It looks as if George Orwell was right when he penned his book " 1984 " as our government now seems intent on banning most forms of group gatherings with this bill.
The reader should really make the effort to take a look at this bill
H.R 1955: the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 was recently passed by the House and it has it's evil twin looming in the Senate. It begins, “AN ACT - To prevent homegrown terrorism, and for other purposes.” Source
It is the " other purposes " part of this bill that we need to concern ourselves with. I would like to know what those " other purposes " consist of, wouldn't you?
After looking at this piece of garbage, I can say with surety that the United States is most certainly headed down the road of no return when it comes to us citizens having any kind of rights that have been granted to us by the Constitution and/or The Bill of Rights.
The “sheer cloudy vagueness” of H.R 1955, as well as its terror factor, may account for its bipartisan 404-6 House vote but how, in an era informed by the Bush-Cheney administration’s egregious assault on the Bill of Rights, can the phrase “other purposes” fail to raise the “National Terror Alert” from its current threat level of “elevated” to “severe.”
Future “other purposes” will undoubtedly be justified by the Act’s use of the term “violent radicalization,” which it defines as “the process of adopting or promoting an extremist belief system for the purpose of facilitating ideologically based violence . . .” or by the folksy, Lake Wobegonesque “homegrown terrorism,” defined as “the use, planned use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual born [or] raised . . . within the United States . . . to intimidate or coerce the United States, the civilian population . . . or any segment thereof . . . [italics added].” CommonDreams
This bill could go so far as to make me a terrorist just because I advocate the dismemberment of the Bush administration, non-violently, of course. Taking part in an anti-war protest could possibly get you or I into trouble with the government.
The days of Hitler kind of tactics are not that far off so far as our government is concerned. They've already begun to fuck us when we aren't paying attention and they are getting away with it because the ignorant population of this country prefers to keep their heads buried in the sand.
H.R 1955 would threaten things such as:
“Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it.”
John Adams, Thoughts on Government, 1776
This is what we'll get if this continues. For that matter, some of the following have gotten us to this point.
“A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue then will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader.”
Samuel Adams, letter to James Warren, February 12, 1779
“History affords us many instances of the ruin of states, by the prosecution of measures ill suited to the temper and genius of their people. The ordaining of laws in favor of one part of the nation, to the prejudice and oppression of another, is certainly the most erroneous and mistaken policy. An equal dispensation of protection, rights, privileges, and advantages, is what every part is entitled to, and ought to enjoy… These measures never fail to create great and violent jealousies and animosities between the people favored and the people oppressed; whence a total separation of affections, interests, political obligations, and all manner of connections, by which the whole state is weakened.”
Benjamin Franklin
“It is the manners and spirit of a people which preserve a republic in vigor. A degeneracy in these is a canker which soon eats to the heart of its laws and constitution.”
Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, Query 19, 1781
“Those who give up essential liberty, to preserve a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
Benjamin Franklin, Pre American Revolution
“Every generation needs a new revolution.”
Thomas Jefferson ( all posted at CommonDreams )
It is the idea put forth by Thomas Jefferson which our beloved government wishes to stop. We cannot let this happen!
I'll have more on this subject as I become better acquainted with it. I'm not letting this just pass you by.
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