The end of our Bill of Rights is looming (not kidding, sadly)

[groovychk]

Look at this folks.
This just might be the Bill that killed us.

Military Commissions Act of 2006 - House Version

Status:

Passed House (96% of Republicans supporting, 83% of Democrats opposing.) This bill has been passed in the House. The bill now goes on to be voted on in the Senate.

Military Commissions Act of 2006 - Senate Version
<td>Status:</td><td>

Sent to President

Having passed in both the House and Senate, this bill now awaits the signature of the President before becoming law.

</td>

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How ironic that the Senate sponsor of the Bill is a Senator from Virginia (John Warner).
Birthplace of Thomas Jefferson.
Even if you are a Bush supporter you need to realize the implications here - and to realize that intent, even supposing that his administration's intent is good, is not what's important. The law is.
This makes me very sad.

What are the implications?

The Act gives the Executive branch permission to detain American citizens. Section 948a of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 defines "unlawful enemy combatant" as "an individual engaged in hostilities against the United States who is not a lawful enemy combatant." That includes everyone. There is nothing about it being a foreigner.

What exactly constitutes "hostilities" is open to interpretation by the Executive branch and can, technically, be anything.

Congress, by voting in favor of the Military Commissions Act of 2006, hands to the President of the United States the right to interpret, without Congressional oversight, the Geneva Conventions, to waive the right of habeas corpus (basically - your rights), to authorize the use of information gathered through torture, and to, in effect, establish a separate judicial system that will be run out of the White House, willfully giving up powers that until now were reserved for the legislative and judicial branches of the government.

I know it seems pointless but please, please, please send an e-mail to your representatives. Tell them that you disapprove of what is being done. It's passed - yes - but speak up. Just an e-mail. Doesn't have to be complicated. Just to the point and civil. These guys are supposed to work for us. Don't be afraid to tell them what you think. Do it while you still can. Do something. Don't let freedom die silently.

Comments

[kyrie1618.livejournal.com]

"To amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize trial by military commission for violations of the law of war, and for other purposes."

"No person may invoke the Geneva Conventions or any protocols thereto in any habeas corpus or other civil action or proceeding to which the United States, or a current or former officer, employee, member of the Armed Forces, or other agent of the United States is a party as a source of rights in any court of the United States or its States or territories."

"No court, justice, or judge shall have jurisdiction to hear or consider an application for a writ of habeas corpus filed by or on behalf of an alien detained by the United States who has been determined by the United States to have been properly detained as an enemy combatant or is awaiting such determination."

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You don't have to be found guilty. If you are accused of breaking the law of war, or they are thinking about calling you an enemy combatant, you lose all human rights protections and are taken outside the US judicial system. Tell me I misread that law.

With luck, this will piss off the judicial branch and they will strike the law. Congress doesn't have the authority to pass this law. 83% of the house democrats opposed! They didn't just roll over this time - they actually seemed to try.

The democrats really aren't as bad as the republicans. There is a difference after all, isn't there?

I don't suppose Bush will veto this, will he? Time to go throw up.

[kyrie1618.livejournal.com]

Military Commissions Act of 2006
H.R. 6166, S. 3930

Kansas Senators:
Aye - Brownback, Samuel [R]
Aye - Roberts, Pat [R]

Kansas Representatives:
Nay KS-1 Moran, Jerry [R]
Aye KS-2 Ryun, Jim [R] <------- District 2, that's me.
Aye KS-3 Moore, Dennis [D]
Aye KS-4 Tiahrt, Todd [R]

Ohio Senators:
Aye - DeWine, Michael [R]
Aye - Voinovich, George [R]

Ohio Representatives:
Aye OH-1 Chabot, Steven [R]
Aye OH-2 Schmidt, Jean [R]
Aye OH-3 Turner, Michael [R]
Aye OH-4 Oxley, Michael [R]
Aye OH-5 Gillmor, Paul [R]
No Vote OH-6 Strickland, Ted [D]
Aye OH-7 Hobson, David [R]
Aye OH-8 Boehner, John [R]
Nay OH-9 Kaptur, Marcy [D]
Nay OH-10 Kucinich, Dennis [D]
Nay OH-11 Jones, Stephanie [D]
Aye OH-12 Tiberi, Patrick [R]
Aye OH-13 Brown, Sherrod [D]
Nay OH-14 LaTourette, Steven [R]
Aye OH-15 Pryce, Deborah [R]
Aye OH-16 Regula, Ralph [R] <--------- family
Nay OH-17 Ryan, Timothy [D]
No Vote OH-18 Ney, Robert [R]

I just like to establish who the bad guys are.

The bill

[amalgamman.livejournal.com]

The commision does have a restriction.

This is the procedure and scope of the commissions defined in the law:
"alien unlawful enemy combatants
engaged in hostilities against the United States for violations of the law of war and other offenses triable by military commission."

This DOES state that this applies to non-citizens. Alien is defined within the document as "ALIEN.—The term ‘alien’ means a person who is not
a citizen of the United States."

Re: The bill

[groovychk.livejournal.com]

Only parts of it. Read it thoroughly. Some things apply only to aliens. Others apply to enemy combatants. There's no mistake.

[xaminmo.livejournal.com]

Hey, your html is broken and it causes your post to show up at the top of my friends page without user information.

And the US is a Facist autocracy. It's been noticibly progressing further since Bush took office. DHS was the beginning. There are 2 solutions. A powerful replacement for the president, or massive civil unrest.

Everyone is waiting.

[groovychk.livejournal.com]

Not sure what is up on the html. looks fine.