Naperville’s Kim Bendis emerges victorious in dubious “smart meter arrest” case
by Josh del Sol, director & producer of Take Back Your Power
After having been absurdly arrested for refusing a so-named “smart” electricity meter (as seen in Take Back Your Power), Kim Bendis of Naperville, Illinois has been acquitted on a misdemeanor charge labelled as “resisting or obstructing a peace officer” in January 2013.
Bendis’ other charge, which police called “attempted eavesdropping,” was dropped in Februarywhen that Illinois law was ruled unconstitutional. The baseless charge against Jen Stahl, the other Naperville mom arrested, was also dropped.
Hundreds of local governments and an estimated million or more utility customers around the world are opposing utilities’ actions to deploy “smart” meters – for the valid reasons of privacy violations, unjustifiable billing increases, fires, hacking vulnerability and health damage. “Smart” meters appear to be linked to an agenda of increased centralized control, price-gouging and causing various harms to people in their own homes. They are being deployed worldwide, often in the name of a necessary “climate action” initiative, although studies fail to show any energy savings.
But in many areas utilities are not even offering their customers a choice to keep themselves from being harmed by “smart” meters. And in Naperville, the City has appeared hell-bent to force its agenda ahead, going as far as employing police forces to carry out their dirty work.
Overcoming propaganda
With no less than 4 mugshot images of Bendis embedded in a single post, yesterday’s Chicago Tribune article used blatant propaganda to further cement her “poster girl” status, attempting to send a not-so-subtle message of, “this is what happens when you resist us.” This is a deliberate and blatant attempt at the embedding of fear through biased and repetitive images.
No word yet if Bendis will go on the offensive against the City of Naperville, for compensation for the harms she experienced as part of the ordeal.
“These charges should have never been brought,” Bendis’ attorney Todd Pugh said after the verdict.
That’s the understatement of the year.
What this means for all of us
Bendis’ victory shows that the corporately-run government complex does falter when individuals stand their ground and refuse the fear programs which the complex feeds on, and uses against human beings.
But don’t expect courts to help prevent “smart” meters from being installed. Unfortunately, the judicial system is not immune to what appears to be corporate bribery and collusion. Despite the overwhelming evidence of harm caused by “smart” meters, we’ve repeatedly seen legal processes fail, most recently with Citizens for Safe Technology’s class action case dismissal by the BC Human Rights Tribunal, and last week a U.S District judge ruling against Florida utility customers.
So, while jury trials may be somewhat more effective (than an administrative judge ruling) in seeking justice and the preservation of individual rights, success in the movement appears to require other avenues on higher ground.
As we necessarily wake up and move through fear, let us have confidence that, like Kim Bendis, we can stand up for ourselves and win.
I see this movement reaching higher ground as we begin to understand our power to create, to dispel the illusion and to enforce liability upon criminals who are causing harm. The spirit in us compels us toward victory.
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About the author
Josh del Sol is the director and producer of Take Back Your Power, a revelatory documentary feature film uncovering the worldwide ‘smart’ metering and grid agenda. Watch the film and subscribe to updates at www.takebackyourpower.net, and follow him via twitter @TBYPfilm.
Other articles by Josh del Sol
- Power Takeover: Are smart meters part of the largest corporate scam in history?
- Exposed: Google’s “Smart Home” Surveillance Plans, Or, How To Not Be Colonized
- The Real Consequences of Corporatism, “Smart” Grid and Corrupt Government
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