I have nothing to hide.
In actuality that’s probably not true, but right now I believe it. So there it is: I have nothing to hide.
But I fear that that will matter little to the people who, if they decide that it is to be so, come for me, drag me from my home and demand I explain myself to them. Arrest warrants and prisoner rights mean little to those safeguarded by and under the umbrella of the USA Patriot Act! With those protections in place for them, I will be compelled to explain myself, but never, ever will they be obligated to explain themselves to me… especially if it turns out to all be a mistake. I’ll just be turned loose, no explanation, no apology, no reasons, no rights.
My fears started on October 26, 2001 (strangely, my birthday), when this piece of shit, horror-show legislation called the USA Patriot Act became effective. It was the government’s knee-jerk reaction to that terrible crime that killed 4,000. Everyone got on board (well, almost everyone… thank you Sen. Russ Feingold for your NO vote!). It’s a mammoth piece of legislation who’s long title says it all:
An Act to deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world, to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools, and for other purposes.
And that’s how it reads:
‘…and for ‘other’ purposes.’ Creepy. Why didn’t they just write:
Trust us!, and then tell us to bend over and smile!
To me what the Patriot Act really says is, as a people we have come to believe our Constitution is outmoded, antiquated, and a failure. That adherence to law cannot keep us safe and we must move more towards a totalitarian governance style in order to effectively combat EVERYTHING that falls under the umbrella of something called ‘Terrorism’ (and ‘other purposes’).
To this day ‘Terrorism’ remains undefined by our government, Bush or Obama. They lecture us on how the Patriot Act has prevented thousands of terror attacks, but with the next breath tell us we cannot be provided (or trusted) with evidence or proof on how these attacks were prevented. National Security, you see. So in order to be protected we need to be quite, sit still and ‘take it.’ All in the interest of National Security.
This was not just the Bush Administration that told us this. This is the Obama Administration that tells us this as well.
If we as citizens truly believe this is the only way to now live life in the US, then we need to STFU, let the USA Patriot Act continue forward, where it will surely be expanded, and take the hit when it comes for us (and it will come for us. With such a loose definition of Terrorism and Purpose, any citizen can end up in its cross-hairs).
But if we don’t believe that ALL IS LOST!, or that THE SKY IF FALLING!!, or IF YOU HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR!!! then we need to figure a way to take our country back from the politicians and special interests who are getting rich off the Patriot Act, Endless War, and US.
It’s our country and we need to replace the bastards who have co-opted our freedoms in the name of a security they do not provide. Vote them out of office, or boot them out… don’t care much which. They are not the Stewards of the Charters we need and must have in order to guarantee and secure our freedoms.
The people responsible for starting all this need to go to jail. And maybe some of the people responsible for letting it continue deserve a little cell time, too. Guantanamo, a national disgrace, should already be a distant, distasteful memory, but it’s not. Dick Cheney and Karl Rove, both still free… both belong behind bars, but they’re not. And the USA Patriot Act should be repealed in its totality, and should have been years ago. But it wasn’t, and it won’t be, not until we demand it of our government, make them do it and make sure they can never restrict our freedoms and rights again.
Maybe we need to replace the USA Patriot Act with something simpler. How about something called the USA Freedoms Act:
Enact no law, public or private, that will impinge upon the Constitution or its amendments, for these charters are the only designations defining the freedoms provided to the citizens that make up this country.
That’s my bent… sorry for the rant. I’m pissed that it’s gotten so out of hand, and I just had to get it out of my system. My thoughts are my own, and don’t really amount to much, in the grand scheme of things. Just glad I have a place to put it out there.
Thanks, D-Kos, and peace!