So much for "Voluntary" lock-down and searches in Boston.

[Savannahmann]

116. Those are mighty big holes to have in our civil rights don't you think?

The original exception to Miranda concerned "public safety exception" as the police questioned the suspect on the location of a gun. Now, how long before the public safety exception extends to a door to door search for someone in the neighborhood who might have a gun? That's my issue. We keep finding exceptions to our civil rights, and each one is the foundation of another exception down the road. How long before we have excepted ourselves out of our rights entirely?

Rex Stout wrote a book featuring his fictional detective Nero Wolfe after reading Fred Cook's book "The FBI Nobody Knows." I've read both of those books. The FBI was at the time entering houses illegally, and stealing information that might be damaging to the agency, among other things. If questioned, they would deny knowledge, except to say that any activity was to investigate a normal security check. In time, those Black Bag jobs got changed, to FBI Specials. They have been doing this for decades, and we nod and agree that it's all wonderful because they are working for us. This is the thing that bothers me. We know they are breaking the law, and violating our rights daily. Instead of demanding action, we cheer our representatives who pass a law making the previously illegal actions, legal. Illegal wiretapping? No problem, now it's legal. Illegal search and seizures? No problem here is the authority to use National Security Letters to get around the whole Warrant thing. Because getting a signature from your supervisor is a darned sight easier than getting a signature from one of the Judges who are on call for just that sort of thing. Besides, with the Judge, you'll need some evidence other than a hunch. Every scandal that comes up from learning what violations our Government is doing to us, results in a law authorizing that activity for all time.

When I first heard of the National Security Letters, I laughed. Telling me I can't call my attorney, a Constitutionally guaranteed right? What are you going to do arrest me, and advise me of my right to call an attorney for the crime of calling my attorney? Turns out, they do arrest you, but they don't let you call an attorney then either. But this is fine too, because it's for our protection.

So I am watchful for further erosion of our civil rights. All done under the asinine guise War on Terror. How much more will be taken for our protection, and where does it stop? What is the line they dare not cross, because from the answers to this, and other threads, that line is pretty much non existent.