Thread: Arkansas Under Martial Law!

This is a 24hour curfew. Not just at night. Folks no insulting eachother here. Use due diligence and fact gathering.

Ark. city neighborhood under 24-hour curfew

Associated Press - August 10, 2008 8:34 PM ET

HELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark. (AP) - Helena-West Helena Mayor James Valley says he ordered a round-the-clock curfew and heavy police patrol in a ten-block section of town because the neighborhood was "under siege with repeated gunfire, loitering, drug dealing and other general mayhem."

Valley ordered the emergency curfew Thursday, effective immediately. It was still in place today. He said it would remain in place as long as the problems persist or until the city council can come up with a long-term plan at its August 19th meeting.

Thursday night, 18 to 20 police officers carrying M-16 rifles, shotguns and night-vision scopes patrolled the "curfew zone." They arrested about eight people and confiscated drugs and loaded weapons.

Under Valley's order, officers do not tolerate loitering or "hanging out." Officers can stop and investigate all foot traffic, bicycle, horseback, mo-ped, motorcycle, riding mower, golf cart or other means of transportation.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas says the curfew is "blatantly unconstitutional" and has demanded that Valley lift the order immediately.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.wxvt.com/Global/story.asp?S= ... menu1344_2

Originally Posted by jp_48504

Ark. city neighborhood under 24-hour curfew

Associated Press - August 10, 2008 8:34 PM ET

HELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark. (AP) - Helena-West Helena Mayor James Valley says he ordered a round-the-clock curfew and heavy police patrol in a ten-block section of town because the neighborhood was "under siege with repeated gunfire, loitering, drug dealing and other general mayhem."

Valley ordered the emergency curfew Thursday, effective immediately. It was still in place today. He said it would remain in place as long as the problems persist or until the city council can come up with a long-term plan at its August 19th meeting.

Thursday night, 18 to 20 police officers carrying M-16 rifles, shotguns and night-vision scopes patrolled the "curfew zone." They arrested about eight people and confiscated drugs and loaded weapons.

Under Valley's order, officers do not tolerate loitering or "hanging out." Officers can stop and investigate all foot traffic, bicycle, horseback, mo-ped, motorcycle, riding mower, golf cart or other means of transportation.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas says the curfew is "blatantly unconstitutional" and has demanded that Valley lift the order immediately.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.wxvt.com/Global/story.asp?S= ... menu1344_2

ACLU opposes law and order of any kind. It is blatantly pro-criminal.

I think in view of the crime and violence in this 10 block area, the mayor has done the only thing he could to get the situation under control.

I don't remember this my hysteria when when they have curfews in other cities. And curfews are not that infrequent. You can't allow criminal free rein in an area.

24 hour curfew in a high crime area does not cut it. People have jobs in high crime areas, people need to go to the store, people need to go to the doctor, pharmacy, people even visit there freinds in high crime areas.

Locking people in their homes 24 hours a day is unacceptable. Thats not living that is being jailed and that is tyranny at its finest.

The city could invest in that area and clean it up. There are better ways to stop crimes then forcing people to stay in their homes. They aren't even allowed to go out and get food without being harassed.

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
Benjamin Franklin

Originally Posted by jp_48504

24 hour curfew in a high crime area does not cut it. People have jobs in high crime areas, people need to go to the store, people need to go to the doctor, pharmacy, people even visit there freinds in high crime areas.

Locking people in their homes 24 hours a day is unacceptable. Thats not living that is being jailed and that is tyranny at its finest.

The city could invest in that area and clean it up. There are better ways to stop crimes then forcing people to stay in their homes. They aren't even allowed to go out and get food without being harassed.

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
Benjamin Franklin

I guess you are not familiar with how curfew works or you would not be writing such nonsense.

Curfews do NOT stop you going to your job, or pharmacy, or shoping etc.
They are aimed at people loitering in the streets in groups, cars driving around aimlessly etc. These type of curfews are most aimed at young males and teenages who constitute the major perpetrators of crime.

The police may stop and ask you where you are going etc. but I don't consider that an intrusion. Actually I support a national ID card. Remember in Europe, France especially, you have to have papers on you at all times and can be stopped by the police and asked to produce your papers. I really don't see this as an infringement on my liberty.

I see the police doing their job, and in France, checking for illegals, -- if we had a National ID card it would be much easier to stop people and check for illegal immigrants.

I remember the race riots of the 70's and there were curfews in many cities as the time. I was in NC at the time and I remember there being a curfew and I never felt it infringed on my liberties. I was glad for it and felt safer because of it.

I don't think any of you are speaking from any practical knowledge or even from an understanding of how curfews operate. Frankly people who live in high crime areas tend to stay in most of the time anyway to avoid getting shot.

Judy,
Do not refer to my statements as nonsense. Stick with the facts.

You obviously prefer tyranny over liberty. Good for you.

Communist China has a national id card, lets be like China. Would that make you happy?

Originally Posted by jp_48504

Judy,
Do not refer to my statements as nonsense. Stick with the facts.

You obviously prefer tyranny over liberty. Good for you.

Communist China has a national id card, lets be like China. Would that make you happy?

JP - you act as if a curfew is house arrest. It is not. Do you even know what a curfew is, have you ever lived in a town when one is in effect? Have you ever traveled to France and understand how official papers and National ID Cards work? We are going to have to have a National ID eventually if we are going to control illegal immigrantion and terrorism.

This is a brand new world and our concept of freedom unlimited is going to have to be modified to suit the time in which we live. We can't go back to a 19th Century view of life or even and pre-WW2 view of life -- with globalization and air travel we must go to a national ID and limitations on unbridled "feedom" if we are to control illegal immigration and protection from terrorists.

Freedom is overrated. We don't live in the frontier any more -- so that concept of freedom is gone, -- there must be limitations if we are to have the protection and safety we need.

Many European Countries have National ID carts or Identity Papers - and I think we should have them too. When I lived in France I would occasionally be stopped and asked for my passport or identity paper -- I never found that if infringed on my freedom whatsoever. You have an unrealistic definition of freedom in this day and age.

Originally Posted by SeaTurtle

A curfew for minors is not such a bad idea. But imposing a curfew on legal, law-abiding adults is definitely a step towards a fascist police state!!

Shall we take a poll?

Who believes the election won't happen this year due to martial law being declared and voting put on an indefinite hold?

That is what I have been reading about for a few years now. Bush already closed thousands of military bases and has them all stocked up with food and military personnel. WHY? Also, Canada's military has been added in case of "wartime", but WHEN? I have heard that there will be no election this year. All Bush needs to do is declare Martial Law and our nation will come to a standstill under his authority indefinitely.

Curfews do NOT stop you going to your job, or pharmacy, or shoping etc.
They are aimed at people loitering in the streets in groups, cars driving around aimlessly etc. These type of curfews are most aimed at young males and teenages who constitute the major perpetrators of crime.

I do understand what your saying......and this is where the slope gets slippery. Each and every right we give away for safety or whatever, always goes into something worse. The best way to get people to willingly give them up is to let things get so bad they feel their only solution is to give them away. I admit I go back and forth with it as well. I also know, give them an inch and they take a mile.

Chicago is horrible. Installing cameras was supposed to help. Crime has not decreased 1 iota, but their revenue for minor things has sure increased. They can get a great shot of your license plates but can't identify a shooter.

When I lived in Florida there was the problem with drunk driving....as there is everywhere. We had alot of small bars here and there. They say, don't drive, call a taxi, walk.....just don't drive. So some guy decided to do the right thing and walk home......minding his own business and doing nothing wrong but staggering.....gets busted for public intoxification.

I myself wonder why people are whining about getting shot on their porch at 2 AM. I figure what person in their right mind sits outside at 2 AM with their 7 yr. old kid too boot. I won't go out after dark unless it's absolutly necessary. Guess you could say I have a self imposed martial law.

I know here we have issues of "sound ordinances" and blasting music till the wee AM hours. Nothing is done. Everybody is screaming about their "rights" and "whitey" keeping the Mexicans and Blacks down. Yet here it was a Sunday afternoon.....early Bears game and my husband and I are lively football watchers. We were just hollering at the TV......forgot the windows were open. Game was over for about an hour and I was on the computer and my husband was in the bathroom when knock, knock,,,,,a policeman was at the door. Got a call of "angry voices" and was comming to investigate. He saw nothing was wrong, but refused to leave till he saw my husband......which took a tad longer than the officer thought it should. Saw my husband and then felt the need to "look around" the house. We let him. After-all.....had nothing to hide. But we were treated like criminals for hollering during an early afternoon football game. After all was well.......we were told from now on when we watch football games, to keep the windows closed. We were so embarrassed and finally found out someone, not on our street, was walking their dog and heard loud voices and was concerned. Which is fine. But not a thing can can be done when you get shaken out of your bed at 2 AM with blasting music from 4 blocks away. Something just doesn't sit well when I can't holler for a moment or two during a football game in the early afternoon......but someone can keep me awake all night and they don't have to turn it down, close their windows, or anything else. It's fine to show this cop my identification, but they can't ask a person of color or questionable immigration status? I complied because I had nothing to hide.......God forbid I didn't.

The Romans once had a great empire, and they too limited freedom. Guess what happened? The slaves organized and well the rest is ancient history.

The Communists believe Freedom is overrated as well. Of course you know that because your quote I believe comes from Karl Marx, a Communist

We don't need a national id card to control immigration, we need our laws enforced and our borders secured.

If I remember history well enough, there was someone in World War II who was rightly defeated who thought it a good idea for people to have a special id.