Spit on the Constitution and Laugh

UUSC has chosen its program area of civil liberties well. Unfortunately, there is much to do in the area of protecting civil liberties, here and abroad.

When does disrespect for civil liberties become an all out assault on the Constitution? The Bush administration is certainly walking that line. Despite its grudging acceptance of the McCain language to limit torture, the administration continues to insist on its right to torture. Now it turns out that the National Security Administration has been intercepting private communications without even a wave at the tattered protections that remained in place after the USA Patriot Act got through with them.

The president doesn't deny the reports and doesn't seek to cover up his lawlessness. He says the blatant violations of law were necessary and insists that they will continue. Liberal columnists are on fire, but no one else seems to care. Where is the outrage, my friends? Would you be more concerned if you knew they were listening to your phone calls? They may well be doing just that!

Writing in www.truthout.org , William Rivers Pitt provides more background on this disturbing series of events and speaks directly to the need for citizen action.

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the entire affair is that The New York Times reported last Friday (when it broke this story) that its reporter had learned of this illegal surveillance a year ago, but that the paper had caved in to government insistence that it not print the article for reasons of national security. One wonders what else they know, but aren't yet ready to print.