Hey Bart,
From volume #828:
> "Could somebody make a list of the rights that have been trampled since we lost the vote?"
Sure, but is your server's drive big enough?
I got the yard work done this morning, it's raining,
nothing good on the tube OK, let's try it.
We'll go through the Constitution and see how
we're doing with W. at the helm:
Article I, Section 8:
"The Congress shall have Power To declare War"
Unless it's a "War On Terror", which can go for
as long as Bush says, and
which gives him the right to declare anyone an
"enemy combatant" without challenge.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_2040000/2040675.stm
Article I, Section 9:
"The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall
not be suspended, unless
when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public
Safety may require it."
Apparently, the Attorney General gets to decide
unilaterally if "public Safety" requires that
US citizen Jose Padilla, in possession of no
radioactive material and barely an elementary
school education, gets to have his rights suspended.
http://eatthestate.org/06-22/WhoJosePadilla.htm
"No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed."
(Attainder: The loss of all civil rights by a
person sentenced for a serious crime.) According to the ACLU,
The Patriot Act "Give(s) the Attorney General
and the Secretary of State the power to designate domestic
groups as terrorist organizations and deport
any non-citizen who belongs to them." No messy courts to
deal with this way just suspend those rights
and smile for the cameras.
http://www.aclu.org/congress/l110101a.html
BTW, ditto-monkeys, I see nothing in here that says only US citizens enjoy civil rights.
(Ex post facto: Formulated, enacted, or operating
retroactively.) Like giving a huge retroactive tax break
to American corporations that screw their employees
when times get tough (Remember when Clinton
raised the income tax rate retroactively, and
the wing-nuts went crazy?).
http://www.checkforyourself.com/check.html
"No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States"
George the 43rd, Boy King.
Article III, Section 3
"No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless
on the Testimony of two
Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession
in open Court."
Have we heard Jose Padilla's confession in court
yet?
How about the two witnesses?
Article IV, Section 1
"Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each
State to the public Acts,
Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other
State."
Unless you're a petty criminal who did your time,
had your voting rights restored in another state,
but then made the mistake of moving to Florida,
where "Crazy" Katherine Harris will remove you
from the voting roles because Florida law is
different from the laws in your home state.
http://gregpalast.com/columns.cfm?subject_id=1&subject_name=Theft%20of%20Presidency
Article VI
"but no religious Test shall ever be required
as a Qualification to any
Office or public Trust under the United States."
Do "voluntary" prayer meetings at Ashcroft's DOJ qualify as a "religious Test"? I think so.
http://www.aclu.org/news/2001/w051401a.html
Amendment I
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment
of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"
Except if you're a kid at a public school, where you will be coerced into declaring this is a nation "under God."
http://slate.msn.com/?id=2067499
"or abridging the freedom of speech"
Unless you're a member of the US Senate, where
the Attorney General will
remind you that critical questions will give
aid and comfort to the enemy;
http://www.cato.org/current/terrorism/pubs/pilon-011210.html
or if you're a graduating student at OSU, where
you will be told that you
will face expulsion if you register a silent
protest against GW;
http://www.turnyourbackonbush.com
or if you're a TV comedian who made a goofy comment
on your now-cancelled
show, which was canned, in part, due to pressure
from the White House.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2001/09/27/spin/?x
"or of the press"
Unless the press is trying to cover an important
meeting of the world's leading nations held in a secret
enclave 60 miles from where the press is allowed
to watch only selected excerpts on TV.
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20020628-491282.htm
Amendment IV
"The right of the people to be secure in their
persons, houses, papers, and
effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,
shall not be violated"
Unless you're a high-school kid lucky enough to
go to a school that still has enough money left over for
after-school sports which you would like to participate
in but first you need to fill this cup even though
we have no reason to believe that you are taking
drugs except that in Bush's America we are all guilty
until proven innocent.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54482-2002Jun27.html
Also, the ACLU says the Patriot Act: "minimize(s)
the role of a judge in ensuring that law enforcement
wiretapping is conducted legally and with proper
justification, and they permit use of intelligence investigative
authority to by-pass normal criminal procedures
that protect privacy."
Amendment V
"No person shall be held to answer for a capital,
or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment
or indictment of a Grand Jury nor be deprived
of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law"
Again, the ACLU says the Patriot Act: "Allow(s)
for indefinite detention of non-citizens who are not terrorists
on minor visa violations if they cannot be deported
because they are stateless, their country of origin refuses to
accept them or because they would face torture
in their country of origin"
"nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."
Unless you live in Jeb Bush's Florida and have citrus trees.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-pcanker26jun26.story?coll=sfla%2Dnews%2Dpalm
Or if Dick Cheney wants your land for power lines:
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/Electricity_Bush010509.html
Amendment VI
"In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall
enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial"
Padilla was held for ONE MONTH before we even heard about him.
Amendment VIII
"Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive
fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."
Renquist, Scalia and Thomas believe that killing the mentally retarded does not amount to "cruel and unusual punishment."
http://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/06/20/scotus.executions
BTW, if you're a DOJ staffer, and you have to
listen to Ashcroft sing,
I'd say that you are having your 8th Amendment
rights violated.
http://www.cnn.com/video/us/2002/02/25/ashcroft.sings.wbtv.med.html
Amendment XII
"The person having the greatest Number of votes
for President, shall be the President"
I don't really need to provide a link for this one, do I?
ha ha
Amendment XIV
"No State shall make or enforce any law which
shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States"
Unless you're an African-American in Florida trying to vote (see Article IV, Section I).
"nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law"
ACLU: "The USA Patriot Act confers new and unprecedented
detention authority on the Attorney General
based on vague and unspecified predictions of
threats to the national security."
"nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
Orwell: "Some animals are more equal than others."
Amendment XV
"The right of citizens of the United States to
vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or
by any State on account of race, color, or previous
condition of servitude."
Except, again, in Florida.
Amendment XVI
"The Congress shall have power to lay and collect
taxes on incomes.."
But if you inherit your dough, and you write a big enough check to the RNC, we'll find a way around this one for you
http://www.americanpolitics.com/20020612estatetax.html
(I'm allowed to link to one of my own articles,
right?)
Amendment XIX
"The right of citizens of the United States to
vote shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States or by any State
on account of sex."
Sure, honey, you can vote for now
but don't count on being able to
decide what to do with your own body for much
longer.
http://www.naral.org/issues/issues_scotus.html
Amendment XXI
"The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution
of the United States (prohibition) is hereby repealed."
And if you drink and drive, you too can be President some day.
http://www.thedubyareport.com/oldblock.html
Amendment XXIII
"The District constituting the seat of Government
of the United States shall appoint in such manner
as the Congress may direct"
Hey, DC, we'll keep on taxing you, but you'll
only become a state when you start voting Republican.
And "Taxation without Representation" isn't on
the Prez's limo any more, once again proving his
contempt for the 14th Amendment.
http://www.dcvote.org/newsletter/jan01.htm
Amendment XXV
"Whenever the President transmits to the President
pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House
of Representatives his written declaration that
he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office,
and until he transmits to them a written declaration
to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be
discharged by the Vice President as Acting President."
Why bother, when Uncle Dick's already running the show?
http://www.salon.com/politics/feature/2000/11/29/cheney
Bart, I'm no lawyer, but I can read. No doubt
I'm off base on some of the law here, but it's my Constitution, too.
And if looks like to me - you're messing
with it, you'd better have a damn good explanation.
Saying we're "at war" doesn't cut it.
There are many "Good Books" out there, but here's a link to the one Good Book that is for ALL of us:
Best,
Mark Weber
P.S. Keep stickin' it to 'em, Bart.