What has happened to the America of our Founding Father's?

    There are citizens in our community who consider themselves to be of the religious right or conservative camp who publicly paint negative pictures of good citizens of our community who happen to hold "progressive" views such as upholding the Constitution of our beloved country.   In response to these comments I would like to express what remains of my freedom of speech and the love and respect I hold for our wondrous nation's Constitution. Mr. Matulich paints negative platitudes towards progressively focused citizens like myself, calling us "left-liberals who are unable to compete in a marketplace of ideas, thereby we must rely on government compulsion to propagate the inanities, falsehoods and empty platitudes that is the stock and trade of the extremist left."

     Since September 11, 2001, the laws of our great nation have been changing.  Under the pretext of protecting Americans from terrorists, American civil liberties such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to privacy in our persons, papers and effects; our right to peaceably assemble, the right to keep and bear arms, and many other rights are being legislated away by our President and Congress.  It is frightening how the citizens of our great country have silently accepted the rapid loss of our country's Bill of Rights.  I will not sit silently any longer while we still have a limited forum for our "freedom of speech. Permit me to espouse on these violations to our Bill of Rights:

1st Amendment: Freedom of religion, speech, assembly and the press.  (More than 8,000 South Asian and Middle Eastern immigrants have been interrogated because of their religion or ethnic background and not because of actual wrongdoing or terrorist activity.)
4th Amendment: Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. (Our newest Patriot and other acts of Congress allows FBI agents to investigate American citizens for criminal matters, no matter how trivial, without probable cause if an agent deems the activity  is warranted for "intelligence purposes", And greatly expands law enforcement's ability to conduct secret searches, giving it broad and unfettered  access to phone and Internet usage, as well as access to highly personal information such as medical, financial, mental health and education records. All this can now be made with minimal judicial oversight, leaving surveillance to the arbitrary discretion of overzealous law enforcement agents.    )
5th Amendment: No person is to be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law. (Thousands of men, mostly Middle Eastern and South Asian origin, have been held in secretive federal custody for weeks and even months and sometimes not even being told why they are being held.)
6th Amendment: Right to a speedy public trial by an impartial jury, right to be informed of the facts of the accusation, right to confront witnesses and have the assistance of legal counsel. (American citizens suspected of terrorism are being held indefinitely in military custody without being charged, without legal counsel and without speedy trial protections.)
8th Amendment: No excessive bail or cruel or unusual punishment. (We all know the horrors of Rendition, water boarding, electric shock that almost kills these people who have not even had a trial or due process of the law.)
14th Amendment: All persons whether citizens or not, while within the borders of the United States, are entitled to due process and the equal protection of the laws. (Recent acts of Congress permits citizens to be detained and questioned without counsel on mere suspicion of terrorist activity, which includes political dissent. Suspects convicted of no crime may now be detained indefinitely in six-montH increments without judicial review.

       I hope the citizens of Amador county would be concerned about the new attorney generals guidelines which allows FBI spying on religious and political organizations, including individual member, without direct evidence of wrongdoing.  Yes, there are citizens in our community who are quick to label some of us who are concerned about the rapid deterioration of our beloved Constitution as liberals.  But I ask you, What happened to the America that has stood proudly for over two hundred years, protecting the rights of all those who have lived within our borders.  I miss that America.  

Cheryl Scott, PhD

Volcano