When Freedom Turns Into Tyranny
When the US flag goes up in the morning an inbred feeling of pride rises within but the reality is that pride comes before the fall. Is the USA a land of freedom and opportunity or has it changed?
I remember, as a child, being taught in grade school about freedom in civics classes. Civics is no longer taught by the way. Freedom is a responsibility as is the responsibility to participate in governance.
A large part of freedom, and major cause for the American Revolution, was habeas corpus. In the USA that meant that within 48 hours a citizens was either charged with a crime or set free. It has been the backbone of freedom from the king’s tyranny that went as far back as the 1600’s. The issue was to restrict the royalty from holding people prisoners indefinitely with only their command, there must be just cause, with charges, and the prisoner must have access to the courts and representation.
As of January 1, 2012 our federal government has disposed of all the rights to freedom. All US citizens may be held without charge indefinitely at the whim of the government, its agents and those who may be given to these powers. Even more bizarre is the fact that by the command of one individual any US citizen may be murdered by government agents without any charges or due process. This is now called extrajudicial killing and is no different than a mob hit.
I remember being able to walk all streets, take buses, subways and roads without fear or hindrance without cause. Today none of that is possible and in fact one must pay the government money and hours of work to obtain a non-drivers license (that is a permission to not drive) so that you have a small chance of walking your front yard without being assured of arrest.
The citizens who do nothing to prevent such terrorist activities now condone random searches on subways, streets, houses, and roads. Arrest has no need for cause anymore, just being alive is reason to search, detain or put in jail forever without that phone call or lawyer. You are warned to beware of those who are jealous or dislike you for any call to any government agent can take you down the road where you are stripped of rights and dignity in a faux war on terror. Authorities that create the climate of fear, where you actually have faith that governments will protect you, bring on real terror. Historically speaking they have never been there to protect you and no government has been good forever. So governments make you believe that such indignities will expand your freedom and safety. Like free nights and weekend mobile calls for $4.95 this concept is bankrupt of logic.
The main excuse for the stripping of all freedoms has been 9/11. The day when 16 Saudis slammed jets into the Twin Towers in NYC and another into the Pentagon. Since then the USA has expanded its empire to unparalleled size plunging the economy of its own people as well as those in several other nations. Changing laws so that our own government can assassinate rulers in other countries without fear of retribution by our courts and passing new laws that allow single individuals the right to denounce and have arrested anyone anywhere without courts or charges. Amazing that we are not in the streets with tar and feathers. Instead we are caught cowering in our homes trying to keep our jobs from flowing to slave labor in China and from the banks taking our homes after stealing their gambling loses from the government they installed. It is a time in history that will be looked back by our grand children who will ask; “Why didn’t you do anything?”