Four Legs good, two legs bad.
-Animal Farm

I don’t even know where to begin with this.

First exposed by a document leak to NBC News in December, the agency runs an information-gathering project called Threat and Local Operation Notice, or TALON, which spies on so-called "suspicious incidents." Those incidents reportedly have included anti-war campus protests and demonstrations against the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy against gay personnel.
-The Pentagon Admits Improper Spying

So, apparently now we are actually spying on our citizens as terrorists. I am bothered by this because I can’t quite make up my mind as to which reason they are spying on this particular group. Is the government spying on them because they are gay or because they are protesting the policies of the army? Perhaps it was the double threat. All we need now is for them to join up with the Impeach Bush crowd and we’ll have the perfect triple threat.

Do you remember in school when they taught us the Bill of Rights. You know, the first Ten Amendments that the founders of our nation thought of as fundamental right for our nation to be founded on. I wonder how many people can actually quote back what each of them are? People are always spouting off about the First Amendment that gives the right to free speech, but do they remember the other integral right that the First Amendment provides? Let me refresh your memory:

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.

We have the right to peaceably assemble and to petition our government for change. Yet, the people who go out and do these things are labeled as terrorist, communists, or even worse, liberals. Cindy Sheehan tried to peaceably protest at the State of the Union address. She wore a shirt that the White House didn’t approve of so she was removed. Her actions harmed no one. They were peaceful and her way of addressing her grievances with the government. The problem was, the Government doesn’t agree with her. To me, this wasn’t an action that abridged her free speech, but it did abridge her First Amendment rights.

Let me remind all of you of another Amendment in the Bill of Rights; the Fourth Amendment. How many people can remember which Amendment that is? Once again, allow me to refresh your memory:

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 probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

We are protected from unreasonable searches and seizures. Had our forefathers thought of inventions like telephones, email and such, I am certain they would have been included in this Amendment. This means that no citizen can be searched without immediate probable cause without a warrant. This means that we can be secure in our persons and have the right to private conversations and means of living within our private abodes. In essence, email is paper… electronic mail. If these were letters to be mailed, they would be subject to this right. However, the Government has tried to pass laws that abridge this right. It is the Fourth Amendment. Right now, the Government guard dogs seem to think that this right can be suspended when they feel like it. They can search our email, library records and bank records without redress or warrant.

There is one last Amendment in the Bill of Rights that I would like to present to you all as a refresher. It is the Tenth Amendment. I think this Amendment isn’t flaunted enough.

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

This means that laws not written in the States law or in the Constitution belongs to the people. For example; this means that if your State doesn’t have a law banning same sex marriage, then it is your right to be married. This law gives Americans more freedom than they realize. So long as your actions hurt no one, then it is your right to do as you please. People need to be reminded of their right, they need to possess knowledge and use it. Now, I am no lawyer, but I know that we were taught all of these things for a reason. We were taught so that we could stand up to our Government when they are doing something wrong.

Now is the time to stand up. Redress your grievances with the government, use the freedoms guaranteed to you. Do not let the Government twist these laws to their own perverse uses. The people have the real power, never forget that. Do not let our country become a twisted version of Animal Farm with the manipulation of the laws.

Four legs good, two legs better.
-Animal Farm

Posted by Utopia at February 11, 2006 11:05 AM

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Posted by: Brongar at February 12, 2006 06:09 AM

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