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Very dubious about argument for firefighter/DHS alliance
By WDavidStephenson | November 26, 2007
Count me among the skeptics regarding the new alliance between DHS and fire departments nationwide where firefighters will be trained to look for possible terrorist activities when entering homes  Unlike police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel don’t need warrants to access hundreds of thousands of homes and buildings each year, putting them in a position to spot behavior that could indicate terrorist activity or planning.  How does this square with the 4th Amendment in the Bill of Rights?
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.       Â
Not well, in my book, and apiece with misguided efforts such as the now deep-sixed LAPD plans to “map” Islamic Neighborhoods as ways of eroding civil rights.  They indicate either:
- woeful ignorance of the Bill of Rights, or
- continuing efforts to circumvent it
or, in my book, both! Â CONTINUED
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