http://www.liveleak.com/browse?channel_token=1de_1302937977 Items in channel 'grayokc' Wed, 22 May 2013 07:20:47 -0400 Liveleak http://edge.liveleak.com/80281E/u/u/ll2/logo.gif http://www.liveleak.com/browse?channel_token=1de_1302937977 Mon, 20 May 2013 18:06:54 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=406_1369087442 grayokc Massive damage, 2 schools full of children hit. 2nd time 'Tornado Emergancy' has been issued. I live 5 miles from this. http://www.koco.com/news/oklahomanews/watch-koco-5-news-at-5/-/9844008/10990302/-/g0okba/-/index.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=406_1369087442 grayokc May 20th Oklahoma City Tornado Live Feed Oklahoma City, Moore, tornado Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:55:09 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b48_1364496762 grayokc Americans are migrating from less-free liberal states to more-free conservative states, where they are doing better economically, according to a new study published Thursday by the George Mason University's Mercatus Center. The "Freedom in the 50 States" study measured economic and personal freedom using a wide range of criteria, including tax rates, government spending and debt, regulatory burdens, and state laws covering land use, union organizing, gun control, education choice and more. It found that the freest states tended to be conservative "red" states, while the least free were liberal "blue" states. The freest state overall, the researchers concluded , was North Dakota, followed by South Dakota, Tennessee, New Hampshire and Oklahoma. The least free state by far was New York, followed by California, New Jersey, Hawaii and Rhode Island. The study also compared its measures of economic and personal freedom to population shifts and income growth, and found that freer states tend to do better on both scores than those less free. For example, it found a strong correlation between a state's freedom ranking and migration, which means that Americans are gravitating toward states that have less-intrusive governments. "People are voting for places with greater freedom," said William Ruger, a political scientist at Texas State University and one of the co-authors of the study. That was true, he said, even after controlling for things like weather and amenities that might attract people to states independent of these freedom measures. The study also found that states with more freedom tended to see stronger income growth. This was particularly true in states with more regulatory freedom. "Adam Smith was right," Ruger said. "If you have economic freedom you will have economic growth." IBD has previously reported that red states saw stronger job growth, lower unemployment and bigger gains in per capita income than blue states, during the economic recovery. The data also show that blue states have generally become less free over the past decade, while red states have tended to gain additional levels of freedom. The states with the biggest declines in freedom were Wyoming, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Kansas. Those with the biggest gains were Oklahoma, North Dakota, Idaho, Utah and New Mexico. And contrary to conventional wisdom, the researchers found that conservative states are just as likely as liberal ones to score well on measures of personal freedom, which looked at laws covering marijuana use, gambling, marriage rights, alcohol and tobacco use, gun control, victimless crimes and the like. "Personal freedom does not relate straightforwardly to the left-right spectrum at all," the study noted. The study's findings also call into question claims made repeatedly by President Obama during last year's campaign that tax cuts and deregulation won't produce growth and prosperity. "They tell us," he said in one speech, that "if we just cut more regulations and cut more taxes - especially for the wealthy - our economy will grow stronger." "Here's the problem," he said. "It doesn't work. It has never worked." But if anything, the data show precisely the opposite. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b48_1364496762 grayokc Americans Are Migrating To More Free Republican States Americans Are Migrating To More Free Republican States Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:02:09 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=297_1363640405 grayokc . http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=297_1363640405 grayokc How did the NRA get its start? Here's how. How did the NRA get its start? Here's how. Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:54:50 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=634_1363027851 grayokc Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), a member of the Democratic Party's leadership in the House of Representatives, suggested to Jason Mattera at a Feb. 13 women's rights rally that plans for an assault weapons ban and private-sales background checks were only the beginning of a broader gun control agenda extending to handguns as well.Schakowsky evidently did not recognize Mattera, a conservative video journalist and senior investigative reporter for Talk Radio Network , who infamously confronted Vice President Joe Biden in the Capitol. (Mattera introduced himself to Schakowsky by name but did not indicate that he was filming or that he is conservative.) She spoke to Mattera as if he were a fellow gun control enthusiast--and Mattera played along, eliciting answers about Schakowsky's enthusiasm for gun control. "We want everything on the table," Schakowsky told Mattera. "This is a moment of opportunity. There's no question about it." One poignant exchange was as follows: Schakowsky: We're on a roll now, and I think we've got to take the--you know, we're gonna push as hard as we can and as far as we can. Mattera: So the assault weapons ban is just the beginning? Schakowsky: Oh absolutely. I mean, I'm against handguns. We have, in Illinois, the Council Against Handgun... something Violence ]. Yeah, I'm a member of that. So, absolutely. In another exchange, Schakowsky proposed allowances for states and municipalities to ban guns--though such laws have been repeatedly rejected by the Supreme Court: Mattera: We'll never get a handgun ban with the Second Amendment as stated. Schakowsky: I don't know. I don't know that we can't. And there may be an allowance, once again, for communities--I have communities in my district that prohibited handguns within their borders. The rights of municipalities and states to view that as a sensible way to keep people safe--I don't think it's precluded. When Mattera asked why legislators were not pressing for a handgun ban, given that most murders are committed with handguns, Schakowsky replied: "Because we're not going to be able to win that. Not now." She went on to explain why background checks were a useful interim policy, arguing that they would "address any kind of weapon." Schakowsky's remarks about plans for broader gun control are not the first time she has revealed the long-term goal behind short-term policy debates. She has a tendency to do so when speaking to apparently sympathetic audiences. In 2009, she told a crowd that the goal of Obamacare would be to "put the private insurance industry out of business." Officially, Democrats--including Schakowsky--hew to the party line as laid down by the president, which pledges support for the Second Amendment and for gun ownership in rural communities where hunting and shooting are viewed as traditional pastimes. Gun owners fear that the Sandy Hook-inspired gun control measures before Congress--none of which would have stopped the mass shooting at Sandy Hook--are a prelude to broader regulations, including the banning of handguns and the eventual registration and confiscation of firearms, despite earnest assurances by Democrats to the contrary. The Democratic Party has taken a hard line on guns recently, with President Obama's strategist, David Axelrod, joining New York mayor Michael Bloomberg in backing gun control enthusiast Robin Kelly over former Rep. Debbie Halvorson, who has an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association, in the recent primary to replace former Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. of Illinois. Kelly has promised to be a "leader" in "banning guns." http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=634_1363027851 grayokc Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) Assault Weapons Ban 'Just the Beginning' Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) Assault Weapons Ban 'Just the Beginning' Sat, 02 Mar 2013 23:01:18 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=eaf_1362283174 grayokc London-based American lawyers, who specialise in tax and immigration, report a threefold increase over the last five years in the number of American citizens who are giving up their citizenship - a process known as "renunciation". Across the world 1,781 Americans renounced their citizenship in 2011 compared with just 231 in 2008, when US tax laws changed, although it remains unknown how many are adopting British rather than any other nationality. Many decide to give up their American citizenship after tiring of the lengthy US tax return process, which requires them to pay tax on their total income regardless of where they live. "There's no question that the number of people renouncing their US citizenship is increasing," said Diane Gelon, a US tax and immigration lawyer based in London. "I probably get a dozen cases a year now when before 2008 when the tax laws changed it was just three or four." Related Articles Would you swap your country for America? 03 Jan 2012 E-borders could penalise Britons with dual nationality 19 Apr 2009 American celebrities who fell in love with Britain 05 Oct 2012 The process can be costly. Applicants must complete five years' of US tax returns, which can cost lb1,000 a year if professional help is obtained, plus another lb2,500 for legal assistance with the immigration process, excluding VAT. Even if a US citizen earns all their income in Britain they are liable for tax in their home country which can lead to unusual tax situations arising, said Ms Gelon. For example, US citizens are expected to pay capital gains tax to the US government if they sell a property in Britain which is their main residence, even though a similar tax is not imposed by the British Inland Revenue. The US rules make concessions for tax paid overseas but there is still a risk that their citizens will be hit with a large tax bill, she added. "Actually giving up your citizenship is dead easy - once you have an appointment with a consular official it takes a matter of minutes. "But getting an appointment in London can take three months and that is largely because of the tax issues," she said. "It can be an emotional thing, to give up one's citizenship. I've had clients cancelling their appointments at the embassy on the day they were due to renounce because they just couldn't go through with it." Susan McFadden, another London-based US attorney who specialises in immigration matters, said: "I've definitely seen a surge. In the last few years it's gone up threefold and I see through about two dozen cases a year. "The US Embassy in London has responded to that demand - and quite a long queue for renunciation appointments - by streamlining the process. "We are told they have trained additional officers to reside over renunciation processes." The 2011 census found 177,185 people living in England and Wales were born in the US. All American citizens are required to file a tax return on their world-wide income. The rule applies even if they have not visited the US for decades. The US Internal Revenue Service is likely to discover tax returns have been missed in a number of different scenarios. For example, it may come to light if a citizen applies to renew a passport, is named as a beneficiary in a will or their foreign-based bank complies with new legislation which requires them to notify the US government about all American customers. A US Embassy spokeswoman said: "US Embassy, London, can confirm that we process renunciations, provide information on renunciations on our website and are committed to providing good customer service to renunciants." http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=eaf_1362283174 grayokc Americans renouncing citizenship to become British thanks to tax rise Americans renouncing citizenship to become British thanks to tax rise Thu, 21 Feb 2013 22:31:29 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=7b6_1361503594 grayokc A homeowner fatally shot a man as he climbed through a window and into his home Monday afternoon, Dallas police say. The shooting took place at a home on the 2200 block of Morrell Avenue at about 4:15 p.m. Police said the homeowner heard a noise inside his residence and shot a man, later identified as 33-year-old Deyfon Pipkins, aka BJ, as he climbed through the window. "The homeowner heard a noise. He came around the corner, saw the individual trying to climb into the window and according to the law, the castle doctrine, he used deadly force," said Sgt. Calvin Johnson, with the Dallas Police Department. According to police, the homeowner then called 911. When police arrived, officer's found Pipkins' body lying lifeless in the window. Pipkins mother, Catherine, said she had been called to the scene by her daughter-in-law and said the crime sounded like something her son would do. "Yeah, it's something he would do ... Somebody called me and said my son got shot that's the reason I'm standing here," said Catherine Pipkins. "Somebody called her and told her he had got shot. She said, 'Momma you need to sit down, they said BJ just got killed.' That's the reason I'm here." The woman said her son did not live at the home. Pipkins had a lengthy criminal history in Dallas that included numerous charges for theft, trespassing and possession of a controlled substance. Police said the shooting is a Castle Doctrine case and the Dallas County Grand Jury will decide whether or not the homeowner faces any charges. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=7b6_1361503594 grayokc Homeowner Shoots, Kills Man Climbing Through Window Homeowner Shoots, Kills Man Climbing Through Window Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:23:40 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=dc3_1361467215 grayokc A recently introduced bill in the Illinois state Senate would require anonymous website comment posters to reveal their identities if they want to keep their comments online. The bill, called the Internet Posting Removal Act, is sponsored by Illinois state Sen. Ira Silverstein(D). Itstates that a "web site administrator upon request shall remove any comments posted on his or her web site by an anonymous poster unless the anonymous poster agrees to attach his or her name to the post and confirms that his or her IP address, legal name, and home address are accurate." The bill, which does not ask for or clarify requirements from entities requesting the comment removal, would take effect 90 days after becoming law. Pseudonymous and anonymous comments have long been a critical part of U.S. public discourse, though, and the bill may be on shaky legal ground. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) noted on its website that the "right to anonymous speech is also protected well beyond the printed page." "Thus in 2002 the Supreme Court struck down a law requiring proselytizers to register their true names with the mayor's office before going door-to-door," wrote EFF, noting that the Supreme Court protects Internet commentary as it does pamphleteering. The bill is part of a larger trend of lawmakers seeking to censor anonymous online speech. The New York State Assembly sought the passage of a similar bill in May 2012, and Arizona lawmakers worked to ban Internet trolling altogether in April 2012. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the bill into law in May 2012, but only after the contentious language was cut. Local lawmakers took similar action in Tennessee in 2012, when the Shelby County Commission pressed for a court order to reveal the identities of online commentators who posted nearly 9,000 comments on Memphis news site, Commercial Appeal. Silverstein did not return The Daily Caller's request for comment. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=dc3_1361467215 grayokc Illinois state senator pushes anti-anonymity bill Illinois state senator pushes anti-anonymity bill Sun, 27 Jan 2013 19:22:36 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=179_1359332393 grayokc Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Steve Vaus throws down the gauntlet; writes and records gun owner's 'Anthem' for the 2nd Amendment and Gun Rights, called 'COME AND TAKE IT!' http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=179_1359332393 grayokc COME AND TAKE IT! COME AND TAKE IT Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Steve Vaus Wed, 16 Jan 2013 20:21:14 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=7b3_1358385507 grayokc Hello -- Today President Obama announced a plan to help protect our kids and communities from gun violence. You're going to hear a lot about it, but I wanted to make sure you got a chance to get the facts, straight from me. After hearing from Americans from across the political spectrum, we decided to focus on some key priorities: closing background check loopholes, banning military-style assault weapons, making our schools safer, and increasing access to mental health services. The ideas we sent to President Obama are straightforward. Each of them honors the rights of law-abiding, responsible Americans to bear arms. Some of them will require action from Congress; the President is acting on others immediately. But they're all commonsense and will help make us a little safer. Now is the time for all of us to act. Read about the events that brought us to this point, learn about the plan we've proposed to help protect our kids, and then add your name in support to help build momentum for this plan. Here's what we've put together: We're calling for requiring background checks for all gun sales and closing the loopholes that allow dangerous individuals to make their purchase without going through one of these checks. We're asking for a new, stronger ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that allow a shooter to fire dozens of bullets as quickly as he can pull a trigger. And we're asking Congress to help protect law enforcement by make it illegal for members of the public to possess armor-piercing bullets. We're going to give law enforcement more tools and resources to prevent and prosecute gun crimes, and we're going to end the freeze on gun violence research that prevents the Center from Disease Control from looking at the causes of gun violence. We're calling on Congress to help make schools safer by putting up to 1,000 school resource officers and mental health professionals in schools and ensuring they have comprehensive emergency management plans in place. And we're going to increase coverage so that students and young adults can get access to the mental health treatment they may need. We know that no policy we enact or law we enforce can prevent every senseless act of violence in our country. But if we can save the life of even one child, we have a deep responsibility to act. Now is the time to come together to protect our kids. Learn about the plan, then add your name alongside mine: http://www.whitehouse.gov/now-is-the-time Thanks, Vice President Joe Biden http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=7b3_1358385507 grayokc Email I just received from Joe Biden wanting to grab Americans by the balls joe, biden, gun control, balls Tue, 01 Jan 2013 15:22:36 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=525_1357071630 grayokc The "fiscal cliff" deal that was designed to save money actually includes $330.3 billion in new spending over the next decade, according to the official estimate the Congressional Budget Office released Tuesday afternoon. CBO said the bill contains about $25.1 billion in new cuts, but those are swamped by the new spending on extended unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless and other new refundable tax credits that President Obama fought for. Of those cuts, only $2 billion are scheduled to take effect in 2013. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=525_1357071630 grayokc Fiscal Cliff Deal: America's Tax Hike In Perspective America's Tax Hike In Perspective Thu, 20 Dec 2012 18:14:20 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=854_1356045130 grayokc The Communist Chinese government, via its state-run media front Xinhua, has called for Americans to be disarmed, arguing that the Sandy Hook school massacre demands "no delay for U.S. gun control." Xinhua is virtually the press agency for the Communist Chinese government. The organization , "is subordinate to the State Council and reports to the Communist Party of China's Propaganda and Public Information Departments." In other words, Xinhua represents the pinnacle of Chinese state-run media. Whatever is printed in its editorial pages represents the opinion of the ruling Communist Party leaders. The article calls on Obama to exploit the tragedy to push his gun control agenda, adding that his lame duck situation represents "the best position to promote it," while blaming the National Rifle Association for curtailing previous attempts to regulate firearms in the United States. Noting that after previous mass shootings efforts to impose gun control measures "disappointingly always fail," the editorial expresses the desire that the "gunman's cruelty and evil may provide a strong momentum and broader public support for the restart of gun control efforts." The article adds that Barack Obama should begin "to make preparation for a protracted war," with a massive political cost if he wants to eviscerate the second amendment. As Brandon Darby points out , "The current Chinese government, the communist People's Republic of China, was established in a revolution led by Mao Zedong, who killed an estimated 40-70 million people with starvation, executions, and re-education camps." Indeed, it was Mao himself who said "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun." This should provide a hint as to what happens when tyrants are unleashed upon a disarmed population, and why China's call to repeal the Second Amendment rings chillingly hollow. Appearing on the nationally syndicated Alex Jones Show today, former Congressman and NRA board member Bob Barr called for members of Congress to speak out against the Chinese government, expressing his outrage than an authoritarian regime would lecture the United States about the rights of its people. If you want to get a taste of how a state treats citizens who refuse to submit to big government tyranny yet who are completely disarmed, look no further than China itself. As we reported earlier this year , a villager in northern China attempting to resist a forced government relocation by remaining on his land was brutally crushed to death by a road flattening truck on the orders of a Chinese government official. China is routinely rocked by riots staged by residents furious at the arbitrary theft of their land by the state, which under the Communist system claims that the government owns all land and that private property rights are non-existent. However, the state-owned media ensures that news of the protests does not reach a national audience. Since the state has all the guns, the idea of government thugs arbitrarily kicking people off their own property is a routine occurrence in China. The kind of massive land grabs and forced relocations that occur almost every day in China is not a situation that has yet been visited on America primarily because Americans have the second amendment with which to protect their private property rights. A law was recently passed in Indiana which legalizes the use of deadly force - including against a police officer - in the event of an unlawful intrusion. The Pentagon's recent geopolitical pivot made it clear that China was the primary military threat to the United States. In addition, Chinese military and Communist Party leaders have repeatedly indicated that they are preparing for a future war with the United States. Others have threatened to launch a nuclear attack against America during any potential confrontation over Taiwan. In this context, it's noteworthy that Japan's Admiral Yamamoto refused to invade the United States during world war two because he feared the fact that there "would be a rifle behind every blade of grass," therefore it's not surprising that the Communist Chinese regime would also want to see the American people disarmed. Concerns that China was also interfering in U.S. media were also heard after MGM was forced to delay the re-make of Red Dawn for two years after Chinese state media complained that depicting the invading villains as Chinese "would demonize their state and its citizens." The bad guys were changed to North Koreans and entire portions of the film had to be revised. It's unprecedented to see foreigners like the Communist Chinese and others like Piers Morgan advising Obama on ways to exploit the school shooting in order to disarm the American people. China can keep its forced relocations, its summary execution of political dissidents, its mobile execution vans, and its draconian police state. Americans will keep their guns, no matter how many times the Communist Chinese government - and all its political allies within America - talk down the second amendment. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=854_1356045130 grayokc Communist Chinese Government Calls For Americans to be Disarmed Communist Chinese Government Calls For Americans to be Disarmed Wed, 21 Nov 2012 22:25:52 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a80_1353554583 grayokc In a move likely to further alienate the already unpopular United Nations from the American people, a top official with the global body put his ignorance about the U.S. constitutional system on full display by calling on the Obama administration to lawlessly quash recent marijuana legalization initiatives in Washington State and Colorado . Voters in both states approved the decriminalization of the controversial plant on November 6, nullifying unconstitutional federal statutes and a dubious UN narcotics agreement at the heart of the global "war on drugs." While the international organization obviously has no power to enforce its dictates, UN "International Narcotics Control Board" (INCB) boss Raymond Yans said he hoped disgraced U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder would ignore state laws, the U.S. Constitution , and the will of voters by "challenging" the successful referendums. Similarly, a coalition of former federal "drug warriors," citing UN agreements, called on Obama to speak out against the legalization measures before they were adopted by the electorate. The administration, meanwhile, has suggested that it would continue to enforce unconstitutional federal statutes in those states despite the nullification measures. "These developments are in violation of the international drug control treaties, and pose a great threat to public health and the well-being of society far beyond those states," the UN's Yans alleged. Despite the half-baked assertions, the 50-year-old UN agreement cited by the global drug boss, known as the " Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs ," does not actually purport to require the criminalization of drug possession, according to experts worldwide. Even if it did, however, the federal government cannot legitimately expand its own powers beyond constitutional limits simply by signing on to UN agreements or making treaties. The U.S. Constitution, of course, does not give the central government any authority to regulate or control any substances . So, like with alcohol prohibition, granting the U.S. government power over drug policy would require a properly ratified constitutional amendment. Otherwise, narcotics issues, under the Tenth Amendment, are constitutionally in the realm of states or the people. Still, the well-paid Belgian advocate of global governance and planetary prohibition said he was hopeful that Attorney General Holder "will take all the necessary measures" to continue the unconstitutional policy of prohibition in both states. Holder's Justice Department , of course, was exposed trafficking heavy weaponry to Mexican drug cartels as part of Operation Fast and Furious while laundering narcotics money through the DEA . What measures the UN drug czar might be advocating was not immediately clear, though analysts suspect Yans was calling on the disgraced federal official to ignore the U.S. Constitution - a very serious matter. Voters approving legalization of marijuana, Yans claimed in an attempt justify his arguments in an interview with the Associated Press, sends "a wrong message to the rest of the nation and it sends a wrong message abroad." The UN INCB, though, seemed confident that Obama would obey the outlandish dictates of the self-styled international drug czar. "Mr. Yans recognized the commitment of the Government of the United States to resolve the contradiction between the federal and state levels in the implementation of that country's obligations under the drug control conventions," the dubious outfit said in a press release issued on November 15. "The INCB President requested the Government of the United States to take the necessary measures to ensure full compliance with the international drug control treaties within the entire territory of the United States." All across the political spectrum, critics blasted and ridiculed the UN drug boss' ignorance, not to mention the audacity displayed by an unelected international bureaucrat trying to meddle in the internal affairs of state governments while blatantly disregarding the will of voters. Some commentators even said Yans' remarks were just one more reason among many to altogether abolish the controversial global organization , known as a "dictators club" among detractors. Other analysts, ironically, perhaps, blasted prohibition partly because of its association with the disgraced global entity, famous for sex scandals and rape among its troops, mass killings of civilians , and support for brutal dictatorships . The UN INCB, which in its latest press release styles itself "the quasi-judicial body charged with monitoring the implementation of the international drug control conventions by Governments," also expressed "grave concern" about voters in U.S. states and cities deciding to abandon marijuana prohibition. The same statement went on to claim that the unconstitutional global conventions "must be universally adhered to and implemented by all States." According to Yans, that means national laws, policies, and practices related to drugs purportedly regulated by the UN must be "fully aligned" with the global entity's demands. Incredibly, apparently oblivious to the principles of American federalism, the UN drug czar also claimed that national governments have an "obligation" to "ensure their full compliance" within their entire territory, "including federated states" or provinces. How to deal with sovereign states and voters that refuse to fully comply was not specified, let alone the increasing use of jury nullification to void prohibition . "Legalization of cannabis within these states would send wrong and confusing signals to youth and society in general, giving the false impression that drug abuse might be considered normal and even, most disturbingly, safe," Yans complained in a press release, despite the fact virtually all advocates of legalization have explicitly stated that decriminalizing marijuana is not an endorsement of the plant itself. "Such a development could result in the expansion of drug abuse, especially among young people, and we must remember that all young people have a right to be protected from drug abuse and drug dependency." Of course, left unmentioned was the fact that studies in countries such as Portugal that have decriminalized all drugs show conclusively that drug abuse actually plummeted after legalization . Also conveniently ignored by the UN drug czar, whose bloated tax-funded salary depends on prohibition, are the rates of marijuana use among the youth in the Netherlands, where cannabis is essentially legal, compared to the United States. According to a 2009 U.S. National Institutes of Health study that examined the issue, for example, "marijuana use rates did not differ across countries;" findings that clearly contradict the drug czar's claims. Yans also admitted that despite the global prohibition regime, since it was adopted in the early 1960s, very strong forms of marijuana have appeared on the market. Drug abuse, meanwhile, has been on the rise globally as well, with the notable exception of countries such as Portugal where drugs have been decriminalized. However, across the political spectrum, from conservative Christians like Pat Robertson , Sarah Palin, and Ron Paul to big government-promoting secularists like Rep. Barney Frank , opposition to marijuana prohibition continues to mount. Polls show most Americans now favor decriminalizing cannabis , too. And as constitutional scholars have long pointed out, Washington, D.C., has absolutely no authority to intervene in state drug policy - much less the UN, alternatively seen as a laughing stock or an illegitimate threat to freedom and national sovereignty . Incredibly, despite publicly admitting that he has consumed marijuana and other illegal substances, President Obama has been even more vicious in his prosecution of the unconstitutional drug war than the George W. Bush administration. In addition to lawlessly persecuting the medical marijuana industry in the more than 16 states that have nullified bogus federal statutes, the current administration has been widely condemned for bullying some Latin American governments now openly advocating drug legalization into continuing prohibition. Top political leaders across the hemisphere have started openly complaining about the monetary costs and the death toll associated with the drug war, as well as the massive profits prohibited substances yield for ruthless criminal cartels. Obama, however, dispatched high-ranking officials to send a clear message to Latin American political leaders : Keep waging the war as instructed, or face the consequences. "The drug war justifies all kinds of aggressive US foreign policies in the region, supporting repressive governments and para-militaries, while allowing the prohibitionist policies to deepen the black market in drugs and embolden violent drug gangs," explained John Glaser with antiwar.com in a piece about the UN drug chief's comments. Well over $1 trillion American taxpayer dollars have been consumed by the drug war, not to mention hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide, possibly more. Of course, this is not the first time that self-styled international "authorities" have attempted to meddle in the internal affairs of American states. UN "Human Rights" boss Navi Pillay, for example, criticized Florida laws protecting the human right to self-defense while blasting the alleged lack of an investigation into the shooting of Trayvon Martin earlier this year. Federal, state, and local investigations were already ongoing, but the misnamed UN "Human Rights" body, which includes some of the most barbaric dictatorships on earth as members , was apparently not very well informed. UN-linked "election monitors" purporting to have the authority to "observe" U.S. elections sparked a national scandal this year, too, with some states threatening to arrest them. While it may be constitutionally legitimate for state governments to regulate or prohibit drugs - and there are, of course, very real concerns about problems associated with narcotics - the Obama administration has no lawful authority to intervene. Voters in Colorado and Washington, then, are perfectly justified in nullifying lawless federal statutes that go outside of constitutional limits. The UN's effort to get involved, however, has been widely perceived as crossing a line in the sand, leading to renewed calls for the U.S. to defund and withdraw from the global body immediately. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a80_1353554583 grayokc UN Demands Obama Smash State Marijuana Legalization UN Demands Obama Smash State Marijuana Legalization