Does the US still believe in freedom?

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It is my contention that the bill of rights (USA) is only paper and ink. It no longer has the force of law.
We no longer have a right to a trial. True, most of us would get a trial if we are accused of a crime. However, I am talking about a RIGHT to a trial. Currently if you are accused of being a terrorist, the government can imprison you for decades (indefinite detention) without even charging you with a crime!!
Without the right to a trial all our other rights become meaningless. For example, you (yes! This also applies to US citizens!) have freedom of speech supposedly. However if your speech makes a bureaucrat suspicious that you might be a terrorist, you can be imprisoned for life without ever being charged!!
The Constitution also "guarantees" a speedy trial! Yeah right! We are supposed to believe that that is the law of the land?

It is amazing that the most important news of the last 200 years ( the death of the bill of rights) is very rarely covered.
Luckily,Rachael Maddow covered it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y75nDqGOgOE
Also the Huffington post covered it
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/1 ... 37923.html
I realize that it sounds like this thread is some conspiracy theory. However, a little research will prove to you that you no longer have a right to a trial, the foundation of all rights.
Perhaps, you do not care that the bill of rights is no longer in effect? In other words you do not care that we are no longer a free country.

It's the land of the free if you are very wealthy and powerful.

The PATRIOT Act effectively eliminated your right to a fair trial, your right to privacy and protection against unlawful search and seizure, and your right to decline incriminating yourself.

in the official wording of the PATRIOT Sunsets Extension Act of 2011 (which re-authorized large portions of the PATRIOT Act), a "suspicion of links" to terror, terrorism, or terrorist organizations can be dealth with using "indefinite detention upon secret evidence"

Oh, and they can look at your records at the public library without court authorization as well (something I find very amusing).

Sometimes reading the titles on this forum is like reading the Drudge Report. They are full of sensationalism that rarely correlate well with the text of the posts.

??? In what way?
1. The elimination of the right to a trial means the elimination of all the other rights.
2. Since the government and the media do not consider the elimination of all the other rights worthy of attention that shows that the US no longer cares about freedom.
Which proposition do you disagree with? You are confused. For example, one can report factually about a volcano erupting. However amazing the facts are that does not make the report sensationalistic in the sense of being wildly inaccurate.

The Constitution has one very fundamental flaw, there are no expressly written repercussions for the government completely violating the bill of rights. It might as well not even exist.

The poll is kinda vague, I believe the American people still believe in freedom, I just don't think Washington DC does.
The media doesn't count as the American people, they are just the voice of the corporations who own them.

The people are not blameless tho. You would think that the Maddow report etc would have been like lighting a match. Instead the reaction to losing our right to a trial was a giant yawn.
Lets be honest the sheeple (from all eras and countries) have never cared about liberty. They only care about bread and circuses, or in today's terms McDonalds and football.

True, if you ask the average person they will say they care about freedom. But that has more to do with fourth of July parades and the flag. There have always been many "sunshine patriots" but their patriotism is meaningless.

The First amendment is still alive and well.

ruveyn

Watch the Maddow video. You can be arrested and held indefinitely and have never commited any crime. Your crime? You sound like you might be a terrorist.

Can you supply a list of U.S. Citizen who have be so arrested and detained and not indicted? By the way, the right of habeus corpus even applies to these cases. I am not sure if non-citizens are protected however.

Making a concrete threat to commit violence or property damage is a felony in most States and also a felony if done on U.S. property. The right of free speech does not apply to making threats. That is felonious assault. Even conspiring to commit a violent act is felony. The First Amendment does not apply there.

ruveyn

The problem is that you can be arrested for any reason and held for decades and the government does not have to justify its decision. They do not ecen have to charge you with a crime or even tell you what they suspect you of!

The point is that the government has the right to hold you indefinitely without revealing any information. I'll be back. However, there are many cases of Americans being held for years without being charged with a crime.
I am not talking about making a concrete threat. Yes, I know you are not allowed to threaten the president etc. I actually agree with that. However, if one is accused of making a threat, one should be allowed to defend oneself in court against such allegations. It is actually even worse than that, you are not even charged with making a threat. You will have no idea why you were arrested!! !

Of course one can argue that the government would never arrest someone and never charge them and keep them imprisoned indefinitely (they demonstrateably have). The point is that they have the legal right to do that!! !

Once more: Produce a list of U.S. citizens that have been arrest, detained and denied the right of habeus corpus. Will you put up, or will you shut up? Non citizens are not protected by the U.S. Constitution. That is for us 'Mercan only. Foreign trash will have to look out for their sorry a**es as by themselves.

ruveyn