THE NEGATION OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS IN LIVING COLOUR

December 17, 2011 at 12:27 (Activism, Associate Post, Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, Democracy, DesertPeace Exclusive, Photography)

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Commentary by Chippy Dee

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On December 15, 1791 the Bill of Rights was added to the new American Constitution to protect the rights of Americans. On December 15, 2011, Bill of Rights Day, 220 years later, the United States Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) already passed by the United States House of Representatives

 

The NDAA, in effect, negates the Bill of Rights. From now on Americans, with a President’s approval, could be designated as a suspected terrorists and be held in indefinite detention without due process, trial or even knowing what she/he is suspected of. Obama is not expected to veto this legislation.

 

Such legislation further drives what is left of this Republic into  a tyranny of the right.

 

Carl Becker, American historian, in his book on the Declaration of Independence noted the American Revolution was a civil war. That besides the issue with England of home rule, the question of who was going to rule at home (the “1%” or the “99%” in today’s parlance) was also at issue. This issue is still in contention. And on Bill of Rights Day representatives of various civil society organizations, Moslem, legal and others gathered at the Federal Court House building in Foley Square NYC to speak of the threat to American democracy and demand Obama veto NDAA.  

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Photos © by Bud Korotzer

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The Speakers

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