NDAA... So! It Has Come to This?

Are we expected to accept this state of affairs and say "Oh, well"?

Salem-News.com

(WASHINGTON D.C.) - Apparently now, instead of Liberty and Justice for all, we are being assigned "one empire, under surveillance, with deceit and oppression for all."

As if the so-called PATRIOT Act was not bad enough, we have been assaulted on New Year's Eve within the semi-routine National Defense Appropriations Act (NDAA) with a provision that potentially subjects us all effectively to be given "enemy combatant" status. Nameless bureaucrats can present to an overworked, distracted, misinformed, or pressured president a case the person XY has some connection somehow to terrorism. If the president signs on, then such person may be arrested, imprisoned, and allowed no hearing, trial, witnesses on his behalf, evidence presented or any of the other normal procedures that relate to a civilized methodology. Is that what awaits us? Has this society sunk to that abysmal level?

Are we expected to accept this state of affairs and say "Oh, well"?

Orwell is more like it, as in George Orwell, whose book 1984 portrayed a society whose authoritarian government turned language upside down and rewrote its history books so that reality was inverted. We are now expected to submit to this legal atrocity and still say we live in "the land of the free and the home of the brave." It remains to be seen in the opposition of the American people how free and how brave we are.

A quote of Thomas Jefferson reads: "I consider trial by jury as the only anchor every yet imagined by, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution." However, it is indefinite detention without a trial that has now been signed into law by Pres.

Obama after being passed in both houses of Congress by overwhelming margins! What can they be thinking, and do any of these guilty ones not understand that this is an absolute betrayal of their oath of office?

EXCERPTS FROM OUR BILL OF RIGHTS

Article I: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Article IV: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probably cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Article V (portion): No person shall . . .be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Article VIII: Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Article XIII (subsequent to the original TEN amendments which were passed with the Constitution in 1787): Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Any rational understanding of these provisions of our Constitution makes it absolutely clear that the new "indefinite detention" violates ALL of these provisions and is patently a betrayal of the very core of these vital American values.

To whom can this odious new law apply? The wording says: COVERED PERSONS.--a covered person under this section is any person as follows:

(1) a person who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored those responsible for those attacks.

(2) A person who was a part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners, including any person who has committed a belligerent act or has directly supported such hostilities in aid of such enemy forces.

"Committed a belligerent act" such as, for instance:

A) Telling the truth that exposes a government lie or crime?
B) Calling high level government officials liars, idiots of buffoons?
C) Engaging in Constitutionally guaranteed rights to free speech, peaceful assembly, or demanding a redress of grievances?
D) Documenting abuses of those who have flagrantly violated their oaths of office?
E) Occupying public space peacefully?

This is a matter to be engaged locally, regionally and nationally.

Two major national organizations who will work with us are:

ACLU.org and BORDC.org (Bill of Rights Defense Committee)

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