I have lost the right to privacy. I am about to lose the right to have a judge or a grand jury first authorize a subpoena before they execute a search warrant, or to force me to testify if Ashcroft gets his latest folly passed. The beauty part of that one is that he can also put a gag order on you, so you are not allowed to reveal what was done to you.
No, they haven't gone after me, yet...
They are charging meth dealers for producing chemical weapons under the patriot act. No big deal. We all hate meth labs. However, they have proved already that they are willing and able to use these laws against people who aren't suspected of terrorism even though we were promised that they were for terrorism only.
I am not a great believer in the slippery slope as a rule, but this one is a landslide in the making. If you want a democratic administration determining what is a "weapon of mass destruction", or a "chemical weapon", be my guest.
You and I both know, (even though it short cuts your argument), that congress passed the chemical weapons law to go after fanatic bombers, not meth labs. The law is being perverted already.
I am still safe. For now. Hell, people have been saying that if you criticize the war on terror, you are supporting the terrorists. Isn't that worthy of a detention without charges, without the ability to consult a lawyer?
I refuse to allow the bill of rights to be shredded for other people just because my ox isn't being gored.
If you are willing to take away the freedoms of others, you aren't worthy of freedom for yourself. Our founding fathers could have allowed warrantless searches, being held without charges, and we would have been "safer". They valued liberty more than safety. I do as well.
