Posted on 02/17/2012 10:25:31 PM PST by kathsua
Darkness was falling on Dec. 15 as the U.S. Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2012. It is ironic that at a time when the country should have been celebrating the 220th anniversary of the ratification of the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution on Dec. 15, 1791, more commonly known as the Bill of Rights, our elected representatives were completing legislation that essentially eviscerates the liberties that the Bill of Rights secured for every U.S. citizen.
To truly comprehend the travesty of this new legislation, one only needs to review these constitutional rights for himself or herself. Four congressmen and two senators represent Kansas. The only one who voted against this heinous assault on our freedom was Congressman Tim Huelskamp.
The NDAA designates the entire world, including the "homeland," as the battleground for the "War on Terror." In sections 1031 and 1032, it also gives the president the power to have anyone arrested and indefinitely detained who he believes "substantially supports terrorist groups" and/or "associated forces." It is important to understand that after arrest the detainee will not be informed of the charge against him and will not have access to an attorney, judge or U.S. court. The term "associated forces" is vague and open to interpretation. A quote from section 1032 reads, "The requirement to detain a person in military custody does not extend to citizens of the United States." The key word to focus on in this provision is "requirement." Although it stipulates that the president is not required to detain a U.S. citizen, he does have the authority to detain a U.S. citizen if he deems it necessary in the interest of national security.
The Obama administration - more specifically, Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security - has made it clear in past policy statements whom she considers a significant threat: namely, right-wing extremists. Her definition of right-wing extremism includes: those who oppose restrictions on firearms, one-world government, expansion of social programs, this country's ever-increasing involvement in wars, and several other common conservative viewpoints. To put it more simply, she would like to quash political dissent, which is protected by the First Amendment. Secretary Napolitano has also been criticized for characterizing returning veterans as potential domestic terrorists.
One of the sponsors of this bill, Sen. John McCain, has been pursuing this kind of legislation for some time. His intensions can be understood if you read another bill he sponsored titled "The Enemy Belligerent Interrogation, Detention and Prosecution Act of 2010." That bill did not distinguish between U.S. citizens and non-citizens and stated that "suspected belligerents" who were "considered a "high-value detainee" should not be provided with a Miranda warning.
The final vote for the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 was on Dec. 15, 2011. On Dec. 31, President Obama signed it into law, as darkness continued to fall. The "Tree of Liberty" is regrettably looking pretty wilted.
I would rather risk being killed by terrorists than live under a system in which the government can arbitrarily arrest people without having to prove they are doing anything wrong.
Meanwhile, they’re going to do absolutely nothing about more Hezbollah terrorists being sneaked across the Mexican border . . .
Generated crisis allow them to pass legislation that normally would not be accepted by the people. Think about it.
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