1st Amendment Only Valid In Designated Areas

I read this article (link below) and saw yet another example of Bush's blatant disregard for all of the things that make America what it is. In my opinion, he believes that he is single-handedly saving the future of America. I don't think he is off on any conscious effort to erode the Bill of Rights and strip America of its liberties. I think he has a Napoleon-complex and visions of grandeur and a very warped sense of how to make that happen. I do believe that there are people working with and for him who ARE making conscious decisions to capitalize on the state of fear in this country to pass laws that would never see the light of day under normal circumstances (Ashcroft seems to be one that comes to mind).

I have seen this when Bush comes to town here- quite frequently since we have the largest concentration of Iraqi's in the United States (its good fund-raising for the 2004 election) that they do this. If you are in FAVOR of Bush or want to praise him- by all means exercise your right to free speech and demonstration- carry your signs and banners and chant away. However, if you are of a dissenting opinion you will have to take your message to the "Free Speech Zone" - generally blocks, if not miles, from where the President will be. So, we still have a Bill of Rights I guess- as long as you only try to use it in areas the Secret Service has designated.

Free-Speech Zone by James Bovard

I think if the pres walked down your street in open public right now... Cheny would be president. Is that what you want! ;)

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… your tactics only aid terrorists, for they erode our national unity and …

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It is not the Patriot Act or the president that is "eroding" national unity. It is the American people.

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read this article (link below) and saw yet another example of Bush's blatant disregard for all of the things that make America what it is. In my opinion, he believes that he is single-handedly saving the future of America. I don't think he is off on any conscious effort to erode the Bill of Rights and strip America of its liberties.

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Three things Tony. A bit off topic, but same line of ideas.

1:\>Somebody has to finish what daddy didn't.
2:\>We have no Bill of Rights anymore. It has been Replaced with the Patriot Act
2:\>You are a slave, I am a slave. Remember the golden rule. He who has the gold makes the rules. The best thing you can do is decide what to do with the time you have. So ironically I simultaneously agree and disagree with you.

**** Corperate America

"I pledge allegance to the Pricetag of the United States of America, and to the Capitalism for which it stands, one nation under gold, divided, with taxes and injustice for us all."

America has been for sale for a long time.

Be safe and stay free

Wow, thats a pretty screwed up article, definately gets the brain thinking. I especially liked the comment that "all of america is a free speech zone" too bad our elected officials dont see it that way. Heres my take on this: When you hire someone for a job, you usually have the right to be critical of them, to tell them what you think of how they are or aren't doing thier job. Last time I checked, Bush was supposed to be serving the interestes of the people, not himself, or some secret council or organization. As the people, we should have every right to stand face to face with him and tell him if we like what hes doing as our president, or if we dont like it, or what we would like to see him do. I would be willing to bet that the press hardly covers the "free speech zones" but instead hovers around the bush-friendly zones.

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Originally posted here by RoadClosed
It is not the Patriot Act or the president that is "eroding" national unity. It is the American people.

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That's his point too for the most part. He means the people expressing their right of free speech when it's anti-Presidential. If anyone decides to do a parallel between Orwell's 1984 and today, they can see so many things similar. We had "re-writing the history" bit done when Hussein's troops and al-Qadia forces were on the same plot to bring down the WTC. It doesn't matter they are enemies too, this was a bigger fish... Or so they say. So now they're cutting back America's free-speech, and spying on everybody is already in place. The war is there aswell.

Hey, come to think of it, there's not a lot left to do. Just some details, I'm sure the Presidency has it all figured out.

Are you people sure there will be elections again this year? Maybe some 'state of emergency' will cause the President to postpone them indefinitely until he can solve the situation. There's just one step to totalitarianism... and from there on, you can rest assured you'll have the first "democratic dictatorship" [despite the obvious oxymoron involved].

Cheny is leading the country. Cheny had the intel on WMD. Cheny told Bush to invade Iraq. Cheny probably told Bush to issue the contracts to Halliburton. Bush may be the front man but don't you see a pattern to the decision making?

This was part of Clark's response about a VP slot. He said the Pres should be a stronger leader than the VP.

I am curious, where was the outcry to the violation of free speech and "protected" zones when the bill to outlaw free speech right before an election was introduced during the last presidency and signed currently into law?

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Originally posted here by Syini666
As the people, we should have every right to stand face to face with him and tell him if we like what hes doing as our president, or if we dont like it, or what we would like to see him do.

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The President has a job to do and that job does not entail listening to every person with petty or legitimate gripe. We are a representative republic. If a "voter" has an issue with the country's leadership, then that "voter" should take his opinion first to his local government officials in an attempt to get his ideas tabled for consideration. The "voter" can always send a letter or e-mail to the President or his Congressman, and if the idea is an extremely good one it might even make it into the purview of the oval office.

Notice the stress on "voter" please. If you don't vote, you don't have a political voice that matters.

Just my thoughts.