March 22, 2011
BRUCE A. BRENNAN BLOG FROM THE WORLD AND MY MIND
The news as I see it and the views as I want them.
March 22 is … National Goof-off Day
More oppression, torture and crimes committed by the United States government and other branches of our government.
Remember the My Lai massacre during the Viet Nam War in 1968? I mentioned this atrocity in a column a few days ago. We invaded Viet Nam and then slaughtered women and children. I know this was war but what is happening in Libya is also war, a civil war. Chicago has gone through the police, State’s Attorney and FBI killing blacks during a raid in December of 1969. The raid was organized by the office of Cook County State's Attorney Edward Hanrahan using officers attached to his office. John Burge has been in the news lately for torturing suspects and a cop beating a bartender he outweighed by 100 lbs. and that is just a few of the Chicago examples.
Remember Rodney King? He was beat with sticks by LA Police, all caught on tape. The officers were criminally charged but found not guilty. Remember the beating of blacks and white supporters during the Civil Rights movement? Remember the FBI killing of three white, northern supporters of the Civil Rights movement? Remember the bombing of southern black churches during the 50s and 60s? Not always perpetrated by the government but it was tolerated by the government.
In New York within the last decade, NYPD officers tortured and sodomized an immigrant with a broom handle to get him to confess to a crime he did not commit. You stick a broom up my rectum in anger and I will follow you anywhere. So will must people or they will die in the struggle.
We are operating a prison in Cuba that regularly uses water boarding and other torture techniques during interrogations. We operated a prison in Iraq where we regularly tortured prisoners with dogs, naked women and simulated sex. Perhaps not torture to everyone but it is to the prisoners we had detained. Beginning in 2004, accounts of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, including torture, rape, sodomy, and homicide of prisoners held in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq (also known as Baghdad Correctional Facility) came to public attention. These acts were committed by military police personnel of the United States Army together with additional US governmental agencies.
All of the incidents and many more were perpetrated by a branch of our government. No nation attacked us because we treated our people or any people roughly. What gives us the right to do so.
The only thing you need to learn in law school about International Law is taught the first day. Might makes right. Here endeth the lesson. The United States follows this law religiously.
Other examples of the government violating our the civil rights include;
(1st Amendment violations) On July 4, 2004 of all days, Jeff and Nicole Rank were handcuffed and removed from a speech President Bush was giving at the State Capitol of West Virginia, because they were wearing anti Bush tee shirts. The couple was arrested because Nicole had " Love America, Hate Bush" on the front of her shirt, and Mr. Rank's shirt on the back said "Regime change starts at home" Trespassing charges filed against the couple by Charleston police officers after they were removed from the event were later dismissed because a municipal judge determined city trespassing ordinances do not apply to Statehouse grounds. City Council and Mayor Danny Jones have publicly apologized to the Ranks.
A student was tasered after he asked Al Gore an unpopular question. These are just two examples of our 1st Amendment right to free speech being violated by our government.
A student was tasered after he asked Al Gore an unpopular question. These are just two examples of our 1st Amendment right to free speech being violated by our government.
(2nd Amendment) I recall after Hurricane Katrina hit the government openly declared that no one would be allowed to have a gun, and that all guns would be confiscated. They made good on their threat, as they went door to door forcibly stealing citizens guns. This was a clear violation of our civil rights. Law abiding citizens were left with no way to protect themselves from criminals looting and looking to break into their homes.
(4th Amendment) The government violates this amendment all the time, and in so many different ways, the examples are just about endless. Looking back again at what happened after hurricane Katrina reminds me of the violation of peoples’ right to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures. Well, people were dragged from their homes by force in many instances. The government said it was unsafe for people to stay in their homes and must leave. When people refused to open their doors for the agents of tyranny, the doors were kicked in, another violation of our rights. The 4th amendment is clear when it says they need a warrant to enter someone’s home. Yet they did it anyway. Checkpoints along the road are or should be violations of peoples’ rights. The constitution states that they must have probable cause to stop someone and based on that probable cause a judge must issue a warrant. None of this happens in a checkpoint situation which makes checkpoints unconstitutional. Eminent Domain cases over the last few years are also clearly unconstitutional. The government is now forcing people to sell their property at whatever dollar amount the government, a Judge or a jury deems fair. The government they turn around and sell the property to private business. This happened a few years ago in New London Ct. They forced an entire community to sell their property to let Pfizer build a drug plant. Five years later Pfizer shut the plant down and shipped it overseas. Now the property is vacant. This was justified because the new use was a better way to capitalize on tax revenue.
(5th Amendment) It states that the government can't take your property without due process. Yet this happens all time as well. If someone is accused of Drunk Driving, they confiscate the vehicle without any due process. if they claim someone has sold drugs, they take anything they believe was purchased with the profits, like cars, boats, cash, ect. All of this without due process. We are innocent until proven guilty. So how can they take peoples things without a jury convicting them? One could also argue that by them forcing you to sign your tax return and then claiming you lied is self incriminating. Yet it says in the 5th Amendment that, "nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself"
(6th Amendment) In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State. We the people are supposed to have the right of a trial by Jury, but in some ordinance violation cases, we are not given the right of a trial by jury.
(8th Amendment) Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. The problem here is that the word "excessive" is left to opinion by the Judge. The factors taken into account are public safety, family situation, work, ability to appear in Court as scheduled, the likelihood a defendant will appear in Court when scheduled, criminal history and history of appearing in the past.
(9th Amendment) This simply says that even if the right is not listed within the Bill of Rights does not mean that they don't have the right.
Many of these civil rights are routinely violated under color of law or by people who do not care. We have never had to defend ourselves from foreign invaders because we treat people poorly but we feel we can do this to other countries.
This is not meant to be an exhaustive or all-inclusive rendition of our countries transgressions against its own citizens, just a sampling. No system is perfect. We have the best system in the world but it is still abused. Perfection is unattainable, by us, by Libya and by all nations. We should let others do it their way. Pretend the world is a large Burger King. Let the world have it their way. Not everybody likes ketchup. That is why there is mustard.
Sorry for the rambling. I am just a ramblin’ man.
BRUCE A. BRENNAN
DEKALB, IL 60115
COPYRIGHT 2011
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