Category Archives: Our Government

Happy 2012!

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Welcome 2012.

Last year, about this same time, I was anticipating a great year to happen. Well, I learned a lot last year. One of the lessons I learned was not to wait for something great to just happen. Instead, it’s best to actively participate in making things happen. This participation thing, I learned, quite dramatically, increases the probability of things happening. Additionally, it can teach new skills in a variety of disciplines, when one has an open mind.

So this year, I was thinking, it would be great to inspire Congress to remove the citizen detainment sections of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2012 that president Obama just signed into law on December 31. Yes, this would be awesome. This was, in fact, such a great thought that I immediately began brainstorming the whole plan through.

In assessing what needs to happen to make this happen, however, a great question occurs to me. In fact, it’s one many others are scratching their heads over too. Why did Congress pass this US citizen detainment section into law? Based on my research, and experience, there is no need for US citizen detainment by the US military, currently, or in the future. Many of my friends are having similar thoughts. But, again, learning from last year, instead of waiting, whining, or bemoaning, I’ll just move along, like a gentile brook jumping towards the stream.

So, thank you 2011 for all the lessons, though hard some may be. Let us all learn from our mistakes. Happy 2012!

NDAA of 2012 will become law by default midnight 12-31-2011

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Department of Defense Seal

NDAA of 2012 Signed, Sealed, and Delivered by Congress to the President.

Congress delivered the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 to the steps of the White House on December 21. The timing seems intentional. By congressional procedure, after ten days, without a veto, the bill becomes law with, or without, the President’s signature (The signature is largely ceremonious after the ten day waiting period). President Obama is in Hawaii on vacation. The NDAA of 2012 will become law by default midnight 12-31-2011.

The “detain US citizens” section of the current NDAA reads differently than it did a few weeks ago. Note that a variety of groups from both major parties, and many independent souls, did bring a heap of grassroots political pressure to the hill during the past few weeks against the “US citizen detainment” authorization in the bill. Congress has since soften the language around the issue of the military being authorized to detain US citizens. See Sections 1022 through 1034.

Section 1024, however, remains very disturbing. Section 1024 of the NDAA of 2012 allows the Secretary of Defense to change the rules in the ‘detain persons’ sections at anytime, as long as he notifies Congress within 60 days. This “smells” bad. This is worse than before, and thus easily qualifies for a Presidential veto. Unless, circumventing the US Constitution is the intention. This clause violates the Bill of Rights, upsets the separation of powers, and puts the military above all three branches of government. In most other countries, we usually call this a military coup, albeit a non-violent one. A non-violent coup is dangerous in that most people being ruled do not see it happen. Edward Luttwak, a military historian, defines a coup simply as follows, “A coup consists of the infiltration of a small, but critical, segment of the state apparatus, which is then used to displace the government from its control of the remainder.”

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Open Letter to President Obama on NDAA

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Dear President Obama,

This week, a bill may arrive on your desk called the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012. I am requesting that you not sign this legislation for it contains a clause that allows the military to detain US citizens without a trial and hold them indefinitely. This clause in the NDAA for 2012 will do great harm to our democracy. This section of the bill is unconstitutional, and it’s easy to predict that it will be greatly abused. Today, Dec 12, 2011, Congress negotiated quietly to pass this bill with very small changes. But I quote Donna Cassata of the Associated Press… “The legislation would deny suspected terrorists, even U.S. citizens seized within the nation’s borders, the right to trial and subject them to indefinite detention. The lawmakers made no changes to that language.”

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NDAA of 2012

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The National Defense Authorization Act of 2012  is currently being negotiated in the House of Representatives and appears as though it is going to pass both houses of Congress. It contains a clause allowing the US military to detain US citizens that they deem “terrorists” without a trial or court review. That clause gives the military jurisdiction over the US population. This is Unconstitutional and wrong. This is also, obviously, a very important and potentially dangerous issue. I have contacted the LA Times and ask why they are not reporting about this. I am waiting for their reply.

I emailed Senator Al Franken and asked why he signed onto the bill. I will be excited to read his reply. Thumbs up to Senator Feinstein who tried to remove this clause with an amendment in the Senate. I encourage people to take a stand against this bill.