Homeland Security, the Beginning of the End?

[James]

When the Office of Homeland Security (HS) was originally started I turned and said to my friend:

"If the HS ever gets its own police force it will be the end of Civil Liberties as we know it."

What did I mean by that?

We have created an organization whose mandate will be to actively protect us against all enemies both foreign and domestic.

And today's world gives an incredible ability to do so to organs of the state.

We have technology today that past Agencies of State Security dreamed about in vain.

We have the ability to listen and record conversations that use key words, both from cell phones and land lines.

The FBI's Carnivore program allows it to audit emails (probably by keyword) and log ISP's.

And we now have the ability to collate and store that information. Thus creating "Files of Un-American behavior on Citizens". Something the FBI got a lot of flack from after Hoover.

Jurisdiction for the HS is already expanding dramatically. We have said that some drug transactions may be indirectly funding terrorists.

We have classified that muslim man who was depressed and who's life was a shambles (he shot some people at an El Al check in point) as a terrorist. It happened in California.

We have heard rhetoric from local politicians labeling acts of violence in the States as terrorist activities. I am talking about acts of gang violence here.

[b]And to top it all off, on issues that might have some link to terrorists we are willing to take away the fundamental Civil Rights of Americans.

We are incarcerating American Citizens without Charge, Trial, Representation, or Due Process. And we are doing that even though Federal Courts have mandated that these people should be released!

And we Americans are so comfortable we don't even care!

Any more thoughts on this?