Sunday Morning Wake-up Call host Rick Moore talks with Rutherford Institute attorney John Whitehead about the importance of free speech in modern society and how Americans must defend it or risk losing it. Topics include: A review of the police action during the July 8th KKK rally in Charlottesville and how police forfeiture practices hurt low income families. Also, Whitehead’s newest book Battlefield America: The War On The American People is discussed.
The Sunday Morning Wake-up Call is heard on 94.7 WPVC the Progressive Voice of Charlottesville, Sundays from 11 a.m. to noon.
John Whitehead speaking at the Senior Center in Charlottesville.
John Whitehead is a Charlottesville-based attorney and author who has written, debated, and practiced widely in the area of constitutional law. A prominent leader in the national dialogue on civil liberties and human rights and a formidable champion of the Constitution, Whitehead’s concern for the persecuted and oppressed led him in 1982 to establish The Rutherford Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the defense of civil liberties and human rights.
Whitehead explored the many ways in which our freedoms and privacy rights have been eroded in recent years as documented in his new book, A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State. Whitehead’s book paints a chilling portrait of a nation in the final stages of transformation into a police state, complete with surveillance cameras, drug-sniffing dogs, SWAT team raids, roadside strip searches, blood draws at DUI checkpoints, mosquito drones, tasers, privatized prisons, GPS tracking devices, zero tolerance policies, over-criminalization, and free speech zones. It also reveals the inner workings of an increasingly pervasive surveillance state, including the NSAs program to track the communications of all Americans and map the daily activities of all people in the United States. As nationally syndicated columnist Nat Hentoff observed about Whitehead: John Whitehead is not only one of the nation’s most consistent and persistent civil libertarians, he is also a remarkably perceptive illustrator of our popular culture, its in-sights and dangers.
Mr. Whitehead spoke at the Wednesday, January 8, 2014 meeting of the Senior Statesmen of Virginia. The meeting was held at the Senior Center in Charlottesville. Following the presentation, questions were taken from the audience. The program was moderated by SSV board member Charles Smith.
2.22.11 Founder and President of The Rutherford Institute John Whitehead joins Coy to discuss the story of a young man who recently committed suicide after being expelled from school. Whitehead is representing the family of the Fairfax County boy, Nick Stuban, whose punishment arose from the purchasing of one tablet of a legal drug. The Rutherford Institute is now calling for the school system to rethink its current drug policy.
2.9.11 Founder and President of The Rutherford Institute John Whitehead joins Coy to discuss the Patriot Act. Today on Charlottesville Right Now, Whitehead poses the question: Are our schools becoming police states? He tells some fascinating stories about students who have been expelled from school for ridiculous reasons, including one boy dismissed for drawing a picture of his military uncle in action and another boy thrown out for bringing a LEGO police officer to class because the officer’s miniature plastic gun was judged to be a violent weapon. Also, be sure to check out The View -that’s right, The View– next Tuesday morning when Whitehead will be a featured guest on Oprah’s television program.
1.18.11 Founder and President of the Rutherford Institute John Whitehead joins Coy to discuss the Obama administration’s proposal for internet control. Whitehead points out what he views to be a number of flaws with regard to individual privacy in the “Identity Ecosystem” program. Also included is a breaking news update regarding the Aaron Tobey case. Tobey is the college student and Albemarle County native who was recently arrested at Richmond International Airport for writing the 4th Amendment across his chest in protest of the full-body scanners, and the Rutherford Institute is announcing today that they will sue on his behalf. The conversation also touches in on the latest red light camera news.
1.14.11 Founder and President of the Rutherford Institute John Whitehead joins Coy to discuss the red-light camera citations. Whitehead had the opportunity to view the video tapes from the cameras installed on Rio Road, and he did not like what he saw. Today’s conversation breaks down the statistics from tickets issued, percentage of those tickets issued because of right turns on read, and the amount of revenue brought in from the resulting fines. As always, Whitehead encourages you to give him a call at the Rutherford Institute if issued one of these aforementioned citations at [(434)978-3888].
1.10.11 Founder and President of the Rutherford Institute John Whitehead joins Coy with an update on the Aaron Tobey case. Whitehead is representing the college student who took off his shirt in Richmond International Airport to display part of the 4th Amendment from the US Constitution written across his chest. The charges of disorderly conduct have been dropped, and now Whitehead is looking into a lawsuit for false arrest after Tobey was interrogated for over 90 minutes by airport security. Also, the conversation touches on the Gabrielle Giffords shooting.
1.7.11 Attorney, Author, and President of the Rutherford Institute John Whitehead joins Coy to discuss the college student recently arrested at Richmond International Airport. Whitehead recounts the story of Aaron Tobey’s arrest on charges of disorderly conduct after he took of his shirt to display the text of the 4th Amendment written across his chest. Tobey was respectfully protesting, but he was nevertheless questioned by officers for over 90 minutes at the airport for possible terrorism affiliation, and Whitehead has chosen to stand up for the University of Cincinnati student by taking on his case.
12.8.10 Founder and President of the Rutherford Institute John Whitehead joins Coy to continue their discussion of the TSA full-body scanners. The Rutherford Institute recently filed a Fourth Amendment lawsuit against Janet Napolitano in Federal Court on behalf of three passengers subjected to invasive body searches by TSA agents, and Whitehead sounds off about the extremes to which these new safety methods are being taken. Topics also touched on include what Robert Hurt is doing with his money, plus the latest happenings at the Federal level from Washington, DC, and the latest on the Wiki-leaks scandal. As always, Whitehead encourages you to call him up at the Rutherford Institute [(434) 978-3888] if you receive a citation or ticket from the red-light camera.
12.2.10 Founder and President of the Rutherford Institute John Whitehead joins Coy to discuss “cyber bullying.” A lawyer and author, Mr. Whitehead recently wrote a letter to Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli attacking his recent opinion that teachers should be allowed to search students’ electronic devices. Is Cuccinelli’s idea a breach of the 4th Amendment?
11.17.10 Founder and President of the Rutherford InstituteJohn Whitehead joins Coy to re-open their conversations about airport security and the red-light cameras. Whitehead is fired up about TSA searches getting out of hand, and he also invites all victims of the Rio Road red-light fines to give the Rutherford Institute a call.
11.11.10 Attorney and author John W. Whitehead from The Rutherford Institute joins Coy to discuss his new book The Freedom Wars: What You Can Do to Preserve Your Rights. Whitehead is one of the foremost national proponents of constitutional and civil liberties, and he talks with Coy about recent instances of civil rights are being violated. The new release addresses the ways in which Americans can protect themselves against the emerging electronic surveillance state.
