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January 27, 2006

The Soviet Union of Amurka

Pesky details that Secretary General Bush apparently views as a threat to national security:

Bill of Rights

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.

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.

Caitlan Childs, a vegan, was peacefully demonstrating outside a meat packing plant in DeKalb County, Georgia in December of 2003.

A DeKalb County Homeland Security agent was assigned to conduct surveillance of the protest and the protestors, and take the photographs. He was there because these vegans were considered a potential threat to the government.

Noticing the man observing their peaceful protest, Ms. Childs moved closer and wrote down the unmarked government car's license plate number.

The Homeland Security agent arrested Ms. Childs and another protester because she refused to give him the piece of paper.

"They told me if I didn't give over the piece of paper I would go to jail and I refused and I went to jail, and the piece of paper was taken away from me at the jail and the officer who transferred me said that was why I was arrested," Childs said on Wednesday

The ACLU of Georgia has obtained the agent's written report of Ms. Childs' arrest:

The detective wrote that he ordered Childs to give him the piece of paper on which she had written his license tag number, telling her that he did not want her or anyone else to have the tag number of his undercover vehicle.

The detective did not comment in his report about why his license tag number was already visible to the public.

Anti-war protestors have also been similarly surveilled in Georgia according to the ACLU of Georgia. There is no evidence that any pro-war protestors have ever been surveilled.

Welcome to the new Soviet Union of Amurka.

Oh, and you might want to thank Judge Alito and his advocacy of the Unitary Executive Theory for helping convince the Bush Administration that they and all who work for them are above the law.

Posted by Kevin at January 27, 2006 10:39 AM