Afraid of government
I am afraid. I am afraid of my own government for so many reasons these days. But one big reason I am afraid of my government is that the NSA can now legally spy on ANY American’s phone-calls or emails — without a warrant, without probable cause, without any real reason what-so-ever — all because of the mis-named “Protect America Act” — which many Democrats, including Senator Salazar — helped pass into law back in August.
Well, at least the Protect America Act was suppose to be only temporary.
But now I have heard that many Democrats (DEMOCRATS?) are putting forth a bill to extend the Act several YEARS into the future, if not forever.
Why are Democrats giving in to Bush YET AGAIN? Why are they AGAIN acting against their principles and against the principles that made America great? Because, I have heard, they are afraid they will look “weak on terror".
Let me tell you something. The Democrats ARE weak, but not on terrorism.
They are weak against Republicans! They are weak on the issue of the Bush Administration’s onslaught against American and constitutional values.
And let me tell you something else. NO MATTER WHAT the Democrats do to appease Bush, the Republicans will STILL call them “weak on terror.” The sooner the Democrats learn this, the better.
Yes, I am ashamed to be an American these days, given how our country has given up almost all of its charished ideals. And I am even more ashamed to be a Democrat.
Please, please, do what you can personally do to help reign in the Orwellian powers that many in Congress helped the Bush Administration obtain. Please, call and email your Representative and Senators to tell them to vote against any extension of the government’s powers to spy on us all without any proper judicial oversight.
This letter has not been edited.
You're absolutely right, Mr. Quet. I remember when the Patriot Act first passed and I really didn't understand the far-reaching ramifications. One of my siblings, who is a proclaimed liberal, said that if we weren't doing anything wrong we shouldn't have anything to hide. What?! That's all I could think because talking to him was impossible. That's when we were all reminded that being under a microscope isn't freedom. Now all these years later and our privacy doesn't even look like privacy anymore. Thank you for reminding us that we have the right and the responsibility to contact our representatives and let them know our views. Let us remember that the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Posted by DJ on October 20, 2007 02:49 PM"But now I have heard that many Democrats (DEMOCRATS?) are putting forth a bill to extend the Act several YEARS into the future, if not forever. Why are Democrats giving in to Bush YET AGAIN?"
Here's part of the reason:
blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/10/dem-pushing-spy.html
Glenn Greewald does the best reporting on this story:
www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/10/19/reid/index.html
Posted by Charles B. on October 20, 2007 03:23 PMCongratulation to you the SHEEP. You blindly follow the dogma's of either the Republican or Demicratic Parties. You refuse to research and vote for your values and instead blindly believe the spoon fed lies given to you. You elect these idiots, then whine when you get screwed. It is time you start thinking for yourself and stop relying on the government to be your MOMMY and DADDY. Politicians are not STATESMEN, they have only one intrest THEMSELVES and the PEOPLE WHO HOLD THEIR PURSESTRINGS to get reeelected. Our founding father's never expected a person to make a carreer out of being a SENATOR or REPRESENATIVE. There needs to be term limits on both SENATORS and REPRESENATIVES, after all what good for the goose is good for the gander. This will also reduce the POWER of Special Intrest.
Posted by Scott on October 20, 2007 06:25 PMTyranny begins with innocent seeming usurptions hidden behind the facade of government's need to protect us, most often, from a claimed but unclear, undefined danger spelled out in generalities, of which this Patriot Act, so cleverly named, is a prime example. It is this kind of law, which has no inborn limitations that, at first, are all to easily accepted but, as the ever expanding applications become apparent, the true purpose of the law reveals it's self as a governmental undermining of the public's constitutionally right to freedom, justice and Liberty.
Posted by Allen Campbell on October 20, 2007 06:31 PMCharles/
Like Leroy and yourself,Glenn Greenwald is a paranoid terrorist loving halfwit.And I wouldnt believe anything from Salon.And Mr Investigative Reporter and civil liberties alarmist Ryan Singel from Wired has been a San Fran joke for years.
You all OUGHT to be ashamed to be Americans.
American-hating Democrats that is.
DEMS ARE TRAITORS
please tell me what freedoms you have lost and how many of your emails, sort of like the one you wrote here, would interest the government? the expansion was to track know terriorists and not cry babies like you or the other liberals out there.
leroy are you upset at the boulder school district for taking a kids cell phone and searching it because they wanted to? they had no reason to do it but made one up. now remember in the republic of boulder there are more far leftwingnut liberal progressives that anyother part of Colorado. they are scary but mostly ignored.
like the book says, If Liberals had Brains, They would be Republicans.
06:49 PM.,
Look at American history and then tell me, if you understand what you read, if there is anything at all in that history you would be ashamed of. How about slaverly to start, I dare you to try to justify it under any logical, moral or ethnic terms. Then we can go ahead some and consider women not being allowed to vote. What are your views on that? By now you should be getting the point that everything done under the exsisting laws of a given time by America is not something to wave the flag about, If not, you are delusional.
Posted by Allen Campbell on October 20, 2007 07:18 PMAhh yes,
The nameless drones chime in with character assassination and baseless accusations of treason. No actual argument included of course, that's not the way they roll...
Pffffft.
Posted by Charles B. on October 20, 2007 09:02 PMStan:
On balance, America has done far more good than bad.Alway has and hopefully always will.
Charles:
The name is DEMS ARE TRAITORS.
And the argument was your sources are lame and you and your ilk are paranoid American hating types who are invested in defeat of your own country rather than have any success with the war on terror which would hurt your party politically.
Clear enough?
DEMS ARE TRAITORS
That should have been Allen not Stan.
DEMS ARE TRAITORS
Posted by on October 20, 2007 10:17 PMNo, the name is uneducated Tracey
Republican policies have made us less safe, destabilized the middle east and weakened our fiscal foundation...all while stripping us of our civil liberties.
And you dare to call others "america haters"
Pathetic.
Any questions?
Posted by jay on October 20, 2007 11:30 PM10:17 PM.
That's right, don't answer the questions, resort to your juvenile ability to make us all aware that you lack the courage to do so to the point of being superfluous to any reasonable debate.
Posted by Allen Campbell on October 21, 2007 05:08 AMhere is what scares me about America today.
hillary wanting to socialize health care, adding more weeks off to the family leave act, and how many of you can live with 12 weeks of non paid leave from work, but wait hillary wants the business to pay you just like they do in france. all businesses will by federal law be required to give you 7 days sick leave per year, if you have 25 empoyees working for you. give you money to start a government 401k program, sure sounds like privatizing ssi that she screamed about when Bush had the balls to bring up her ball-less husbands program that she loved and knew nothing would happen with.
It bothers me that morons like harry reid would get on the floor of congress and have a letter that 41 democrats signed, demanding that a person, Rush, should not have the free speech rights of any other american. and it was all based on a lie and from a story that was on abc news.
yep I am getting afraid of what the government could turn into under a progressive far left extreme liberal socialist controled group who want to be queen and her court.
now that is what scares me.
why would any good liberal be afraid of a program created by a peanut farmer, jimmy carter, from georgia?
Posted by on October 21, 2007 06:55 AMAs an unafilliated voter, all of you scare me!!
Our House of Representatives illegally limited their own numbers over a hundred years ago, during the last immigration crisis. Our population has since tripled and NOT ONE seat has been added.
So people like myself have NO one who represents this point of view...
Taxation, war, spending, constituional rights issues all are being run by the wealthy few. We do not have the government Jefferson intended.
Let's double the number of Reps in the House, OUR HOUSE
Posted by janis houston on October 21, 2007 07:54 AMPlease visit www.thirty-thousand.org to educate yourself on how we need more representatives, not more politicians.
Posted by janis houston on October 21, 2007 08:05 AMJay, I love when you attack someone who isn't even posting on this board. That being said,
YOU ARE A IDIOT!!!!!!
Now I posted.
Posted by Tracey on October 21, 2007 09:42 AMGOT NOTHING TO HIDE? THEN YOU GOT NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT!
My safety and security trumps your fabricated and phony feelings 24/7, 100% of the time. If we had another attack, and we will, then liberals like you will be the very first to scream, "Where was uncle?"
I fear a government that refuses to do its job.
Posted by Hank on October 21, 2007 10:07 AMThere was once a famous American that said give me liberty or give me death. Well today's wussies are so damn afraid of death that they are willing to give up some of their liberties. Yes Mr Bush and your followers I'm talking about you. Those brave men who wrote that g-- damn piece of paper where real men and are rolling over in their graves.
Posted by larry on October 21, 2007 10:17 AMleroy,What's is your favorite liberal activity?Selling dope over the phone,talking little boys into sex over the phone,fencing somebody's else's property you stolen over the phone,etc..You don't have to worry because you pnone won't be tap unless you are calling rerrorist in another country,the terrorist supporting dems have your panties in a bunch.
Posted by Keith on October 21, 2007 10:27 AMYou can tell letter writer Leroy Quet is a Democrat.He claims he is"Afraid of the government" because of Patriot Act but his ilk never said a word when the Democrats for decades have moved to destroy the Second Amendment.Now when the Democrats are making a move to close talk radio people like Democrat Leroy will be silent.The reason for this is the Democrats only back the "rights" that they think will help their terrorist friends.For decades old people,women and the poor have been denied their right of self defense by the Democrats.Big cities controlled by Democrats have banned the citizens right to own firearms so only the criminals could be armed.In other cities controlled by Democrats they have put so many restrictions on firearms that the poor can't afford to by them,leaving only the rich and criminals owning firearms.The Democrats have pushed frivilous lawsuits against gun manufactures to run them out of business.These lawsuits have pushed the price of guns so high that many of the poor can't buy a gun to defend themselves.With this kind of history how can we believe Democrats like Leroy Quet even understand when to be"Afraid of government"?
Posted by An American on October 21, 2007 10:51 AMRight Larry, American is, or used to be the home of the brave. Now Americans are patriotically afraid:(
Posted by Holy Reality on October 21, 2007 11:16 AM"If we had another attack, and we will, then liberals like you will be the very first to scream, "Where was uncle?""
No...WHEN we get attacked again...I'm going to demand an answer from the right wing to a couple of tough questions.
Why did you support Republican policies that made us less safe?
Why did you support Republican policies that further destabilized the Middle East?
Why did you support Republcian policies that allowed Al Qaeda to regroup and restrengthen to levels seen on 9/10?
Those are some questions I'll have for those of you on the far right the day after we get attacked again.
I can't wait to hear your justifications and rationalizations of said incompetence...I suggest you start putting your talking points together now.
Posted by jay on October 21, 2007 11:19 AMHas anyone else taken up the practice of skipping over any posts made by JAY HOLE?
Posted by on October 21, 2007 12:05 PMjay,
The more I read those such as, "An American", "Hank", the little twerp whose name starts with . . . "K", I think - oh well, no matter - and the other - usually anonymous - chorus that pops up in the background, the more I am reminded of a gaggle of little boys, out on their first Halloween Trick or Treat night without parents, or baby-sitters, daring each other to go into the cemetery - or the local haunted house - all the while shouting how much braver the one is than the other. Such juvenile rant, cant, and foolishness!
But, that's the measure of Republican/"conservative" "thought" today. Poor little kiddies, out there in the dark, "All alone, and sore afraid, in a world they never made" - and won't even begin to admit that their "leaders" made it for them. And, the "leaders" don't even care, much less propose to do anything constructive about it all.
You have some excellent questions there, sir. But, I wouldn't hold my breath for an answer - certainly not for an answer that would make sense, anyway.
Posted by Old Grouch on October 21, 2007 12:18 PMYou can tell Jay gets ALL his information from the Democrat controlled media or right from the lying Democrat party itself.
Posted by An American on October 21, 2007 12:23 PMjanis houston
"Please visit http://www.thirty-thousand.org/ to educate yourself on how we need more representatives, not more politicians."
While the site initially left me skeptical (how do you coordinate 6K reps when we can't get 435 to work together), they provide a great Q&A which almost demands more consideration and study.
Congratulations on bringing this site to the front.
Thank you.
Posted by mongoose on October 21, 2007 12:37 PMAm I the only one that can see Old Grouch seems a little senile?Well of course, he is a Democrat !!! But I really do like Halloween.
Posted by An American on October 21, 2007 12:41 PMHello Mongoose, nice to have your comments.
I wonder if the tough, brave men on these forums, Keith, AA and others, would be able to test the system.
Put together a phone call using all the buzz words and phrases of the terrorists, then call all your friends, in the country, not out, and use those phrases to set up a terrorist cell meeting then wait for the knock on the door.
Even if it never comes, I`ll bet they would sweat bricks waiting for it.
Posted by Sharon B. on October 21, 2007 02:19 PMDEMS ARE TRAITORS kindly illustrated my point when I said:
The ... drones chime in with character assassination and baseless accusations of treason. No actual argument included of course...
by saying:
...your sources are lame and you and your ilk are paranoid American hating types who are invested in defeat of your own country rather than have any success with the war on terror which would hurt your party politically.
He claims the sources are lame but doesn't dispute the substance of the information. If he had read it he would know that both links were to articles criticizing Democrats.
Let's put aside the fact that I'm not a Democrat, and take his name "DEMS ARE TRAITORS" at face value. He's basically saying that 1/3 of all voting age citizens in the United States should be executed.
He calls me an "American hater"- an accusation that someone with his values can only make in irony.
I'm afraid we've reached a point where satirizing people "of his ilk" is no longer possible...
Posted by Charles B. on October 21, 2007 02:42 PMcharles
Not a democrat huh?
Admission is the first phase of treatment.
What a confused tool you are.
Sharon B.s posting at 2:19 PM shows how big of a coward Democrats really are.That is what she thinks is a BRAVE act?I better not tell her what I have done in the past she would think I am a Super Hero !!! The women are the bravest people in the Democrat party.Sharon B. has just shown you what a brave act is in the Democrat party.You be the judge !!!
Posted by An American on October 22, 2007 09:31 AMAlso why would Democrat Sharon B. be using"phrases of terrorists"on the phone and then go to meetings where other people are that were using the same phrases?I think we can see the people Sharon B. and her Democrat friends are trying to protect !!! TERRORISTS !!!! Point proven.
Posted by An American on October 22, 2007 09:44 AMjay,Why are you such an idiot?
Posted by Keith on October 22, 2007 10:10 AMKeith: "What's is your favorite liberal activity?Selling dope over the phone,talking little boys into sex over the phone,"
Mark Foley is a liberal? News to me.
Posted by Jeff on October 22, 2007 11:56 AM