“If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about.”

It’s a line used by the naive. It sounds like it’s supposed to be some moral safeguard, but instead it’s just rooted in ignorance.

NSA leaks come out daily, each more terrifying then the last. But even with that, some will still say that information sharing with NSA and law enforcement is critical during this time in the so-called War on Terror. In fact, some out there do not see information sharing as a problem.

Why would you? It’s to stop terrorism, right?

But information sharing is a major problem. The NSA and DEA have been using information sharing for non-terrorist investigations drug and other common crimes. However, when it comes down to the trial, the source of the information of the investigation is hidden through a parallel investigation tactics. The law enforcement officers may not expose the real source of the evidence and then must recreate a false timeline to show probable cause. They cannot expose the real source because it is classified.

Defendants and their lawyers can’t get this unconstitutional information thrown out, even if they can determine its source, because NSA data gathering is presumed “legal.” These are clear violations of the 5th and 6th Amendment to the Constitution. Also, it is a violation of but Brady vs. Maryland. Favorable evidence to the defense must be disclosed, otherwise the government is cherry-picking which evidence may be included to get a favorable conviction.

So, this tool specifically used for terrorism is actually being used for crimes other than terrorism and outside of jurisdiction of the feds. Why?

We could look at this from a financial standpoint. Terrorism cases make up less than 1 percent of prosecutions. Drug related crimes make up 20 percent. The prison system is a lucrative business, not to mention the millions to be made in asset forfeiture.

It has been shown, that most people accused of drug crimes will plead guilty to get a leaner sentence. Little did they know, they would have had a better defense if they went through with the trial and demanded disclosure of the source of evidence against them.

So, do you think the NSA is doing this information sharing with local and state fusion centers?

According to DHS whole point of the fusion center is to share information with fed, state and local authorities.

Let’s look at another thing that the federal courts are in favor of with the NSA. Communication data, of any kind, can be used as evidence through a “three hops tactic” linking people to a suspected terrorist. It’s kind of like six degrees of Kevin Bacon, but on a terrifying level.

The Atlantic Wire breaks it down this way,

Think of it this way. Let’s say the government suspects you are a terrorist and it has access to your Facebook account. If you’re an American citizen, it can’t do that currently (with certain exceptions)—but for the sake of argument. So all of your friends, that’s one hop. Your friends’ friends, whether you know them or not—two hops. Your friends’ friends’ friends, whoever they happen to be, are that third hop. That’s a massive group of people that the NSA apparently considers fair game.

So, if the NSA is sharing intelligence tips to the DEA on drug crimes, what other state and local crimes will this then be used for?

Let’s face it; it’s a tool to help budget issues. We all know cops are under a quota system and they must always pull over more and more people to help make sure they get funding for next year. If you are always expected, year after year, to be increasing your numbers, then after awhile, a cop isn’t being tough on crime. He’s just making stuff up to meet a quota. Cops are not making a product to be sold, and the expectations for them to always have a higher rate of jailing someone is not only obscene, but unrealistic.

We have a dual sovereignty check for a reason. The states need to finally say, enough is enough, and not be blinded under this fear of terrorism the feds keep saying is running rampant. Terrorism makes up less than 1 percent of all crimes, and if the Patriot Act didn’t exist that number would probably be lower, since it legitimizes the use of entrapment.

Intelligence sharing will continually be used till one day we no longer have any remnant of privacy.

States that need to say no to the feds. There is no reason for the federal government to be involved in issues that involve the state. These crimes are not under your jurisdiction, and we are not going to lower the bar or do away with the US Constitution or are own State Constitution for that matter.

Information sharing under the guise of terrorism, is a shell game. Not only is the NSA spying on Americans unconstitutional, it’s tricking and subverting the states to do the bidding of a federal government that holds no jurisdiction.

To learn how to stop it, visit OffNow.org.

Kelli Sladick

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