GOD SAVE THE KING

They say "the truth will [come] out." They also say, "the truth will set you free." It was announced today that, surreptitiously, the Bush Administration authorized the NSA, not only to wiretap on every telephone or other "electronic" conversation between the United States and a foreign country without getting a court order, but also to create a database of every telephone or other electronic communication ever made by anyone within the United States. This, too, they claim, does not need a court's authority.

I've heard numerous arguments from dedicated supporters of this administration ranging from needing the wiretaps for national security, to being willing to give up a few rights to remain safe, and usually ending with "why should you care if you have nothing go hide?" Many even go so far as to accuse anyone who questions the actions of the government as being unpatriotic. The arguments are specious at best, most likely disingenuous, and outright dangerous at their worst.

First, and most importantly, this NSA snooping is clearly both unconstitutional, and illegal under federal statutes. Equally important is that the communications companies, turning information over to the government without a court order, is a clear violation of the Federal Communications Act. Most of those who have not yet been brainwashed by the Administration, or have an I.Q. greater than their age realize that, whether George W. Bush likes it or not, he is still not above the law. Nor can he use the argument that going to the FISA Court for a court order would take too much time. We are now discussing an ongoing process whose aim is to collect a database of every communication in the United States, WITHOUT "PROBABLE CAUSE." Certainly there is time to put that before the Court. They will not, however, because they know what the answer would be –even from Bush appointees.

The Bush Administration is acting in clearly illegal and unconstitutional ways. Moreover, not only is there no evidence that this has had or will have any impact on our security, but as Benjamin Franklin remarked, "those who would trade their freedom for a little security deserve neither freedom nor security, and will have neither." We are living at the beginning of an oligarchic form or American government, and if we continue down this road without restraint, we will eventually become indistinguishable from the very people we are trying to defend ourselves against. We have begun on that slippery slope toward tyranny and I for one choose not to follow that path. "The tree of freedom," wrote Thomas Jefferson, "must be refreshed, from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Fortunately, we have not progressed far enough down the road to require "blood," but we certainly need the intervention of either Congress or the Courts.

If we and our representatives fail to act now, as they did in Rome two millennia ago, we should practice changing from "Hail to the Chief" to "God Save the King."