A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
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For millenia man has cast an eye toward the sky in an unconscious gesture of yearning -- yearning, perhaps, for his home? Science certainly does not know.
When the religious among us pray, more often than not, we direct our prayerful petitions skyward toward what we suppose is the home of the deity to/for whom we are supplicants.
Today, however, that has changed. Today, man casts an eye toward the sky in wariness -- not wary of the lightening bolt from an angry god, but wary of the spying of a far too powerful and intrusive government.
My thoughts go to the icon of the "all seeing eye" engraved on US paper currency. Modern circumstances give new meaning to that early American declaration of God's omnipotence and omnipresence.
Scrub all of that!
Times change. Things change. Men change. Governments change. And now -- we Americans have a continual presence of the US government 24-7, 365(6) -- whether we want it or not.
America's skies are filled with government spies watching you and me -- and everything we do -- around the clock. And it stinks!America is now approaching the likeness of a police state. We will, in fact, BE a police state very soon. (Some argue that we are already a police state. I would argue -- not yet-- but we ARE getting there.)
"Since Jan. 1 of this year, according to congressional testimony presented Thursday by the Government Accountability Office, the Federal Aviation Administration has authorized 106 federal, state and local government “entities” to fly “unmanned aircraft systems,” also known as drones, within U.S. airspace.
“We are now on the edge of a new horizon: using unmanned aerial systems within the homeland,” House Homeland Security Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Michael McCaul (R.-Texas) said as he introduced the testimony.
“Currently,” said McCaul, “there are about 200 active Certificates of Authorization issued by the Federal Aviation Administration to over 100 different entities, such as law enforcement departments and academic institutions, to fly drones domestically.”
SOURCE: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/faa-has-authorized-106-government-entities-fly-domestic-drones
What has happened here, dear reader, is the US citizen just lost a (another) constitutional right. I refer, of course, to the right to privacy. It's gone -- likely forever.
You may argue that with the Internet and social networking, etc, our privacy was already gone. You are correct -- up to a point. Much of the social networking loss of privacy was/is voluntary. That is one thing ... and it is quite different from having your privacy TAKEN from you, especially by an over-reaching, all to intrusive federal government. It's even worse when you consider it is illegal -- and they are gong to get away with it!
What I am referring to is the Fourth Amendment rights of Americans.
The Fourth Amendment reads: "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." That's right out of the Bill of Rights.
See, those pesky colonists had had enough of the British soldiers crashing through their doors and rummaging through their private papers and possessions so they intentionally made it very difficult for their own government, the one they were creating, to do it. It was intentional.
But, HEY! This is that "living, breathing, thingy" the liberals like to stretch to cover activities they favor, or to prohibit activities they do not favor -- or just plain ignore it at will.
I'm not an attorney, and I'm sure as heck not a constitutional lawyer, but, that's the beauty of the US Constitution. You needn't be an attorney at law to read and understand it! Well, at least for us "originalists," that is. See, I believe the constitution says what it means, and means what it says, and that's all there is to it. I'm one of those dread originalists.
It is as clear as the ringing of a bell that under the Fourth Amendment, having tiny little government aircraft -- with cameras -- flying about observing you, looking through your windows, or whatever, is as unconstitutional as it is possible to be. It is unlawful. It is clearly an unreasonable search.
There are only two kinds of people who dare say it is constitutional: Fools -- and people with an agenda unkind to the constitution.
No mental athletics are required to determine that the Obama Administration considers the constitution a speed bump, an irritant, anything but a serious threat their power grab. That have become so big, so powerful, so bold, that Americans feel they can no longer even trust their own Supreme Court, their court of last resort.
The US government is no longer of, by, and for the people. It is now alien to the people. There is now an adversarial relationship between the people of the US and the government that is supposed to answer to them.
You know, maybe it is time to call that Constitutional Convention -- and among the changes I'd like to suggest is this: If thirty-six states decide the Congress is unresponsive to the will of the people, they have the power to "dissolve" the Congress, send them all home, and hold nationwide congressional elections in sixty days.
Oh, don't get your shorts in a wad! It's not going to happen! No, America is too far gone to do anything as radical as make an effort to save herself. Heck, that would be too much work, entirely.
With that in mind, may we suggest you get yourself some old fashioned pull-down window shades as soon as you can. I have an idea the local super big box store is going to be sold out shortly.
J. D. Longstreet
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