The Fourth Amendment - Again. 6-9-2013

The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy!

H. L. Mencken, Notes on Democracy, 1926

Sadly, this issue has again come to the forefront of the body politic, with even more dangerous imbecility by the political class and their cowardly media hacks.

Those who claim that the Constitution is a relic, a vestigial remnant of a different time and hence no longer viable, as well those who claim that it is conversely a living document and thus may be changed at will to fit the current needs of society are both ignorant and should be shunned by all who are within earshot. The Constitution is the culmination of mankind's dream of self-rule, millennia of people who could only dream of living free.

It is difficult to amend for a reason, for its precepts have withstood the test of time.

To that point, and in defense of freedom:

Here is, again for many in the current administration, in it’s totality of 54 words, the Fourth Amendment to our governing document, the Constitution of the United States:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Merely for comparative use, the Affordable Care Act, a/k/a Obamacare, is currently at just over 2,400 PAGES, though the legislation is incomplete with the accompanying regulations, most of which have yet to be published.

The Patriot Act, which is at the heart of the latest debate, stands at 342 PAGES.

The disclosure this week that the NSA has been collecting phone records of American citizens is an affront and an abomination to the Constitution.

To support that point of view, the Madison Conservative will now address the claims, from all sides, who attempt to provide intellectual legerdemain and political cover.

Consider the comments from the political right, who claim that this is a necessary part in waging the war on terror. Their premise hinges on the belief that such actions will help deter another 9/11 attack. These are the same folks who believe that removing our shoes at the airport will keep us safe. They assert that there are legal protections in place, that the information cannot be investigated unless authorized by a federal judge. They assure the American people there is nothing to fear.

It seems they are forgetting that the Attorney General of the United States provided sworn testimony to a federal judge to obtain a warrant to investigate a reporter, claiming he was potentially a ‘co-conspirator’ in compromising national security. When pressed on the issue under oath, the Attorney General first claimed ignorance of such actions, despite having personally signed the authorization. He then further asserted that he had simply made that claim to gain the warrant, that his office never had any intention of pursuing prosecution against the reporter.

Consider that fact for a moment – and then consider the assurances given relative to the phone records safety’

It is chilling, and a warning to those who hold freedom and liberty dear.

The tired claims by the political left are so imbecilic as to warrant being ignored, but they will be addressed.

Their defense comes down to two major points – it is all George Bush’s fault, since he authorized the Patriot Act, and more alarming is their assertion that the ‘American people understand there needs to be a sacrifice of some freedom for some security’, or as the President so alarmingly stated –

“I think it’s important to understand that you can’t have 100 percent security and then have 100 percent privacy and zero inconvenience. We’re going to have to make some choices as a society,”

In a statement attributed to Benjamin Franklin, Americans have actually accepted the axiom that “’those who sacrifice a little freedom for a little security are deserving of neither freedom nor security”

The march towards tyranny begins with comments such as the Presidents’. This is not hyperbole. What the President is saying is that the government needs to inject itself into every aspect of American society in order to ‘keep us safe’. There is no guarantee of safety in the world, and any pretexts to the contrary are lies. We are a free and open society, and while we may accept certain inconveniences in accessing privileges – air travel, for example, is not a right, remember – we as a nation, as a people, a society, must never accede to the proposition that the government will keep us ‘safe’ if we surrender our rights, for what in essence is ‘our own good’.

History has repeatedly shown us that tyrants and despotism begin with the seeds of providing security for the downtrodden and helpless.

America must stand together, as a people, for the people, to be governed solely by the people, not those who ask for freedom in exchange for security.