Did our Congress just vote away our Liberty?

"We, the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." - the Preamble of the Constitution

What exactly is "Liberty"?  Webster's Dictionary describes it as: the quality or state of being free: a: the power to do as one pleases b: freedom from physical restraint c: freedom from arbitrary or despotic control d: the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges e: the power of choice.

In my first foray into the world of political blogs, there was so many headlines that sparked my interest (frustration and incredulity as well)- the 2013 election, protest movements, unemployment, a nuclear Iran, turmoil in the Middle East, rising oil prices, or a roller coaster stock market.  They all vied for my attention, but the voices in my head got my immediate attention by shouting one word over and over again...LIBERTY!  Without liberty, the other problems don't amount to a hill of beans. (Thank you Humphrey Bogart and Casablanca) Ever since the 9/11 attacks, we Americans have felt that terrorists were the biggest threat to our freedom -our very way of life- and we have vigilantly guarded against these foreign dangers.  However, we didn't expect the threat to our individual liberty to come from within.

On December 1, 2011, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, S. 1867, passed the Senate with a 93 to 7 majority.

As stated in Conservative Action Alerts, "the Senate failed to approve amendments curtailing the power of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, a bill crafted in secret by Senators Carl Levin (D-MI) and John McCain (R-AZ) that would declare the entire United States of America as a military battlefield. The DoD Bill also provides the President power to hold American citizens indefinitely and waives the right to trial, which is codified in the Bill of Rights.

On Tuesday, the Senate rejected Kentucky Senator Rand Paul’s amendment 1064 to modify S. 1867; Senator Mark Udall’s amendment 1107 was also rejected.

Judge Andrew P. Napolitano, on Fox News, commented on S. 1867 last week saying, “It basically says that the President can arrest whoever he wants anywhere in the United States of America, and keep them without charging them for a crime, without letting them see a lawyer, without bringing them to a judge for as long as he wants. How is that consistent with the Constitution?”

Judge Napolitano knows the Constitution.

The Sixth Amendment to the Constitution states:

“In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.”

Representative Justin Amash (R-MI) wrote recently on his Facebook page that S. 1867 is “one of the most anti-liberty pieces of legislation of our lifetime.” Moreover, Amash maintains that the bill capitalizes on misleading semantics; regarding section 1032, he says “‘The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to citizens of the United States.’ This language appears carefully crafted to mislead the public. Note that it does not preclude U.S. citizens from being detained indefinitely, without charge or trial, it simply makes such detention discretionary.”

Senator Paul warned on the Senate floor Tuesday: “Should we err today and remove some of the most important checks on state power in the name of fighting terrorism, well then the terrorists have won … detaining American citizens without a court trial is not American.”

Here is a link to Senator Paul's passionate attempt to kill the Indefinite Detention bill before the Senate.
 http://youtu.be/DWApGqE_T-k?hd=1

Once you watch this clip and begin to understand the ramifications of this bill, you'll discover just who the government views as threats?  Could it be your neighbor, your Pastor or a close friend?  Is it me?  Or You?? For starters, any citizen with seven days or more food stored in their home is suspect.  Well, uh-oh.  That's me AND a lot of other people I know. Trust me, I'm no threat.  I'm a proud American who loves her country dearly and just happens to be a great shopper that stocks up when a deal is on hand. More threats? Anyone missing fingers on either hand.  REALLY, are you kidding me? This would be amusing if it wasn't so dang scary. THIS IS A VERY SLIPPERY SLOPE, my fellow Americans!  What starts out as the government's attempt to protect its citizens from foreign terrorists, can then easily be used against the very citizens it swore to protect.  What if the powers that be decide they don't like what I'm saying?  If my opinions aren't acceptable?  Will they monitor my Facebook page or this blog and decide I am a threat?  When those in power feel the need to silence dissenting voices, this bill could be the very club they will wield.

President Obama, I implore you, for the sake of Liberty and Freedom, to veto the National Defense Authorization Act.  If it stands, the terrorists have already won by destroying what has always made America great without ever having to launch another attack on our soil.

We have seen the enemy and it is us.  

WisiWuv