Rights of the Accused

[Steff]

Of all the infringements upon our Constitutionally protected rights, the most egregious in living memory may be the post-9/11 "detention" of individuals

[AmariYah]

Amen to that post Steff!

The land of the FREE? And the home of the brave! I hope and pray that our beloeved country does not continue down this road of tyranny- because if it does we will wake up one day and find that we now live in an Orwellian Amerika.

[BodhiDharma]

Hey come on.....

You can't blame bush....

He's just following the manual........

[ted]

Thanks for posting, Steff. Oh how I wish the Libetarians had started campaigning full force the day after the Bush inauguration. It seems that the third parties always wait until the 12th hour to spread the word. At this point it is too late for a reasonable win meaning I can only vote for Kerry-Edwards for a possible Bush defeat. He is the only hope we have of ousting the current administration like it or not.

What a terrible spot to be in.

Oh well.

I think other parties should be encouraged and listened to. We have narrowed the playing field down to two parties. If we look at it in a different way, it's almost a violation of monopoly laws!

I would hope that the Big two would respect their citizens enough to allow us to hear the messages of other parties without them trying to stiffle them out of contention.

I just wish someone would come out of the rubble and actually be worth listening to. Some of the Libertarian stuff is good, but I don't support thing like legalizing drugs and letting "education" sort it out. Knowing something is wrong doesn't keep a whole lot of people from doing it.

The Greens seem way too wacky for me. I'd feel like I was voting my 15 yr old Neice into office if I went their way. Kinda like voting for Brittany Spears.

I wish there was a simple, regular guy and gal party that would make it all the way to the top without getting corrupted along the way.

Wishful thinking, huh?

t.

[Qun Mang]

Thanks for posting, Steff. Oh how I wish the Libetarians had started campaigning full force the day after the Bush inauguration. It seems that the third parties always wait until the 12th hour to spread the word.

Frankly I don't think it would have mattered if they did start way back when. The two-party system is so ingrained in our society that all third parties can hope for is a little federal funding if they get enough votes. Sure, if one got it year after year then maybe they can put up a fight in several decades. The only thing, IMO, that can change thing is some legislation that puts these third parties on even footing with Dems and Repubs. That or some sort of mass hypnosis that changes all people's two-party thinking.

However, the mass hypnosis is just not going to happen and, unfortunately legislation is not much more likely since the Dems and Repubs would have to vote to lose power and have less of a chance come election day. Pigs will grow wings and fly before that happens.

[Qun Mang]

I just realized a way that third parties could be given a chance more likely than the other two ways above. All it would take is for the media to recognize them and give them coverage. Once people see the media treating them on an equal level with the two major parties, maybe they will see them on an equal level as well (the mass hypnosis I was talking about?) and truly consider them.

But why has the media not done this? They would seem the type to do it if anybody would. Perhaps in general they are sided with one of the major parties and like legislators wouldn't want to see things change?

Thoughts?

[Steff]

Who do you think funds the Media and has a vested interest in things staying the way they are? The third parties have sworn to remove the sticky fingers of large corporations from government.

[Guest yod]

Of all the infringements upon our Constitutionally protected rights, the most egregious in living memory may be the post-9/11 "detention" of individuals

[Steff]

Our Constitution does NOT guarantee the rights of foreign combatants, Prisoners of war, or citizens who have surrendered their citizenship by taking up arms against our nation.

Actually it does. POW's get Geneva convention status, and you cannot surreder your citizenship by taking up arms against the country.

Post the proof Yod if you have it.

[Guest yod]

Geneva Status is not Constitutional rights...and it is only afforded those enemies who also follow the Geneva Convention, which disqualifies all terrorists.

And an American can lose their citizenship one of seven ways according to the Immigration and Naturalization Service;

Being naturalized in a foreign country, upon the person