Skip to main content

The Affront to the Bill of Rights

Lest We Forget: Smith Voted For Proviso That Unconstitutionally Ends
Judicial Review At Govt.'s Discretion
 
While the Seattle Times was lauding Congressman Adam Smith for his "detention" efforts, trying to improve the conditions in a holding facility, they conveniently forgot to remind you that Smith voted for the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (Public Law 107–40; 50 U.S.C. 1541) that breathtakingly and with alarm in intellectual quarters around the United States said that the government had the right to indefinitely detain persons, including citizens, without any kind of judicial review whatsoever.  We have a Bill of Rights and a general Constitution that is forthright in pointing out that this particular N.D.A.A. proviso is unconstitutional, and you hardly have to be a scholar to understand the plain language of that part of the Constitution.  Senator Diane Feinstein from California attempted to correct the statute by amending the 2013 N.D.A.A. to restore the writ of habeas corpus, but she was voted down.   At this time, we don't know what Adam Smith's position was on the Feinstein Amendment to clear up Congress's shocking, draconian legislation, but Smith is renowned for voting for bad legislation and then a year or two down the road putting on a public relations spectacle showing how he is trying to undo it, though naturally not reminding people that he voted for it in the first place.  The writ of habeas corpus is a pretty simple concept, however: if any government, either local, state or federal, detains someone, the person detained has a right to judicial review, and that doesn't mean a "Kangaroo Court."  They can't just disappear and drag "We the People" to some dungeon and throw the key away, at least not according to the grand treatise called the Constitution of the United States of America.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It's the Voters' Choice!

Link updates or specials:   Revised Legislative & Congressional Primary Endorsements (updated 7/27/14);   Citizens Party Appeals to All;   Uncle Sam's Clients; President George Washington's common sense; The Vice-Chair of the Revived Citizens Party;   Citizens + "Party of the People" Could Change Politics As Usual;   Citizens At Bay; Stop sending taxpayers' money to world; Time for America to turn inward. About opponents: Rivers Needs a Secretary;   Basler's Coming Million Dollars; Basler & Rivers refuse debates.   Smith rates himself the most qualified, BUT ... Citizens Party's U.S. House Campaign needs. How supporters can help this campaign with just a few days before voting finishes on August 5.   The Citizens Party's Predictions for the August 5, 2014 Primary (9th District Contest).   The only thing that matters about this election is what you, the voters of the 9th Congressional District ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Our Washington State Lieutenant Governor Candidate Blog

There will be a special place to write about the Lieutenant Governor 2016 election, which I'm in, and specifically Washington state issues and matters, generally, even when the election is over.  All of the recent Lieutenant Governor posts on FW Politics  will be carried over to the new blog, Washingtonian.   I am proud to be a natural-born American and a Washingtonian, and I will need your vote to stand up for the Common Man in our state and our nation.   [Originally posted on Washingtonian on April 29, 2016; revised on May 26, 2016.]
Post a Comment
Read more

With the Press, Again

As long-time readers of my blogs know, my relationship with the media has been acrimonious at times, though I realize, of course, that the press is an essential part of politics and democracy in our nation, and of course the relationship between politicians and the press is going to be often disharmonious because they have distinctly different interests.  That doesn't mean that one or both sides cannot be at fault at varying times, and both sides often are. So with all that in mind, my first thought today is, though I am sure that the H-1B system for hiring temporary foreign workers has been widely abused, there is a big distinction between that system and the system for permanent residents being in the job market.  In the interest of my views being as publicly accurate as possible, I'll say this: I more or less support the law that infers that official permanent residents should be treated...
Post a Comment
Read more