DallasDave's Blog

S. 3930 passed just before Congress adjourned to campaign for re-election. They passed it to show they were tough on terrorism. But it effectively repeals the Bill of Rights. It permits the federal government to . . .

• "Disappear" anyone (including American citizens)


• Detain them indefinitely without recourse to legal defense


• Torture them


• Try them without due process


• Punish them, also without due process

The entire law is bad, but Section 950j part (b) is the killer passage. It removes the right of detainees to challenge the legality of their detention. If you cannot challenge your detention in court, then you cannot use your U.S. citizenship as grounds to end your detention. Neither can you exercise any of your other Constitutional rights. U.S. citizens could be caught-up in this meat grinder, despite Congressional claims to the contrary.

Please be clear about what this all means . . .

You could be disappeared at anytime, detained and tortured, forever, and no one need ever know what became of you.

You were told this law would only apply to non-citizens. You were told a deal was being struck to make the bill less oppressive. Congress lied on both counts. The deal they struck actually made the law worse.

You were informed by the mainstream media that you could trust Senator McCain to protect you because he had once been tortured in Vietnam, but Senator McCain did not protect you. He betrayed you. He agreed to make this law worse, not better.

The final version of this law actually repeals the entire Bill of Rights for everyone; citizens and non-citizens alike. The only right you still retain is the protection against being forced to quarter troops in your home.

The true effect of this law is so bad that it seems unbelievable. Some, therefore, may respond with apathy. Politicians count on this. But can your children count on you to leave them the same rights you've enjoyed?

We agree with Richard Epstein, "Truth must count. Innocence must matter." We need due process to learn the truth, punish only the guilty, and protect the innocent.

What more needs be said (well, many relevant facts, true stories, and replies to objections to our campaign can be found on our Background page).

Some will embrace this law and some will oppose it. Which decision will you make? If you take the side of traditional American principles then please send a message to Congress now, demanding that they repeal this law. You can do so using this form.