Last week the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill, almost unanimously, called "HR-1955 The Violent Radicalization and Home Grown Terrorism Protection Act". This bill that made it through the House of Crazy Nutbags, of course has language in it that flies in the face of civil liberties. The bill's language begins with the words "An Act to prevent homegrown terrorism, and for other purposes" without of course, ever defining those 'other purposes'. What other purposes besides 'homegrown terrorism' might it mean?
Why might I ask all of my Liberal Drinking buddies to be worried about this bill? I imagine it might be that the definition of who they seek to study has not exactly been set in stone. I've read many analyses of this bill but the one I found here is probably the most comprehensive and intelligent.
Since Dick Cheney has gotten his sweaty mitts on our government, the FBI has found the Quakers, PETA, and Green Peace worthy of monitoring. What other groups might our government view as a threat to it's power? The ACLU, Move On, The AFL-CIO, Veterans For Peace, Drinking Liberally? This bill creates a (cough...1984..cough) 'Commission of Excellence' to study all of the pissed-off Americans in the land. Then after 18 months, when the 'C to the O to the E' is done examining us all, the bill says it will rely on the Private Sector to do something about it! Yea! Maybe that macho mammoth murderous mercenary 'corporation' Blackwater will get that No Bid Contract!
Being a concerned citizen who is head over heels with The Constitution; I wrote my Democratic Senator, Sherrod Brown, who assured me he'd 'take my concerns into consideration' when the bill hits the Senate. Of course, his letter did not inform me which way he would vote. Even more disturbing, I believe he said the same thing when I wrote him about the Military Commissions Act bill that ended Habeas Corpus. For those of you who don't remember; before he won his Senate seat, as a House Rep. he voted for that bill. And you know what else was missing from his reply to my concerns about the Senate version of HR-1955? His guarantee that my civil liberties would not be degraded. Makes you think doesn't it?
Now many of you may wonder who on the Democratic side sponsored the bill that will finally counter-sink the screw in the coffin that contains our civil liberties? Why that would be Blue-Dog Democrat Jane Harman. Just so happens that her district is rife with lots of defense industry companies looking for work outside of the nasty Middle-East. Those poor, poor Defense Industry companies are sooooo worried what will happen if they have to leave the arid lands of the Middle-East. So Jane says 'No to worry my Sugar Daddies! I'll find a way for you to work and keep the sand out of your cracks! We'll let ya do what you did over there...over here!'
Soooo... the Democrats, led by Jane 'Blackwater' Harman, voted in concert to create a millenial version of the mid-twentieth century McCarthy era House Un-American Activities Committee. Are you getting the picture here kids? That maybe Democrats aren't any more in love with free speech, the right to assemble, the right to question the government than Republicans?
One of my favorite movies, which I 'm sure I'll be harangued about, is Francis Ford Coppola's The Untouchables. My favorite character in the movie of course is the ethically conflicted Irish old salt mentor to Eliot Ness played by Sean Connery. He asked Eliot both before and during his death, 'What are you prepared to do?' And, whenever I'm faced with something really difficult I ask myself that question. And now I ask it of you.
What are you prepared to do to keep your right to peacefully protest, to join groups you agree with, to express your thoughts publicly without legal retribution? What are you prepared to do to ensure this right, codified in our Constitution, for future generations? What are you prepared to prevent thought from becoming a crime?
I hope, at the very least, you are willing to write your Senators, demanding that they as your elected representatives vote against the Senate version of this bill...if not? Just imagine Drinking Liberally becoming "Drinking What The Government Tells Us To Say or We'll Be Thrown In Gitmo-ingly". That would really suck.
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3 comments:
If you don't like what is going on - stop voting for the two major parties.
That bill is a product from both sides - each with their own reason for wanting it.
I don't vote Republican.
I am sure you will always vote Democrat. You are the problem.
This bill was the combined effort of both major parties. If you want real change, you have to quit voting for the major party candidates.
I don't vote Republican.
You will never stop voting Democrat.
You are the problem.
They lie and steal freedoms and you enable.
Hank,
There's an old saying 'Don't vote for the perfect candidate because there is no such thing, vote for the one who will do the least harm'. And that's how I vote.
I am a Liberal and the last time I checked there is no Liberal Party in the United States. Actually I like to think of myself as a Liberaltarian...kind of a Ron Paul/Dennis Kucinich hybrid.
I don't always vote for Democrats. And if you read through my blog dating back to the 2006 elections you will see that I have been taking the Democrats to task pretty much since then.
You'd also be surprised to know that I voted for Perot in 1992. I'm not Bill Clinton's biggest fan but not for the bullshit reasons the right-wing froths about.
I'm not the problem and even though you insist on insulting me every time you visit my blog..I'll tell you who or what is the problem: Corporate influence on our electoral process. The fact that candidates are bought and paid for by corporations and the people have lost their voice. Both Republicans (especially under this administration) and Democrats are guilty of letting heavily monied special interests (whatever industries dominate their state) buy their loyalty and their votes.
And sorry Hank, I'm not going to stop voting or stop encouraging folks to vote because we've got to make sure the one who will do the least amount of harm to my country wins.
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