And we fought a War of Independence because of a government that used to do this? - Granite Grok

And we fought a War of Independence because of a government that used to do this?

obama constitution is an imperfect documentHey, Kelly Ayotte and Jeanne Shaheen, this is what you want our American Government  (and let’s add Frank Guinta and Annie Kuster to this as well as Speaker Ryan is bringing this to the House after it getting voted down in the Senate) to be like?  Yay, it’s just about Independence Day?

No, no planes back in the 1770s to be kept from boarding but the behavior, so it seems, is still here – the willingness of our Government to declare citizens , in secret and with no due process, guilty of something that the Government won’t say, won’t say who the informant is, won’t allow themselves a defense – just declare them guilty and let them hang in mid-air.  Forever.

Ayotte and Shaheen, you wanna keep doing this to a Marine? Guinta and Kuster, you wanna pile on?  From The Truth About Guns (reformatted, emphasis mine) – you only find out you’re guilty when you try to exercise your Right

“You’re on the no-fly list,” the woman at the kiosk told me. It was a Wednesday, six years ago, at Midway Airport in Chicago. I was traveling to Spokane, Washington, for my job as a dog trainer. I had absolutely no idea how I could have ended up on the no-fly list. I waited for Ashton Kutcher to come out and tell me I was being Punk’d. No luck.  At least 30 federal agents swarmed me.

They didn’t handcuff or manhandle me, but the sheer number of them was intimidating. I was in a state of shock, looking at them confusedly. Their expressions turned puzzled, too, when they noticed my Marine Corps shirt.

While being a Marine is not a guarantee that one is not a terrorist, all in all it’s a pretty good sign they aren’t.

But being a veteran didn’t save me: The mob of agents led me into a private room for questioning. I was certain there was a mix-up, and I wanted answers. How did this happen? When could I fly again? How did I end up on the list?

And after being confronted with being labeled as a terrorist, here’s the current day equivalent of the Royal (King George) administration against which the Declaration of Independence was written:

“Even if I knew the answers, I wouldn’t be able to tell you them,” said one FBI agent.

Message: you’re a bad person but we can’t tell you. And you still can’t fly.

For a few months, there was radio silence from law enforcement. Then, out of the blue, I got a random phone call again from the same two agents. They invited me to Chicago for lunch and to answer any questions I had. The only question I had was if I was off the list. The conversation seemed hopeful, so I agreed to meet them. They met me in their hotel lobby and invited me upstairs. There was no lunch.

And the next part – the new American justice system (fundamentally transformed)?  I get plea bargaining but this seems to be an odd application, again when you consider this isn’t a criminal case (see above, no arrest and no grand jury) but a fundamental Right?

“We can get you off the list today,” they said. One caveat — they could get me off the list if I agreed to become an informant at mosques.  I’m no James Bond. I have a wife and four kids. Why would I go undercover as a bargaining deal to be taken off the list when I hadn’t done anything wrong in the first place? I thought that in a few months the government would realize they’d made a mistake about me.

And aren’t plea bargains handled by officers of the court?  After all, if the FBI does plea bargaining (given that this guy didn’t get a jury trial with his peers), are we about to see the same with Hillary and her emails?

The encounter in the hotel room was a breaking point — I contacted the American Civil Liberties Union and lawyered up.

For four years, I was presumed guilty until proven innocent. Despite all the questions I answered for officials, mine has never been answered: why?

Or “Guilty until you work for us” – such a judicial system to have.  Banana Republic, anyone?

No, I am not in favor of allowing terrorists getting on aircraft (or flying such).  But there are reasons the Founders created and enshrined the Bill of Rights – to limit Government.  Vagueness is not good Government, nor is kicking Innocent to the curb.

So, will Guinta and Kuster vote to support the Constitution after we celebrate Independence Day?  Or can we declare them guilty of putting “safety and security” over Freedom (remember what the old white guy said about such) now.

Oh, but to be sure, I WILL tell them why!

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