Pastor Steven Anderson: What are you placing me under arrest for?
Officer Mitchell: For failure to obey me right now.
Gary Franchi: Are you living in a constitution-free zone and you don’t even know it? Well federal district judge Edward Korman recently upheld a policy of the Obama administration stripping away many rights to privacy within 100 miles of national borders. Critics say the ruling violates protection against illegal search and seizure protected by the 4th amendment.
RT Newscaster: The searches are allowed to be completely suspicionless and they apply to anyone within a 100 mile radius of the borders. So do you see that red line that’s going around the map? Well if you were within that zone, your cell phone and laptop and other electronic devices can be searched without a cause.
Jakari Jackson: Now tell me about these constitutional-free zones you know because I heard a little bit about this but I saw the report you did it was an excellent report, so give us some more detail on this.
Anthony Gucciardi: It’s amazing that no one is talking about this. The DHS now says it’s above the law, it’s above the constitution, and that 197 million citizens of the United States now live in a Constitution-free zone. What that means is the 4th amendment doesn’t exist and that any time anyone living in these areas can be searched by the Department of Homeland Security.
Next News: The Department of Homeland Security has effectively abolished the 4th amendment's protection against unreasonable search and seizure within 100 miles of the border. The ACLU points out that this zone would include the entire population of Florida, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, and Michigan.
Anthony Gucciardi: We’ll share a graphic provided by the ACLU who is again suing them right now, and you can see the 100 mile zone absorbs Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Houston, this is just from the top of my head (right) and I mean it’s suffocating ….
Newscaster Jakari Jackson: Pretty much it’s the entire State of Florida, the entire state of Florida, yeah.
Anthony Gucciardi: The entire state of Maine, a good portion of Texas we’re at right now I mean Austin barely survives this massive quote unquote border.
Alex Jones: And a lot of people are doing this I’m sure you’ve now noticed the videos are now all over online, all over the country in Washington State, in Vermont, and Minnesota uhh…people will be 100 miles in, 50 miles in, they’re trying to drive to work, you got to drive through a checkpoint, they want to search you, they want you to answer questions, people get sick of it. This isn’t Nazi Germany.
PSA: Well hello thank you for having me here I’m Pastor Steve Anderson of Faithful Word Baptist Church. I want to start out by playing a video of some actual footage from an encounter I had a little less than a year and a half ago, when I was tasered and beaten by the police and thrown in jail for refusing to let them search my trunk. As he cues up the video I’ll just begin to tell the story a little bit. In addition to pastoring the church at that time I also ran a fire alarm business that operated in several states. So I was doing a lot of traveling and I was coming home from a business trip late at night and I was stopped at a random suspicionless border patrol checkpoint and of course it was 75 miles from the border on a highway that goes east to west, basically they wanted me to answer a lot of questions, they wanted to search my vehicle, search the trunk, and I basically asserted my right not to answer questions and not to be searched without a warrant.
-Tazing Incident-
Agent Gomez: Are you a citizen sir?
PSA: Am I free to go?
Agent Gomez: Can you roll down your window sir?
PSA: No sir.
Agent Gomez: Can you roll down your window sir?
PSA: No.
Agent Gomez: Are you a US citizen sir?
PSA: Am I free to go?
Agent Gomez: Are you a US Citizen Sir?
PSA: Am I free go to?
Agent Gomez: You can go ahead and go under that tarp sir.
PSA: Can I go on my way please?
Agent Gomez: Go ahead sir.
PSA: May I go on my way please?
Agent Gomez: Please go under that …
PSA: Can I go please?
Agent Gomez: No sir.
---Later on---
Agent: Sir, you’re being secondaried for a canine alert okay?
PSA: I’d like to go on my way please.
Agent: Right now the dog alerted to your vehicle. And that dog is trained to alert on the odors of hidden people and controlled substances.
PSA: So what crime am I being suspected of right now?
Agent: Having somebody in your trunk or drugs in your car.
PSA: Based on what?
Agent: The Dog’s alert.
---PSA’s Post-jail video---
PSA: And I asked him to tell me what did the dog do to tell you that? Because the dog just walked over, sniffed, and pretty much walked away. And I asked them to bring the dog over a second time and show me and they refused to do it I never saw the dog again. So I sat there for over an hour just waiting for them to let me go, they just held me there, they wouldn’t let me go anywhere, well after a little over an hour the DPS showed up, the Department of Public Safety which is basically the highway patrol of Arizona.
---Later on, PSA’s Tazing Incident---
PSA: Well the DPS has finally arrived, after a little over an hour.
Officer M. “Russ” Jones: Roll your window down a little bit I’m going to talk to you
PSA: No, no thank you, I’m going to leave my window up
Officer M. “Russ” Jones: I’m from the Department of Public Safety, once the canine alerted to your vehicle these agents have every right …
PSA: That’s not what happened, that’s not what happened
Officer M. “Russ” Jones: Yes it is …
PSA: Were you, were you here? How do you know that’s what happened?
Officer M. “Russ” Jones: That’s what they told me.
PSA: No they asked me three questions that I refused to answer, then they started talking about the dog. They acted completely normal before that, no they’re making stuff up, go get the dog over here again. Let’s see the dog over here. Let’s see the dog make the drug dance then. I’d like to see that.
Officer M. “Russ” Jones: You guys want to do that or not?
PSA: Yeah, get the, get the dog out. C’mon, if what they’re saying is really true officer, if what they’re saying is true then the dog will come do the dance again right? Go get the dog.
---PSA’s Post-jail video---
PSA: The DPS officer asked the border patrol if they would get the dog out and they told him no.
---Later on, PSA’s Tazing Incident---
PSA: Where’s the dog, where’s the proof?
Officer M. “Russ” Jones: We’re gonna have to …
PSA: They’re making stuff up, and you won’t even, you won’t even test it right now because you know they’re making it up.
---Commentary---
Dom: Later in court, the prosecution’s expert witness who actually trained the exact dog that was working at the checkpoint that night explained that the dog was trained to alert by sitting down when it smelled the presence of narcotics or concealed humans. After reviewing the surveillance tape from the checkpoint, he confirmed that the dog did not sit down, but that it simply had walked over to the car, sniffed it, and walked away. Therefore, the video evidence demonstrated that the border patrol agents were lying when they said that the dog alerted.
---Later on, PSA’s Tazing Incident---
PSA: I’m not under arrest, I’m not being accused of any crime and yet I’ve been held here for an hour and 15 minutes.
Officer M. “Russ” Jones: Well you can consider yourself under arrest.
PSA: So I’m under arrest?
Officer M. “Russ” Jones: Yeah you are.
PSA: What am I being charged with?
Officer M. “Russ” Jones: Blocking a public thoroughfare.
PSA: I’m not blocking it, I’ve asked repeatedly to go, they are forcing me to be here.
Officer M. “Russ” Jones: Well.
PSA: Yes they are, oh so, oh so I’m free to go?
Officer M. “Russ” Jones: The dog alerted to your vehicle.
PSA: So I’m free to go then if they’re not forcing me to be here?
Officer M. “Russ” Jones: No you’re not, you’re under arrest. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in the law. If you can’t afford an attorney you have the right to have an attorney appointed for you prior to any questioning if you desire. Do you understand your rights? You’re going to come out of the car sooner or later, you might as well make it easier on everybody and come out of there okay?
---Commentary---
Dom: Moments later, a second officer arrived on the scene and continued to demand that Pastor Anderson exit the car, and consent to a search.
---Later on, PSA’s Tazing Incident---
PSA: Let me ask you this: Are you placing me under arrest?
Officer J. Mitchell: You are under arrest.
PSA: What crime, what crime am I being charged with?
Officer J. Mitchell: These guys are telling me that a canine alerted to your vehicle for the presence of …
PSA: And I’ve asked repeatedly for that dog to be brought back out because I say that it didn’t happen, and they are refusing to get the dog back out because they know that they’re not telling the truth.
Officer J. Mitchell: You can do one thing…
PSA: Because I wouldn’t answer their questions that they came up with that.
Officer J. Mitchell: You can get out of the car, or I’m going to take you out of the car.
PSA: Well, let me ask you this: What, when you place someone under arrest, don’t you have to put them under arrest for something specific?
Officer J. Mitchell: I’m a police officer, I’m ordering you out of the car …
PSA: Will you answer my question police officer?
Officer J. Mitchell: Yes, I’m a police officer.
PSA: What are you placing me under arrest for?
Officer J. Mitchell: For failure to obey me right now …
PSA: So I have to obey you by law?
Officer J. Mitchell: Yes you do.
PSA: Even when you’re stopping me without cause?
Agent: Hey, close your eyes. Close your eyes …
---PSA’s Post-jail video---
PSA: A gentleman from the DPS walked over the passenger side of the vehicle and he got out a hammer and some other device and he was kind of tapping on the window for a couple minutes like as if he were you know getting ready to break the window. And he was on the passenger side, I’m all the way over on the driver’s side. Well they told me you know “Cover your eyes because there is going to be glass when we break this window in”. So I put my hands over my face like this and I leaned forward to cover my eyes and at that moment not only did the officer on the passenger side break the window, but another hammer just came from out of nowhere I didn’t see this coming at all, and shattered the window right behind my head I mean 6 inches from my head so both windows shattered in the same instance. I’m like this with my face in my hands and at that moment I’m shot by tasers.
---Later on, PSA’s Tazing Incident---
PSA: [Screaming being tasered]
---PSA’s Commentary---
PSA: The official record from the taser came out, and it showed basically about twenty seconds of tasing. Now a typical taser shot lasts for five seconds if they just pull the trigger and shoot somebody with the taser. 5 seconds. This was 20 seconds, okay. Two different occurrences I think the first one was for 13 seconds straight, and then the DPS officer’s official statement said that he was told by the border patrol “Do it again!” and so then he did it again for another 7 seconds so I was tasered for 20 seconds straight.
PSA: The video cuts out only 1/3 of the way into me being tasered just because the camera was sitting upon the dash, I wasn’t holding it, I had my eyes closed, my face in my hands, and when they impacted the windows, the camera flew off the dash, and just kind of shut off in mid-air. It’s amazing that it captured as much as it did. Shattered out my windows, tasered me for 20 seconds straight, and basically you can see him swinging the baton at my window 5 times shattering open the glass and then what’s going on right there they basically took my head, I’m already paralyzed by 50000 volts from the taster, my eyes were closed, I was covering my face, I wasn’t fighting back at all you can see from the video.
PSA: So I'm in excruciating pain I couldn’t even control my body anymore because when you are hit with these tasers you are paralyzed and so I couldn’t even, my head came down my face I was trying to put my hand back in front of my face I couldn’t even control my arm. I’m screaming in pain. One guy from the border patrol grabs my head and basically shoves it into the driver door where the broken glass was where they just busted out the window and I could just feel the glass shoving into the side of my head here as he just jammed my face into that side of that door.
PSA: it’s proven by photographs showing the jagged glass on the edge of the door, drenched in my blood in the exact shape of my head. They basically took my head and shoved it in the broken glass in my door and just held it there and pressed it in. Then they grabbed me, threw me on the ground, another officer stepped on my head, I mean with, it felt like his full body weight, and basically was just driving my face down into more broken glass asphalt which is what all these cuts are from on my head and he’s got his foot on my head, keep in mind I have my hands like this over my face, I haven't resist at all, I’m crying on for mercy, and they are just torturing me with these tasers again and again and they’re stepping on my head, they’re shoving my face in broken glass for no reason. I wasn’t resisting them I wasn’t fighting back I was just limp.. just begging for mercy. So then finally I decided maybe I should just be silent, maybe they don’t want me to cry out, so then I was just silent and still just tormenting me. So finally they stopped tasing me, they picked me up onto my feet, they take me in the trailer of the border patrol there, they put my hands behind my back, they handcuffed me. And so I’m sitting there in the chair with my hands handcuffed behind my back, the border patrol agents come in, they were laughing at me ...
Alex Jones, Infowars: So, how did this end? I mean were they, did they have any little celebrations when they put you in the car like “you idiot you should have let us search”
PSA: Oh yeah … these men are laughing at me, razzing me while blood is dripping from my face, I’m just sitting there, you know, helpless, I’ve been beaten horribly, then CDS told me “Well if you would have just answered the question we would have let you go”. And I said wait a minute, I said I thought it was because the dog detected drugs or a human being in my car! I said I just caught you in a lie, I hope these cameras have sound! So anyway the DPS agent comes in he read me my rights, I have the right to remain silent and so forth, they take me, they throw me in the back of the squad car, they drove me about 70 miles away from where I was going home, they drove me all the way back to Yuma. They took me to an urgent care center, for some reason he didn’t want me to go in there and get treated.. I begged him to let me use the bathroom because I really had to go to the bathroom, I hadn’t been in hours and I had drunk a bunch of water and I had to go really bad I told him I said you know I’m in pain I have to go so bad he said “No no just wait” and you know he gets out he chats with another guy from DPS and kind of tells him the story while I’m waiting and then finally he tells me “Oh it’s just 5 minutes to the emergency room” you know I’m holding the bathroom, he takes me over to the emergency room finally eventually I get in there I use a bathroom, they clean my face for about an hour and said “Hey, this is the best we can get it, this is the best we can clean it.” They put 11 stitches in my head and they, they cleaned out the glass. You can see the damage now that it’s all cleaned up. Before I just had a mask of blood on my face. They took me from the emergency room to the county jail.
PSA: You know of course I spent the night in jail, charged with failure to obey, and charged with the same charge that Michael Marchavich was charged with, obstructing the highway. Of course I was asking to leave and they were keeping me there and holding me against my will.
PSA: I’m in a cell, I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t know when I’m going to see court, I figured it would be within 24 hours, so then they basically pulled me out and court was basically just “a lady telling me that I have to show up on Friday at 10am” and on Friday at 10am is going to be my arraignment where I’m going to plead NOT GUILTY!
Dom: Later on, on the afternoon of the 15th, Pastor Anderson was released from the Yuma county jail without being given the chance to call anyone to pick him up. As soon as he was released, he called his wife who was hours away and started walking the 3 and a half miles distance to the only place he know in Yuma: Round Table Pizza. When his wife finally arrived to pick him up, they drove back to Phoenix to record a video telling his story, which immediately went mega-viral on YouTube. Soon the media was reporting on his experience.
Wolf Blitzer: An Arizona pastor tasered at a border checkpoint after refusing to step out of his vehicle, had his camcorder rolling. The incident is now under investigation. The video posted on YouTube. Let’s bring in our internet reporter Abbi Tatton, alright what does the video show?
Abbi Tatton: Well, the Arizona Department of Public Safety called Pastor Steven Anderson a “combative motorist” but Anderson says he was just a citizen asking for an explanation of why he was being searched.
Police J. Mitchell: I’m a police officer and I’m ordering you out of the car.
PSA: Will you answer my question police officer?
Officer J. Mitchell: Yes, I’m a police officer.
PSA: What are you placing me under arrest for?
Officer J. Mitchell: For failure to obey me right now …
PSA: [Screaming]
Abbi Tatton: Anderson doesn’t know how many times he was tased, the camera died soon after but this surveillance video shows him dragged from the car and eleven stitches later, he was arrested for resisting a lawful order. An investigation by the Arizona Department of Public Safety is underway. In a statement they say “Anderson refused to cooperate” and they raise the question of why he posted a YouTube video rather than filing a complaint. Anderson says he started carrying a camcorder after previous stops and after this incident he says that he didn't trust a complaint would go anywhere.
Wolf Blitzer: He’s a pastor too.
Abbi Tatton: Yeah of a small independent Baptist church in the Phoenix area.
Newscaster Wolf Blitzer: Alright thanks very much. Pretty disturbing stuff.
CBS 5 Newscaster: (PSA: “You’re coming out of this car one way or the other. And we’re going to search this car”) We'll take a look a valley preacher says he took a beating at a border patrol checkpoint. But that he did nothing wrong. CBS 5’s Steve Filmer is live with more on this man’s stories. Steve:
News Anchor Steve Filmer: Yeah anybody traveling back along Interstate 8 from California or Yuma will know this border patrol checkpoint that’s involved in this incident. It is not though actually on the border with Mexico.
PSA: Broken glass comes flying at me from both sides, and instantly I’m tased from both sides.
Steve Filmer: His story is vivid, his clothes still stained with blood. Blood Steven Anderson says poured out of his head and face as he was roughed up by a DPS officer and border patrol agents.
PSA: I’m sitting here like this crying for mercy, screaming. Next thing I know an agent takes my head and shoves it into the broken glass on the side of the window where he had just broken out the window. I can feel the glass shoving into my scalp, and then I’m thrown on the ground next. They’re still tasing me throughout this.
Steve Filmer: Anderson is a preacher at this small Baptist church in Tempe. He says he was stopped at the border patrol checkpoint on Interstate 8, Wednesday night. He was riding back to the valley from San Diego. He's told to pull aside. An hour goes by while he sits in his car. DPS arrives to tell him he’s under arrest.
PSA: He said “Our dog alerted us that you either have a human being or drugs in this trunk”.
Steve Filmer: Anderson insisted he doesn’t have to admit to the search. That, he says, leads to the officer’s breaking windows, firing tasers …
PSA: That was the one I had trouble pulling out.
Steve Filmer: Then humiliating him while he’s in handcuffs.
PSA: And they’re laughing at me “Oh you’re not so tough now you didn’t think we were going to search you huh?” And they’re laughing at me they’re razzing me and it’s all on those border patrol surveillance tapes.
PSA: Today I just wanted to give you a quick update on the legal battle regarding the incident where I was beaten and tasered by the border patrol for standing up for my 4th amendment right not to be searched without a warrant. Well, first of all, we’re in the phase right now where it’s a defensive battle because I’m being charged with these two misdemeanors: failure to obey the officer’s order and obstructing the public highway. In the future obviously there will be a Federal suit filed against them for excessive force and brutalizing me, wrongful arrest, and on and on. But, at this point I have to defend myself against these two misdemeanors that I’m being charged with. Well, early in June there was a telephonic pre-trial conference between the defense attorney, Marc Victor, and the prosecutor. And just to give you an idea of what kind of a person this prosecutor is.. You know, I travel a lot for business and I had filed a motion to be allowed to travel from state to state because originally they had said I was not allowed to leave the state of Arizona, you know it’s just two misdemeanors. Well, I was granted by the judge permission to do that. Well this prosecutor filed a motion to restrict me from traveling from state to state, you know, just trying to ruin my business, trying to punish me anyway possible and he stated as the reason why I shouldn’t be allowed to travel from state to state is that I’m a dangerous person. You know, I’m a danger to law enforcement, now isn’t that ridiculous? I’m the one who was beat up, I never lifted a finger, I never fought back or resisted or anything, no one’s even accusing me of that. And yet, I'm dangerous. That just shows you what kind of Nazi this prosecutor is. Well, anyway the defense attorney and he had this telephonic conference. He wouldn’t budge on anything, so nothing really came of it so we’re going to trial.
PSA: In the mail, I got this paper work and it’s basically a list of things that the prosecutor wants to enter as evidence because he has to disclose those things, and he has this long list of my preaching that he wants to use as evidence. Now, keep in mind, this whole case is about me refusing a warrantless search at a checkpoint. I never even brought up the fact that I was a pastor, because it wasn’t the issue. The issue was that I was an American, and therefore I have rights guaranteed me by the bill of rights, and basically he wants to enter all these different sermons as evidence against me. Now the funny thing is that all of these sermons were preached after the events in question on April 14. But let me give you an example: He wants to enter my sermon entitled “Gender identity” as evidence. The sermon is all about the roles of men and women, it’s all Bible-based, it uses a ton of scripture from the Bible. How is that evidence in this case? He’s also entering in as evidence against me a sermon that I did on the Antichrist, the one world Government, and the second coming of Jesus Christ. So, apparently according to this prosecutor, that’s what I’m on trial for, what I believe, who I am, what my opinions are, what my political views are, this is unbelievable that he would get a paycheck from our tax dollars to sit and listen to my preaching and to try to use my preaching against me.
These are charges that have nothing to do with religion, I never even mentioned the fact that I was a pastor, and yet I’m being put on trial apparently because I believe that 9/11 was an inside job - that’s another YouTube clip that he has listed here as evidence against me. Another YouTube clip, this one is on, “Why I Hate Barack Obama”, that’s evidence against me for why I’m guilty of not submitting to a warrantless search at a border patrol checkpoint? And so this is unbelievable, this stuff is totally irrelevant. Now I’ll stand by everything that I preached, I’m not ashamed of what it is, in fact I’m the one who put it on the internet, so I don’t have a problem with anybody, you know, hearing what I preach, I’ll stand by what I've said, I mean the point is that this guy is trying to put me on trial apparently for what I believe and what I preach. I thought this was a free country, I thought I was allowed freedom of religion, freedom of speech, I didn’t know that I had to fit some kind of a societal norm in order to have rights as an American.
Dom: Before Pastor Anderson’s jury trial, a pre-trial hearing was scheduled to discuss the constitutionality of the border patrol checkpoint where he was arrested. If the checkpoint was found unconstitutional, the charges would be dropped. In the pre-trial hearing, the truth came out that although this checkpoint was masquerading as a border patrol checkpoint, it was actually being operated as a drug checkpoint, which has been declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court.
Prosecutor WIlliam Katz: Agent Gomez can you state and spell your name for the record please.
Agent Ernesto Gomez: Ernesto Gomez. E r n e s t o, G o m e z.
Prosecutor WIlliam Katz: Agent Gomez, who were you working for on August, excuse me, April 14, 2009?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: The US Border Patrol.
Prosecutor WIlliam Katz:And how long had you been working for the US Border Patrol at that point?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: 3 Years.
Prosecutor WIlliam Katz:What was your position of employment at that point in time?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: I am a US Border patrol Agent.
Prosecutor WIlliam Katz:What does that entail?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: Um … enforcing immigration laws and looking for narcotics out in the field.
Attorney Scott Campbell: Good afternoon. You can say good afternoon.
Agent Ernesto Gomez: Good afternoon.
Attorney Scott Campbell: You testified that your job is enforcing immigration laws and detecting narcotics, is that correct?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: No
Attorney Scott Campbell: You didn’t say that?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: I didn’t say detecting narcotics. I don’t believe.
Attorney Scott Campbell: Is part of your job detecting narcotics?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: Yes.
Attorney Scott Campbell: Mr. Anderson refused to go to secondary?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: Yes sir.
Attorney Scott Campbell: Why didn’t you arrest him?
Prosecutor 24:40: Objection your honor: relevance.
Judge 24:43: Objection overruled.
Attorney Scott Campbell: Why didn’t you arrest him?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: At the time, I had no, I didn’t have a reason to arrest him sir.
Attorney Scott Campbell: He hadn’t committed a crime?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: No sir.
Attorney Scott Campbell: No violation of federal law?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: No sir.
Attorney Scott Campbell: Are you, or were you at the time certified to enforce any state laws?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: No sir.
Attorney Scott Campbell: Are you now?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: Yes sir.
Attorney Scott Campbell: What are you cross-certified to do regarding state laws now?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: Issue citations for narcotic violations sir.
Attorney Scott Campbell: Narcotics. Anything else?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: That is it sir.
Attorney Scott Campbell: Only narcotic violations?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: Yes sir.
Attorney Scott Campbell: The only thing Agent Spoonamore could do is write citations for narcotics violations?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: To my knowledge, yes sir.
Attorney Scott Campbell: That’s the way it is now?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: Yes sir.
Attorney Scott Campbell: To the best of your knowledge: It wasn’t any different back then?
Agent Ernesto Gomez: Yes sir.
Agent: As the K9 is trained to find the odors of if the individual had smoken marijuana or if there was odor within the vehicle prior to arriving to the point the dog is going to alert to that also because the dog is trying to find concealed people and the odors of narcotics.
Defense Attorney Marc Victor: If that’s the state’s witness and that’s the state’s evidence, then what we have now is the clearest possible scenario of a checkpoint that is not just an immigration checkpoint. This is a general crime control checkpoint. This agent has now testified that among the various things that this checkpoint exists to accomplish, is to detect drugs. That’s the end judge. Drug checkpoints are unconstitutional. They're unconstitutional and there’s no argument that they’re not unconstitutional. The state’s witness testified that this checkpoint has multiple purposes, one of which is to detect drugs. There are several other purposes that are also unconstitutional. The Supreme Court has ruled that immigration checkpoints can be under certain circumstances which was the primary avenue of attack that they didn’t follow those circumstances which by the way is still our argument. The Supreme Court has said that DUI checkpoints under certain circumstances are constitutional, but they have also said clearly that general crime control checkpoints like checkpoints for drugs, like this checkpoint, as evidenced by the state’s witness, are flat unconstitutional. As if we needed anything else judge.
Judge Yolanda Torok: Are you asking the court to make a ruling based on the testimony that I heard without listening to the other witnesses because it may be the same testimony?
Defense Attorney Marc Victor: I think the court has enough evidence right now to rule and should that this stop, that this entire checkpoint is unconstitutional, and that should be the ruling and I think anything else we do today is just a waste of time, unless the state is going to try to change the testimony that’s already come out.
Dom: Unfortunately, the judge was not able to rule on the constitutionality issue because the prosecutor failed to provide key documentation that was requested. Therefore, the defense attorney, Marc Victor, sought to have the case dismissed with prejudice.
Defense Attorney Marc Victor: If the state is too big, and too incompetent to follow their duties and follow their obligations, they shouldn’t run a checkpoint like this where they stop thousands and thousands of citizens. If I was a judge of that checkpoint and I was stopping thousands and thousands of citizens based on the opinion of a dog which is exactly what we have here, I might be prepared to produce, especially when asked, the records of that dog. It’s outrageous judge and there is no remedy, none, short of dismissal with prejudice. That would be appropriate in this circumstance.
Dom: The judge did in fact dismiss the case with prejudice. However, the prosecutor appealed her decision. The appeal was granted, and her decision was overturned. The jury trial would go on.
Bailiff: We the jury, duly empanelled and sworn in the above entitled action upon our oath do find the defendant Steven Lee Anderson not guilty of … [PSA and friends: “YEAH!”] … 2509 …
Dom: After hearing all of the evidence over the course of the two day trial, the jury returned a not guilty verdict. One of the jurors even shook Pastor Anderson’s hand and thanked him for standing up for their rights as Americans.
Judge Yolanda Torok: I want to thank you for your service to the community. Since the verdict has been returned, you are now free to discuss the case among yourselves, with the attorneys, you need to hand all your notes to the bailiff be destroyed. Thank you, you are now excused.
Dom: DPS officer Russ Jones, who was the officer who arrested Pastor Anderson at the checkpoint, went on to campaign and be elected as the justice of the peace for Wellton, AZ, where the checkpoint is located. This put him in a position to be the deciding judge on all future cases that would come out of that checkpoint. This was the arresting officer who after 28 years with the DPS, had to read Pastor Anderson’s rights to him from a cue card, and still jumbled them up. Apparently people’s rights are not very high on this man’s list of important things to know as a police officer. And he will be deciding the future cases that arise from that checkpoint. Pastor Anderson still continues to travel for business in the years following his arrest. And he continued to exercise his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights to not answer questions at border patrol checkpoints.
Fox10 News: If you’ve driven to San Diego or Los Angeles, no doubt you’ve encountered them, border patrol checkpoints along the freeway. Sometimes there are several of them on that six-hour drive, but most people just answer the questions and they’re on their way. Not one valley man, he openly defies the border patrol, refusing to answer their questions, and he’s caught the tense encounters on tape. Britt Moreno has the story tonight.
Britt Moreno: Yeah guys Steven Anderson is a Tempe preacher but he has another business in California so he’s always on those highways he’s very familiar with those checkpoints and he calls it standing his ground.
---Border Patrol Scenario Two---
Agent: American Citizen?
PSA: Am I free to go?
Agent: yeah.
PSA: Thanks.
---Border Patrol Scenario Three---
Agent: How are you?
PSA: Good!
Agent: Are you guys both United States citizens?
PSA: Um, I’m not really sure, because you know I thought I was born free if I was an American citizen so I didn’t know I’d have to stop at checkpoints and tell people where I was going and where I’m heading. So after going through enough of these checkpoints I’m starting to wonder whether I am or not, so maybe you could help me out. Am I still an American citizen or … ?
Agent: Thank you, have a nice day.
---Border Patrol Scenario Four---
PSA: Hey.
Agent: Are you a Citizen?
PSA: Hey actually a more important question than that, you know, it’s asked one time in the Bible is “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30 KJV) and they said “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house.” (Acts 16:31 KJV) so if you have about 10 minutes I can walk you through that in the bible and show you how to be saved.
Agent: I can’t right now.
PSA: You can’t? Now’s not a good time?
Agent: No, no.
PSA: Alright.
Agent: Have a good one, sir thank you.
PSA: Yep, see you later.
---Border Patrol Scenario Five---
PSA: ‘Sup man.
Agent: How are you doing today sir?
PSA: Good.
Agent: Are you a US citizen?
PSA: That’s my business.
Agent: Well it’s our business to ask. Are you a US Citizen or not.
PSA: You can ask that’s fine.
Agent: You have to answer or I’m going to have to detain until you can either tell me or …
PSA: Well I don’t have to answer you because I have rights as an American.
Agent: Sir go ahead and pull over there by that other vehicle and do me a favor.
PSA: No thanks, I’d like to just go on my way.
Agent: You can go on your way as soon as you tell me if you’re a US citizen or not.
PSA: Well you know I didn’t know that I’d have to go around proving that I am a citizen, do I need to like show my papers like the Nazis or … ?
Agent: This is an immigration checkpoint.
PSA: Am I immigrating somewhere?
Agent: We’re supposed to check …
PSA: Is this Mexico?
Agent: This is the United States. He asked you a question yes or no. It’s a simple yes or no. You can either answer it or we can detain you here until we figure out whether you’re a US citizen or not.
PSA: Well you know what’s more simple is the fact that my freedom is a little more important than you seem to think, and that you know setting up checkpoints where people have to prove that they’re a citizen is not something that America is supposed to be about. So I’m not sure if you understand that.
Agent: He doesn’t want to tell me his citizenship.
PSA: I mean I’m just driving down the road here and I’ve been stopped for some reason and I’m you know supposed to …
Agent: Pull to secondary sir.
PSA: No thank you.
---News clip---
Reporter: Border patrol agents then asked him to pull off to the side of the road (PSA: “No thank you.”) (Agent: “I want you to pull up secondary sir.”)
(PSA: “No thanks, I want to go free on my way.”) and even though he refuses to comply he was let go. (PSA: “Go ahead and go where?”) (Agent: “Go down the road.”) (PSA: “Okay, see you later.”)
---Border Patrol Scenario Six---
[radio]
Agent: Can you pull into secondary to the right please sir?
PSA: No.
Agent: I need you to go to secondary sir.
PSA: No thank you.
Agent: To the right.
PSA: No. You know I don’t know why you’ve held me up in this traffic jam for the last 20 minutes, this is the third checkpoint I’ve been through in the last couple hours.
Agent: Go to secondary sir.
PSA: No thank you, I’d like to go free on my way please.
Agent: Sup man.
PSA: What's up.
Agent: Can we have you pull into secondary please?
PSA: No thank you, I’d like to go free on my way.
Agent: Uhh, why are you, why don’t you want to go to secondary?
PSA: Maybe it’s because I just sat in traffic for the last 20 minutes and I’m already running late and I don’t have time to stop at your Nazi checkpoint and show my papers today? You know I thought this is America, I thought I had some freedom to travel unmolested and I’m just trying to go about my business here, you know I don’t have time to play games with you guys. I don’t know what, I don’t know what you think you’re doing here. Stopping me for no reason!
Agent: Can you run this car really quick?
PSA: You know you stop me for no reason, I’ve waited in traffic for the last 20 30 minutes that you guys created this traffic jam, I got places to go I have to go make an honest living.
Agent: Alright hold on.
PSA: And you know you guys want to screw around with me.
Agent: Alright man. Alright.
---Border Patrol Scenario Seven---
Agent: Hello.
PSA: Sup.
Agent: How are you doing today sir?
PSA: Good.
Agent: Does this back window roll down? I’d like to see in all the way if I can, it's kind of tinted so, is it okay if I …?
PSA: No.
Agent: Not okay?
PSA: No, I’m not going to put it down.
Agent: Are you a United States Citizen sir?
PSA: That’s my business.
Agent: Nah, your citizenship is, actually I have the right to ask so..
PSA: Well you have the right to ask, and I have the right to not answer.
Agent: If you choose not to answer then I have the right to secondary you and detain you until I determine whether or not you’re a United States citizen.
PSA: Okay, so what gives you that right as I travel freely in the United States here? Hmm?
Agent: The United States code 9837 gives us the right to post a check point anywhere within 100 air miles of the United States and Mexican border.
PSA: Oh okay so the 4th amendment doesn’t apply anymore?
Agent: It does...but
PSA: Okay, so what’s the purpose of this checkpoint?
Agent: You’re holding up traffic. If you really want …
PSA: Yeah, I noticed you guys are holding up traffic.
Agent: If you really want to know, you can go ahead and pull into secondary.
PSA: Well I don’t really want to know, I just want to go on my way, I'd like to go to work now.
Agent: Okay, can you state the country you’re a citizen of then for me?
PSA: What’s that?
Agent: Can you state which country you’re a citizen of then?
PSA: Why do I have to do that?
Agent: If you’re not going to answer what country you’re a citizen of, we have the exact right to …
PSA: Oh you guys have the right to …
Agent: Yes, please pull into the secondary inspection area, okay?
PSA: I don’t want to be inspected.
Agent: Well you are being inspected.
PSA: So why am I being inspected? What do you guys suspect me of?
Agent: Have a good day sir.
PSA: Yeah, see you later.
---Border Patrol Scenario Seven---
Agent: How ya doin?
PSA: Hey.
Agent: Are you a US Citizen?
PSA: I’m actually a citizen of Israel
Agent: Of Israel?
PSA: Uh huh.
Agent: Is this your vehicle sir?
PSA: Huh?
Agent:Is this your vehicle?
PSA: That’s my business.
Agent: Do you have the documents to be in the US?
PSA: Yeah, I have got my documentation that I’m a citizen of Israel right here, can I show you real quick?
Agent: Can you pull over to that stop sign please?
PSA: Okay, sure.
Agent: How are you doing sir?
PSA: Hey good, how are you doing?
Agent: Not too bad, US Border Patrol checkpoint, what country are you a citizen of?
PSA: I’m actually a citizen of Israel.
Agent: Okay, do you have your immigration documents?
PSA: Yeah, I have documentation right here that says I’m a citizen of Israel, it’s in Ephesians chapter 2. It says right here: That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. .. and then in verse 19 it says Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; (Ephesians 2: 11-12, 19 KJV) so according to that I’m a citizen of Israel.
Agent: Okay, do you have any identification on you.
PSA: Yes, I do.
Agent: Can I see it?
PSA: Is there a law that states that I have to show identification at this checkpoint?
Agent: Yes, I don’t know what that book is.
PSA: This is the Holy Bible.
Agent: Okay. Well, US law, you need to show me your identification.
PSA: Okay, what law says I have to show you identification? Is this like I have to show my papers at my checkpoint?
Agent: Yes, exactly like that, immigration documents.
PSA: And have I crossed a border into a country? Am I immigrating right now? Am I immigrating right now?
Agent: Where were you born? Were you born in Israel?
PSA: Is there a law that says I have to answer your questions?
Agent: Yes. You’re saying you’re telling me you’re a citizen of Israel.
PSA: Right, but I’m saying I’m a citizen of Israel through the blood of Christ. I’m not saying that I was born in Israel. I’m saying that according to Ephesians chapter 2..
Agent: What country were you born in sir?
PSA: Because of Ephesians chapter 2, the fact that I believe on Jesus Christ, has made me a citizen of Israel, according to the Bible.
Agent: What country were you born in? You're not answering my question.
PSA: I’m not answering your question.
Agent: Okay.. What country were you born in?
PSA: I mean, you can keep asking me over and over again, but you know, I don’t have to answer questions, I mean this isn’t Nazi Germany right? I’m just driving down the road.
Agent: Let me ask you something, is this vehicle registered to your name?
PSA: Again, I don’t like to answer questions to law enforcement.
Agent: I understand completely sir, but this is an immigration checkpoint.
PSA: Okay.
Agent: For me to be able to do my job, I just need to know that you are a legal resident of the United States or US citizen sir, I’m just asking a simple question and you’ll be free to go as soon as we figure it out …
PSA: What reason do you have to believe that I’m not here legally? I mean what reason in the world? I was just driving down the road, what made you single me out to decide whether I am a citizen or not?
Agent: I’m checking everybody sir. I don’t know if you noticed but we have a stop sign.
PSA: So you just kind of assume everybody is illegal until you prove that they are legal is that how that works?
Agent: No, we just ask them. We asked you and you tell us that you were from Israel..so
PSA: Well I didn't say that I was from Israel, I said I'm a citizen of Israel.
Agent: Okay, Give me one second sir.
PSA: Sure.
Agent: Is the vehicle on?
PSA: The vehicle is running. Want me to turn it off?
Agent: So you don’t have any immigration documentation with you?
PSA: I don’t like to answer questions to law enforcement. I just like to just you know keep my, just keep my business to myself, do my own thing, not be harassed or molested at checkpoints, you know I just like to live my life and have freedom.
Agent: Alright, that’s good.
PSA: Because you know, according to the founding documents of our country, all men are created equal, and are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, so here’s my thing: if our rights come from the creator, then that means that they don’t come from government, unless government created us.
Agent: You got a driver’s license to drive this vehicle?
PSA: Uhh..
Agent: Yes?
PSA: Well again, I don’t like to answer questions to law enforcement.
Agent: Yes you did right..So you’re abiding the law there.. So why can’t you abide the state law?
PSA: Well because according to the Declaration of Independence, I have certain inalienable rights, are you a peace officer?
Agent: No. What is your name?
PSA: Do I have to present name to you when you’re not a peace Agent of the state of California? Because you’re not really a peace officer. So why would I have to present my name to you?
Agent: I don’t know if you are a US citizen or not..legally here in the United States. So until I determine that, you cannot leave. So, you don’t any immigration documentation, or you can give me your name and date of birth so I can verify.
PSA: Why would I have immigration documentation? Am I immigrating right now? Like have I crossed a border or anything? I thought I was already in the United States.
Agent: Yes, this is an immigration checkpoint.
PSA: Does every person in America have immigration documentation?
Agent: No.
PSA: No. So you’re demanding that I show something that a lot of people don’t have. Well, again, I don’t like to answer questions. I told you that I’m a citizen of Israel, I showed you in the Bible that I’m a citizen of Israel.
Agent: You’re not telling me you’re a US citizen.
PSA: I mean I guess you can figure it out some other way right?
Agent: You don’t want to give me your name?
PSA: You can figure it out some other way.
Agent: This is our authority right here.
PSA: Okay.
Agent: UC1350.
PSA: This [The Bible] is my authority.
Agent: Okay, but this gives me the right to detain you until we know you are legally in the United States. You are claiming you are a citizen of Israel, you need to show me documents that says you can legally remain in the United States. That doesn’t say you can legally remain here if you are a citizen of Israel. If you are citizen of Israel, then you need to have a visa that lets you stay.
PSA: I guess you guys need to figure out who I am or what country I'm a citizen of then.
Agent: Exactly! So we just need your name and date of birth. And then we can check and to see if you have any legal immigration documents that allow you to remain in the United States.
PSA: So I don’t have the right to remain silent? Am I being detained right now?
Agent: You are being detained right now.
PSA: Okay, so if I am being detained right now, then I have the right to remain silent.
Agent: Okay, well then we can detain you until we know who you are, and whether you're legally here or not.
PSA: Okay.
Agent: So you’re not going to give us your name?
PSA: Well I didn’t say I wasn’t going to give you my name.
Agent: I asked you already.
PSA: Right, but I asked you in return if I am required by law to give you my name and what law, what California law requires me to give you my name, because I know I have to present my true name to a peace officer, but you’re not a peace officer, you’re a federal agent.
Agent: If you don’t want to give us your name, we can take you down to our station in Calexico, and we’ll roll your fingerprints, and we’ll see if you come back in the system with the ...
PSA: So basically you’ll kidnap me and take me to Calexico if I don’t tell you who I am?
Agent: You can still be detained.
PSA: So what did I do to be stopped here? I was just driving down the road. I’m just going home.
Agent: This authority gives us the authority for the checkpoint … we need only mere suspicion.
PSA: So it’s kind of similar to the Nazis, where they set up checkpoints.
Agent: That’s your own opinion, that’s your own opinion, by law we can stop you by mere suspicion.
PSA: But what made you suspect me? What was your mere suspicion? You just said by law you can pull me over by mere suspicion, what was your suspicion? The look on my face?
Agent: Okay, we asked you if you were a US citizen, you said you were a citizen of Israel.
PSA: You said you stopped me, hold on a second, that was after you already stopped me. That was after you already stopped me though.
Agent: I already explained it to you. Want me to explain it to you, we need mere suspicion to stop you.
PSA: Right, but you stopped me before you had any suspicion. They stopped me.
Agent: For what?
PSA: I don’t know why I was stopped, I was just driving down the road and I came up to a stop sign and somebody had a dog.
Agent: What did they told you?
PSA: They stopped me. You know.
Agent: I guess you don't have anything else to do right? We're going to be here all day..
PSA: Well I've got plenty of stuff to do. I don’t like being stopped at these checkpoints, man I got plenty of places to go, you guys seem like you guys don’t have too much to do. There must not be a lot of illegal immigration, I guess the economy is so messed up now I guess they’re not trying to come up here anymore huh? So you guys have all this free time on your hands so you can just use it to just harass people driving down Interstate 8 that aren’t even crossing the border? You know, I mean, I guess it makes sense since the economy is, since the federal government has screwed up the economy so bad, you know, I guess the Mexicans don’t want to come up here anymore.
PSA: I’ll tell you what man, I’ll show you who I am okay, I’ll show you some ID of who I am, how's that sound?
Agent: Sure.
PSA: Okay let me show you real quick. Here, this is a movie I produced, it’s called “After the Tribulation” and it’s got me, that’s me on the back right there, it’s got my name right next to it. There you go. See, it says “Pastor Steven L Anderson” it’s got my picture right there, so there's my picture ID right there, see that? Does that work for you? In fact, you can keep it if you want, you can watch it if you like.
Agent: You might have printed that up at your house, I don't know?
PSA: You think I printed this off and, here let me open the package and show it to you.
Agent: I got GoPro cameras too, I make movies all the time.
PSA: What kind of movies do you make?
Agent: Huh?
PSA: What kinds of movies do you make?
Agent: Wakeboarding.
PSA: Oh Okay, cool, I used to do a lot of wakeboarding.
Agent: Okay, that’s your name right there? That’s your name?
PSA: Yeah, I just told you my name, I just showed you the movie. You can open the package, it looks pretty pro to me. That don’t look home-made.
Agent: What’s your date of birth?
PSA: That’s all the information that I’m willing to give right now. Do you have the internet?
Agent: No.
PSA: You guys don’t have access to the internet.
Agent: Not right now.
PSA: Okay.
Agent: We don’t have access right now.
PSA: Gotcha.
Agent: Can I have your date of birth sir.
PSA: Well, that’s what I’m willing to give you right now. This is the information.
Agent: I can’t do anything with that?
PSA: You can’t do anything with this? Well if you pop it in and watch it, maybe there’s some more clues of who I am. Do you have a DVD player? Do you guys have a DVD player?
Agent: I just need to know if you are a US citizen or if you are legally here. I don’t know more than that. Agent: Can I see that DVD again?
PSA: Yeah, sure, here. You can keep it if you want, yeah you can have it.
Agent: Have a great day sir!
Agent: Thank you.
PSA: Thanks! Well there you go folks at home, you want to get through a checkpoint, this is your passport right here! After the Tribulation, check it out at www.afterthetribulation.com or watch the whole movie for free on YouTube.
---Closing---
News Reporter Britt Moreno: So does everyone have the right to refuse border patrol’s demands at state checkpoints? One valley attorney says “Yes!”!
News Reporter: Do we all have the legal grounding to be able to say “I’m not going to answer that question?
Stephanie Corcoran: I don’t see why not, it’s a border between states. And you have the ability to travel, I mean, you have the right to travel between states.
PSA: We don’t care about the 4th Amendment cause we’re not a business traveler, you know we’re not constantly going through checkpoints and being searched and all this. We don’t care cause “It doesn’t affect me” you know the 5th Amendment, I hardly ever even run into the police. But let me tell you something: I bet everybody in here believes in the first Amendment and thinks that's important. I bet you every single person in here thinks the freedom of religion is important. I’ll bet you every single person who’s here thinks the freedom of speech is important. And yet, if they can take away the 8th amendment and say it doesn’t mean anything, if they can take away the 6th amendment and not give you a trial by jury, not give you a speedy trial, if they can take away the 4th amendment and search you without a warrant, if they can take away the 5th Amendment and force you to be interrogated and answer questions, if they can take away the 2nd Amendment and infringe upon your right to keep AND BEAR arms, what's the word “bear” mean? To carry! But let me tell you something, if the 2nd doesn’t matter, the 4th doesn’t matter, the 5th doesn’t matter, the 8th doesn’t matter, mark it down, the 1st Amendment will be gone. It’ll be gone!
PSA: We are losing our freedoms in America, you better wake up! Yesterday it was Pastor Anderson, tomorrow it could be YOU or someone that you love! Now go ahead, go ahead, show your papers, show your papers to the soviets at the checkpoint. Go ahead, answer all the questions to every police officer that wants to know what you had for breakfast this morning. But you know what, I'm gonna stand up for the rights for which our forefathers died, as enumerated by the 4th and 5th Amendment, those rights didn’t come from the US government, they came from God!
Audience: “THAT’S RIGHT!!! YEAH!!!”
(Ode to Border Patrol)
On eastbound interstate 8 one night
I encountered an all too familiar sight
A random checkpoint, like you’d expect to see
In the USSR or Nazi Germany
Why do I have to stop and show my papers. Hey!
Aren’t we still in the USA?
I haven’t crossed any borders today
In fact, isn’t Mexico 50 miles away?
We have to search you, for our dog has said,
“Woof! Woof! He has drugs or a body that’s dead!”
“I’d like to know what that means, if I may!”
But the dog was quickly ushered away
And if we’re still living in a free nation…
Where’s your warrant upon oath or affirmation?
Aren’t these the rights for which our forefathers died?
“Why not let them search you, if you’ve nothing to hide?”
This isn’t liberty; the way you behave
Would make the founding fathers roll over in their grave
Don’t you love America; what makes you so bold
To trample the constitution you’re sworn to uphold?
Have Jefferson and Adams been forever replaced?
By Janet Napolitano’s ugly face!
Has Homeland Security reached new heights
That it supersedes the Bill of Rights?!
That I’m an American is plain to see
You’ve already run my plates and know I live in Tempe!
I’m an American citizen on my way home from work
If I won’t consent to searches, does that make me a jerk?
I’m not required by law to open this door!
I’m protected by amendments five and four!
My pleas were met with a laugh and a jeer
“Don’t you get it? your rights don’t matter here”
“We’ll search without a warrant, and if you won’t say ‘yes’
Then we’ll just call the DPS!”
So the DPS arrives on the scene
In order to assist the federal goons in green
Officer, I’m innocent; What have I done!
If I’ve broken a law, then please name one!
Be reasonable, officer, will it really hurt?
To bring the dog back out and see if it will alert?
Do you protect the citizens of Arizona anymore?
Or have you simply become the federal government’s whore?
But the Border Patrol knew the truth, you see
They knew that dog wouldn’t alert to me
“I’ll place you under arrest, if you won’t bow
For failure to obey me right now!
I told you before, I’m an officer of the law
When I say ‘jump,’ you say ‘how high’
“In fact, by now you’ve sealed your fate
I’ll tase you for twenty seconds straight!”
Unfortunately I was fooled by Agent Diaz’s lies
“There’s gonna be glass, so cover your eyes!”
He really just wanted me not to see
The ambush to my left being laid for me
Officer Mitchell broke the passenger window with a smile
Then decided he might as well tase me for a while
The border patrol’s five swings of the baton
And now my driver’s side window was gone!
And as the electricity continually flowed
My driver’s side window began to explode
And because he felt I had given him sass
Agent Spoonamore shoved my face in the broken glass!
My head was pressed into the glass on the door
Blood gushed out of every pore
Fifty thousand volts flowed through my chest
A regular police brutality-fest
Next I was rolled to the ground, and to my dread
A border patrol agent stepped on my head!
I remembered a quote from a book I had read
1984, and here’s what it said:
“If you want to know the future of the human race
Just picture a boot stamping upon a human face”
They finally searched my car, and what did they find?
No drugs, no bodies, and nothing of the kind
“Then they let you go, I assume?”
No, my next stop was the emergency room
So after all the stitches were added to my head
And the nurses had cleaned up all the places I’d bled
I was taken to the station of the DPS
Then from there to the jail where I was told to undress
They had underwear in two sizes: extra-large and small
So I took extra-large and made my single phone call
I was put into cell where the lights are on 24-seven
And lay down to sleep with my stitches eleven.
And so we’ve reached the end of my tale
Me sleeping soundly in the county jail
What was my crime? What had I done?
I stood up for my rights as an American.
