A Rally Against Mass Surveillance

Hello everyone!

Oniell Ford here. Just wanted to get this message out to everybody. Do you remember the NSA's secret spying program on the entire nation and others? Well, our friends at stopwatching.us have been planning a rally against the NSA's controversial and unconstitutional mass surveillance program. They plan on rallying at Washington D.C. to protest and deliver a petition of over half-a-million signatures demanding the U.S. Government to end the NSA's program.

I cannot attend the rally in-person, unfortunately. However, that does not mean I can't do anything about it! For those of us that can't attend, we are able to do so via online.

For more information, visit the following link.
https://rally.stopwatching.us/

I will be attending the rally. Will you join me?

Thanks,
- Oniell Ford.

End Modern Slavery!

The case of Saudi Princess Meshael Alayban, accused of human trafficking in the U.S., has caused a stir throughout the world. But do you know how the story was uncovered? A few weeks ago, the victim, identified as 'Jane Doe,' escaped Alayban’s home where she alleges she was forced to work 16 hours a day, 7 days a week; her passport held by Alayban to prevent escape. Jane Doe then flagged down a bus, explained her situation to another passenger who helped her phone police. When the police went to investigate, they found four other women at the home claiming to be in the same situation.

Modern slavery is a crime that survives hidden from the view of the public, but occasionally, it’s there, right in front of us. It could happen overtly – a woman escaping a home in which she was trapped or a boy summoning the courage to trust a stranger – or a more subtle scene in an airport where something just doesn't look right. The bottom line is, at any moment, a person trapped in the nightmare of modern slavery could be trying to get our attention and we all need to be ready to help. Hours ago, Princess Alayban was supposed to face charges of human trafficking in a California court but didn't show up. Annoyed, the judge moved her court date.



Already, the media is focused on the case and its possible outcomes. But one person is getting less coverage – the passenger on the bus that connected ‘Jane Doe’ to the help she needed. Awareness of telltale signs and potential situations of modern slavery is something everyone should have – how amazing would it be if everyone could recognise a potential case of modern slavery, and know what to do to speak up?

When I read that, I felt like this was one of the biggest problems brought to my attention. I felt like I should get off my lazy butt, run to where this "Jane Doe" lady is currently at, ask her questions about what she went through and then bust out any other slaves! But I can't. I'm disabled and low on money. Despite that, I am not giving up. I can still do something, and so can YOU! Click the links below to help, please!

Send a message of solidarity that we all stand with the passenger on the bus who took action to protect another by ensuring millions of people know how to spot a problem AND what to do.

Click here to SHARE important tips for how to recognise a potential modern slavery problem with everyone you know on Facebook.

Thank you,
- Oniell Ford.

Stop CISPA!

Greetings, everyone!

As many of you might have noticed by the huge "CISPA is back" gadget above the posts, CISPA has returned. CISPA, or Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, is another reincarnation of the dreaded SOPA/ACTA laws the Government tried to pass a few years ago.

To think that the Government is acting like a spoiled 5 year old who throws a fit until he gets his way, is beyond ridiculous! Why in the hell did WE vote THEM in??

Please sign this petition to help stop CISPA from being passed.
https://www.change.org/petitions/protect-internet-privacy-stop-cispa#

Thanks.
- Oniell.

Now It Is Nineteen Eighty-Four...

I woke up the other day, turned on my computer and saw the horror of this news article on the front page of Yahoo called "'What?' Confused 911 caller outs NYPD spying in NJ" (The link to the article is at the bottom of this post.) You may say that I'm misunderstanding this or blowing this out of proportion, but reading it and seeing the video brought me to tears. To think that our own Police force is spying on us, watching our every move, tracking our every location... it's maddening! I know that they were keeping track on Islamic "terrorists", but it'll soon become a lame excuse to keep track of everyone! They will search a room in an apartment, then the apartment itself, then the next building, then the street, then the whole city block! You might say that they need a reason to do this, but they will! Just give them enough time and they'll find a reason! Be a good one or bad one, they will find a reason!

The fact that Michael Bloomberg (Mayor of New York) and Jeffrey Chiesa (New Jersey Attorney General) defend these actions is insulting. To my understanding, this gives Cops the right to practically go to any house in any city or state to spy on anyone, so long as they are "searching for terrorists." The only reason these "superiors" are defending their police is to keep their upper-class, high profile political images from suffering an ego bruising! They don't want to look foolish to their people! They'll use, think of and take any excuse to save their hide!

I just don't get it. What did we do to deserve all this unnecessary surveillance? I know that it's for "the safety of the people", but in my opinion, this is starting to go too far. And soon, it'll get out of hand. It won't be "safety of the people" for long, it'll be "the CONTROL of the people"!

Where did we go wrong?

Link to Yahoo News article
http://news.yahoo.com/confused-911-caller-outs-nypd-spying-nj-084732106.html