Making Martial Law Easier
http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=FB0F11F83E5A0C7A8DDDAB0894DF404482
To The Editor:
They said it couldn’t happen here (”Making Martial Law Easier,” Editorial, Feb. 19). And yet it has.
When the Patriot Act was passed, many of us on both sides of the political spectrum saw it as a dangerous and unacceptable trade-off of freedoms and civil liberties for an illusory sense of security. It was not that we wanted to hamper the ability of our government to protect us from potential terrorism. However, we felt that it provided a far-too-broad array of infringements on Constitutionally-protected rights. Indeed, some felt that it was the first step toward a quasi-totalitarian gonverment, one in which further impingements would be instituted, ostensibly for our “safety and security.” In this regard, some of us predicted that the next step would be repeal of the “Posse Comitatus Act,” the legislation that “preserve(s) the line between civil government and the military,” and puts the power to delcare martial law in the hands of Congress, with only limited applications by the president. Yet our predictions were pooh-poohed, even by many on the left. “It’s never gonna happen,” we were told. “Congress and the people would never allow it,” we heard. “Can’t happen here,” many said.
Yet now this bulwark of freedom has been eviscerated, giving President Bush (and any succeeding president) a power associated with dictators and despots - the power to unilaterally declare martial law - and not one person writes in response? (It should also be asked: why are we only hearing about this four months after the fact? Where was the media on this when it actually occurred?) Where was - where is - the outrage?
Although the fear of a “proto-totalitarian” government conjures up laughable images of “black helicopter”-sighting paranoids, no one should be laughing anymore. Indeed, combined with the infringements of the Patriot Act and more recent presidential “signing memos,” the term “proto-totalitarian” can no longer be reserved for a bunch of government-fearing crazies.
There has rarely been a more critical moment in American history vis-a-vis the freedoms and civil liberties that our Constitution guarantees us, and the potential infringement upon - and even elimination of - some of them. If not undone, the defense budget bill provision would allow a president to use dictatorial power to impose martial law, virtually at whim. In this regard, no matter what side of the political spectrum one may be on, and even if one has never contacted an elected official before, it is incumbent upon every U.S. citizen to contact his or her Senators and Congresspersons and demand - in the strongest terms possible - that they pass the Leahy-Bond bill which would undo this unbelievable outrage.
Rev. Ian Alterman
New York City
Yes, I was up in arms about this a few months back, but nobody wanted to listen. The Trade Towers, as bad as it sounds to say, happened on person so that we could get closer to a state of Martial Law, I said that years ago. Then we had our rights taken away, anyone can search our car or house without having a warrant. Then they put the power of the military and civil defense both in the hands of the president. The next step is May 11, 2008 when we will all have to get the Identification Cards and will have to use them for everything (ie. will not be allowed to do stuff, buy things) without them. This is the lead up to the chip that will be put inside of us (a chip which is already so small that they could do it without us even realizing it, and a chip which is being used in Mexico, China and even parts of England now).
Then comes 2009, the death of the pope, and the fall of Catholicism (not totally bad), but the beginning of the fall and unification of what is left of the Christian faiths. Spain will go more (if not totally Islamic), Israel will be given over, the two mountains will be given over (as it says in the bible), Russia and China have been working a coalition (and supplying Iran with nuclear capability). Russia will nuke the US, while the Chinese invade… which may be a blessing compared to what the US’s b ig Bro the r campaign is. And we will be in the middle of WWIII (which I think will happen in 2012, the year God’s supposed to leave the earth totally). Tribulation for 8 years under the anti-christ and I don’t even want to get into what’s supposed to happen then. I hope these are all bullshit dreams, weird readings, and conspiracy crazy bullshit, but somehow I doubt it. We’ll find out when Australia gets hit by the tsunami this year (I think it’s this year).
Keep praying and thank you
Posted on 27-Feb-07 at 10:56 pm | PermalinkDan
Great comments.
Posted on 28-Feb-07 at 9:55 pm | PermalinkMB
The future is in our hands and hearts. It’s just as easy to project peace and reconciliation. Working for that is hard when we accept the downward spiral of the collective mind’s negative preoccupations. The more we put these negative conclusions in front of us, the more cloaked in reality they become. It is not enough to stand back and observe the end of hope and beauty for mankind and somehow justify these statements with the inevitability of the destruction of the common good.it is up to us to stop it, to change it, it is our world. Be informed but be inspired to operate in the spirit that can triumph over all.
Posted on 03-Mar-07 at 8:25 pm | PermalinkI wish I could be all happy about all of it. It was once in our hands, but we have given that freedom up. What are YOU personally (and I mean the collective you) doing for our future? Are you actively trying to gain back some of our lost civil liberties. Everything may be all good in our hearts, and heads, and hands, but until we take our hands out of our pockets and do something, we are losing.
The world wants to bury their heads in the sand. Don’t speak negatives, and they won’t happen. Don’t notice that they can now come into our homes without warrants, that they are fingerprinting our children to keep their fingerprints on record under the guise of protecting them, don’t realize that the easy passes, and all the places which don’t even let you use cash anymore, or the GPS’s in the cell phone, the chips in countries and pets already, etc etc (I’ve been saying and trying to push things for 17 years and they didn’t help, now that we’ve lost it’s not worth the breath to name the 35 things that they corraled the moo-baas into believing is good for us).
They pinpoint us from space with specific sectors (thus the new 4 digits on the zip codes). Around the time that they decided to make us all little corporations and make us have to have security numbers (hmm…. conveniently enough around the time that 4 very powerful men decided to line their pockets by incorporating a non-legal tax on our income… hmmmm) which are our numbers… the ones that lead to our credit cards… the ones that add up to 18 digits when placed with our zip and the additional 4 digits… wait, 18 has what 3 numbers of equal value in it….
too tired to get into this now.
I too wish people would operate in God and Jesus, but we allow people to kick them both out of our country and world. I wish the world would be informed!
Posted on 04-Mar-07 at 10:35 pm | Permalink