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As far as the first Patriot Act I am mostly referring to 213, 215, & 216 because I don't find most defenses of them adequate (I think those numbers are right, I didn't take the time to relook them up). Also our friend at Gitmo Bay are all suspected terrorists who are almost universally denied legal council and who's trials take place before military tribunal because they are considered POWs. The problem with this is that some of these "POWs" are US citizens and have a constitutional right to a fair and expediate trial as well as a right to not be cruelly or unusually punished. Now one can not really say what is happening to the prisoners there so it isn't necessarily that they are being mistreated but they very well could be. Furthermore, we have had inspectors (either UN or Amnesty, I can't remember) report that the POWs are being mistreated. This is even suspect according to rules of war. Finally, the majority of the prisoners though not US citizen ought to have the same rights in American court as we do. The thing is we consider these rights as fair and just treatment for all mankind and the way we treat those who we think oppose us really speaks volumes about our country. In reference to citizens being deported that would be made available under the Expanded Patriot Act that is currently being proposed. No one has fallen victim yet but it just gives the executive too much power and it clearly was against our founders intent to give the executive such power directly over the citizenry (ironically the presidents constituency)
Seretogis: That right why don't we just make all crimes capital crimes because there aren't degrees of statute violations? Drug makers and creators are not terrorists in the sense of the Patriot Acts intent nor in the minds of most members of congress. Though you could broadly interpret terrorism to incorporate drug makers and dealers, at that point you could really interpret it to anything.
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"The courts that first rode the warhorse of virtual representation into battle on the res judicata front invested their steed with near-magical properties." ~27 F.3d 751
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