Fourth
by ChrisJanuary 25th, 2006 1:54 am
It has to start somewhere, so why not here? Until I feel comfortable that my government is obeying the law, I will post the text of the Fourth Amendment as my last post of the night every night. I hope that it will serve as an annoying and nagging reminder to my few readers of what’s at stake. I hope that at least a few other bloggers will join me. Since this tiny protest is pretty hokey, I don’t expect much company. I do still hope for a little. We’ll see.
What a weird time we live in. Who would have thought that the Fourth Amendment would ever become controversial? Strange days indeed. Anyway, here we go (no commentary from me from here one out).
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.
January 28th, 2006 at 5:13 pm
http://www.democraticunderground.com/crisis/06/045_bw.html (reprint from The Crisis Papers web site - unavailable at this time)…
“I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.”
- James Madison
January 29th, 2006 at 12:46 pm
They make it sound as though it’s all so reasonable. As if the only people they spy on are those who go out to lunch with Osama Bin Laden once a week for chit chat.
January 30th, 2006 at 8:51 am
Reviews positive for:
“No Place to Hide: Behind the Scenes of Our Emerging Surveillance Society” by Robert O’Harrow
by Robert O’Harrow -interviewed on msnbc yesterday
Also recommended: “Secrecy & Privilege” by Robert Parry
February 5th, 2006 at 9:48 am
This is a great idea — especialy relevant in the online world where our emails and search records are so vulnerable. How magnificent it is that the founders managed to craft words that still protect us (well, SHOULD still protect us) even though so many of our papers and effects exist in a medium that nobody had dreamed of back in the 18th century!
I don’t necessarily post every day, so I’ve put the text in my sidebar.