Don’t criticize the war, unless you want to be arrested

When I was a child, I was taught that the United States was a “free country.” That I could say anything I wanted, with only minor limitations (e.g., libel or inciting violence). That the people were protected by the Rule of Law, and had the right to Due Process and Habeas Corpus. In addition to the protections of the U.S. Constitution, the people also were protected by various treaties including the Geneva Convention.

I knew that we had lost any claim to the moral high ground when the legality of torture became a subject of debate in Congress. Now we’re eliminating Habeas Corpus and the Geneva Convention. It is becoming increasingly evident that the War on Terror is being used as the pretense to turn the United States into a police state, in the supposed interest of national security. But what’s the point in having national security in a police state?

Free Speech is one of the first casualties on the road to a police state, and in fact the First Amendment is also being shredded in our ill-conceived War on Terror. Originally the right to Free Speech was specifically intended to prevent the government from suppressing political speech and dissent. Today, however, peacefully expressing political dissent will get you charged with assault.

This is no longer the country I was taught about, and if we want that country, it is imperative that we, the citizens, take it back. Please be sure to vote next month!

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