christopher-kuehl: I’m sitting by my fire and I...

I’m sitting by my fire and I totally feel like the guy on the left in this photo…

I’ve spent the last hour just googling news, and on the first page of hits there is not a single article about the SOPA bill or the NDAA bill on any of the first page news sites. It is incredible to me that there is not a single major news outlet reporting on the House just passing (86-13, WTF) a bill that empowers the government to indefinitely detain Americans without trial. Not a single one. There is not a report about how our president came out against it, not to protect our individual rights as citizens, but because the bill took too much power from his branch of government. He agreed to sign it today when they gave back power to the executive branch and then he demanded the removal of language that would have precluded Americans from being subject to indefinite detention. “The language which precluded the application of Section 1031 to American citizens was in the bill that we originally approved…and the administration asked us to remove the language which says that U.S. citizens and lawful residents would not be subject to this section,” said Levin, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee. (The Co-Sponsors of the bill)” “It was the administration that asked us to remove the very language which we had in the bill which passed the committee…we removed it at the request of the administration,” said Levin, emphasizing, “It was the administration which asked us to remove the very language the absence of which is now objected to.” So what is the media talking about on the day they are moving forward a bill which affects every one of our lives? Death, Tebow and the usual right/left wing political bullshit. Not about the laws that are actually being passed in this country. On December 15th, 1791 the Bill of Rights was passed in as Constitutional Amendments. Incredible that on this day they are trying to pass a law that violates these Bill of Rights again. We were given the Patriot Act under Bush and now this under Obama. This is not a right/left wing issue. This is an issue of our individual rights and our collective future.

Patriot Act:

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, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

NDAA Bill:

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

SOPA:

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

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When I was younger I read Margaret atwood’s the handmaids tale and it scared the crap out of me (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Handmaid’s_Tale) I got over it by telling myself it’s just a book it isn’t real life.
#thisisreallife