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I'm still struggling to figure out how the majority of Congress has given away so much constitutional authority to the executive branch over the last seven years.
It's bad enough when the legislative branch totally fails to provide effective oversight of the executive branch.
If the matters at hand were merely a matter of divvying up powers between Congress and the President, that would be one thing. What is truly disheartening is the loss of fundamental personal freedoms enshrined in our bill of rights.
Any one of us could--because of what we say on a phone conversation, because of a book we check out at the library (or what we buy on eBay), because of a meeting we attend, because of an Internet search we perform, or, even because of similar actions by someone we are thought to know--literally, any one of for any reason the President says is okay, can now be picked up off the street, sent to a foreign detention facility, and held indefinitely without charges.
I wish this were hyperbole. Sadly, it is not. President Bush had continually enacted through signing statements and through unchallenged concrete actions the principle of unified executive power.
President Bush claims the open-ended war on terror gives him reason to suspend any individual constitutional rights he sees necessary to engage in that war.
The reaction from the majority of Congress is as laughable as it lamentable. The majority of Congress has agreed to simply trust the President. This stance is the total antithesis to our Constitution, an insult of the founding principles of our country, and a complete abdication of Congressional responsibility.
How has this happened?
All I can figure is, the majority of Congress is afraid of confrontation. There is a constitutional crisis underway. Instead of dealing with it head on, today Congress is once again appeasing the President.
Few in Congress are willing to call a spade a spade. Few in Congress are willing to stand up for the constitution. Few in Congress are willing to do fully do their job.
For that, we the people suffer. |
