Both Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson are quoted as saying, “Those who would give up essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor security.”
This time in history has been unprecedented as a time in which American government has interfered with the personal rights of its citizens. Previously, there has been a steady chipping away of citizen’s personal rights and protections against government oppression and tyranny. Since the declaration of the “War on Terror” with its vague and variable terms of what constitutes a terror suspect, there’s been a double-fisted grab for police state powers without regard for any citizen’s rights. Our Constitution and Bill of Rights were designed to limit the powers of government to protect its citizenry against just this sort of tyranny.
Our freedom of choice in whether or not to purchase healthcare has been overruled by the implementation of Obamacare. Our rights to privacy have been compromised by NSA’s monitoring of all electronic communications; including phone calls, e-mails, computer files, etc.. Our right to privacy is also infringed on as police officers practice stop and frisk of people on the streets of our cities, and when they search our vehicles without probable cause or permission after being denied a request to search.
Just giving police authority to stop a vehicle because the occupants are not seat-belted in, is of itself a violation of our liberties and right to privacy. Random road blocks have recently been set up to check for the wearing of seatbelts with military personal.
Our right to exercise freedom of religion without government interference is guaranteed in Article I of the Bill of Rights. This has been repeatedly violated by schools and government officials denying our right to Christian prayer in schools or government buildings. When prayers are allowed, prayer leaders in the military or in schools are told not to pray in the name of “Jesus Christ.” Students in schools are told not to write essays or voice opinions about Christianity or Biblical doctrines. Using zoning laws to stop Christians from having Bible studies in the privacy of their own homes has been enforced with huge fines and jail time. This violates both the right to exercise your religion without government interference and our right to peaceably assemble.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which was signed in January 2012, is totally an unconstitutional act, in that it basically suspends due process and habeas corpus, allowing the U.S. military to be used against our citizens. It allows the indefinite detention of citizens as terror suspects without evidence or charges being brought against them. This is a clear violation of the “equal protection” clause in the 14th amendment. Obama’s wide spread use of drones to assassinate even American citizens abroad or at home is another questionable police state tactic. While killing a true terrorist on a battlefield may be one thing, killing a U.S. citizen suspected of terror or crimes should require some evidence, due process, and equal protection under the current laws of our nation.
Is it too late for America to reverse these mass violations of the civil and constitutional rights of American citizens and stop this senseless move to a fascist police state? It’s time for America to stand and demand that these actions be stopped! Our government has no right to interfere with personal actions of citizens that aren’t criminal.