The Conservative Zone

This greatly disturbs me. The Police State Is Closer Than You Think.

Any circumvention of the rules that are linchpins in our legal society, no matter how innocent or well-intentioned, is still a violation. And like the tip of the sword, the rest of the violation will soon follow.

Police states are easier to acquire than Americans appreciate.

The hysterical aftermath of Sept. 11 has put into place the main components of a police state.

Habeas corpus is the greatest protection Americans have against a police state. Habeas corpus ensures that Americans can only be detained by law. They must be charged with offenses, given access to attorneys and brought to trial. Habeas corpus prevents the despotic practice of picking up a person and holding him indefinitely.

President Bush claims the power to set aside habeas corpus and to dispense with warrants for arrest and with procedures that guarantee court appearance and trial without undue delay. Today in the United States, the executive branch claims the power to arrest a citizen on its own initiative and hold the citizen indefinitely. Thus, Americans are no longer protected from arbitrary arrest and indefinite detention.

Our pursuit of terrorists on our own soil is a laudable goal, but not at the expense of the laws that have protected us since this country was created.

I am not all that sure that this author is entirely right, but I'm not sure he's entirely wrong either. I present this to you for you to decide on your own, don't take my (or any one elses) opinion as gospel. Do your own research and arrive at your own conclusion. That's all I ask.

But remember, if this is true, then the end of the America I was born in has come to a close.