Constitutional attorney John Whitehead expressed his concern about government intervention and the militarization of the police in his previous book, A Government of Wolves. He continues his investigation and expands his focus in his new book, Battlefield America.

In some ways, he believes we have come full circle. In the 18th century, the colonists were held captive by the British. Now in the 21st century, we are being held captive to the American police state. It is time, past time he says, for American citizens to call a stop to the encroachment on our liberties.

We have a Fourth Amendment to the Constitution that prohibits unlawful searches and seizures. Unfortunately, he shared on my radio program that many in law enforcement do not even know what the Fourth Amendment says. He sometimes asks them when they say they are enforcing the law, what law do they think they are enforcing.

He says “the Constitution’s safeguards against police abuse means nothing when government agents can crash through your door, terrorize your children, shoot your dogs, and jail you on any number of trumped up charges, and you have little say in the matter.”

If you question his description of America as a battlefield, consider his conclusion. “If it looks like a battlefield (armored tanks on the street, militarized police in metro stations, surveillance cameras everywhere), sounds like a battlefield (SWAT team raids nightly, sound cannons to break up large assemblies of citizens), and acts like a battlefield (police shooting first and asking questions later, intimidation tactics, and involuntary detentions), it’s a battlefield.”

He believes that “We the people” have been hijacked on the highway by government agents with little or no regard for the Constitution. He believes we can turn this runaway vehicle around but we need to understand the threat and be willing to stand up to it. It’s time to get started.