Land wins re-election; no political relief for besieged homeowners
Dwain Land wins re-election to a third term as mayor of Dunlap, Tenn., despite being embroiled in an attack on the liberty to be free from unwarranted search and seizure. (Photo David Tulis) Elections Saturday in a small Tennessee town give no relief to an elderly couple in hiding because city government demands their consent […]
Abusing Gaddys, Land wrecks good name; Greer for mayor
Jennifer Lockhart Greer teaches history and civics at the high school. The personal liberties secured under constitutional government are the fruit of simple promises. In Dunlap, Tenn., an elderly couple hiding from authorities are simple enough to believe these promises and to stand firmly upon them. By David Tulis / Tennesseestar.com The city’s civil prosecution […]
Mayor Land seeks re-election amid oppression of elderly couple
Carol and Thomas Gaddy discuss their house, under an injunction for no further work while city officials demand to search the property, though no one has sworn a warrant out for probable cause that a crime has been committed. The couple is in hiding, sought by a search warrant for contempt for not complying with […]
Trump no help; police state tactics worsen against Americans
Chattanooga city police officers often enforce statute within the city limits in full military gear, as displayed by SWAT members along the Chattanooga riverfront. (Photo Chattanooga police department) “Policing is broken… It has evolved as a paramilitary, bureaucratic, organizational arrangement that distances police officers from the communities they’ve been sworn to protect and serve. When […]
Marceaux cases would stymie ‘police state’ enforcement in all TN cities
Basil Marceaux of Soddy-Daisy is raising explosive questions about Tennessee courts and the state’s use of inferior civil courts to process criminal complaints. (Photo David Tulis) Former gubernatorial candidate and free-range motorist Basil Marceaux will appear before a Hamilton County circuit court to argue in one of a series of criminal cases whose defense is […]
Bill would aid fugitive Gaddys in property rights fight
Thomas and Carol Gaddy speak to supporters after her release from Sequatchie County Jail on Nov. 12 on charges of contempt. She spent two nights in a cell. (Photo David Tulis) A bill sliding through the Tennessee general assembly offers unexpected aid to Thomas and Carol Gaddy, the homeowners from Sequatchie County who are in […]
Law enforcement gets tough: Forced cavity probes, taserings, shootings
A Chattanooga police officer admires machine guns belonging to the federal military. Local base commander White is at left. (Photo, Fred Fletcher Twitter) We’ve reached the point where state actors can penetrate rectums and vaginas, where judges can order forced catheterizations, and where police and medical personnel can perform scans, enemas and colonoscopies without the […]
TN highwayman program targeted by reform bill invites local corruption
Seized cars and trucks are part of Tennessee’s highwayman program, also known as civil asset forfeiture. (Photo Tennessee Watchdog) This week a committee in the general assembly is considering the civil asset forfeiture reform bill proposed by Sen. Todd Gardenhire and a state representative. The bill would reduce the incentive of police departments and sheriff’s […]
Christianity envisions radical political, economic decentralization
If God blesses the trend toward radical decentralization, Chattanooga city hall will become increasingly important, Nashville and Washington, D.C., less. (Photo David Tulis) The basic premise of localism—and therefore, the basic premise of what I call “County Rights”—is that civil government power should be as decentralized as possible. This is the heart of the program. […]
Cop arresting Bell holds peace as vilely abused in Bales panhandle case
Antonio Bell as seen from a police cruiser camera. (Photo Chattanooga police department) Arrest data for Antonio Bell, charged with five counts in an encounter with David Bales, a sessions judge. Police video supports the arrest of Antonio Bell in the retaliation case involving Judge David Bales, and undermines the favorable impression of Mr. Bell […]