Rachael asked me in a comment:
"... what the hell is your problem with the ACLU? Civil Liberties - yuk?"My problem with the ACLU is they've gotten too big for their britches. They're only in business for themselves now.
Just like unions, they started out being a good thing. Now they've basically become their own tax exempt, liability exempt corporation, trying to invent suits where they can "save" the little people, so they can stay in business.
I'm all for the rights of American citizens. But the ACLU has gone beyond that. They're not 'Free speech' any more than Ted Kennedy is pro-temperance.
Take this little ditty for instance:
ACLU set to appeal 'Choose Life' tagsAre they not trying to quell pro-lifers freedom to express themselves? We can't offend anyone Pro Choice, now can we?
[...]
"The tags, supported by the Tennessee Right to Life organization, have been on hold since the legislature approved them three years ago because of the legal challenge by ACLU and Planned Parenthood of Middle and East Tennessee."
[...]
The way I see it, either group has a right to put whatever license plates on their car they choose (no pun intended), without the Asshole Communist Losers Union getting involved.
Oh, and speaking of rights:
FISA judges say Bush within law[my emphasis]
By Brian DeBose
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
March 29, 2006
A panel of former Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court judges yesterday told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that President Bush did not act illegally when he created by executive order a wiretapping program conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA).
The five judges testifying before the committee said they could not speak specifically to the NSA listening program without being briefed on it, but that a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act does not override the president's constitutional authority to spy on suspected international agents under executive order.
"If a court refuses a FISA application and there is not sufficient time for the president to go to the court of review, the president can under executive order act unilaterally, which he is doing now," said Judge Allan Kornblum, magistrate judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida and an author of the 1978 FISA Act. "I think that the president would be remiss exercising his constitutional authority by giving all of that power over to a statute."
The judges, however, said Mr. Bush's choice to ignore established law regarding foreign intelligence gathering was made "at his own peril," because ultimately he will have to answer to Congress and the Supreme Court if the surveillance was found not to be in the best interests of national security.
[...]
Which, no one has yet to find.
Hey. In case you only watch the three major network news stations, we are at war.
We have a bunch of people living, fighting and dying in a foreign country, because there are a bunch of fucked-up people who believe that since we don't worship the same god, abide by the same antiquated rules, and believe in 'Democracy, Whiskey, Sexy!', we should die. Simple as that. The only good infidel is a dead infidel.
Again I say, better there than over here.
2 comments:
Kennedy pro temperance... that was pretty funny!
Choose Life doesn't belong on license plates because they are produced by state employees (or prisoners - hee hee) and the states profit from them. The state itself needs to stay the fuck out of it and if someone wants to request "CHOOS LYF" as the personalization, then fine, but let them pay for it. If the state makes 50,000 of those things and only 500 sell, taxpayers who disagree are still out that money.
Florida., huh? Doesn't Bush know some people there? LOL
My only problem with wire-tapping is the slippery-slope argument. Sure if it were ONLY used for tracking terrorists, why the hell would I care? Afterall, I am not a terrorist and neither is anyone I give a shit about.
But, people are people. Some disgruntled boyfriend could use it to spy on his lover... or fuck over a guy who spilled beer on his favorite NASCAR jacket. Some blogs have come under attack and that's VOLUNTEERED information.
Plus, once those systems are in place, do you think they are ever going to go away? Once the Spy Department is activated, those jobs are never going to be lost. If we "cure" terrorism in five years, you think they are going to throw the technology away and fire the now unnecessary employees? It's like a temporary tax levy. "we're just going to raise your sales tax by a cent for ten years." NO! Tht's crap! In the eleventh year that tax will not go away.
I'm relunctant to give up rights becuase once you do, they don't come back. And even though you consider the ACLU to be a big pain in the ass, I happy they have enough clout and money to actually challenge the lawmakers. Checks and balances are a good thing.
I've heard of some bullshit cases too, but not enough to make me think the "union" no longer serves a purpose.
I know we're at war. War is unlikely to ever go away. That is why I'm concerned about "war" being used to violent my rights.
Thanks for answering my question though!
I think there is a BIG, no - make that HUGE difference between one civilian spying on another to make a case about someone fucking his girlfriend, as compared to a presidential order to spy on suspected terrorists. Sometimes the only way to determine their involvement in wartime activities, and even use that data to protect civilians is to spy on them. Just because the president or military monitors suspects doesn't mean we are becoming a police state.
Look at all the shit Bush took for doing it in the first place. Imagine if he would have found nothing.
He has taken the responsibility for his actions and in the meantime, it has paid off.
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