Tuesday, October 25, 2005

If you aren't doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about

The Constitution, simply a inconvenient nusiance.

WaPo has an article on FBI violations of most of the Bill of Rights, endorsed by the Patriot Act. Frankly, I think they could bring slavery back as long as it gets a good old American name (the Red White and Blue Old Glory inexpensive laboror act, perhaps).
"We're seeing what might be the tip of the iceberg at the FBI and across the intelligence community," Sobel said. "It indicates that the existing mechanisms do not appear adequate to prevent abuses or to ensure the public that abuses that are identified are treated seriously and remedied."

Actually, we do have existing mechanisms (the aforementioned nusiance).
FBI officials disagreed, saying that none of the cases have involved major violations and most amount to administrative errors. The officials also said that any information obtained from improper searches or eavesdropping is quarantined and eventually destroyed.

"Every investigator wants to make sure that their investigation is handled appropriately, because they're not going to be allowed to keep information that they didn't have the proper authority to obtain," said one senior FBI official, who declined to be identified by name because of the ongoing litigation. "But that is a relatively uncommon occurrence. The vast majority of the potential [violations] reported have to do with administrative timelines and time frames for renewing orders."

It's a little scary to rely on a court system that thinks growing pot in your house is covered by the Commerce Clause and that private property that has more tax value as something else can be taken by the state. More than a little scary.

What we need is a legislature and a President that will stand up to this abuse. What we have is a legislature and a President who revel in it.

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