All!Hail!King!Obama![Gingrich,!Romney,!et!al.]!"!New!National!Defense!Authorization!Act Renders!Constitutional!Bill!of!Rights!Mere!Tradition Is!anyone!concerned!about!the!lawlessness!and!unconstitutionality!of!the!movement!to!grant the!President!the!power!to!detain,!without!trial!or!representation!or!due!process!of!law,!any citizen!that!is!capriciously!perceived!to!represent!a!threat!to!the!United!States? Mr.!Ferguson!is.!!I!am.!!I!know!you!are,!too. Lets!get!right!to!the!issue.!!The!authors!of!this!bill!claim!that!the!bill!would!not!enlarge!the universe!of!detainees!eligible!for!indefinite!detention!in!military!custody.!!FALSE.!!The current!Authorization!for!Use!of!Military!Force,!that!is,!the!OLD!LAW,!confines!the!universe to!persons!implicated!in!the!9/11!attacks!or!who!harbored!those!who!were.!!The!detainee provision!in!the!NEW!LAW!would!expand!the!universe!to!include!any!person!said!to!be part!of!or!substantially!supportive!of!al"Qaida!or!Taliban. These!terms!are!dangerously!vague.!!We!all!know!how!politicians!like!things!to!be!vague!.!.!. [It!depends!on!what!the!definition!of!is,!is?]. Remember,!more!than!a!decade!after!9/11,!the!military!has!STILL!been!unable!to!define!

the earmarks!of!membership!in!or!affiliation!to!either!organization.!!War!mongers!argue!that!to prevent!another!9/11!attack!the!USA!must!fight!terrorism!with!a!war!mentality!and!not!treat potential!attackers!as!criminals.!!That!works!on!the!battlefield,!as!many!have!argued,!but!do we!want!to!define!the!United!States!itself!as!a!battlefield,!and!endure!a!perpetual!military state? Remember,!too:!the!Defense!Department!withheld!intelligence!from!the!FBI.!!No!warrants were!denied.!!The!warrants!were!not!requested.!!The!FBI!failed!to!act!on!repeated!pleas!from its!field!agents,!agents!who!were!in!possession!of!laptop!that!contained!information!that some!argue!might!have!prevented!9/11. As!Rand!Paul!recently!said:!These!are!not!failures!of!laws.!!They!are!not!failures!of procedures.!!They!are!failures!of!imperfect!men!and!women!in!bloated!bureaucracies.!!No amount!of!liberty!sacrificed!on!the!altar!of!the!state!will!ever!change!that. We!should!not!have!to!sacrifice!our!Liberty!to!be!safe.!!We!cannot!allow!the!rules!to!change to!fit!the!whims!of!those!in!power.!!The!rules,!the!binding!chains!of!our!constitution!were written!so!that!it!didnt!MATTER!who!was!in!power.!!In!fact,!they!were!written!to!protect!us and!our!rights,!from!those!who!hold!power!without!good!intentions.!We!are!not!governed!by saints!or!angels.!!Our!constitution!allows!for!that.

Look,!I!hate!politicians!as!much!if!not!more!than!the!rest!of!you.!!But,!what!Rand!Paul!said above,!is!true,!and!compelling.!!I!wanted!to!make!sure!I!properly!attributed!his!words!to!him, but!I!wish!I!created!them!myself. Imperfect!men!and!women!in!bloated!bureaucracies,!classic.!!Think!about!it:!FBI,!DOD, SEC,!CFTC,!BMF![hattip,!Cheech!and!Chong!].!!Do!we!really!want!more!government intrusion? This!bill!also!has!a!nefarious,!far"reaching!grasp!over!ALL!OF!US:!the!detainee!provisions imply!perpetual!war.!!Think!about!the!US!income!tax.!!It!was!originally!just!for!the!1%,!and was!to!be!temporary.! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_tax_in_the_United_States#History! This!new!law!WILL!NOT!BE!TEMPORARY!AT!ALL.!!There!is!no!objective!measure,!or benchmarks!in!the!law!which!would!ever!terminate!the!conflict!with!al"Qaida,!Taliban,!or other!foreign!terrorist!organizations.!!There!is!no!provision!at!all!to!explicitly!or!implicitly restrict!the!authorization!to!use!force.!!No!congressional!review!is!allowed!or!imagined.!!No victory!is!defined.!!In!short,!there!is!no!definition!of!victory.!!How!convenient! How!can!peace!be!possible!if!victory!is!made!impossible!by!definition?!!Permanent!conflict.! War"mongering.!!Government!intrusion,!detention,!abolition!of!freedoms.!!It!is!all!there!in black!and!white. The!detainee!provisions!have!no!expiration.!!Is!that!not!all!one!needs!to!hear!to!have!the proverbial!chill!run!down!ones!spine? Lets!examine!this,!then,!in!a!not"too"terribly"scholarly!way,!okay,!and!see!if!we!can!do something!about!it? U.S.!Constitution!Bill!of!Rights!"!here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bill_of_Rights! Remember!long!ago,!in!eighth!grade,!studying!the!Constitution?!!Yeah,!that!tired!old governing!document!that!has!managed!to!keep!this!country!going!for!over!200!years.! Remember!too!the!big!debate!among!the!early!Americans,!about!building!some!protections into!the!Constitution?!!The!Bill!of!Rights!is!what!emerged,!and!importantly,!has!served!to protect!Americans!from!tyranny,!like!that!which!was!practiced!upon!the!settlers,!and!which the!founders!of!this!great!nation!determined!to!prohibit.![From!the!Preamble:!THE! Conventions!of!a!number!of!the!States,!having!at!the!time!of!their!adopting!the!Constitution, expressed!a!desire,!in!order!to!prevent!misconstruction!or!abuse!of!its!powers,!that!further

declaratory!and!restrictive!clauses!should!be!added:!And!as!extending!the!ground!of!public confidence!in!the!Government,!will!best!ensure!the!beneficent!ends!of!its!institution. here!"!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bill_of_Rights! The!list,!for!those!who!may!need!a!refresher,!so!to!speak!is!here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_amendments_to_the_United_States_Constitution! 1st!Amendment:!Protects!the!freedom!of!religion,!speech,!and!the!press,!as!well!as!the!right!to assemble!and!petition!the!government; 2nd:!Protects!the!right!to!bear!arms; 3rd:!Prohibits!the!forced!quartering!of!soldiers!out!of!war!time; 4th:!Prohibits!unreasonable!searches!and!seizures!and!sets!out!requirements!for!search warrants!based!on!probable!cause; 5th:!Sets!out!rules!for!indictment!by!grand!jury!and!eminent!domain,!protects!the!right!to!due process,!and!prohibits!self"incrimination!and!double!jeopardy; 6th:!Protects!the!right!to!a!fair!and!speedy!public!trial!by!jury,!including!the!rights!to!be notified!of!the!accusations,!to!confront!the!accuser,!to!obtain!witnesses!and!to!retain!counsel; 7th:!Provides!for!the!right!to!trial!by!jury!in!certain!civil!cases,!according!to!common!law![my favorite,!a!Constitutional!job!description!for!me!!Yaaayyy!]; 8th:!Prohibits!excessive!fines!and!excessive!bail,!as!well!as!cruel!and!unusual!punishment; 9th:!Asserts!the!existence!of!unenumerated!rights!retained!by!the!people; 10th:!Limits!the!powers!of!the!federal!government!to!those!delegated!to!it!by!the!Constitution. These!were!extended!to!apply!to!the!States!in!the!1890#s!by!the!14th!Amendment.! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incorporation_of_the_Bill_of_Rights! So,!there!is!the!basic!protection!for!citizens,!against!the!tyranny!of!the!government.!!In essence,!remember,!all!the!freedoms!are!inherent!in!individuals,!and!the!government!is granted!LIMITED!powers,!expressly!set!forth!in!the!Constitution,!and!further!clarified!in!the Bill!of!Rights.!!So,!the!federal!government!CANNOT!do!things!unless!the!Constitution!and Bill!of!Rights!allows!it. The!Patriot!Act:!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_PATRIOT_Act! Well,!that!seemed!to!work!for!quite!awhile,!until!there!was!this!little!thing!called!9/11.!! Whether!one!believes!it!was!premeditated,!conspiratorial,!or!the!act!of!terrorists,!the!outcome of!that!fateful!day!ushered!in!the!now!infamous!Patriot!Act. The!act,!a!response!to!the!terrorist!attacks!of!September!11th,!dramatically!reduced

restrictions!on!law!enforcement!agencies#!ability!to!search!telephone,!e"mail!communications, medical,!financial,!and!other!records;!eased!restrictions!on!foreign!intelligence!gathering within!the!United!States;!expanded!the!Secretary!of!the!Treasurys!authority!to!regulate financial!transactions,!particularly!those!involving!foreign!individuals!and!entities;!and broadened!the!discretion!of!law!enforcement!and!immigration!authorities!in!detaining!and deporting!immigrants!suspected!of!terrorism"related!acts.!The!act!also!expanded!the definition!of!terrorism!to!include!domestic!terrorism,!thus!enlarging!the!number!of!activities to!which!the!USA!PATRIOT!Acts!expanded!law!enforcement!powers!can!be!applied.!!From here:!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_PATRIOT_Act! At!once,!Americans!began!to!lose!long"cherished!freedoms,!as!the!Patriot!Act!began!eroding the!Bill!of!Rights.!!Great!law!review!article,!here:! !http://www.wcl.american.edu/journal/lawrev/51/51"6.cfm!! The!changes!were!all!about!national!security,!an!open"ended!power!grab!by!the!federal government.!!

http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/CAofUSAPA.html A!wizard!legal!commentator!wrote!a!detailed!article!setting!forth!all!the!new!restrictions!on freedoms.!!Look!at!all!the!new!expansions!of!federal!government!powers,!and!the!erosion!of individual!freedoms: Here!is!the!Table!of!Contents!to!the!in"depth!article: The!Newly"Created!Legal!Framework Centralization!of!Law!Enforcement!Powers!in!the!Justice!Department CIA!Oversight!of!Domestic!Intelligence!Gathering Expanding!the!Scope!of!Terrorism!and!Domestic!Terrorism Disregard!of!the!Constitutional!Rights!of!Resident!Non"Citizens The!First!Amendment!Rights!of!Free!Speech!and!Association Prosecution!Under!the!Sedition!Act!of!1918 Exclusion!of!Non"Citizens!Accused!of!Endorsing!Terrorism Gagging!Businesses!Subjected!to!Federal!Searches The!Attorney!General#s!View!of!Civil!Libertarians!Who!Oppose!Him The!Fourth!Amendment!Freedom!from!Unreasonable!Search!and!Seizure Expansion!of!Searches!Under!the!Foreign!Intelligence!Surveillance!Act

Sections!206!and!207:!Roving!FISA!Wiretaps Sections!214!and!216:!FISA!Pen!Register!and!Trap!and!Trace!Orders Section!215:!Business!Records!Seizures!Allowed!Under!FISA Sections!201!and!202:!Expanding!the!Scope!of!the!Wiretap!Act Section!203b:!Information!Disclosed!to!CIA!and!Other!Intelligence!Agencies Sections!209!and!210:!Voice!Mail,!Internet,!and!Telephone!Monitoring Section!213:!Sneak!and!Peek!Warrants The!Fifth!Amendment!Right!to!Indictment!by!a!Grand!Jury Ending!the!Historic!Secrecy!of!Grand!Juries Elimination!of!the!Right!to!Indictment!by!Grand!Jury!for!Non"Citizens!Accused!of Terrorism The!Sixth!Amendment!Right!to!Counsel Monitoring!Attorney"Client!Conversations Refusing!Suspects!Access!to!Counsel!and!Discouraging!Detainees!from!Obtaining!Legal Counsel Military!Tribunals:!The!Sixth!Amendment!Right!to!Trial!by!Jury! The!Fifth!Amendment!Right!to!Due!Process!of!Law Section!412:!Indefinite!Detention!of!Non"Citizens!Without!Due!Process Section!106:!Seizure!of!Assets!Without!Due!Process The!Constitutional!Right!to!Privacy Sections!355!and!356:!Monitoring!and!Reporting!on!Citizen!Financial!Transactions Section!358:!Amending!the!Federal!Privacy!Statute!to!Allow!Disclosure!of!Banking!Records for!Financial!Analysis Section!507:!Required!Disclosure!of!Educational!Records Building!Biometric!Databases!of!Citizens Conclusion! Go!dig!in,!and!dig!deep.!!The!groundwork!for!removing!freedoms!began!long!ago,!as!this article!notes.!!Is!anyone!starting!to!get!a!little!concerned,!that!the!powers!of!the!federal government!have!taken!on!a!more!sinister!tone?!! Indefinite!detentions!of!non"citizens!without!due!process?!!Seizure!of!assets!without!due process?!!Say!what? For!those!of!you!who!need!a!brief!refresher!on!Due!Process,!let!me!help,!briefly.!!Due

Process!means!that!the!government!CANNOT!just!imprison!you,!or!take!your!stuff,!without first!following!the!rule!of!law.!!Here:!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Due_process! For!example,!if!you!get!a!speeding!ticket,!you!get!the!chance!to!go!to!court!and!prove!your case.!!If!you!are!arrested,!you!are!supposed!to!be!charged!with!a!crime,!and!promptly brought!before!a!judge.!!There!are!procedural!steps!that!the!government!must!take,!before depriving!you!of!property!or!liberty.!!These!are!the!hallmarks!of!the!American!way.!!Despite the!Bill!of!Rights!guarantee!of!all!sorts!of!protections,!the!Patriot!Act!simply!strips!them away.!!Now!this!new!law!will!further!erode!the!freedoms.!!Are!you!starting!to!get!it? The!New!National!Defense!Authorization!Act The!current!state!of!this!pending!law!is!here:! http://armedservices.house.gov/index.cfm/ndaa"home?p=ndaa! What!is!the!big!uproar?!!The!law!is!a!massive,!unconstitutional!power!grab:!it!allows military!detention!of!American!citizens,!without!trial!and!indefinitely.!! Did!you!read!that?!!Military!detention!of!American!citizens,!without!trial,!indefinitely. Can!you!envision!the!scenario:!1:00!a.m.,!Anytown,!USA.!!Fifteen!or!twenty military/police/swat/revenue!agent/dog!catcher/meter!maids,!heavily!armed,!wearing!black uniforms!bearing!the!Department!of!Homeland!Terrorist!Prevention![DHATIP]!logo,!storm Joe!Citizens!suburban!home,!confiscate!his!computers,!safes,!firearms,!and!precious!metals, and!haul!Joe!to!an!undisclosed!detention!facility.!!A!spokesman!for!DHATIP!states!that!Joe!is a!domestic!terrorist,!because!he!was!found!to!have!posted!comments!on!zerohedge,!and!the uber"radical!TF!Metals!Report!blog.!!Joe!threatened!and!advocated!the!overthrow!of!the!US Government!by!advising!citizens!to!withdraw!fiat!currency!out!of!the!too!big!too!fail!banking system,!and!acquire!physical!silver!and!gold.!!Such!comments!are!illegal!terrorist!threats, which!comments!urge!the!downfall!of!the!US!banking!system.!!As!was!recently!enacted!by the!Defense!Authorization!Bill,!Chairman!Bernanke!promulgated!rules!prohibiting!the withdrawal!of!fiat!from!any!banking!institution,!and!also!prohibited!possession!of!physical silver!and!gold.!!Joe!is!being!held!indefinitely!in!a!secure!facility!pending!further investigation. Think!that!is!too!far"fetched? If!you!want!to!read!article!after!article,!go!here!for!a!google!news!search,!and!get!into!as!much details!as!you!want.!!google!news!search:!here:! https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gl=us&tbm=nws&btnmeta_news_search=1&q=nation

al+defense+authorization+act&oq=national+defense+authorization+act&aq=f&aqi=d1d"o1&aq l=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=1078l8822l0l8964l34l32l0l23l23l2l229l1630l0.7.2l9l0! Freedom!is!disappearing.!!Plenty!of!legal!heavyweights!have!sounded!off!about!the!very!real dangers!this!law!poses.!!Some!great!articles!are!here: http://www.themoralliberal.com/2011/12/05/defense"authorization"bill"still"savages"the"const itution/! Rand!Paul,!a!lone!beacon,!has!weighed!in,!go!listen,!or!read!the!transcript,!embedded!here: http://www.louisville.com/content/sen"rand"paul"fights"against"martial"law"legislation"arena Rand!Paul!said:!Th[is]!legislation!would!arm!the!military!with!the!authority!to!detain indefinitely!!without!due!process!or!trial!!suspected!al"Qaida!sympathizers,!including American!citizens!apprehended!on!American!soil.!!I!want!to!repeat!that.!We!are!talking!about people!who!are!merely!SUSPECTED!of!a!crime.!And!we!are!talking!about!American!citizens. If!these!provisions!pass,!we!could!see!American!citizens!being!sent!to!Guantanamo!Bay.!!This should!be!alarming!to!everyone!watching!this!proceeding!today.!Because!it!puts!every!single American!citizen!at!risk. Note!how!there!was!less!debate!about!this!dramatic!theft!of!freedoms,!than!the!circus"show that!surrounded!the!increase!of!the!debt!ceiling?!!The!federal!government!is!expanding!out!of control,!and!our!way!of!life!is!fading!away. Look!at!the!legalese!and!mumbo!jumbo!which!allows!for!further,!warrantless!detention!and imprisonment.!!Comparing!the!two!versions!of!the!Bill,!that!from!prior!to!passage!and!that which!was!amended!and!ultimately!passed!the!Senate,!shows!that!the!measure!still!seems!to apply!to!American!citizens!rather!than!exempting!them!as!Levin!claims. In!its!original!form,!the!Bill!specified!that!The!requirement!to!detain!a!person!in!military custody!under!this!section!does!not!extend!to!citizens!of!the!United!States. However,!though!the!language!may!not!require!military!detention!of!American!civilians without!trial,!it!does!not!rule!it!out!of!bounds!either. This!language!was!added:!Nothing!in!this!section!shall!be!construed!to!affect!existing!law!or authorities,!relating!to!the!detention!of!United!States!citizens,!lawful!resident!aliens!of!the United!States!or!any!other!persons!who!are!captured!or!arrested!in!the!United!States.!!But, ask!yourself,!Would!this!language!provide!any!protection!to!an!American!citizen? As!some!have!noted:!This!bill!puts!military!detention!authority!on!steroids!and!makes!it

permanent!.!.!.!.!!If!it!becomes!law,!American!citizens!and!others!are!at!real!risk!of!being locked!away!by!the!military!without!charge!or!trial. Some!courageous!people!have!taken!a!stand.!!Senator!Mike!Lee!of!Utah,!a!Republican,!did vote!against!the!measure.!!A!person!cant!be!held!and!tried!for!a!crime!without!having counsel!made!available!to!them,!and!without!the!opportunity!for!a!speedy!trial!in!front!of!a jury!of!the!peers!of!the!accused.,!Lee!said!in!a!statement.!We!can!scarce!afford!as Americans!to!surrender!these!fundamental!civil!liberties!for!which!wars!have!been!fought, for!which!the!founding!era,!the!founding!generation!fought!so!nobly!against!our!mother country!to!establish!and!thereafter!to!protect. Continuing!his!remarks,!Senator!Lee!said:!We!have!to!support!these!and!I!think!at!a!bare minimum!that!means!that!we!wont!allow!U.!S.!military!personnel!to!arrest!and!indefinitely detain!U.S.!citizens!regardless!of!what!label!we!happen!to!apply!to!them.!These!people!as U.S.!citizens!are!entitled!to!a!grand!jury!indictment!to!the!extent!theyre!being!held!for!an infamous!crime,!theyre!also!entitled!to!a!jury!trial!in!front!of!their!peers!and!to!counsel. Senator!Lee!was!one!of!seven!Senators!who!stood!up!for!the!Bill!of!Rights!and!the!freedoms of!all!Americans!by!voting!against!S.1867.!!The!others!were!Senator!Tom!Coburn!(R"OK), Senator!Tom!Harkin!(D"IA),!Senator!Jeff!Merkley!(D"OR),!Senator!Rand!Paul!(R"KY),!Senator Bernie!Sanders!(I"VT),!and!Senator!Ron!Wyden!(D"OR). In!his!explanation!for!why!he!voted!against!the!Bill,!Senator!Wyden!said:! The!Obama!Administration!has!said!that!passing!this!bill!would!be!inconsistent!with!the fundamental!American!principle!that!our!military!does!not!patrol!our!streets,!Wyden noted.!I!agree!with!the!Administrations!assessment!of!this!bill,!and!I!hope!the!President!will follow!through!on!his!threat!to!veto!it.! Other!commentators!agree.!!Here!is!John!Whitehead,!again,!a!real!patriot. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john"w"whitehead/defense"bill"2012_b_1129847.html!! America#s!so"called!war!on!terror,!which!it!has!relentlessly!pursued!for!the!past!ten!years, has!forever!altered!the!political!and!legal!landscape!of!our!country.!!It!has!chipped!away!at our!freedoms!and!is!unraveling!our!Constitution.!!Even!now,!with!Osama!bin!Laden!having been!killed!and!al!Qaeda!dismantled!by!a!series!of!high"profile!assassinations,!the!war!hawks continue!to!rattle!their!sabers.!!Yet!while!more!and!more!Americans!join!the!call!for!a de"escalation!of!military!actions!abroad,!those!clamoring!for!war!have!turned!their!focus inwards.!!As!Senator!Lindsay!Graham!recently!remarked!as!an!explanation!for!his!support!of

legislation!allowing!for!the!indefinite!detention!of!Americans,!$Is!the!homeland!the battlefield?!!You!better!believe!it!is!the!battlefield.$!!Whose!side!is!he!on?!!See!how!labels!lead to!loss!of!freedoms.!!It!matters!not!whether!one!is!labeled!a!democrat,!or!republican.!!The issue!is!loss!of!liberty,!and!your!favorite!politician!does!not!have!your!interests!at!heart. America!has!indeed!become!the!new!battleground!in!the!war!on!terror.!!In!light!of!this,!you can!rest!assured!that!there!will!be!no!restoration!of!the!civil!liberties!jeopardized!by!the!USA Patriot!Act!and!other!equally!subversive!legislation.!!Instead,!those!in!power!will!continue!to sanction!ongoing!violations!of!our!rights,!relying!on!bureaucratic!legalese!to!sidestep!any concerns!that!might!be!raised.!!The!National!Defense!Authorization!Act!of!2012,!which!was passed!by!the!Senate!with!a!vote!of!93!"!7,!is!a!perfect!example!of!this.!Contained!within!this massive!defense!bill!is!a!provision!crafted!by!Democrat!Charles!Levin!and!Republican!John McCain!which!mandates!that!anyone!suspected!of!terrorism!against!the!United!States!be!held in!military!custody!indefinitely.!!This!provision!extends!to!American!citizens!on!American territory.!The!bill!also!renews!the!Authorization!to!Use!Military!Force!(AUMF)!which!was passed!in!2001,!shortly!after!the!9/11!attacks.!!In!addition!to!renewing!the!AUMF,!it!extends its!provisions!to!include!military!action!against!those!who!$substantially!support$!al!Qaeda, the!Taliban!or!$associated!forces.$!And!to!cap!it!off,!the!bill!enhances!restrictions!against transferring!detainees!being!held!in!Guantanamo!Bay!to!the!continental!United!States. Taken!collectively,!these!provisions!reorient!our!legal!landscape!in!such!a!way!as!to!ensure that!martial!law,!rather!than!the!rule!of!law!""!our!U.S.!Constitution,!becomes!the!map!by which!we!navigate!life!in!the!United!States.!In!short,!this!defense!bill!not!only!decimates the!due!process!of!law!and!habeas!corpus!for!anyone!perceived!to!be!an!enemy!of!the United!States,!but!it!radically!expands!the!definition!of!who!may!be!considered!the legitimate!target!of!military!action.!!If!signed!into!law!by!President!Obama,!this!bill!will!not only!ensure!that!we!remain!in!a!perpetual!state!of!war!""!with!this!being!a!war!against!the American!people!""!but!it!will!also!institute!de!facto!martial!law!in!the!United!States.! Although!the!1878!Posse!Comitatus!Act!placed!strong!restrictions!on!how!and!when!the!U.S. military!may!be!used!on!American!soil,!the!language!of!this!bill!supersedes!Posse!Comitatus, empowering!the!president!to!unilaterally!impose!martial!law!at!any!time!of!his!choosing. This!legislation!signals!the!end!of!the!rule!of!law!in!America. So,!why!is!this!being!foisted!upon!us,!now?!!Why!are!there!provisions!for!institution!of martial!law?!!Existing!laws!and!government!procedures!already!address!all!contingencies!for handling!any!actual!enemies!of!the!United!States.! The!judicial!branch!is!no!friend!of!the!individual!citizen,!either.!!The!courts!have!all!ruled! that!it#s!a!prerogative!of!the!president,!not!the!judiciary,!to!determine!how!enemies!of!the United!States!will!be!treated!in!custody!and!what!type!of!trial!they!will!receive,!if!any.

Look!what!Congress!has!done!to!erode!freedoms,!in!just!the!past!decade: "the!invasion!of!Iraq!with!only!the!flimsiest,!and!now!discredited!evidentiary!basis; "the!use!of!waterboarding!against!detainees!at!Guantanamo!Bay; "the!torturing!of!prisoners!at!Abu!Ghraib; "the!installation!of!body!scanners!in!American!airports!and!unconstitutional!searches;!and! "the!authorization!of!government!agencies!spying!on!Americans.

If!the!bill!is!signed!into!law!as!it!currently!exists,!anyone!(including!Americans)!in!any part!of!the!world!(including!the!United!States)!who!is!#suspected#!of!terrorism!may!be detained!indefinitely!and!without!trial!by!the!United!States!military.! How!can!we!stop!this!juggernaut? The!defense!bill!has!passed!the!Senate,!but!must!still!be!reconciled!with!the!House!of Representatives#!version.!!There!is!a!possibility!that!the!offending!provisions!could!be deleted,!or!that!Obama!will!veto!the!bill.!! Get!on!the!phone,!email,!fax,!and!get!your!elected!official!to!hear!your!outcry! Or!else,!dont!be!those!that!complain!when!the!government!agents!come!knocking!in!the dead!of!night.!