Activism
Issues
www.AlternativeNewsResource.org/
Site
map
Violations of Constitutional Law
2000 to 2008
The differences between Bush-era rendition and its precursors are not insignificant -- in fact, Horton and Center for Constitutional Rights President Michael Ratner debated them on Democracy Now! last week. But, given that they largely boil down to what the CIA did as a matter of policy under Bush (torture) versus what was allegedly done under Clinton unofficially (torture), neither are they the most urgent issue at hand. Obama's much-lauded executive orders are vague enough to elicit endless speculation when it comes to rendition and other intelligence policies. But the actions of his Department of Justice on Monday were not.
"This was an opportunity for the new administration
to act on its condemnation of torture and rendition, but
instead it has chosen to stay the course,"
Ben Wizner said. "Now we must hope that the court will
assert its independence by rejecting the government's false
claims of state secrets and allowing the victims of torture
and rendition their day in court."Obama
Needs to Seek Justice for Bush's Crimes
Cynthia Boaz
Memos Provide Blueprint for Police State Wednesday 04 March 2009
by: Marjorie Cohn, t r u t h o u t | Perspective
Seven newly released memos from the Bush Justice Department reveal a concerted strategy to cloak the president with power to override the Constitution. The memos provide "legal" rationales for the president to suspend freedom of speech and press; order warrantless searches and seizures, including wiretaps of US citizens; lock up US citizens indefinitely in the United States without criminal charges; send suspected terrorists to other countries where they will likely be tortured; and unilaterally abrogate treaties. According to the reasoning in the memos, Congress has no role to check and balance the executive. That is the definition of a police state.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Justice Department to Reveal More Bush Administration Legal Memos Wednesday 04 March 2009
» by: Carrie Johnson, The Washington Post
Justice Department officials intend to release more secret legal memos that underpinned the Bush administration's approach to national security issues, responding to pressure from Democratic lawmakers and interest groups that have sued for access to the sensitive materials, sources said yesterday.
Marjorie Cohn is a professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law and president of the National Lawyers Guild. She is the author of "Cowboy Republic: Six Ways the Bush Gang Has Defied the Law" and co-author of "Rules of Disengagement: The Politics and Honor of Military Dissent," which will be published this spring. Her articles are archived at www.marjoriecohn.com
The intent of the Constitution's framers is quite clear.
For the record, the last time the U.S. Congress declared war was almost 65 years ago--on December 8, 1941, after Japan's sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, which also happened to be a preemptive attack. This was followed four days later by the declaration by the Congress that a state of war existed between the United States and Germany and Italy--after these two nations declared war on the United States. Sixty-five years!
That's simply too long a time for constitutional government to have been circumvented.
http://notorc.blogspot.com/2006/08/awakening-from-history-iraq-dangerous.html
US Constitution
www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/
Constitution of the United States
of America
Constitution for the United States of America
www.constitution.org/constit_.htm
"The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be
suspended"
"No bill of attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed"
"The trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment,
shall be by jury"
"Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives
and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the
President of the United States;[3] If
he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it"
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses,
papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall
not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable
cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the
place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
"No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise
infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand
Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the
Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor
shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in
jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to
be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or
property, without due process of law."
"In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a
speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and
district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district
shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of
the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the
witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining
witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for
his defence."
"Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor
cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution,
nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States
respectively, or to the people."
"The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed
to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against
one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or
Subjects of any Foreign State".
"The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by
law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for
services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be
questioned."
Click here to
comment
Union resources
Opportunities for Activism
Resources for local and global labor news...
Current Union News
Issues of Interest to Union Members...
Activism, Alternative News, Activism Newsletter, Blues, Capital Punishment, Cartoons, Children's Page, Computer Resources, Coretta, Creative Art, Employment, Environment, Human Rights, Impeach, International Peace Resources, Harley, Issues, Jefferson, Library, Logic, Martin, Middle East, News, Oregon News, Peace News, Peace Portal, Peace Resources, Political Communication, Rhetoric, Road to Peace, Tutor, Resource Link, Union Resources, Women's Resources, Writing Resource ... or
mail: mailto:tflanaga@pcc.edu or mailto:tim@peaceresour
|
Click at left
for direct support or click below to
|
