Hope that Obama will change American attitude toward civil liberties
Bob Vacanti
Issue date: 11/18/08 Section: Opinion
At the conclusion of what seemed like a never-ending campaign in 2008, voters came out in droves like never before and elected Barrack Obama to be the next president of the United States.
The majority's voice rang loudly across the country and there was great jubilation, but what message did Obama supporters send? They shouted for a change, a shift away from the Bush administration and the unpopular policies that congress had adopted in the past eight years.
Tactics like warrantless searches, seizures and surveillance allowed by the FISA bill and Patriot Acts I and II, the removal of habeas corpus through the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and the continued disregard for posse comitatus - the use of military force for civilian law enforcement - have turned America after 9/11 into an authoritarian state that spits on the Constitution.
What troubled me during the election was that Obama voted for the Patriot Act reauthorization and even the updated FISA bill, despite promising to filibuster and oppose the latter.
As a civil rights lawyer, Obama knew full well that these bills were unconstitutional, but for some reason, he supported them anyway. Whether he did so to appear "strong" on terrorism or avoid "political suicide" (which is ridiculously backwards), the bills still enable government to raid property at their leisure and telecommunications companies to monitor us without legal recourse.
This shook my personal trust in Obama's promise to stand by his principles and defend American citizens' rights. I did not vote for him or McCain (yes, I still cast a ballot), but I have no qualms against hoping that our new president will take us far away from the Bush administration.
As Obama said in his speech after winning the election, "This victory alone is not the change we seek, it is only the chance for us to make that change."
The opportunity is definitely there in 2009 for the Democrat-dominant government to return the people's civil liberties and help rebuild America.
The majority's voice rang loudly across the country and there was great jubilation, but what message did Obama supporters send? They shouted for a change, a shift away from the Bush administration and the unpopular policies that congress had adopted in the past eight years.
Tactics like warrantless searches, seizures and surveillance allowed by the FISA bill and Patriot Acts I and II, the removal of habeas corpus through the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and the continued disregard for posse comitatus - the use of military force for civilian law enforcement - have turned America after 9/11 into an authoritarian state that spits on the Constitution.
What troubled me during the election was that Obama voted for the Patriot Act reauthorization and even the updated FISA bill, despite promising to filibuster and oppose the latter.
As a civil rights lawyer, Obama knew full well that these bills were unconstitutional, but for some reason, he supported them anyway. Whether he did so to appear "strong" on terrorism or avoid "political suicide" (which is ridiculously backwards), the bills still enable government to raid property at their leisure and telecommunications companies to monitor us without legal recourse.
This shook my personal trust in Obama's promise to stand by his principles and defend American citizens' rights. I did not vote for him or McCain (yes, I still cast a ballot), but I have no qualms against hoping that our new president will take us far away from the Bush administration.
As Obama said in his speech after winning the election, "This victory alone is not the change we seek, it is only the chance for us to make that change."
The opportunity is definitely there in 2009 for the Democrat-dominant government to return the people's civil liberties and help rebuild America.
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