour had "gone beyond the permitted bounds of the right to freedom of speech,"..."

European nations seizing private pensions - January 2, 2011

"Hungary, Poland, and three other nations take over citizens' pension money to make up government budget shortfalls."

HUN: Law boosts government control of media - December 21, 2010

"Hungary's parliament passed legislation on Tuesday to tighten government control over news outlets that media watchdogs say is arbitrary and ill-defined."

GBR: Six arrested for burning Korans - September 23, 2010

"Six people have been arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred after videos emerged on the internet apparently showing copies of the Koran being burned."

GBR: 3-year-olds labelled bigots by teachers - September 23, 2010

"Teachers are being forced to report children as young as three to the authorities for using alleged ‘racist’ language, it was claimed last night. Munira Mirza, a senior advisor to London Mayor Boris Johnson, said schools were being made to spy on nursery age youngsters by the Race Relations Act 2000. More than a quarter of a million children have been accused of racism since it became law, she said."

GBR: Surge in Britons exported for trial - August 21, 2010

"The number of people in Britain seized under the controversial "no-evidence-needed" European Arrest Warrant rose by more than 50 per cent last year..."

GBR: Drivers over limit after less than a pint? - June 5, 2010

"Motorists could find themselves over the limit after drinking less than a pint of beer in the most radical reform of drink-drive laws for more than 40 years. An official review, expected to be published within weeks, is expected to recommend bringing Britain into line with most of Europe by slashing the legal limit from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg."

GBR: Preacher arrested for calling homosexuality sin - May 2, 2010

"A Christian street preacher was arrested and locked in a cell for telling a passer-by that homosexuality is a sin in the eyes of God."

GBR: Great-grandmother arrested for selling goldfish - April 1, 2010

"Her offence was to unwittingly sell a goldfish to a 14-year-old boy taking part in a trading standards 'sting'. At most, pet shop owner Joan Higgins, 66, expected a slap on the wrist for breaking new animal welfare laws which ban the sale of pets to under-16s. Instead, the great-grandmother was taken to court, fined £1,000, placed under curfew - and ordered to wear an electronic tag for two months."

NLD: Lawmaker on trial for views on Islam - February 4, 2010

"Geert Wilders, accused of discrimination and inciting hatred, says his trial is about the right of Europeans to speak what they believe to be the truth about Islam."

ITA: Outrage at ruling against crucifixes - November 3, 2009

"Italians reacted with outrage on Tuesday after a European court ruled that displaying crucifixes in the country's schools violated the principle of secular education."

GBR: Parents banned from watching their children - October 28, 2009

"Parents are being banned from playing with their children in council recreation areas because they have not been vetted by police. Mothers and fathers are being forced to watch their children from outside perimeter fences because of fears they could be paedophiles."

GBR: Grandmother expresses opinion, visited by police - October 26, 2009

"After witnessing a gay pride march, committed Christian Pauline Howe wrote to the council to complain that the event had been allowed to go ahead. But instead of a simple acknowledgement, she received a letter warning her she might be guilty of a hate crime and that the matter had been passed to police. Two officers later turned up at the frightened grandmother's home..."

SWE: Democrat reported for 'hate speech' - October 20, 2009

"An opinion piece by Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson in which he labels Muslims a major threat has been reported to Sweden's highest legal official by the Centre Against Racism (Centrum Mot Rasism). The anti-racism organization called on the Chancellor of Justice (Justitiekanslern - JK) to examine whether claims made by the head of the far-right party were tantamount to agitation against an ethnic group..."

GBR: Savage targeted by bureaucrats to balance list - July 25, 2009

"Emails written by Home Office officials privately acknowledged the ban on Mr Savage would provide 'balance' to a list dominated by Muslims - and linked the decision to Gordon Brown and Foreign Secretary David Miliband. The officials admitted their action could look 'duplicitous' and cited his 'homophobia' as a reason the move would receive public support."

GBR: Britain's war on Michael Savage - May, 2009

"The British government’s recent blacklisting of conservative talk-radio host, Michael Savage, is an ominous sign—and should be of deep concern to all Americans, regardless of their political leanings. It reflects British society’s surrender not only to the forces of political correctness, but Islamist intimidation."

GBR: Thought police muscle up in Britain - April 21, 2009

"BRITAIN appears to be evolving into the first modern soft totalitarian state. As a sometime teacher of political science and international law, I do not use the term totalitarian loosely. There are no concentration camps or gulags but there are thought police with unprecedented powers to dictate ways of thinking and sniff out heresy, and there can be harsh punishments for dissent."

Middle East

SAU: Ethiopians arrested for being Christian - February 21, 2013

"Saudi Arabia’s notorious religious police, known as the mutawa, swooped in on a private gathering of at least 53 Ethiopian Christians this month, shutting down their private prayer, and arresting the peaceful group of foreign workers for merely practicing their faith... The mixed group of men and women was seized in a private residence in the city of Dammam..."

PSE: Officials take TV political satire off the air - August 17, 2011

"After 16 episodes, the attorney general decide to take action and issued an order shutting down the show, claiming it had offensive language and insulted senior officials. Whether that was within his authority remains to be decided, but the decision was made and Palestine TV pulled the plug on the show."

SYR: Dozens killed in bloodiest day of uprising - April 22, 2011

"Syrian security forces fired bullets and tear gas Friday at tens of thousands of protesters across the country, killing at least 75 people in the bloodiest day of the monthlong uprising and signaling that the authoritarian regime was prepared to turn more ruthless to put down the revolt against President Bashar Assad."

IRN: Dogs are latest enemies - April 19, 2011

"Lawmakers in Tehran have recently proposed a bill in parliament that would criminalize dog ownership, formally enshrining its punishment within the country's Islamic penal code."

ARE: Briton 'beaten to death' by police - April 14, 2011

"A British tourist was beaten to death by officers in a Dubai police station after being arrested for swearing..."

IRN: Lawmakers want execution of opposition - February 15, 2011

"Iranian lawmakers urged the judiciary on Tuesday to hand out death penalties to opposition leaders for fomenting unrest in the Islamic state after a rally in which one person was killed and dozens were wounded, state media said."

EGY: Egypt leaves the Internet - January 27, 2011

"Confirming what a few have reported this evening: in an action unprecedented in Internet history, the Egyptian government appears to have ordered service providers to shut down all international connections to the Internet."

SAU: News bloggers must obtain licenses - January 12, 2011

"Saudi Arabia has enacted stringent new regulations forcing some bloggers to obtain government licenses and to strongarm others into registering. In addition, all Saudi news blogs and electronic news sites will now be strictly licensed, required to “include the call to the religion of Islam” and to strictly abide by Islamic sharia law."

EGY: Blogger released after 4 years in jail - November 17, 2010

"An Egyptian blogger has been released after serving four years in prison on charges of insulting Islam and the president..."

IRN: Whistleblower poisoned - December 2, 2009

"A 26-year-old doctor who exposed the torture of jailed protesters in Iran died of poisoning from a delivery salad laced with an overdose of blood pressure medication, prosecutors say. The findings fueled opposition fears that he was killed because of what he knew."

IRN: Prisoners savagely raped after protests - August 10, 2009

"Mr Karroubi posted a copy of his letter on his website on Sunday. "A number of detainees have said that some female detainees have been raped savagely," he wrote. "Young boys held in detention have also been savagely raped. The young boys are suffering from depression and serious physical and mental damage.""

IRN: Abusing and killing dissenters - July 28, 2009

"The accounts of prison abuse in Iran’s postelection crackdown — relayed by relatives and on opposition Web sites — have set off growing outrage among Iranians, including some prominent conservatives. More bruised corpses have been returned to families in recent days, and some hospital officials have told human rights workers that they have seen evidence that well over 100 protesters have died since the vote."

IRN: Appoints torturer to interrogate demonstrators - June 25, 2009

"The Iranian regime has appointed one of its most feared prosecutors to interrogate reformists arrested during demonstrations, prompting fears of a brutal crackdown against dissent."

IRN: Police use tear gas, clubs to crush protest - June 24, 2009

"A flood of security forces using tear gas and clubs quickly overwhelmed a small group of rock-throwing protesters near Iran's parliament Wednesday, and the country's supreme leader said the outcome of the disputed presidential election will stand - the latest signs of the government's growing confidence in quelling unrest on the streets."

IRN: Neda Soltan's family 'forced out of home' - June 24, 2009

"The Iranian authorities have ordered the family of Neda Agha Soltan out of their Tehran home after shocking images of her death were circulated around the world."

IRN: Government kills son, then charges for bullet - June 23, 2009

"Upon learning of his son's death, the elder Mr. Alipour was told the family had to pay an equivalent of $3,000 as a "bullet fee"—a fee for the bullet used by security forces—before taking the body back..."

United States & Canada

Prisons are rape factories - July 2011

"The U.S. Department of Justice recently released its first-ever estimate of the number of inmates who are sexually abused in America each year. According to the department’s data, which are based on nationwide surveys of prison and jail inmates as well as young people in juvenile detention centers, at least 216,600 inmates were victimized in 2008 alone. Contrary to popular belief, most of the perpetrators were not other prisoners but staff members—corrections officials whose job it is to keep inmates safe. On average, each victim was abused between three and five times over the course of the year. The vast majority were too fearful of reprisals to seek help or file a formal complaint."

Feds sting Amish farmer for selling raw milk - April 28, 2011

"A yearlong sting operation, including aliases, a 5 a.m. surprise inspection and surreptitious purchases from an Amish farm in Pennsylvania, culminated in the federal government announcing this week that it has gone to court to stop Rainbow Acres Farm from selling its contraband to willing customers in the Washington area."

Homeland Security confiscates Easter eggs - April 24, 2011

"Late last night, crossing the Quebec/Vermont border, my children had two boxes of “Kinder Eggs” confiscated by Customs & Border Protection. Don’t worry, it’s for their own safety. I had no idea that the United States is the only nation on the planet (well, okay, excepting North Korea and Saudi Arabia and one or two others) to ban Kinder Eggs."

Feds move to oust drug company chief - April 22, 2011

"...some experts, who point out that Solomon was never charged with a crime, question whether regulators have overreached, bypassing the court system in favor of banishing drug company executives without having to prove a case against them."

Comic fined $15,000 for hate speech - April 21, 2011

"A Canadian comic has been ordered to pay CA$15,000 (US$15,745) to a woman he taunted along with her same-sex partner during a show in a Vancouver restaurant three years ago..."

Michigan cops search cells during traffic stops - April 19, 2011

"The Michigan State Police have a high-tech mobile forensics device that can be used to extract information from cell phones belonging to motorists stopped for minor traffic violations. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan last Wednesday demanded that state officials stop stonewalling freedom of information requests for information on the program."

SWAT attacks home school mom - April 14, 2011

"Detroit mother Maryanne Godboldo faces multiple felony charges and is being held on $500,000 bond after a 10-hour standoff with a heavily armed police SWAT team. Godboldo was protecting her 13-year-old daughter from unnecessary medication ordered by the state." [More here.]

Coin creator convicted in federal court - March 19, 2011

"The leader of a group that marketed a fake currency called Liberty Dollars in the Asheville area and elsewhere has been found guilty by a federal jury of conspiracy against the government in a case of “domestic terrorism.”" [More here.]

Feds spying on citizens for political reasons - February 8, 2011

"The police are watching you. If you're the wrong religion, they'll spy on your every move. If you voice the wrong political opinions they'll be watching you. According to Mike German, a 16-year veteran with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations, this is happening right in the U.S."

Girl in coma handed jaywalking ticket - January 6, 2011

"The mother of a 13-year-old left in a coma after a car accident was stunned to be handed a citation by police for their daughter jaywalking."

Californians getting 725 new laws in 2011 - January 2, 2011

"Californians will welcome 725 new laws on Jan. 1. Here's a glance at some of the laws taking effect when you ring in the new year:"

Federal Reserve waging war on Christmas - December 27, 2010

"Various outlets have reported throughout December that regulators from the Federal Reserve told privately-owned banks that they can’t have Christmas displays."

Was Prohibition repealed? - December 6, 2010

"This Sunday, December 5, many people will raise their glasses and celebrate Repeal Day — the anniversary of the end of Prohibition, a day when Americans regained a measure of individual freedom. However, some recent actions by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggest that aspects of Prohibition linger on nearly 80 years after the passage of the 21st Amendment. As a result, consumers are witnessing a dwindling variety of products and entrepreneurs are seeing their dreams and businesses washed down the drain."

CNN reporter put on TSA watch list - December 3, 2010

"In light of new reports alleging that the TSA is creating a watch list of individuals who criticized the agency as a form of collective punishment, it’s revealing to note that CNN journalist Drew Griffin was also put on a TSA watch list immediately after he filed reports critical of the organization back in 2008."

NJ man serving 7 years for guns he legally owned - November 30, 2010

"Sue Aitken, a trained social worker, decided to play it safe and called police, but she hung up before the 9-1-1 dispatcher could answer. Police traced the call and showed up anyway, and found two handguns in the trunk of Brian's car. And now Brian, her middle child, a graduate student with no prior criminal record, is serving a seven-year prison sentence for weapons charges."

Woman charged for wanting Christian roommate - October 25, 2010

"A woman who posted an ad seeking a Christian roommate on her church bulletin board is being accused of violating the Fair Housing Act."

Feds radiating us at internal checkpoints - September 29, 2010

"As we reported last month, the federal government has acquired hundreds of backscatter x-ray scanners mounted in vans that they are now using to randomly scan vehicles, passengers and homes in complete violation of the 4th amendment and with wanton disregard for any health consequences."

Government eying private retirement funds - September 14, 2010

"Is the government making plans to confiscate your retirement money? The Obama administration is certainly exploring the idea."

Police still harassing citizens who videotape - September 13, 2010

"A number of cases show how police continue to misunderstand citizens’ rights to record their behavior, and they’re now neatly compiled into a video from the Cato Institute."

County sues farmer for too many crops - September 12, 2010

"DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- DeKalb County is suing a local farmer for growing too many vegetables, but he said he will fight the charges in the ongoing battle neighbors call “Cabbagegate.”"

Man arrested for defending his home - September 7, 2010

"Grier said the five men dared him to use the gun; and that their shouts brought another larger group of gang members in front of his house. “He starts threatening my family, my life. ‘Oh you’re dead. I’m gonna kill your family and your babies. You’re dead.’ So when he says that, 20 others guys come rushing around the corner. And so I fired four warning shots into the grass,” Grier said."

Philly makes bloggers pay $300 for license - August 21, 2010

"It looks like cash hungry local governments are getting awfully rapacious these days: Between her blog and infrequent contributions to ehow.com, over the last few years she says she’s made about $50. To [Marilyn] Bess, her website is a hobby. To the city of Philadelphia, it’s a potential moneymaker, and the city wants its cut. In May, the city sent Bess a letter demanding that she pay $300, the price of a business privilege license."

Should videotaping police be a crime? - August 4, 2010

"Anthony Graber, a Maryland Air National Guard staff sergeant, faces up to 16 years in prison. His crime? He videotaped his March encounter with a state trooper who pulled him over for speeding on a motorcycle. Then Graber put the video — which could put the officer in a bad light — up on YouTube."

Court upholds expulsion of counseling student - July 28, 2010

"A federal judge has ruled in favor of a public university that removed a Christian student from its graduate program in school counseling over her belief that homosexuality is morally wrong. Monday's ruling, according to Julea Ward's attorneys, could result in Christian students across the country being expelled from public university for similar views."

Beware if you make an FOIA request - July 23, 2010

"Most disturbingly, the requesters themselves became targets of government investigation. FOIA documents are intended by law to be freely accessible to all American citizens upon request. The intent of the law is subverted if one becomes too intimidated to ask for the information due to the potential for government retribution."

Growing no. of prosecutions for taping police - July 19, 2010

"In early April, state police officers raided Graber's parents' home in Abingdon, Md. They confiscated his camera, computers and external hard drives. Graber was indicted for allegedly violating state wiretap laws by recording the trooper without his consent."

‘Don’t Taze My Granny!’ - June 25, 2010

"Understandably alarmed — and probably more than a little disgusted — by the presence of uninvited armed strangers in her home, Lona ordered them to leave. This directive, issued by a fragile female octogenarian confined to a hospital-style bed and tethered to an oxygen tank, was interpreted as “aggressive” behavior by Officer Thomas Duran, who ordered one of his associates : “Taser her!”"

EPA classifies milk as oil, forcing costly rules - June 24, 2010

"Having watched the oil gushing in the Gulf of Mexico, dairy farmer Frank Konkel has a hard time seeing how spilled milk can be labeled the same kind of environmental hazard. But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is classifying milk as oil because it contains a percentage of animal fat, which is a non-petroleum oil. The Hesperia farmer and others would be required to develop and implement spill prevention plans for milk storage tanks."

The government has your baby's DNA - February 4, 2010

"Newborn babies in the United States are routinely screened for a panel of genetic diseases. Since the testing is mandated by the government, it's often done without the parents' consent, according to Brad Therrell, director of the National Newborn Screening & Genetics Resource Center."

School says mom & son can't bike to school - October 3, 2009

"A New York mother is fighting back against her school district after administrators and officials told her she and her son didn't have the right to bike to school together — and that his safety, even beyond school walls, was out of her hands."

Forida city outlaws walking/bicycling to school - September 29, 2009

"The biking debate started last spring, when school district officials told Kaddo Marino that Adam was violating school rules by biking to class. Walking to the school also is not permitted."

Michigan outlaws babysitting - September 25, 2009

"Snyder said she started watching the other children this school year to help her friends; they often baby-sit for each other during evenings and weekends. After receiving the state agency's letter, she said she called the agency and tried to explain that she wasn't running a day care center or accepting money from her friends."

The feds' attack on freedom of speech - September 21, 2009

"The government is investigating a major insurance company for allegedly trying to scare seniors with a mailer warning they could lose important benefits under health care legislation in Congress... In a warning letter to Humana, HHS said the government is concerned that the mailer "is misleading and confusing" partly because the company's lobbying campaign could be mistaken for an official communication about Medicare benefits. HHS ordered the company to immediately halt any such mailings, and remove any related materials from its Web site. In the letter, the government also said it may take other action against Humana, which is based in Louisville, Ky."

Are bathtub photos pornography? - September 21, 2009

"Child Protective Services searched the Demaree home and took custody of the children for a month while the state investigated."

Girl required to take Gardasil vaccine - September 11, 2009

"Immigration law mandates that Simone get the vaccine to protect against the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus, which has been linked to cervical cancer. But Simone, who has taken a virginity pledge and is not sexually active, doesn't see why she should have to take the vaccine, especially since it's been under fire recently regarding its safety."

Grandmother arrested for buying medicine - September 3, 2009

"When Sally Harpold bought cold medicine for her family back in March, she never dreamed that four months later she would end up in handcuffs. Now, Harpold is trying to clear her name of criminal charges, and she is speaking out in hopes that a law will change so others won’t endure the same embarrassment she still is facing."

FBI trained NJ blogger to incite others - August 18, 2009

""His job was basically to publish information which would cause other parties to act in a manner which would lead to their arrest," Orozco said. Prosecutors have acknowledged that Turner was an informant who spied on radical right-wing organizations..."

Toledo tickets residents in their own driveways - June 15, 2009

"It was learned over the weekend that Susan Frederick, acting commissioner with streets, bridges and harbor, fined several motorists for parking in their driveways on Holland-Sylvania near Dorr Street."

Federal Reserve to get more power - June 15, 2009

"The Federal Reserve is set to get the power to unwind and shut down large institutions as the FDIC currently has for more plain vanilla banks."

IRS target: cellphones - June 12, 2009

"The Internal Revenue Service proposed employers assign 25% of an employee's annual phone expenses as a taxable benefit."

Feds freeze poker winnings - June 11, 2009

"What David, a 41-year-old from Virginia who spoke on the condition that ABC News use only his first name, initially thought was a glitch turned out to be part of an unprecedented government crackdown on online poker that affected some 27,000 people. Late last week, the federal government ordered five banks to freeze a total of $30 million in payments owed to the players from companies that process payments from two offshore gambling sites..."

San Francisco imposes fines for not composting - June 11, 2009

"Trash collectors in San Francisco will soon be doing more than just gathering garbage: They'll be keeping an eye out for people who toss food scraps out with their rubbish."

Analysis of new tobacco regulation - June 10, 2009

"It's easy to understand why Philip Morris supported this bill. The market leader can expect to benefit from the limits on advertising and promotion, the regulatory burden on smaller competitors, and the ban on every "characterizing" flavor except the one it happens to use..."

Video of Texas grandmother being tased - June 8, 2009

"Dash cam video has been released to FOX 7 showing exactly what happened between a Constable's deputy and a 72-year-old woman, before she was tasered last month."

FDIC restricts interest rates at weak banks - May 29, 2009

"U.S. banks that are struggling to stay afloat will not be allowed to aggressively ratchet up interest rates to attract customer money, a top bank regulator said on Friday."

16-year-old arrested and held with no due process - April 29, 2009

"Around 10 p.m. on March 5, Lundeby said, armed FBI agents along with three local law enforcement officers stormed her home looking for her son. They handcuffed him and presented her with a search warrant."

SWAT raid on food co-op - December 26, 2008

"...police officers used SWAT-style tactics to burst into the home, hold family members including children at gunpoint and confiscate the family's personal food supply."

Worldwide

Freedom in decline worldwide - January 13, 2011

"Global freedom declined for a fifth straight year in 2010 as authoritarian regimes dug in worldwide and crime and unrest plagued democracies like Mexico, a US watchdog said Thursday."

Democracy threatened by new authoritarianism - June 4, 2009

"China, Iran, Russia and Venezuela form a clique of authoritarian states that use their wealth and influence to undermine global democracy and rule of law, a study by U.S.-funded agencies said on Thursday."