[cynicom]

Whoa here hoss.... Arrest powers???? Never....Arrest Ridge for not caring a damn about individual freedom and the constitution. We already have to many Federal cowboys with the power of arrest

This is no longer a citizen army, it is a "professional" army. I want no part of them enforcing the law...Never...

[IronJack]

"Let's just open the door a crack and see if anyone hollers."

If Joe Biden -- or any Democrat for that matter -- is in favor of this kind of assault on our civil liberties, then it should be setting off alarms all over Conservative-dom.

This is probably the most dangerous period in American history. It is the turning point at which the government finally had the courage to admit that it is planning war on its own citizens. If anyone if naive enough to believe that this is about terrorism, don't buy a watch in New York City.

Any attempt to revise Posse Comitatus should be met with howls of rage and a quiet determination to resist at all costs. It means that "working within the system" just got to be a much narrower option.

Note to Mr. Ridge: The terrorists are OUTSIDE this country, and the military is not supposed to be deployed domestically. We already have a POLICE force. How can you leave our borders wide open to every swarthy bomb-thrower, then demand the right to march soldiers up and down our town square to "protect" us? Why not stop the rats before they get off the ship? Because you, sir, are a liar and a tool of tyrants.

[IronJack]

I could see support for a constitutional amendment to PROHIBIT use of the United States Armed Forces in domestic situations.

This is frightening on an Orwellian scale.

[Rebelbase]

Can't the President declare Martial Law in some situations which would override the Posse Comitatus Act?

[Prodigal Son]

The government should consider reversing a more than a century of tradition and law to give the military authority to make arrests and fire their weapons on U.S. soil in the event of a terrorist attack, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge said.

Uh... No.

[proudofthesouth]

I don't like the sound of this......

[linn37]

nope its a bad idea,time to pop that trial balloon

[VaBthang4]

That was an asinine thing to say "giving soldiers arrest powers".

They already have the ability to detain until Law Enforcement arrives. And if the Law Enforcment officers think he/or she is a terrorist then he/or she could be transferred back to Military authority in order to go before a military tribunal.

Some of these Conservative politicians need to think before they speak......all that statement is going to do is piss off Liberals and Conservatives. Ridge screwed up saying something like that.....that in the end is a stupid solution to anything.

[Ahban]

Any body who believes this power would only be used against foriegn terrorists and not US Citizens please signify by smashing your head through your monitor!!!!

Its OK. You aren't using it anyway.

[RCW2001]

March along, single file, "citizen" and be prepared to 'show your papers' as required...

[Fred Mertz]

This will not stand. It's foolhardy and dangerous.

[Mulder]

This is a very bad idea.

The military should never be used for domestic law enforcement.

[cynicom]

Gene

Bush better refute this one real quick as it will be another nail in his re-election coffin. He better disown this bastard child real quick. Even better take Ridge to the woodshed or fire the man.

[Jhoffa_]

Ridge said officials haven't yet discussed giving the military powers to arrest U.S. citizens, though such authority might be discussed once Bush's homeland security department is created.

Reichstag Bump..

[NetValue]

Ok. How do you reconcile that you were willing to use military forces to augment "police" on our borders? Or the National Guardsmen at the airports? Or the Coast Guard in our ports?

This says that you are not completely aginst using the military domestically.

[Jhoffa_]

WHAT? WHAT?

You don't trust the military? this is "war" you know.. You bunch of liberal pansies. It's us or the enemy. Dubya can be trusted with these powers, he's our king! If you aren't a terrorist, then you have nothing to fear! We all have to give up some "liberties" to be safe you know!

(/Devils Advocate)

I am amazed at the short sightedness in the shadow of 9/11..

It's shocking.

[Semper911]

The government should consider reversing a more than a century of tradition and law to give the military authority to make arrests and fire their weapons on U.S. soil...

It is because of that century-old "tradition" that the U.S. Coast Guard was never made a part of the DoD. The USCG is the only part of the US Armed Forces that has law enforcement powers in the US.

And it damn well better stay that way. Anything else is martial law.

[virgil]

The term "Dept of Homeland Security" implies they should have special domestic powers. I don't want this department that will probably become another bloated bureaucratic agency. Its a bad idea.

[saltlick]

The bigger picture is coming into focus-- the first bells went off at the astounding rate at which news outlets released polls showing Americans were willing to give up freedoms for security. The releasing of those polls seemed premature given the urgency of the events at the time (>3000 lives lost, Pentagon attacked, President flying all over the place, people are not sure what's going on,and the media are reporting on POLLS??)

[bok]

Department of Homeland Siegcurity reichstag. we will arrest you but we will not bother doing it to illegal aliens, they will become our obedient government servants.