Book memes and Patriot acts

[tenlittlebullets]

This is the one where you get the list of authors they've read from someone and replace the ones you haven't read with ones you have.

potterwitch's list:
Philip Pullman
JK Rowling
Darren Shan
Anne Rice
Jane Austen
Paula Boock
J. R. R. Tolkien
Alex Garland
Louis de Bernieres
Terry Pratchett

My list:
Philip Pullman
JK Rowling
Tamora Pierce
Anne Rice
George Orwell
Patricia C Wrede
J. R. R. Tolkien
Orson Scott Card
Oscar Wilde
Terry Pratchett

And now, fumings about the Bush administration and Why The Patriot Act Should Be Gotten Rid Of Once And For All.

First--did anyone here about the new directive Ashcroft just issued to the Department of Justice prosecutors? That all defendants in federal cases must have the maximum possible charges levelled against them, and charges cannot be retracted or exchanged for a lesser charge without special permission? So if I walked into the drugstore right now with a gun and stole $1000 from their cash registers, if it was a federal case I'd theoretically be facing the same sentence as a guy who's embezzled millions of dollars from a bank. Gee, thanks, Mr. Ashcroft. Also this will virtually eliminate the practice of plea bargaining, which (a) is often a useful source of information, and (b) prevents the court from having to issue subpoenas to get information from other sources.

On to the Patriot Act. First of all, who came up with that atrocious acronym? I'm certainly feeling much less patriotic after reading some of the provisions in that act. Secret searches? Increased surveillance powers? The ability to charge anyone who 'should have known' someone was going to commit a terrorist act? A much, much broader definition of 'terrorist act?' Indefinite detention of anyone the government thinks might be a terrorist? On a related note but not necessarily included in the bill are military tribunals--what happened to due process?--the U.S. extraditing criminals to countries that don't forbid torture in interrogations, stripping defendants in terror investigations of the right to privately consult a lawyer [and not letting them know when their conversations with their lawyer are being watched], immigration policies so ridiculously stringent that my mom's thinking of quitting her job as an immigration lawyer... the potential for abuse in all of these things, but especially the Patriot Act, is extreme.

And the sad thing is that this new law has been abused more than it's been used. One person was caught using it. Guantanamo Bay was established under it. Miscellaneous people the government thinks might be terrorists being held without trial. That's about it. And yet, the DoJ freely admits that the Patriot act is in widespread use to catch everyone from drug dealers to dishonest bookies--does that sound like terrorism to you? A meth manufacturer is getting a life sentence because he was, apparently, making substances that could be harmful to people, AKA chemical weapons, and was thus tried as a terrorist. With that as a precedent, every teenager who's ever done drugs could right now be thrown in jail for life or executed for funding a terrorist organisation. The FBI has issued subpoenas to reporters to turn in every note, record, and impression they have concerning the case of--someone who hacked into the NY Times server. What's more, they were ordered to keep it secret, even from their lawyers; the subpoenas came without a court order; the FBI is only allowed to issue them under the Patriot Act as a terrorist case [puh-leeze]; and there is a shield law in NY that protects the press from having to give information to courts.

Mr. Ashcroft, there's this document, I'm not sure if you're aware it exists. It's called the Bill of Rights, see, it's part of our Constitution and it has a bunch of things the government can't do. I don't know if you were aware of this oh-so-obscure bit of legislation before, but it does protect the fundamental rights of all American citizens, not just rich white Christians who have never broken a law in their life, and as you are head of the Ministry of Love Justice Department it's your duty to uphold it. Sorry to bust your bubble, you know, but it has to be said.

Now, Mr. Ashcroft, below are these things called the Fourth through Eighth Amendments. It doesn't mean you can amend them as you plase to suit your purposes, by the way.

AMENDMENT IV
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.

AMENDMENT V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

AMENDMENT VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

AMENDMENT VII

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

AMENDMENT VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

And, just in case you should forget about it, here's everyone's favourite First Amendment--you might not have stomped on it yet with army boots on like the Fifth, but you've certainly been poking your toe at it along with the rest of the administration, so a little reminder is always good:

AMENDMENT I:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

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It's good to remember that we have these rights. Or should. A good reminder of why even the Democrats are better than voting Bush back into office. I mean, it's not like Bush is particularly Republican where the economy is concerned--$87 billion? Guh. He's just an idiot where the economy is concerned. Where the bloody 'ell is all this money going to come from, huh?

Now who else can you think of who passed a 'temporary' provision to expand the government's power against a threat that wasn't as big as he said it was? Who just sort of never got rid of that provision, and began scapegoating groups of people as being the cause of all the country's ills? Who accused anyone who didn't support the government of being allied with or supporting [insert 'enemy' scapegoated group here]? Who promoted fierce, nationalistic patriotism in his country even as he slowly eroded at the freedoms of his citizens? Who's responsible for those signs on the subway urging you to turn in anyone you think looks suspicious? Who mounted an imperialistic campaign and cited it as his country's 'right' or 'duty?' Gee... I wonder...

You know, with all the trouble they're having writing an Iraqi constitution they could just borrow ours. After all, it's not like we're using it.