Letter to the "Leaders" of Miami regarding the abuse of Photo Journalists

Dear Citizens, Candidates to Office, and Public Servants of the People of Metropolitan Miami,

In early days of our republic, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” These deep words pronounced by one of our nation’s founders, reflect the deep respect and love for liberty in our society. Unfortunately, since that revolutionary era fueled by freedom, we have sometimes strayed from those great American ideals. Today, all across our United States, actions by those who have taken an oath to uphold the constitution and guard our liberties paint a stark contrast to those great patriots of 1776.

Miami-Dade Count has unfortunately strayed from that path of liberty created by our founders. A culture of perpetual arrogance by those entrusted to secure the peace and guard liberty in our community is sickening. It is repulsive that such arbitrary interpretations of the rights of the citizens of Miami-Dade County is constantly used to abuse power, intimidate citizens, and deceive the public.

There is a lack of constitutional clarity, an ignorance of rights and procedure, and an oligarchy of governmental bureaucracy that fosters governmental ineptness. These traits breed disrespect and contempt for the deep ideals of liberty that our founders fought for. It is up to the citizens to remind those who have been entrusted to serve the public about their oath and obligations to the constitution.

My question to all of you who want to serve the public and take an oath to the constitution is, “will you stand up for civil liberties and the constitutional rights of the citizens?” This is a serious question. The trend toward authoritarianism is rampant in our community. There is a political and social culture brewing in our community at conflict with the American heritage of liberty. How many of you have even addressed this issue? Every day civil liberties are violated and every day we do not stand up for them a culture of authoritarianism and disrespect for constitutional rights grows.

The Miami Metropolitan area is no bastion of civil liberties. The trend in government is to have contempt for the rights and liberties of the citizens. The following is one example of many of one of an egregious attack on the civil liberties and rights perpetuated by the expanding flawed partnership between government and private contractors.

The focal point of this letter centers on the constitutional rights and liberties of citizens taking pictures in public places. There are endless decisions, cases, rules, and laws that have upheld the rights of these actions by citizens.

Please watch the full video of this abuse of authority and governmental support of ignorance by a private security company at the following link address:
http://carlosmiller.com/2010/07/01/we-were-permanantly-banned-from-the-miami-dade-metrorail-for-taking-photos/

There is no excuse and there can be no justification of police ignorance on the law. All across Miami, those who take an oath to protect our rights and liberties, rarely know our rights and liberties. This is shocking. Not only does this breed a culture of tyranny, social tension, and conflict in the community, but it subjects the tax payers to pay for endless law suits justly filed against a government that does nothing to correct the situation. This must end. We do not live in a police state we live in a constitutional free republic. The police state is 90 miles south of Florida. What will you do to end this abuse?

In Liberty,
Ricardo J. Rodriguez Vacas, Esq.
Citizen of Miami-Dade County

p.s. I leave you with this quote by Samuel Adams:

The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men.