death of the first amendment

[fryguy]

For those of you you don't year know, last night, just prior to the State of the Union address, Cindy Sheehan was forcibly removed and arrested by Capitol Police because she was wearing a t-shirt that said "2245 Dead. How many more?" She was not disrupting the State of the Union speech, causing a disturbance, nor posing a security risk. She was an invited guest of Congresswoman Barbara Lee, had passed through security twice, and was simply exercising the fundamental right of free expression - an expression that was neither obscene nor likely to incite a danger, two of the narrow exceptions where courts have found infringement may be justified. Her account is here:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/2/1/31944/23746

Our president makes constant lip service about protecting Americans' freedom; repeating ad nauseam his mantra that our freedom was attacked on September 11. As awful a day that was in our country's history, it has been our own government's response to it that has been the real attack on our constitutional liberties and freedoms. The words of Benjamin Franklin ring true: "Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."

In response to the criticism of his continued attacks on freedoms and civil liberties, George Bush repeatedly says that his solemn oath as president is to protect Americans. But perhaps he should read (or have read to him) the actual oath of office that he has twice taken. Because if he did, he would see his charge is to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States" to the best of his abilities. In other words to protect the very laws upon which this country is founded.