29 Matching Annotations
  1. Apr 2016
    1. The Scientology founder “became more and more unhinged in his last days,” DeWolf claims. “He was lost in his own little wonderland, surrounded by this armada, this dark security force. He was totally lost.”

      Dangerous cults should be banned for secretly ruining lives. Members of this scientology cult become something they are not, and get so stuck in these made up beliefs that they cannot find their way back to reality.

    2. The Church of Scientology has previously rejected DeWolf’s claims, saying: “Despite his public representations and self-promotion, Mr. DeWolf is not knowledgeable about the Church of Scientology or its founder.”

      Dangerous cults should be banned for secretly ruining lives. This Church of Scientology continuously tries to cover its tracks and hide the dark side of their "cult" and only lets people see the good side. Mr. DeWolf is right the secrets of this church needs to be exposed. People need to see the real truth of what really goes on behind the scenes of this place, the kinds of things that the church doesn't want people to know.

  2. Nov 2015
    1. How Militarization Came About:

      Includes important information on the start of militarization in police departments.

    2. This evidence points out that the aspect of community policing for the greater good of the community has been thrown out the window and a plan of controlling the lower class for the greater good of the rich instituted.

      This isn't right to do. Citizens of the community should come first.

    3. Too understand the problem of militarization within the police system we must understand the main causes, the effects this militarization has on the policing system along with society, the reasons the militarization of the police has happen, and the alternatives to this militaristic police system

      This article goes into detail explaining what the causes and effects of militarization are.

    4. In a famous controversial experiment, Stanley Milgram tested people’s obedience to authority. In this experiment he picked people from different walks of life and instructed them they were doing a learning experiment (Milgram 1974). These participants played a word matching game with someone they thought was also a participant. When a wrong word was given the participant would shock this other player who happened to be an actor. These shocks increased in intensity until “XXX” was printed next to the shock lever. Even though the other player was screaming in pain and toward the end silent 65 percent of participants continued until the highest voltage marked “XXX”. It didn’t take a threat to their life or their family just a remark from an authoritative figure saying the experiment must go on (Milgram 1974). This study not only shows the willingness of people to be obedient and not question authority but also the dangers of having a hierarchical system. The results of this experiment and the use of this system almost would make sense from a military stand point.

      This experiment is important to note on the effects of hierarchy systems.

    5. The police are supposed to serve and protect, not harm and punish.

      This is entirely true and stands behind my thesis well.

    6. The structure of the police system is modeled after the military structure

      Why is this? A military structure is what leads the police system to militarization and police being more soldier-like.

    7. hese militarized units are known in the law enforcement field as SWAT teams. These SWAT teams are trained in military style tactics, are equipped with specialized weapons such as submachi

      These are important facts.

    1. What Overkill?

      This article is in favor of police departments receiving black helicopters and other military equipment and doesn't see this stuff as "overkill."

    1. One police executive has even suggested that the police function should be divided into two separate agencies under one department: one agency for law enforce- ment, the other for community ~ervic

      This is an interesting statement and could be utilized effectively.

    2. . Community policing ac- knowledges that police cannot succeed in achieving their basic goals without both the operational assistance and political sup- port of the community. Conversely, the community cannot succeed in constructing decent, open, and orderly communities without a professional and responsive police for~e.

      This suggests that one cannot operate efficiently and safely without the other.

    3. Community Policing and the Police Officer I By Edwin Meese II

      credible source

    1. But bloated militarylike responses take psychological tolls, Stamper says. When officers begin to dress like soldiers, their uniform and vocabulary of war reinforces their mind-sets. As they become more soldierlike and less peace officer–like, they become distanced from the community. “If you’ve taken on the identity of your badge and uniform, it’s not what you do, it’s who you are,” Stamper says. “Psychologically it’s a tragedy.”

      This supports my entire argument and thesis statement: How police officers play an authoritative role in a community to keep a balance between peace among citizens and authority among crime suspects.

    2. “They don’t get credit for making a citizen happy,” Nhan adds. “Until we really change some core function of the police, they will still act the same.”

      As members in the community they should receive some credit for building trust within the community to keep the peace among citizens.

    3. Since then local cops have become more than just peacekeepers and law enforcers.

      This statement alone shows just how much police officers today have overstepped what they were originally hired and trained to do.

    4. siege mentality
    5. Before, when the night watchmen might rely on the neighborhood butcher for backup, they now relied on one another. They introduced the two-way radio and patrolled in cars. Over time they became distant from and skeptical of the public.

      These century changed police are the epitome of how they became the feared police of the communities in this nation today.

    1. “It’s all about the money,” said James Eagleson, owner of the 4:20 Group, who also once worked at Desert Snow.

      I thought it was supposed to be about the evidence linked to criminal activity with money being included in that evidence. It shouldn't be just about the money itself, but should be about what the money signifies which is drugs or other criminal activities. Their focus should be on catching these criminals with the help of these civil forfeiture laws. Otherwise, these officers look greedy when they say things that Eagleson has said.

    2. As the drug trade ramped up throughout the 1980s, money deposited into Justice’s federal forfeitures fund increased from $27 million in 1985 to $556 million in 1993. (It reached $2.6 billion in 2007.)

      That is a huge increase! I wonder how much of that money forfeited was swept up by innocent motorists.

    3. “It was never meant for a street cop to take a few thousand dollars from a driver by the side of the road.”

      Then why does it sound like from the video that there has been incidents of this same thing happening?

    4. Thousands of people have been forced to fight legal battles that can last more than a year to get their money back.

      It is unbelievable how something like this is allowed to happen the way that it does and knowing that this could happen to anyone caught on the road carrying a significant amount of cash is scary. This makes me want to be sure I don't carry a large sum of cash for a road trip in the future.

    1. When Baker, 73, lost her husband to cancer, a Scientologist turned up at her Los Angeles home peddling a $1,300 auditing package to cure her grief. Some $15,000 later, the Scientologists discovered that her house was debt free. They arranged a $45,000 mortgage, which they pressured her to tap for more auditing until Baker's children helped their mother snap out of her daze. Last June, Baker demanded a $27,000 refund for unused services, prompting two cult members to show up at her door unannounced with an E-meter to interrogate her. Baker never got the money and, financially strapped, was forced to sell her house in September.

      Dangerous cults should be banned for secretly ruining lives. How could they do such a thing? This appeals to pathos. They take advantage of this poor lady who already lost her husband and from this money scandal lost her house too.

    2. According to the Cult Awareness Network, whose 23 chapters monitor more than 200 "mind control" cults, no group prompts more telephone pleas for help than does Scientology. Says Cynthia Kisser, the network's Chicago-based executive director: "Scientology is quite likely the most ruthless, the most classically terroristic, the most litigious and the most lucrative cult the country has ever seen. No cult extracts more money from its members."

      Dangerous cults should be banned for secretly ruining lives. This is a credible source.

    3. [Note: since publication of this article, the Cult Awareness Network has been taken over by Scientology. Do not contact them!]

      This is unbelievable!

    4. Most cults fail to outlast their founder, but Scientology has prospered since Hubbard's death in 1986.

      how is this one different?

    5. Scientology is now run by David Miscavige, 31, a high school dropout and second-generation church member. Defectors describe him as cunning, ruthless and so paranoid about perceived enemies that he kept plastic wrap over his glass of water.

      Dangerous cults should be banned for secretly ruining lives. This shows that the people in charge of this cult are truly demented and psychotic.

  3. Oct 2015
    1. The two had even swapped views on wills and what happens to your money in the end

      After reading this article, it's interesting to know how this system works.