-- Patrick Henry
Showing posts with label liberty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label liberty. Show all posts
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Quote Of The Day
-- Patrick Henry
Friday, December 9, 2011
S1867 - Still In Play, Still A Threat
Dec 9th, 2011
UPDATE: 12/12/2011 The original image we included was found to be tremendously upsetting by some readers (it is available HERE). We think this replacement still makes our point.
It increasingly appears that, one way or another, the covert arrest of American citizens on our own soil and their indefinite detention without trial or open review, dictated by 'classified' officials, will become the "law" of the land, perhaps, along with a return to "enhanced interrogation."
Without the free and open judicial system that was an essential predicate of our founders, this means that the shocking image above and to the left actually could be your father, your son, your wife or even your daughter.
They could be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
For the sake of argument, let's say that some online password to a bank account gets hacked and a few hundred dollars gets transferred to "the enemy." This transfer qualifies, under the pending legislation, as "terrorist support." Let us now admit that investigators, as they so often have done, might get it wrong.
The wrong guy gets followed. The wrong house gets raided. The wrong family's dog gets shot.
It. Happens. All. The. Time.
Now; let's picture an American citizen who has been wronged this badly being denied access to a civil attorney or even a phone.
How can they possibly communicate that they have been unjustly arrested? Or abused? They cannot, potentially, ever.
Within the provisions of the 2012 NDAA, it is more than plausible that an arrest under such circumstances might not be much different than a Chilean disappearance under Pinochet.
Where openness is abandoned, tyranny reigns.
Donny Shaw writes for Open Congress:
"At this point, the House and Senate have both passed their versions of the bill (H.R.1540 andS.1867), but they have disagreement on several provisions, including a provision opposed by the Obama Administration that would require the military to indefinitely detain terrorism suspects, including American citizens living in the U.S., without charge or trial.
With the House having voted 406-17 to “close” portions of the meetings and avoid public scrutiny, members from both chambers and both parties are meeting in a secretive conference committee to work on reconciling the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. On the military detention provision, their main task is going to be to find a solution that can pass both chambers (again) and not draw a veto from President Obama."
We have beaten our heads against the walL trying to draw attention to this madness HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.
UPDATE: 12/12/2011 The original image we included was found to be tremendously upsetting by some readers (it is available HERE). We think this replacement still makes our point.
Without the free and open judicial system that was an essential predicate of our founders, this means that the shocking image above and to the left actually could be your father, your son, your wife or even your daughter.
They could be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
For the sake of argument, let's say that some online password to a bank account gets hacked and a few hundred dollars gets transferred to "the enemy." This transfer qualifies, under the pending legislation, as "terrorist support." Let us now admit that investigators, as they so often have done, might get it wrong.
The wrong guy gets followed. The wrong house gets raided. The wrong family's dog gets shot.
It. Happens. All. The. Time.
Now; let's picture an American citizen who has been wronged this badly being denied access to a civil attorney or even a phone.
How can they possibly communicate that they have been unjustly arrested? Or abused? They cannot, potentially, ever.
Within the provisions of the 2012 NDAA, it is more than plausible that an arrest under such circumstances might not be much different than a Chilean disappearance under Pinochet.
Where openness is abandoned, tyranny reigns.
Donny Shaw writes for Open Congress:
"At this point, the House and Senate have both passed their versions of the bill (H.R.1540 andS.1867), but they have disagreement on several provisions, including a provision opposed by the Obama Administration that would require the military to indefinitely detain terrorism suspects, including American citizens living in the U.S., without charge or trial.
With the House having voted 406-17 to “close” portions of the meetings and avoid public scrutiny, members from both chambers and both parties are meeting in a secretive conference committee to work on reconciling the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. On the military detention provision, their main task is going to be to find a solution that can pass both chambers (again) and not draw a veto from President Obama."
We have beaten our heads against the walL trying to draw attention to this madness HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Quote Of The Day - Here and Now Edition
Dec 2nd, 2011
"Sept. 11 didn’t succeed because we granted the terrorists due process. The attacks did not succeed because al Qaeda was so formidable, but because of human error. The Department of Defense withheld intelligence from the FBI. No warrants were denied - the warrants weren’t requested. The FBI failed to act on repeated pleas from its field agents, agents who were in possession of a laptop with information that might have prevented Sept. 11.
These are not failures of laws. They are not failures of procedures. They are failures of imperfect men in bloated bureaucracies. No amount of liberty sacrificed on the altar of the state will ever change that."
-- Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), still fighting hard against the frightening Levin/McCain provisions in the NDAA
"Sept. 11 didn’t succeed because we granted the terrorists due process. The attacks did not succeed because al Qaeda was so formidable, but because of human error. The Department of Defense withheld intelligence from the FBI. No warrants were denied - the warrants weren’t requested. The FBI failed to act on repeated pleas from its field agents, agents who were in possession of a laptop with information that might have prevented Sept. 11.
These are not failures of laws. They are not failures of procedures. They are failures of imperfect men in bloated bureaucracies. No amount of liberty sacrificed on the altar of the state will ever change that."
-- Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), still fighting hard against the frightening Levin/McCain provisions in the NDAA
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Quote Of The Day
Oct 28th, 2011
"All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride legitimately, by the grace of God."
-- Thomas Jefferson
"All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride legitimately, by the grace of God."
-- Thomas Jefferson
Friday, October 14, 2011
Papers Please? At The Occupation
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Quote Of The Day
Sept 25th, 2011
"Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves."
-- Henry David Thoreau
-- Henry David Thoreau
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Quote Of The Day
Aug 31st, 2011
"I believe in human dignity as the source of national purpose, human liberty as the source of national action, the human heart as the source of national compassion, and in the human mind as the source of our invention and our ideas" -- John F. Kennedy
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Quote Of The Day
Aug 27th, 2011
"You can only protect your liberties in this world by protecting the other man's freedom. You can only be free if I am free."
-- Clarence Darrow
-- Clarence Darrow
Monday, August 22, 2011
Quote Of The Day
Aug 22nd, 2011
"Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty."
-- Plato
-- Plato
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Quote Of The Day
April 20th, 2011
"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies." -- Thomas Jefferson
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