DU'ers know what's up. Is the rest of the country asleep?

[Peak_Oil]

We've got a constitutional nightmare on our hands in so many ways.

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Free Speech zones, anyone?

Amendment II
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Well, this is a matter of some debate among reasonable people, even here at DU.

Amendment III
No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Don't think I've heard of this one being violated. Hey, we've still got one!

Amendment IV
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.

Patriot Act.

Amendment V
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 offense 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; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Seizure of cars/boats/etc from people charged with nonviolent drug offenses.

Amendment VI
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 defense.

Guantanamo Bay

Amendment VII
In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Not sure if this one's been destroyed yet

Amendment VIII
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Torture fall under cruel or unusual? How quaint.

Amendment IX
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Jaaaayzus.

Amendment X
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.

I can't even begin to express my horror at the lack of backbone shown on the defense of the Bill of Rights. It's a historical curiosity now.

My friends and neighbors are more interested in the performance of their Local Sports Franchise than they are in the defense of their right to a trial by jury.

[SammyWinstonJack]

1. 59 million of us are.

:shrug:

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Because it does not affect them... they tell us

I think it is because nobody has bothered to explain it to them... I mean jeezus, when the padilla case came down the pike, you did see a lot of discusion of it in the MSM... this is what is going on...

Nobody is explaining it to them... the resisntance to the PA is being done by the PA... but we need to keep the presure and we must keep engaging others

And yes it IS a contitutional crisis, but people have been dumbed down,

Guess what I found today at a local bookstore? The US Constitution, for one buck... got four for four kids who have no clue what we are talking about... that is what they are getting from me for christmas, the US Constoitution... cannot afford the Zinn book

[ilife]

4. It Can't Happen Here - COMPLETE online book

http://new.globalfreepress.com/happen

also here's a sample chapter from zinn's must read PHOUS - audio book...
http://new.globalfreepress.com/mp3/zinn/Book4.mp3

merry xmas :hi:

[MatrixEscape]

3. True!

Oh ...

Amendment VIII
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Some would say that the current drug laws are draconian, especially for use and possession when there is no victim involved.

In light of the consideration of addiction as potentially genetic and/or an illness, it is especially problimatic to impose harsh sentences on non-violent people for affecting themselves. It should be considered a minor offense, if anything. Dealers, (who actually distribute) are another matter.

Just my take.

[__Inanna__]

5. Yes, the country is asleep

About that third amendment, I saw a report tonight of a reservist who is being detained (not allowed to leave quarters) until shipment to Iraq He is challenging this and said it's out of the ordinary to do this. He has been in the military for 24 years, 20 of them as a reservist, and he's being treated this way. He even tried to hurl (sp) himself over a barbed wire fence to leave. It was on that Norville show on MSNBC. Don't have more details. Does this qualify as a violation of the third amendment?

[Peak_Oil]

6. I don't think so.

I'm pretty sure III was about making sure that the US military wouldn't board their soldiers at anybody's private home. Example: Military opens a base in Chicago for some unknown reason, and requires the residents of zip code 60646 to house the soldiers in their private homes, and to feed the soldiers.

I guess this was done in the past. Dunno why it's in the BoR... it must have been a big deal at some point.

[Blue Wally]

15. This was one of the biggies

One of the main causes of the revolution. The Brits didn't want to have to build barracks in the colonies.Th

[Qanisqineq]

13. I've heard of this happening more than a few times

I live on a military base and have heard about those being deployed being confined to quarters. Wouldn't want them to go AWOL now would we? Yep, the soldier you saw is not alone.

[Patsy Stone]

7. If you really want to be afraid

Put it up next to this: http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/britt_23_2.htm

And just start crossing them off the BoR and ticking them off on this little baby.

Frightening.

[Is It Fascism Yet]

8. yes, asleep at the wheel

[Peak_Oil]

9. Patrick Henry speaks to GWB

This Constitution is said to have beautiful features; but when I come to examine these features, sir, they appear to me horribly frightful. Among other deformities, it has an awful squinting; it squints toward monarchy, and does not this raise indignation in the breast of every true American? Your president may easily become king. Your Senate is so imperfectly constructed that your dearest rights may be sacrificed to what may be a small minority; and a very small minority may continue for ever unchangeably this government, altho horridly defective. Where are your checks in this government? Your strongholds will be in the hands of your enemies. It is on a supposition that your American governors shall be honest that all the good qualities of this government are founded; but its defective and imperfect construction puts it in their power to perpetrate the worst of mischiefs should they be bad men; and, sir, would not all the world, blame our distracted folly in resting our rights upon the contingency of our rulers being good or bad? Show me that age and country where the rights and liberties of the people were placed on the sole chance of their rulers being good men without a consequent loss of liberty! I say that the loss of that dearest privilege has ever followed, with absolute certainty, every such mad attempt.

If your American chief be a man of ambition and abilities, how easy is it for him to render himself absolute! The army is in his hands, and if he be a man of address, it will be attached to him, and it will be the subject of long meditation with him to seize the first auspicious moment to accomplish his design, and, sir, will the American spirit solely relieve you when this happens? I would rather infinitely--and I am sure most of this Convention are of the same opinion--have a king, lords, and commons, than a government so replete with such insupportable evils. If we make a king we may prescribe the rules by which he shall rule his people, and interpose such checks as shall prevent him from infringing them; but the president, in the field, at the head of his army, can prescribe the terms on which he shall reign master, so far that it will puzzle any American ever to get his neck from under the galling yoke. I can not with patience think of this idea. If ever he violate the laws, one of two things will happen: he will come at the head of the army to carry everything before him, or he will give bail, or do what Mr. Chief Justice will order him. If he be guilty, will not the recollection of his crimes teach him to make one bold push for the American throne? Will not the immense difference between being master of everything an being ignominiously tried and punished powerfully excite him to make this bold push? But, sir, where is the existing force to punish him? Can he not, at the head of his army, beat down every opposition? Away with your president! we shall have a king: the army will salute him monarch; your militia will leave you, and assist in making him king, and fight against you: and what have you to oppose this force? What will then become of you and your rights? Will not absolute despotism ensue?

[readmoreoften]

10. I think many people are dissociated or in denial.

I think people under the age of 25 have no context to understand the gravity of this situation. I was talking to a 26 yo woman tonight. She said "I think the we're headed back to the 1950s and the McCarthy era". I told her that the situation was much graver than that, and that there was no parallel in US history for what is going on right now.

I think the biggest problem is that we are living in unreasonable times. This is an irrational period in American history. How do we expose the depth of unreason without looking like buffoons.

This isn't America. This is science fiction.

[Swamp Rat]

11. EAT... PROCREATE... SLEEEEEEEP!

[ilovenicepeople]

12. I hate to sound mean but

I would say that pretty much the same percentage of people are asleep at DU as there is in America.:boring: :boring: :boring: :boring:

[Swamp Rat]

14. Nah, most of us are awake. Some still have sleep in their eyes though.