President Bush met with members of the international community at a known terrorist compound. He spoke with the people about the rights and obligations of being an American. In a former era, those rights included free speech and the writ of habeas corpus.
The Republican National Convention showed how far our country has fallen from its original ideals. While V.P. candidate Sarah Palin read her script, police arrested hundreds outside the convention center. As she made fun of Barack Obama wanting to read people their rights, eight protesting American citizens were charged with terrorism. They now have no, as in zero, rights.
The basis for the charge came from police testimony. Local authorities infiltrated protest groups, likely using enhanced surveillance techniques. It remains to be seen how justice will be served.
So why does President Bush remain free, if he went to a known terrorist's compound? Shouldn't he also be charged? Technically, he didn't speak to the lawbreaker. Thomas Jefferson is dead. But TJ did say:
"The oppressed should rebel, and they will continue to rebel and raise disturbance until their civil rights are fully restored to them and all partial distinctions, exclusions and incapacitations are removed." --Thomas Jefferson: Notes on Religion, 1776. Papers 1:548
"As revolutionary instruments (when nothing but revolution will cure the evils of the State) [secret societies] are necessary and indispensable, and the right to use them is inalienable by the people." --Thomas Jefferson to William Duane, 1803. FE 8:256
The Republican National Convention showed how far our country has fallen from its original ideals. While V.P. candidate Sarah Palin read her script, police arrested hundreds outside the convention center. As she made fun of Barack Obama wanting to read people their rights, eight protesting American citizens were charged with terrorism. They now have no, as in zero, rights.
The basis for the charge came from police testimony. Local authorities infiltrated protest groups, likely using enhanced surveillance techniques. It remains to be seen how justice will be served.
So why does President Bush remain free, if he went to a known terrorist's compound? Shouldn't he also be charged? Technically, he didn't speak to the lawbreaker. Thomas Jefferson is dead. But TJ did say:
"The oppressed should rebel, and they will continue to rebel and raise disturbance until their civil rights are fully restored to them and all partial distinctions, exclusions and incapacitations are removed." --Thomas Jefferson: Notes on Religion, 1776. Papers 1:548
"As revolutionary instruments (when nothing but revolution will cure the evils of the State) [secret societies] are necessary and indispensable, and the right to use them is inalienable by the people." --Thomas Jefferson to William Duane, 1803. FE 8:256
