How You Can Keep Your Rights WIthout A Fight
If you believe the media, more and more Americans are willing to take up arms in violence as a way to “protect their rights” from government encroachment. Just look at any antifa (anti-fascist) protest (though I wonder if they know what fascism even means), which seem to be growing in number.
But, for those of us who just want to live our lives and be left alone, there is another way to stay out of issues with law enforcement: staying silent. What I mean by this is not literally saying nothing but not volunteering information, not insulting law enforcement, not blowing up and shouting and swearing, but keeping your cool and following the minimum dictates of the law without allowing yourself to be bullied into giving away your rights should you come across an officer who is a bully.
Jack Burns gives us a great example:
The traffic stop started with the officers approaching [Phillip] Turner on his passenger side and asking if Turner could roll down his window more. Knowing his rights, Turner refused and said if the duo wanted to see his license they’d have to come around to his side of the vehicle where they could feel free to see both items through his window.
“Texas law states I only have to exhibit them, I don’t have to hand them over…I don’t want you to think I’m reaching for something,” he said when asked to reach over his license and registration and hand them through the window to the officers.
The officers then asked Turner why he thought that he had been pulled over. Burns continues,
Knowing his rights, Turner refused to answer any leading questions such as, “Do you still live at the same address as your license…Do you want to tell me why you got pulled over or do you want to remain silent?…Did you happen to see me sitting on the side of the road back there a couple miles?…Were you aware you were following that close?…How far away were you from the vehicle you were following?…So you were aware how far away you were from the car you were following?…Do you know how fast you were going when you came by?…When’s the last time you got a ticket?”
Through each and every question, Turner didn’t fall for the fishing expedition of the officers. What most motorists are probably unaware of is that law enforcement asks these questions in order for motorists to incriminate themselves. All Turner would say is, “It’s on my dashcam,” and refused to answer those questions.
The police eventually let Turner go because they were unable to find anything to cite him for.
Of course, for his own protection, it is a good thing that Turner had a dash cam installed on his vehicle so that he could also record the entire interaction, but the bigger point is summed up by what Turner also said: ““Don’t answer questions, remain silent, and let them do all the work.”
So, should you get pulled over for no good reason (we’re not advocating that you knowingly break the law), know your legal rights about how you are required to cooperate, and keep your mouth shut. Let them talk themselves out and go away so that you can get on with your life.
How would you have handled Turner’s encounter with the police? Tell us below.
I was taught to obey the law, be respectful to police officers and comply with the officers requests. With that said, I think more and more law abiding LEGAL American citizens, myself included, are sick and tired of the double standard for LEGAL American citizens and ILLEGAL ALIENS. As LEGAL citizens we are expected to comply with “border stops” deep inside American territory and comply with ILLEGAL requests from border patrol agents. When we are stopped by a police officer we are expected to comply with ILLEGALLY handing over our license as opposed to displaying or exhibiting it, out of courtesy. We see also expected to answer all kinds of questions, where we live, still live there and many others that we are not required to answer by law, but most of us do out of respect. Mind you most of us comply for the respect and courtesy of the individual officer, not the system itself. But we have been told by the illogical liberal crowd that asking an ILLEGAL ALIEN about their citizenship status is a no no. The LEGAL American people are fed up with the nonsense and having to comply while a large number of ILLEGAL ALIENS are shielded. It is far past time to put an end to the liberal insanity.
I was being followed out of town by a city policeman – I had watched him pass me and make a U-turn, and had already checked my speed – 2 mi over the limit on a bridge leaving town, about 20 feet before the speed changed up. I gave him my license – he said I was speeding across the bridge – I said “yes, I was – 2 miles per hour over”. He said I was going faster than that – I said I was not – I had just had my speedometer checked by Iowa State Patrol – it WAS accurate. He wanted to know how long I’d owned the car – I said I don’t – my employer does – do you want his/her phone number? – he asked why I was driving so slow on the bridge when the average is 10 mph over – I said I had seen him go by and make a U-turn – illegal by the way – he must have asked me that question 5 times.
Then I turned it around – I asked him why he followed me in excess of 3 miles just to tell me I was a little over the limit – in Missouri, to the best of my knowledge – they HAVE to pull you over before that, or leave you alone. He said it wasn’t 3 miles – I said it was – I DO have an odometer – he chose to “warn” me and left. When he asked where I live – I said -it’s on my license. When he asked my birthdate – “it’s on my license”, I think he just wanted to know who was driving that car – it was previously owned by a drug-dealer. When the car was sold (to a dealer) – I warned him to not drive it in that town if he had anything illegal on him – he didn’t listen – he went to jail. Hey – I tried LOL
Respect is always the best way to go. Even when speaking to a child, please do it with respect.
You are so right!
First of all as a former county cop, when you are signaled to stop by a law enforcement officer, (the light bar flashing) do so at the earliest SAFE opportunity, that includes the officer’s safety. That won’t be lost on the officer; place both of your hands in the twelve o-clock position on the wheel and wait for the officer to approach the vehicle. When he arrives at your vehicle he will likely stand behind the B pillar of your car for his safety. If you are alone in the vehicle wait for him to arrive at the vehicle and can see what you are doing. If you are accompanied and the passenger is in the right front seat, have the passenger retrieve any documents in the glove box that the officer requests. If you are like most people and your DL is in your wallet, tell the officer where it is and when he acknowledges it move deliberately and retrieve the wallet only with the appropriate hand. He may or may not take them from you. Don’t be a jerk and refuse to relinquish them. The officer may then ask you if you know why he stopped you. Answer him honestly. At this point it is a civil, not a criminal issue. He will likely run the license for open warrants and return the license to you as long as you are not driving on a suspended license. If you are, you likely already know what happens next. There is no guarantee that you will or won’t be cited but simple courtesy and respect will go a long way towards what (if any) citation will be issued. Give the officer a load of verbal excrement and you may wind up with more than one citation if you have a tail light out, a cracked windshield or tinted window too dark. It happens.
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