By Jessi Winchester -
"A state of war is not a blank check for the president when it comes to the rights of the nation's citizens" ~ U. S. Supreme Court
Americans have been bombarded with constant prophecies of impending gloom and doom from government sources on nearly a daily basis since 9-11. The word 'terrorism' has been used so often it has lost its impact and we are desensitized to it. We've repeatedly been reminded to be "vigilant" to the point we simply ignore the warning color code. But worst of all is the ill-named Patriot Act. This Orwellian legislation has virtually stripped Americans of their individual liberties and turned the nation into a police state. Three years of unrelenting pessimism and oppression has caused a national collective depression.
Over time, each new government infringement has piled upon the last depositing a huge weight on our shoulders. Protections granted us under the Constitution are being swept downstream faster than we can paddle to save them. Just when hope that things would get better was diminishing, a rainbow appeared across the darkened sky.
A federal judge overturned a key provision of the Patriot Act declaring it unconstitutional and a violation of First and Fourth Amendments as it pertains to wide scale seizure of private records and restriction of free speech. A portion of the Patriot Act allowed federal authorities to compel/coerce companies to turn over confidential records of customers, thus violating a citizen's constitutional Fourth Amendment right to privacy and the protection of a search warrant issued upon probable cause to prevent unreasonable search and seizure. Companies were ordered not to disclose to those affected that their privacy had even been invaded, which blatantly restrained free speech and violated the First Amendment.
During the holiday season last year alone, Las Vegas was hit hard by this unconstitutional tyranny when the FBI demanded that airlines and hotels turn over their customer lists. Over a quarter-million names were confiscated by the Feds in Las Vegas alone during that time. Innocent citizens having nothing to do with terrorism now have their personal information floating around federal data banks without their knowledge or permission because Feds carried out their raids under a shroud of secrecy.
The knowledge that there are still judicial men of ethics and honor who still value freedom and guidelines of the U.S. Constitution brings hope to a horizon that appeared to be quickly disappearing. U.S. District Judge Victor Marreo has given the American business community a voice again by overturning wrongdoing within a government run amuck. Businesses may again protect their customers' privacy as they should - without threats or fear from their own government - by challenging any future demands power hungry Feds may make in an effort to hinder constitutional protections.
Judge Marreo's decision on behalf of freedom is a good start but the Patriot Act is so tyrannical that much more work needs to be done. As oppressive and illegal provisions of the Patriot Act are banished, collective depression can begin to ease and we may be able to see the beginnings of a rainbow of hope.
Jessi's autobiography, From Bordello To Ballot Box, was released by BainBridgeBooks of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in November, 2000. The book goes behind the mysterious closed doors of Nevada's legal brothels to look at the ladies who choose to work in the industry and the clients who visit them. It also chronicles the author's personal experiences as a political candidate, provides a revealing look at the private faces of political personalities and explores how ruthless and unseen power mongers control and predetermine political choices. Her journey documents the strength of the human spirit in overcoming prejudice and double standards in an effort to simply be treated as a human being.
Source: Liberty for All
