When Our Rights Go Left

The American peoples civil rights and liberties are essential to having a healthy country, but what happens when our rights are threatened by national security, and justified by patriotism? We lose our rights. Why is it that the department of defense made a list of extremist that should be watched and the first group on the list was evangelical Christians, when we are supposed to have “Freedom from discriminatory treatment based on race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or political beliefs?” Are they afraid that a religious group is so extreme that they need to put them on a watchdog list? The government passes bills that are unconstitutional in the name of protection. Ever heard of martial law? Let me tell you about it. Martial law is a system of complete control by a country's military over all activities, including civilian, in a theoretical or actual war zone, or during a period of emergency caused by a disaster such as an earthquake or flood, with the military commander having dictatorial powers. In the United States martial law must be ordered by the President as commander-in-chief and must be limited to the duration of the warfare or emergency. It cannot result in a long-term denial of constitutional rights, such as habeas corpus, the right to a trial, and to free press. Martial law was ordered in contested areas during the Civil War (but the Supreme Court ruled President Abraham Lincoln's suspension of the writ of habeas corpus was unconstitutional), and during the San Francisco earthquake and fire in 1906 when the city was in ruins, tens of thousands were homeless, and looting and disease posed great dangers to the public. Mis-use of martial law, such as destruction of the veteran's encampment in Washington D. C. under President Herbert Hoover, has proved unpopular in the United States. In many foreign countries martial law has become a method to establish and maintain dictatorships either by military leaders or politicians backed by the military. Martial law is not to be confused with "military law" which governs the conduct of the military services and applies only to service men and women.  When the president feels that we as a country are no longer safe he can declare martial law. During martial law the country is allowed to confiscate our firearms, ration our food, make curfews and if you don’t comply, they will put you in internment camps under the guidance of U.S. Army FM 3-19.40 Internment/Resettlement Operations, which outlines how internees (prisoners) would be “re-educated” into developing an “appreciation of U.S. policies” while detained in prison camps inside the United States. The US Army Military Police training manual for “Civil Disturbance Operations” outlines how military assets are to be used domestically to quell riots, confiscate firearms and even kill Americans on U.S. soil during mass civil unrest. The document outlines how military assets will be used to “help local and state authorities to restore and maintain law and order” in the event of mass riots, civil unrest or a declaration of— martial law. President Obama also is okay with HR2749 Food Safety Act, which can stop transportation, destroy vehicles, declare martial law, shut down supermarkets, and etc. These things infringe on our rights, like our, “Right to a fair public trial, including competent counsel, a fair bond, an impartial jury, knowledge of charges, and presumption of innocence,” and “Freedom of speech and assembly, including the right to dissent without fear of government spying or intimidation.” But it’s going to be okay, the government is doing this for us; they want to protect us. WRONG! They do things and sign things into office that are not constitutional, and blinding us to reality, by making it about patriotism and homeland security. They keep us off their back with minute issues like abortion and healthcare. Their job is an art of deceiving. If you ask me what true patriotism is, I would not say getting screwed by the government and proudly supporting it—but, I would say its loving the country we once were, and are not today, and remembering our forefathers who made this country, and not fighting other countries for Americas sake but to fight to make America fair, just, true and respected once again.