I wish I could brag of such excellent foresight. I voted for that joker not once…but twice. How embarrassing.

The Patriot Act is one of the reasons that I think Bush is a terrible president (and congress is derelict in its duty). But I knew before Bush got in that he would be a failure, so I didn’t vote for him.

Thank you.

This is my favorite comment ever. I’m very sorry it took me so long to get it out of moderation and onto my website. Its a real shame I was so slow because this comment is probably the best writing ever to appear on my site.

What bugs me is so many people might dismmiss Judge Napolitano out of hand because he is on Fox News or because he might not like some liberal government program, therefore rendering him one of “those”. The polarity (or is it bipolarity?) of our political discourse makes it very hard for this discussion to happen in this country. He makes the point in his book that a nation where its citizens willingly let some bureacrat make them undress and de-shoe in a public place, without cause, suspicion, or nary a warrant for the search and possible siezure (of shampoo anyways) without a wimper of protest can hardly be counted on to resist more nefarious power-grabbing schemes. It also shows a disrespect for the value of our Constitutional protections in the first place.

I think the bold, active, visionary risk-takers that founded this country would be embarassed to see what we have become. There are parts of the Constitution that were added (like the Bill of Rights) specifically because of the active involvement (Shay’s Rebellion, etc.) of We the People in the early days of the Republic. The people were part of the movers and shakers along with the regular elites. At one point the Constitutional Convention met with the windows closed because armed men would point rifles in at them to let them know they better do right by them. Now we can’t even wave a flag up on the steps of the Supreme Court without causing a Homeland Security beige alert response.

The judge goes on to comment that because of fear, sheep are content to go along with the rest of the sheep. The wolves still fear government, but aren’t afraid of fear.

I get this way after reading an incendiary book like that. I got a mug last year at a Faculty Christmas White Elephant affair that has the entire Bill of Rights on it. When you put boiling liquid in it all of the clauses affected, or waived, by the Patriot Act fade away. I live my life, I’m busy, and I don’t think about these things all the time, but when I see that fade I get a sick feeling in my stomach.

Our leadership, in both parties, is unable to grasp this fundamental threat to our political life, because they are products of the power game. The only hope, just as it was back in 1787, is We the People.