Do You Really Have Nothing to Hide? The “Right to Remain Silent” Protects the Innocent
The Bill of Rights contains the 5th Amendment, which is the right to remain silent. This is the one right that law enforcement hates, and the American public has been conditioned to believe over the years that this amendment is only for criminals who don't want to incriminate themselves, and so they have been trained to say to you: "If you don't have anything to hide, why won't you answer my questions?" But the fact is that the 5th Amendment was placed in the Bill of Rights to protect innocent people from a tyrannical government. If you have never watched Law Professor James Duane's classic lecture to a group of students on why he is "proud to admit that I will NEVER talk to a police officer," this is must viewing. Generally, when questioned by officers, the best response is to simply state: "I don't answer questions." These officers are counting on you not knowing your rights, and being able to intimidate you for information. In an article published by Robin Koerner at the Brownstone Institute today, you will learn how innocently answering questions posed by a TSA Officer can result in you being put on a list where you can no longer travel, even if you did nothing wrong.