The Government Can Lock You Up and Throw Away the Key
My headline might seem like hyperbole or extremism at first glance. However, it is not hyperbole. The National Defense Authorization Act allows indefinite military detentions of civilians including US citizens without habeas corpus or due process. These civilians can be charged based on taking “hostile action against the United States”. Many people said we need to stop terrorism at any cost but what is the consequence of stripping us of due process or habeas corpus? As we speak, there are journalists locked up and no one knows why. These journalists just happened to cover the North Dakota Pipeline story and now they’re locked up. They are not told why and they are not given lawyers or a trial.
These journalists are being treated as terrorists for simply reporting the news thanks to the infinite wisdom of our elected officials left and right we cannot do anything about it. Where does something like this lead? What happens when the government decides they want to lock you up for insulting America on YouTube or an online forum? They now have the means to do it. Everyone wants to talk about Obamacare, but few bring up habeas corpus.
What does this say about the truth? The government locks up people reporting on the atrocities of the North Dakota Pipeline and suddenly a few of those journalists wind up behind bars. While all this is happening the rest of you are divided by your left/right agendas. The Republicans pushed for this. President Obama signed it and made it absolute. Donald Trump is not going to change this. What comes next? Maybe, the government will declare martial law against those Native Americans who own the land up north?
The fact is we as people have to demand that habeas corpus and due process cannot be touched under any circumstances. The Constitution gives the right to a fair trial. An imperfect system does allow for some to get away with their crimes, but is that not better than allowing the government to throw you away just because they do not like what you said about them? I propose that everyone email, mail, contact your elected representatives, contact president-elect Trump, and president Obama. Have them reinstitute habeas corpus and due process. We need to go a step further this time and demand that habeas corpus and due process can never be modified or overturned under any circumstances. Think about freedom of speech and how much it means to you. Tell me what you think down below. How do you feel about our loss of habeas corpus and due process?
