Byron Quick
Staff In Memoriam
For over two decades now I've watched the developing policies of all levels of government with dismay. Here's a short list:
1)evading the letter and spirit of the Fourth Amendment,i.e, no-knock searches, dynamic entry for relatively minor cause, ongoing attempts at warrantless searches.
2) evading the prohibition on double jeopardy with semantic games and piling on multiple charges for one criminal act.
3) the proliferation of "gun control" laws
4) confiscation of property with only a nod to due process of law.
Two of the things that particularly concern me are: 1)Can't the policy makers see what this is doing to the average citizen's perception of government? 2) LEO's who apparently cheerfully crawl on the bandwagon to break down doors and confiscate property.
(If anyone is aware of LEO's who have refused to follow these tactics that rape both the letter and the spririt of the Constitution, please let me know, I need all the hope I can get)
I'll give a recent example of the effects of the government's policies. An example that shocked me to my toenails. My mother is as middle of the road American as apple pie. Flag and country. Always has voted in every election. Sometimes for Republicans and sometimes for Democrats. She has always followed the issues and always been a centrist politically. Not liberal...not conservative. My radical political beliefs have been one of the few banes of her existence. Well, a few days ago we were talking about the Internet, this forum, and a couple of others I post to. She told me that she was worried that the government would "come get me." I asked her to clarify this. She is afraid that the government will retaliate against my exercising my freedom of speech here by expressing my political views. She is afraid the government will use Ruby Ridge or Waco style tactics against me for nothing but that. I was flabbergasted that this woman with her flag and country background held such a view. If my mother, with her background, holds such beliefs regarding the government...so do millions of other Americans in the "center." This is the result of their policies. What really nags at me is: is this the result they wanted?
1)evading the letter and spirit of the Fourth Amendment,i.e, no-knock searches, dynamic entry for relatively minor cause, ongoing attempts at warrantless searches.
2) evading the prohibition on double jeopardy with semantic games and piling on multiple charges for one criminal act.
3) the proliferation of "gun control" laws
4) confiscation of property with only a nod to due process of law.
Two of the things that particularly concern me are: 1)Can't the policy makers see what this is doing to the average citizen's perception of government? 2) LEO's who apparently cheerfully crawl on the bandwagon to break down doors and confiscate property.
(If anyone is aware of LEO's who have refused to follow these tactics that rape both the letter and the spririt of the Constitution, please let me know, I need all the hope I can get)
I'll give a recent example of the effects of the government's policies. An example that shocked me to my toenails. My mother is as middle of the road American as apple pie. Flag and country. Always has voted in every election. Sometimes for Republicans and sometimes for Democrats. She has always followed the issues and always been a centrist politically. Not liberal...not conservative. My radical political beliefs have been one of the few banes of her existence. Well, a few days ago we were talking about the Internet, this forum, and a couple of others I post to. She told me that she was worried that the government would "come get me." I asked her to clarify this. She is afraid that the government will retaliate against my exercising my freedom of speech here by expressing my political views. She is afraid the government will use Ruby Ridge or Waco style tactics against me for nothing but that. I was flabbergasted that this woman with her flag and country background held such a view. If my mother, with her background, holds such beliefs regarding the government...so do millions of other Americans in the "center." This is the result of their policies. What really nags at me is: is this the result they wanted?
