Tags: afety, amnesty, brutal conditions, constitution requires that, disgrace, eople, false promises, greater security, helpless prisoners, humiliation, immigrants, independent courts, independent judiciary, judicial supervision, july 4 1776, military tribunals, personal papers, petty officers, swarms, usurpations,
INDEPENDENCE DAY
JULY 4, 1776 - 2008
j hen in the course of human events
the government becomes destructive of the ends for which it
was established, it is thee ight of the c eople to alter it and
demand restoration of thoseV onstitutional c rinciples that
have so long assured their _ iberty, f afety, and[ appiness.
g herefore, on the anniversary of our Independence, we offer
this new declaration for our times.
g he history of this president is one of arbitrary usurpations of power, the effect of
which is to establish tyranny through false promises of greater security.
[ e has created a multitude of secret programs and sent swarms of petty officers
to spy on Americans in a misguided effort to combat foreign terrorism. He has invested
these agents with sweeping new powers to monitor our conversations and ransack our
personal papers and effects without judicial supervision or any reason to believe_as the
Constitution requires_that a crime has been committed.
[ e has further claimed the power to disregard legislation that Congress has passed.
[ e has suspended the laws and treaties against torture, authorized the kidnapping
of mere suspects, and transported hundreds of prisoners beyond seas so that no
independent judiciary could question the legality of their mistreatment.
[ e and his supporters in Congress have granted amnesty to the officials who
unleashed torture and humiliation upon helpless prisoners, to the disgrace of our nation.
[ e has denied these prisoners access to attorneys, family, and friends and has
claimed the right to try them before military tribunals specifically designed to disregard
the most basic principles of law.
[ e has imprisoned thousands of lawful immigrants for months without charges,
under brutal conditions, until his agents, rather than independent courts, decided that
they posed no threat.
[ e has wrapped his usurpations of power and his deprivations of liberty in
thick cloaks of secrecy, thereby showing contempt for the rule of law and the proper
functions of Congress, the courts, and the press.
T t every stage of these oppressions we have sought redress, but our petitions have
been answered only by repeated injury.
j e, therefore, resolve to resist these usurpations by all lawful means at our disposal.
We insist that the powers of our national government be shared by all branches of that
government and not concentrated in one alone. And we call upon Congress, the courts, and
the press to reassert their constitutional functions and restore the promise that is America.
g o thesesacred honor. pledge our lives, our fortunes,
and our
ends, we mutually
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The U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights offer protection and remedies for
government assaults on civil libertiesbut only if they are enforced. Demand that
your representatives uphold their oaths to protect and defend the Constitution.
Join with others in your community and around the country in supporting the
PEOPLE'S CAMPAIGN FOR THE CONSTITUTION:
www.constitutioncampaign.org
Tax-deductible contributions for the campaign can be made to
the Bill of Rights Defense Committee in the amount of:
$50 $100 $150 $200 $250 $500 $1,000 $2,500
online at www.bordc.org or mailed to:
8 Bridge Street, Suite A, Northampton, MA 01060
Name ________________________________________________________
Address _____________________________ City_____________________
State ____ Zip __________________ Phone ( ) __________________
E-mail ___________________________________________
"A Declaration for Our Times" was written by Christopher Pyle, with his apologies to Thomas Jefferson.
Design by Emily G. Lewis