Stop the ACLU Blogburst Watch: Indefensible: 10 Ways The ACLU Is Destroying America
ACLU Fights Measure To Halt Terrorists’ Funding
Only weeks after the tragedy (911), Congress acted to dismantle the financial infrastructure supporting known terrorist organizations. On October 3, 2001, U.S. Rep. Michael Oxley (OH) introduced the “Financial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001,†seeking to freeze all accounts directly linked to the “financing of terrorism.â€
The need for such legislation was deemed so vital to national security that it passed the U.S. House on a vote of 421-1. Almost the entire Congress recognized that this legislation’s passage was imperative. Still, on the day before the vote was scheduled, the ACLU delivered letters of opposition to all members of Congress.
“We urge you to oppose the ‘Financial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001,’†the letter began. Why? One portion of the bill made it a federal crime to conceal large amounts of “illegally obtained†cash (over $10,000) while traveling. In a desperate and shameful attempt to justify its stance, the ACLU played the race card. The letter argued, “This provision may impact, disproportionately, people of color and immigrants….[because] these groups of people often have a more difficult time getting access to sources of credit and bank accounts and so use cash transactions more frequently than others do.â€
Under the ACLU’s reasoning, impoverished people would be discriminated against by this bill. The likelihood of impoverished minorities carrying around more than $10,000 in cash and concealing it was supposedly a grave concern for the ACLU. Thankfully the ACLU’s efforts to stop this were unsuccessful.
A little more from the book:
Later in the war, the ACLU actually volunteered its legal services to represent suspected terrorists!
In 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments from several alleged “illegal combatants,†including two cases involving U.S. citizens and one case involving 14 foreign “illegal enemy combatants.†The ACLU filed amicus briefs on behalf of the suspected terrorists in each case, arguing that ll “enemy combatants†captured during a time of war should have access to American courtrooms-regardless of their citizenship.
The Pentagon contended that “enemy combatants†should face military tribunals-the standard procedure in all previous international wars. U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson, whose wife, Barbara Olson, was killed on September 11, when Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, reminded the Supreme Court Justices that the plaintiffs were requesting a “jurisdiction that is not authorized by Congress, does not arise from the Constitution, and has never been exercised by this Court.â€
Though the U.S. Constitution does not extend rights to non-citizen enemy combatants, judicial restraint did not prevent the moder Court from creating this new right out of thin air.
Thankfully this decision was made moot by the passing of the Military Commission Act. However, the ACLU’s war on National Security continues, and giving habeas corpus to non-American citizens is on their New Year Resolution list. It is actually number one on the list, followed by destroying the NSA terrorist surveillance program, and destroying our ability to keep secrets.
Overall the book was well put together and very informative. I highly suggest checking it out.
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Others Blogging:
Conservative Culture linked with The ACLU’s directed agenda and attack! – Blogburst
Pirate’s Cove linked with Stop The ACLU Blogburst 1/11/07: 10 Ways The ACLU is Destroying America
TMH’s Bacon Bits linked with Indefensible: 10 Ways The ACLU Is Destroying America
Jo’s Cafe linked with Stop the ACLU Blogburst
Stuck On Stupid linked with Stop The ACLU Blogburst
Conservative Thinking linked with STACLU Blogburst
The Uncooperative Blogger linked with Ten Ways ACLU Is Destroying America
Church and State linked with 10 Ways The ACLU is Destroying America
XtremeRightWing linked with Recommended Reading On ACLU
The Wide Awakes linked with Stop The ACLU Book Review
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