America's North Shore Journal

US News has published exclusive details of a top secret radiation monitoring program conducted by the Federal government. The two issues seem to be:

Is radiation monitoring a violation of a person’s right to privacy?

Is it legal to intrude upon public accessible parts of private property to conduct such radiation monitoring?

The answer to question one is most certainly no, no more than pollution monitors outside power plants or the ever ready juice cans the enviro wackos use to monitor Kodak’s emissions off site. What is being measured is almost certainly gamma radiation, which requires massive shielding to prevent its travel from the radiation source. Gamma is the deadliest form of radiation, as well, doing the most harm to people and the environment. This sort of monitoring would be legal under environmental laws if nothing else.

The answer to question two is maybe. Were I standing in the driveway of a mosque with an automatic weapon, the police would have every legal right to enter that property and take action. Were I standing naked, the same, perhaps faster. Were I standing in a window in that same mosque, visible from the street, naked with an automatic weapon, they would also be able to take action without a warrant. A police officer does not need a warrant if he sees a crime in progress.

I am not a lawyer. I would suggest, however, that there may be laws that forbid the private possession of gamma emitting materials, unlicensed possession at the very least. I would also suspect that emitting harmful radiation is against the law. And, I guarantee that developing or possessing a dirty bomb or a nuclear weapon is against the law. Somewhere in the mish-mash of laws, I do suspect that it is more than legal for an agent of the police to walk up my driveway with a radiation detector. If the Mormons can come to my door, a NEST agent can certainly do the same legally.

Remember, radiation is not a protected form of communication. In this case, it is deadly pollution.

No one’s home appears to have been invaded. No one was stripped searched or forced to wear panties on their head. Lynndie England was not pointing at their private parts and laughing.

Unless someone can point out just how this operation was illegal and injured the targets somehow, I’m going to pat the government on the back for doing a good job.