Loss of Privacy

Apparently, it now stands in the United States that corporations are persons, but Guantanamo detainees are not.

Channeling their predecessors in the George W. Bush administration, Obama Justice Department lawyers argued in this case that there is no constitutional right not to be tortured or otherwise abused in a U.S. prison abroad.

The Obama administration had asked the court not to hear the case. By agreeing, the court let stand an earlier opinion by the D.C. Circuit Court, which found that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act – a statute that applies by its terms to all “persons” – did not apply to detainees at Guantanamo, effectively ruling that the detainees are not persons at all for purposes of U.S. law.

This is a horrific ruling from a sitting judge and he should be removed from his position. It’s been proven time and again that torture does not deliver reliable evidence. Unfortunately, the United States seems to be getting away with such abhorrent behavior while the world watches.

Former CIA officials told ABC News that the prison in Lithuania was one of eight facilities the CIA set-up after 9/11 to detain and interrogate top al-Qaeda operatives captured around the world. Thailand, Romania, Poland, Morocco, and Afghanistan have also been identified as countries that housed secret prisons for the CIA. President Barack Obama ordered all the sites closed shortly after taking office in January.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.  The Obama administration is no different from any other administration.

Conservatives are warning Americans about the ambitions of federal lawmakers to control all waters within the United States including those on private property, in the latest power grab by progressive politicians.

According to the American Land Rights Association, the Obama Administration and Congress are attempting to pass the Clean Water Restoration Act of 2009 (S787) that would amend the 1972 Clean Water Act and replace the words “navigable waters” with “waters of the United States.”

“The US Constitution’s Tenth Amendment automatically reserves power for controlling waters to the states, not to the Oval Office and US Congress,” said political strategist Mike Baker.

“This is just one more power grab by out-of-control politicians who only adhere to constitutional law when it suits them,” he added.

“The bill also defines “waters of the United States” with such breathtaking scope that federal agencies would be required to regulate use of every square inch of the U.S., both public and private,”

“Senate Bill 787 will change federal jurisdiction over “navigable” water, to give the federal government control over all water everwhere, in municiple reservoirs, and on private lands, and in private wells. This bill ignores state water law authority and the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,” stated Barbara H. Peterson, a farm lands protection activist.

“If the Feds own the water, then they can do anything they want to with it, and I have to ask permission to get a drink or water my animals,” she stated.

Absolutely shameful and, sadly, unsurprising.

If you oppose President Obama’s proposed indefinite detention, then head over to the ACLU’s website and send in your petition.  From their site:

A debate over the fundamental character of our democracy is heating up: whether or not we can imprison people for an indefinite amount of time without charging them with a crime and without holding trial.

We need everyone who believes in the Constitution and the American system of justice to let the President know that preserving our values and the rule of law is a top priority — before indefinite detention becomes a reality.

Send President Obama a message. Let him know that — whether through legislation or executive order — you are firmly opposed to indefinite detention. We will also send the message to your members of Congress, letting them know of your concern.