Danger Ahead - History does repeat itself!
Earl J. Prignitz
January 12, 2006
Isn't it amazing how soon we forget the events that happened just thirty-five years ago. Yes my friends just thirty-five years ago a president by the name of Richard M. Nixon with the cooperation of J. Edgar Hoover decided that there were some Americans that had unacceptable political opinions. Let me remind you what they set about doing. Yes, they had our own government spying on its own citizens. Doesn't that have a familiar ring? Our present president, George W. Bush, has comparable notions that he can do what he wants to do and whenever he wants to do them. The man who pledged under oath that he would uphold the laws and Constitution of our country seems to have forgotten that pledge. Now it seems that just because he is president he can do whatever he likes and wants to do, and whenever he takes a notion to do it. He even finds lawyers who support his notion that what he does is O.K.
After all these years, the old Nixon hands have reappeared, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfield. Some of the same bunch yearning for authoritian government in the Nixon years. Like a malignancy that cannot be killed off, Cheney is back at his old stand, pushing the same old line. And the reasson is the same, we have to be spied on for our own safety, in order to catch the terrorists who threaten us all. Thirty-five years ago they picked up a few film stars today they are even spying on the Quakers. I happen to be a Quaker so I am likely under surveillance.
So they were caught wiretapping! So what? They first lied about it. They didn't do it. Then, yes they did do it, but not very much. Then they admitted to a little more and finally a lot more. Like millions of private E-mails and telephone calls every hour no less, plus financial and medical records. As many have already pointed out this approach was so unnecessary, since the FISA court is both prompt and accommodating in granting the necessary approval. There is virtually no possible scenario that would make it difficult, much less impossible, to get a FISA warrant - it has granted thousands of warrants and denied only a very few. And it is possible to do the wiretapping even before you get the warrant but just get the warrants within 72 hours.
It is past time that we wake up my fellow citizens. Either this president must understand and admit that he has done something very wrong, or he must be impeached. The first time this happened, the response was outstanding. The courts, the press, the Congress all functioned promptly. Can we have a repeat performance? If not who do we blame when we lose our republic?
After all these years, the old Nixon hands have reappeared, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfield. Some of the same bunch yearning for authoritian government in the Nixon years. Like a malignancy that cannot be killed off, Cheney is back at his old stand, pushing the same old line. And the reasson is the same, we have to be spied on for our own safety, in order to catch the terrorists who threaten us all. Thirty-five years ago they picked up a few film stars today they are even spying on the Quakers. I happen to be a Quaker so I am likely under surveillance.
So they were caught wiretapping! So what? They first lied about it. They didn't do it. Then, yes they did do it, but not very much. Then they admitted to a little more and finally a lot more. Like millions of private E-mails and telephone calls every hour no less, plus financial and medical records. As many have already pointed out this approach was so unnecessary, since the FISA court is both prompt and accommodating in granting the necessary approval. There is virtually no possible scenario that would make it difficult, much less impossible, to get a FISA warrant - it has granted thousands of warrants and denied only a very few. And it is possible to do the wiretapping even before you get the warrant but just get the warrants within 72 hours.
It is past time that we wake up my fellow citizens. Either this president must understand and admit that he has done something very wrong, or he must be impeached. The first time this happened, the response was outstanding. The courts, the press, the Congress all functioned promptly. Can we have a repeat performance? If not who do we blame when we lose our republic?
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