FBI and Oregon Police Killed a Political Dissident – by Tim Baldwin

Tim Baldwin is a son of Chuck Baldwin, and I know him personally. We don’t always agree, but this time I think he got it right BIG TIME.

As an introduction to my thoughts on Lavoy Finnicum’s killing in Burns, Oregon, consider my article published in the Flathead Beacon‘s Two For Thought weekly Opinion section:

The FBI and Oregon police killed a rancher, Lavoy Finicum, last week. Lavoy joined Ammon Bundy, among others, for three weeks in occupying a refuge on public lands in Burns. Like many Americans, the occupiers believed BLM had been long abusing power. Police released one video of the incident (but not other pertinent surveillance). Was this killing lawful? 

Under the Fourth Amendment, police who use deadly force have a burden to prove their actions were objectively reasonable in light of the facts and circumstances confronting them based on the totality of the circumstances.

Regardless of  one’s view of the occupation, the video raises issues regarding police’ actions: (1) Why block the highway in nowhere-ville? (2) Why use snipers and a dozen-plus officers? (3) Why not use spike strips to stop him? (4) When exactly was Lavoy likely to harm police?—when shot, Lavoy was facing no police, could barely walk in deep snow and held no gun. (5) Lavoy had not just committed a dangerous felony and fleeing therefrom. (6) Police had prior opportunities to serve an arrest warrant in a safe manner. (7) Why immediately rush Lavoy and spark conflict rather than contain the area and determine his actions?

The occupiers did not convince the greater part of society to aid them, given their seeming “state of war” approach. Still, if our laws can condemn Lavoy, they can also condemn police.

In fairness, there are some who are not normally forgiving to government abuse but believe police were justified in killing Lavoy: one such notable viewpoint on this incident is my dad, Chuck Baldwin. I, on the other hand, believe the video suggests that police were not justified in killing Lavoy when they did–even assuming he had a pistol inside his jacket and was reaching for it.

Read the rest on Tim’s website here:

http://libertydefenseleague.com/Articles/tabid/524/ID/1528/FBI-and-Oregon-Police-Killed-a-Political-Dissident.aspx

JOURNALISM GONE BAD: THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER

Attorney Tim Baldwin exposes the Southern Poverty Law Center for who they really are.

http://www.newswithviews.com/Timothy/baldwin176.htm

If you do not know of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and their more than questionable tactics, allow me to give you a glimpse of their bias and hate agenda in light of its recent article against me and others.

SPLC Tactics

The SPLC has a mission to destroy any person who attempts to (re)implement the principles of the U.S. Constitution as portrayed by America’s founding generation. They attempt to accomplish this by using rhetoric of hysteria. They use guilt-by-association logic and attempt to paint with very broad and fuzzy brushes. Reason.com agrees on this point.

SPLC never defines the terms it uses; it only uses them to ridicule, denigrate, and marginalize, hoping the public will discredit those people SPLC demeans before the public has a chance to listen to the substance of what SPLC’s targets are saying.

SPLC’s use of logical formula is as liberal and unbounded as their idea of the federal government’s power over the States and individuals. (How, then, does SPLC and the Department of Homeland Security get along so well?)

Read the entire article here:
http://www.newswithviews.com/Timothy/baldwin176.htm

Is the Constitution Dead? Did it ever "Create Freedom"?

These provacative questions are at the heart of the problems our country faces today.

A recent series of articles by Tim Baldwin shows what must be done, and why, to restore freedom.
“Those who refuse to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”
George Santayana

Read the articles starting at the top here:
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/article.php?author=67

Tim Baldwin is an attorney who received his Juris Doctor degree from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He is a former felony prosecutor for the Florida State Attorney’s Office and now owns his own private law practice. He is author of a soon-to-be-published new book, entitled FREEDOM FOR A CHANGE. Tim is also one of America’s foremost defenders of State sovereignty.
See his blog here:  http://libertydefenseleague.com/liberty/