From:
A Dangerous Precedent
(Texas Straight Talk) -- by Ron Paul --
According to the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution, Americans are never to be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The Constitution is not some aspirational statement of values, allowing exceptions when convenient, but rather, it is the law of the land. It is the basis of our Republic and our principal bulwark against tyranny.
Last week’s assassination of two American citizens, Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan, is an outrage and a criminal act carried out by the President and his administration. If the law protecting us against government-sanctioned assassination can be voided when there is a “really bad American”, is there any meaning left to the rule of law in the United States? If, as we learned last week, a secret government committee, not subject to congressional oversight or judicial review, can now target certain Americans for assassination, under what moral authority do we presume to lecture the rest of the world about protecting human rights? Didn’t we just bomb Libya into oblivion under the auspices of protecting the civilians from being targeted by their government? Timothy McVeigh was certainly a threat, as were Nidal Hassan and Jared Lee Loughner. They killed people in front of many witnesses. They took up arms against their government in a literal way, yet were still afforded trials. These constitutional protections are in place because our Founders realized it is a very serious matter to deprive any individual of life or liberty. Our outrage against even the obviously guilty is not worth the sacrifice of the rule of law. Al-Awlaki has been outspoken against the United States and we are told he encouraged violence against Americans. We do not know that he actually committed any acts of violence. Ironically, he was once invited to the Pentagon as part of an outreach to moderate Muslims after 9/11. As the US attacks against Muslims in the Middle East and Central Asia expanded, it is said that he became more fervent and radical in his opposition to US foreign policy.
Many cheer this killing because they believe that in a time of war, due process is not necessary - not even for citizens, and especially not for those overseas. However, there has been no formal declaration of war and certainly not one against Yemen. The post-9/11 authorization for force would not have covered these two Americans because no one is claiming they had any connection to that attack. Al-Awlaki was on a kill list compiled by a secret panel within President Obama’s National Security Council and Justice Department. How many more Americans citizens are on that list? They won’t tell us. What are the criteria? They won’t tell us. Where is the evidence? They won’t tell us.
Al-Awlaki's father tried desperately to get the administration to at least allow his son to have legal representation to challenge the “kill” order. He was denied. Rather than give him his day in court, the administration, behind closed doors, served as prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner.The most worrisome aspect of this is that any new powers this administration accrues will serve as precedents for future administrations. Even those who completely trust this administration must understand that if this usurpation of power and denial of due process is allowed to stand, these powers will remain to be expanded on by the next administration and then the next. Will you trust them? History shows that once a population gives up its rights, they are not easily won back. Beware...LINK
FOR LIBERTARIAN NATIONALISM: ANTI-CORPORATIST, ANTI-COMMUNIST, ANTI-GLOBALIST...PRO-SOVEREIGNTY, PRO-POPULIST, PRO-FREE ENTERPRISE
My Other Blog & Comments
News and Information Feed
-
-
-
Copernican Principle17 minutes ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Sunday, April 28, 20241 hour ago
-
Kingdom1 hour ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
ICC arrest warrants?1 hour ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Westerman Wrap up 04.28.242 hours ago
-
-
Arthur Topham RIP - ZOG Opponent2 hours ago
-
-
-
Maine Governor Signs Gun Control Bills2 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
The Scramble For Antarctica3 hours ago
-
-
Regulated Into the Dirt3 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
“LOCK THEM UP!”4 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
The Collapse of The Enlightenment5 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
News Briefs – 04/28/20247 hours ago
-
-
-
-
All About Ed10 hours ago
-
-
-
Washington Moves On to Plan B11 hours ago
-
-
-
-
Dying to Your Flesh – Session 215 hours ago
-
Afghans Gone Wild15 hours ago
-
-
-
-
Moral Anarchy: An Understatement15 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Men in Uniform = Democracy. What?22 hours ago
-
-
-
Colleges revolts against Israel1 day ago
-
-
-
Month of the Leader, part 31 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
The scandals haunting Pope Francis1 day ago
-
-
-
-
The Kim Iversen Show2 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
I Called It Five Years Ago!2 days ago
-
A Derb Tribute Show2 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
The dumbest decision.2 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Democracy For Dummies4 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Now Argentina Wants To Join NATO1 week ago
-
-
-
-
Tulsi Gabbard Left The Woke War Party2 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
Help Whatfinger Grow…4 weeks ago
-
-
-
Navigating Taxation Policy5 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
So sorry about tomorrow3 months ago
-
-
-
TFeed Index 20233 months ago
-
-
-
-
Headline 3: Of Christmas And Paganism5 months ago
-
Imagine Being This Desperate5 months ago
-
-
Hardcore7 months ago
-
Media Say ... Gloom And Doom In China7 months ago
-
-
U.S. Openly Militarizes Space8 months ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Conversations With Cabbies10 months ago
-
-
-
-
Hegemon USA’s War on Truth-Telling11 months ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Tips1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Man, Bear, Pig Event Coming1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
What a Wonderful Stocking Stuffer!2 years ago
-
test2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
#273 – Marc Randolph2 years ago
-
My Farewell Announcement2 years ago
-
My Farewell Announcement2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Farewell, for now3 years ago
-
-
Audio Book Lost Colony of Hatteras3 years ago
-
-
Cancel Yourself3 years ago
-
-
Hello world!3 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
The Non-Jewish Origins of Krav Maga3 years ago
-
-
-
Why the Marines are dumping their tanks4 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Voxiversity Live Stream6 years ago
-
-
Home: A Recap6 years ago
-
Big Brother’s War on Cash6 years ago
-
-
-
-
By: Osamas Pajamas9 years ago
-
Join Our Mailing List12 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Ron Paul: Last week’s assassination of two American citizens a naked act of criminalism carried out by Obama and his administration
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment