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Anybody here remember Tim McVeigh and the Oklahoma City bombing? Or the Waco Branch Davidian debacle? How about the Republic of Texas, a bunch of nuts who declared their ranch a separate nation? Then there was Ruby Ridge and the Weaver family stand off the ended with a shoot out.
What do they all have in common? Right or wrong these people didn't trust their own government. They all thought the Federal Government was intruding into their lives, that it wasn't paying attention to the Bill of Rights that is supposed to protect us, the citizens, from the powers of the Police state. These people were nurtured by groups like the Christian Identity Movement, a far right neo libertarian group that foments paranoia about an all powerful central government controlling our lives.
Since these incidents some things have happened that bear thought.
In 2000 during the Presidential Campaign a new phrase was coined; “Free Speech Zone.” People wishing to express opinion different from George Bush were banned from event routes and relegated to small fenced areas far from campaign events. Fenced areas. Chain link pens. Surrounded by local, state and federal police. Once Bush was installed everyone attending a Presidential event was forced to sign a “loyalty oath” before getting access to the town hall meeting. All questions were screened and only select people within the event were allowed to speak. Should anyone arrive with a dissenting bumper sticker they were banned from the event even though they had tickets. If anyone went so far as to wear a dissenting T-shirt they were arrested, held overnight and released without charge.
In October 2001 the 342 page Patriot act was passed making changes to 15 statutes. Among other things it gave Federal investigators access to library reading lists, video rentals and your home without your knowledge or consent.
Since the War in Afghanistan the President can declare anyone, foreign or domestic, an Enemy Combatant. American citizens have been arrested on US soil and held for years without charges or legal representation. International law and protocols of the Geneva Conventions have been abrogated and prisoners tortured and beaten to death.
Earlier this year it was revealed that the Bush Administration was wiretapping US citizens inside the U.S. without a warrant. Attorney General Gonzalez has testified before Congress that such Presidential powers may extend to physical searches as well. Asked if the President could order assassinations on US soil, Gonzalez desembled saying that perhaps a case could be made to support that. At least one attorney representing a “terrorism” suspect believes his office and home has been searched. His FOIA requests have been denied.
A few months ago it was revealed that AOL and Yahoo gave information containing all terms used in their search engines over to the FBI without their user’s consent or knowledge.
Last week it was alleged in a law suit that AT&T routed all Internet and data streams as well as digital voice through the NSA’s computers. All of it. Domestic and foreign. International and local. No warrants.
Before any of this happened Tim McVeigh was moved to park a 5,000 pound bomb in front of a day care center because he believed the Federal Government couldn't be trusted. In the name of fighting foreign enemies the Bush Administration has made the paranoid muttering of home grown terrorists a reality.
Feeling any safer?
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