Posted on 11/23/2007 4:00:19 PM PST by BGHater
With overwhelming bipartisan support, Rep. Jane Harman's "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act" passed the House 404-6 late last month and now rests in Sen. Joe Lieberman's Homeland Security Committee. Swift Senate passage appears certain.
Not since the "Patriot Act" of 2001 has any bill so threatened our constitutionally guaranteed rights.
The historian Henry Steele Commager, denouncing President John Adams' suppression of free speech in the 1790s, argued that the Bill of Rights was not written to protect government from dissenters but to provide a legal means for citizens to oppose a government they didn't trust. Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence not only proclaimed the right to dissent but declared it a people's duty, under certain conditions, to alter or abolish their government.
In that vein, diverse groups vigorously oppose Ms. Harman's effort to stifle dissent. Unfortunately, the mainstream press and leading presidential candidates remain silent.
Ms. Harman, a California Democrat, thinks it likely that the United States will face a native brand of terrorism in the immediate future and offers a plan to deal with ideologically based violence.
But her plan is a greater danger to us than the threats she fears. Her bill tramples constitutional rights by creating a commission with sweeping investigative power and a mandate to propose laws prohibiting whatever the commission labels "homegrown terrorism."
The proposed commission is a menace through its power to hold hearings, take testimony and administer oaths, an authority granted to even individual members of the commission - little Joe McCarthys - who will tour the country to hold their own private hearings. An aura of authority will automatically accompany this congressionally authorized mandate to expose native terrorism.
(Excerpt) Read more at baltimoresun.com ...
This is a bill that was written and proposed by a Democrat. Yet, the press will somehow still blame Bush for undermining free speech in America, and like usual Bush will not be able to do anything about it.
“Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence not only proclaimed the right to dissent but declared it a people’s duty, under certain conditions, to alter or abolish their government.”
Man, are we well past our time to pull that off. The govt. monster has gotten TOO big and out of control.
“Frog, meet pot. we’ll turn it up slowly.”
I suspect the motivation for this bit of legislation is a recognition of the real hatred that is brewing up against the various neo-comm movements.
There are already plenty laws on the books.
There is a vast and irreconcilable difference between legitimate dissent and open betrayal during war.
Nay votes:
AZ-6 Flake, Jeff [R]
CA-46 Rohrabacher, Dana [R]
HI-1 Abercrombie, Neil [D]
IL-12 Costello, Jerry [D]
OH-10 Kucinich, Dennis [D]
TN-2 Duncan, John [R]
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2007-993
I don’t support the “patriot” act, and I don’t support this, either.
W can veto the bill, but he won’t. We can be excited about it because we think it will go after the code pinks, anti war establishment, etc. I call BS. The bills language is so wide open they can go after anyone they so please. Guilty till proven innocent.
Just a thought, FR has been called a racist site a few times. We have had a great time over the last 10 or so years ( I came aboard in 04) bashing, and rightfully so, the Clintons. Now with this exciting bill, they can come after us all and shut the websites down.
Great way to control the people.
MAJOR INTREP
Look out - we are being set up for some very BIG changes if a Democrat makes it into the White House. This is really scary!
10 Planks of the Communist Manifesto
1. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes.
2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.
3. Abolition of all right of inheritance.
4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.
5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the State, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly.
6. Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the State.
7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State; the bringing into cultivation of waste-lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.
8. Equal liability of all to labour. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture.
9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equable distribution of the population over the country.
10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labour in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production.
According to the Communist Manifesto, all these were prior conditions for a transition from capitalism to communism
Thank you for the Manifesto reminder. LOL, but it’s not a joke.
I’m going to try and find the latest and greatest tinfoil hat, because I see “no good” to come out of this law. To say anything more may get me enrolled in an reeducation camp.
"Ms. Harman's proposal includes an absurd attack on the Internet, criticizing it for providing Americans with "access to broad and constant streams of terrorist-related propaganda," and legalizes an insidious infiltration of targeted organizations. The misnamed "Center of Excellence," which would function after the commission is disbanded in 18 months, gives the semblance of intellectual research to what is otherwise the suppression of dissent."
“Ms. Harman’s proposal includes an absurd attack on the Internet, criticizing it for providing Americans with “access to broad and constant streams of terrorist-related propaganda,””
Guess she means FR.
Beat you by 1 sec..:)~
I keep telling my wife we’re in deep do-do in our own land with all the global warming worship and people trying to tell us how to live our lives...one step begets the other and then another and then another an in two generations the youth of the country have no clue what it means to have true freedoms and we slowly slip into the abyss of socialism.
I saw that and was cursing my new keyboard.
I have a question for anyone reading this and I’m serious...
Is it possible to bring forth an amendment by the people to call for elections on all elected officials (congress) in a given year to reshuffle the deck? I’m just so tired of the same old fat cats who don’t give a crap what gets brought up and don’t listen to the people. I realize it’s not realistic, but to have the power to call for a new congress certainly would help the elected officials know the people are watching and that they have the power to abolish the power structure.
THE PEOPLE DON’T WANT THE GOVERNMENT INTERFERING IN THEIR LIVES!!
I am growing more and more disgusted by our government everyday. So out of touch of reality it’s disturbing.
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