Misinformation by Misinformers. It’s not Qualified Immunity, it’s Terry vs Ohio.

The biggest problem in the world right now is misinformation. Ironically, we’ve been grappling with this issue for over two decades, with the United States government emerging as the foremost disseminator of misinformation. From the FDA to the World Health Organization, from the Consumer Protection Agency to Big Pharma, misinformation has been rampant, and the consequences have been absolutely disastrous.

As we delve into the realm of police reform, we uncover the real problem: misinformers on YouTube, notably a man named James Freeman (real name James Springer) and all the sycophants who have echoed this relic. They spread the notion that qualified immunity is the paramount issue with policing in America. However, the truth is that policy, crafted by the Supreme Court, matters more than qualified immunity. Whether or not a cop has qualified immunity is irrelevant if the courts rule they’re not entitled to it, because officers are not facing the repercussions they should—losing their jobs, pensions, or homes.

Instead, individuals like James Freeman perpetuate the fallacy that qualified immunity is the crux of the problem in policing. The actual issue is the policy of Terry vs. Ohio, which has influenced the Supreme Court’s spectrum and led to dozens of other cases. Terry vs. Ohio establishes officer safety over our constitutional rights, creating the term “reasonable articulable suspicion” and the concept that one can be detained without being arrested. These three pillars—officer safety, reasonable articulable suspicion, and detainment—pose the most significant challenge to policing in America today.

People like James Freeman exacerbate the problem of misinformation. Focusing on the wrong issues means the underlying sickness remains unaddressed. The real ailments in our country are officer safety, reasonable articulable suspicion, and detainment, where individuals are placed in “torture cuffs” without actually being arrested. I am utterly disgusted by those on YouTube and Instagram who continue to push the absurd narrative that qualified immunity is why police get away with misconduct.

The truth is, most harm occurs during the detainment process, a cornerstone of Terry vs. Ohio. The police can apprehend you based on officer safety or their reasonable articulable suspicion, both pillars of Terry vs. Ohio. Despite my efforts to highlight this issue, with my videos viewed millions of times a day, opposition forces like James Freeman, Accountability for All, Denver Metro Audits, Long Island Audit, James Madison Audits, and others persist in promoting the irrelevant matter of qualified immunity in police reform.

States like Colorado, New Mexico, New York City, and Connecticut have abolished qualified immunity, yet nothing has changed. We continue to live in a despotic state called America, a situation that will persist as long as the policies and pillars of Terry vs. Ohio remain. What can be done to shift the narrative of these misinformers? Unfortunately, nothing—they are too entrenched in their beliefs and have built their platforms on the fallacy of qualified immunity. Even attorneys, like John Brian, who runs a channel called “The Civil Rights Attorney,” are making videos about qualified immunity, missing the point that the true problem is Terry vs. Ohio.

So, let’s put a cap on this issue with the following steps. What you, as a POJ—a Person of Justice, someone who comprehends the root of the problem—can do is this: every time you see someone mention “qualified immunity,” respond to their comment by highlighting, “Haven’t you learned by now that qualified immunity has been abolished in four states and New York City, and it has changed absolutely nothing?” It’s crucial to push back against these misinformers. Visit their platforms, wherever they may be, and inform them that their propagation of misinformation is the real issue. You cannot mend a heart when the lungs are what ail you, and that’s precisely the misstep these misinformers are making.

As a Person of Justice, it’s within your power to enlighten those who follow these misinformers, as well as the misinformers themselves, that the actual problem in our country is Terry vs. Ohio; specifically, the issues of officer safety, reasonable articulable suspicion, and detainment. Utilize your voice to articulate to these individuals that their actions constitute a grave injustice to us all. Thank you for standing up for what is right and striving to make a difference.