Originally posted by FBBone
So then, you think this expires when GWB is out in 18 months? OR, will it continue on afterwards? Do you think the next pres. will change it? Most importantly, do you think Congress gives a rats a** what "the American People" think (see the new amnesty bill for that answer)? I love when guys grab onto the "Hitler" comparison. And by the way, what are you doing to protect the 2nd amendment, which protects the rest of the Constitution? Are you ready to use it when the time comes, or does a trip to Canada sound more restful?
You got me all wrong... I am a 2nd amendment guy... I am especially a 1st through 10th amendment guy! I am angry to see any erosion of any of those rights that we were all endowed with at birth that the framers of the Constitution were wise enough to acknowlege.
I used the Hitler analogy because he proclaimed a state of emergency and suspended constitutional civil rights and enabled Hitler to dictate further legislation without parliamentary confirmation.
Before Hitler there was a Parliamentary form of government in Germany. He issued a similar directive to this one in 1933 and later that year there was a mysterious fire in the Reichstag - Hitler claimed it was a signal to ignite a Communist uprising so he evoked his "Emergency Powers"
I am not saying Bush is Hitler, I voted for the man TWICE. I am saying the erosion in Constitutional rights and separation of powers, particularly between the Federal Government and the states needs to be watched. I do not care that we started down this slippery slope during the civil war, I do care that this sort of directive (NOT even voted upon in Congress like regular legislation) will come back to bite us all in the butt one day - or some future generation.
For those who think I am running around saying the sky is falling... you just don't know me that well. I believe that we must always be vigilant in order to prevent our rights as citizens from being eroded. I believe that if we do not kick and scream everytime the government takes something away from us that we have had, we will find ourselves able to do less and less freely in this country. Remember our income taxes were supposed to be TEMPORARY to pay off WWI debts. People went along easily and we are saddled with a huge bill to pay each and every single payday.
It doesn't have to be Bush to suspend rights and seize power. Will Hillary or Obama do it? Who will be elected in 2012? 2020? I am just saying that more control needs to be passed BACK to the states and allow them to run their own affairs just as they were designed, NOT the other way around.
I hope that clarifies my stand a bit.