Freedoms post 9/11

Why is Newsday.com the only place I’m seeing this list (from A.P.) being published? [Steven’s Weblog]

Had lunch today with a guy at a major DC-based think tank. Among other things, we discussed the wide berth the media is giving the Bush administration when it comes to issues like, oh, Constitutional rights. (You remember those, right?)

Thanks to Steven Vore for catching the above link. I guess seeing everything collected just makes it that much more incredible:

Some of the fundamental changes to Americans’ legal rights by the Bush administration and the USA Patriot Act following the terror attacks:

* FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION: Government may monitor religious and political institutions without suspecting criminal activity to assist terror investigation.

* FREEDOM OF INFORMATION: Government has closed once-public immigration hearings, has secretly detained hundreds of people without charges, and has encouraged bureaucrats to resist public records requests.

* FREEDOM OF SPEECH: Government may prosecute librarians or keepers of any other records if they tell anyone that the government subpoenaed information related to a terror investigation.

* RIGHT TO LEGAL REPRESENTATION: Government may monitor federal prison jailhouse conversations between attorneys and clients, and deny lawyers to Americans accused of crimes.

* FREEDOM FROM UNREASONABLE SEARCHES: Government may search and seize Americans’ papers and effects without probable cause to assist terror investigation.

* RIGHT TO A SPEEDY AND PUBLIC TRIAL: Government may jail Americans indefinitely without a trial.

* RIGHT TO LIBERTY: Americans may be jailed without being charged or being able to confront witnesses against them.

Copyright © 2002, The Associated Press

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.