I've been doing it again... I've been dithering over how to make this a "good" blog post instead of just writing the damn thing... and I need to get this out.
It has come to me why it is that I am so opposed to any continuation of the "Patriotic Act." It is that I can't believe a word that comes out of this President's administration or the Congressional leadership.
They crafted and approved the "Patriot Act" with a requirement for a warrant in order to wiretap... they even addressed the urgency issue by saying that the warrant could be issued up to three days after the wiretap. The President told people that this was the case, which to my mind would affirm his understanding of the law.
This country was founded by people who had lived their entire lives under terrorist threat, tyranny and oppression. They formed a government of checks and balances dividing power among the executive, legislative and judicial branches specifically because they did not want a strong executive. Mr. Bush' administration has perverted the intention of Congress in authorizing the "Patriot Act" and has cut the judiciary out of the review process entirely. I am assured that the Justice Department (Executive Branch), headed by the guy who wrote the book on how to get away with the torture of prisoners, and... I heard Bush say this morning "all kinds of lawyers" are monitoring the illegal program to make certain that our civil rights are preserved. I am not comforted.
The first Republican President, Mr. Lincoln, described ours as a government of, by and for the people. This President has stood that premise on its ear. The only one of the three branches of government less representative of the people than the executive branch is the judiciary and Mr. Bush is getting ready to seat his second Supreme Court justice... although in his world judicial review isn't a requirement.
There may be another terrorist attack here in the U.S. someday. There's no way of knowing for certain, but there is that possibility. Of more immediate concern to me is the certainty of my belief that George W. Bush and his administration are attacking the institutions of the United States and doing irreparable damage to them each and every day they are in office. With friends like them who needs enemies?
3 comments:
Absolutely dead on, AQ! Equally scary is that Bush thinks he understands, when in fact he does not understand anything of the Constitution, or that "damn piece of paper" as he referred to it recently.
Couple that with the fact that Bush is nothing but a ridiculous caricature being manipulated by Cheney and Rove, and we've got ourselves one helluva mess. The only meaningful question may be "Can we survive long enough for a sane and honest administration to move in and start recovery operations.
You are absolutely correct! I continue to be unequivocal in my belief, based on the actions of this current administration, that they are the worst in my lifetime.
They have and are doing more to undermine our Constitution, our values as a nation, possibly even the future of our country in the world of nations than our worst enemies.
You need to wake up and realize the times. You have referenced very important people and times but comma, we are in an age with new technology and a new enemy. I am a Chief Petty Officer of the United States Navy and I am proud of my Commander in Chief. It is not if another terrorist act will happen but when. My job is to defend you. We have to be right every time, the bad guys only have to be right once.
My first 5 years in the Navy I served aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, below are 3 quotes from the President himself.
Americans learn only from catastrophe and not from experience.
I would rather go out of politics feeling that I had done what was right than stay in with the approval of all men, knowing in my heart that I had acted as I ought not to.
And most appropriate;
To sit home, read one's favorite paper, and scoff at the misdeeds of the men who do things is easy, but it is markedly ineffective. It is what evil men count upon the good men's doing.
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