As we celebrate another Memorial Day weekend, let’s give pause to pay homage to the brave men and women who paid the ultimate price to secure our freedoms. There was a time long ago when the government of the United States of America respected the natural rights of man to be free. As a result of the American Revolutionary War that saw great sacrifice, bloodshed, and loss of life, our nation was established on the principles of limited government. It was recognized and respected that the people are endowed with certain unalienable rights and the government is given its limited authority from the people through very specific and enumerated powers as charted in our Constitution.
Fast forward to today. The world is a much smaller, more connected, and very different place from what it was in the late 18th century when our country was founded and the Constitution was enacted. Despite the changes in international relations and the technological advances that have advanced human civilization, the natural rights of man remain a timeless philosophy backed by the principles of liberty. These concepts serve as the bulwark of our society of freedom loving people. The rights and the laws that protect them should not be tampered with, regardless of geopolitical current events.
Recent congressional votes from 1st District Republican representative Rob Wittman can only lead to the conclusion that he no longer believes that the USA is the land of the free and the home of the brave. How else can he explain his “yea” vote on the NDAA with its American citizen terror suspect detention authority given to the military as directed by the President? How else can Wittman explain his “nay” vote that would have amended that provision just 2 weeks ago to remove the unconstitutional power of the military to detain American citizens without due process? It was reported that he thought long and hard about his “nay” vote on the Smith-Amash amendment but decided it was more important to violate the constitution in the name of safety so as to assure that terror suspects would not have more rights on our soil than U.S. military service members under the United Stated Code of Military Justice.
Being afraid to uphold and defend the constitution as per the once revered congressional oath of office now seems to be a prerequisite to serve as a member in congress. With all of the “protection” and “security” federal laws already on the books (TSA full body pat downs and searches at airports, NSA wire tapping under FISA, and Real ID to just list a few), American people have a better chance of winning the jackpot lotto, drowning in their bath tub, or getting struck by lightening than they do getting harmed or killed by a terrorist here in the United States.
Wittman’s and congress’s spineless and gutless approach to securing our liberty through the destruction of the 4th Amendment to our Constitution is yet another sad and disrespectful way to memorialize the Patriots who fought for our freedoms and founded our nation. Ironically, liberally appointed Federal district Judge Katherine B. Forrest issued a preliminary injunction barring such detentions of American citizens on the ground that the law is unconstitutional. Unlike the supposedly constitutionally conservative Wittman, perhaps she appreciates the warnings that founder Benjamin Franklin alluded to when he opined that those who sacrifice liberty in pursuit of security are deserving of neither. Wittman fails to realize that we will have to pay hell to regain our freedoms that he just voted away. Home of the brave…yeah, right….apparently not any more when it comes to our Congress. Try and feel proud about your Memorial Day tomorrow.
Living in America 