A Nation of bed-wetting babies

When did we become such scared little children as a society. When this sort of thing just flies under the radar everyone should be extremely concerned.

The U.S. intelligence community policy on killing American citizens who have joined al Qaeda requires first obtaining high-level government approval, a senior official disclosed to Congress on Wednesday.

Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair said in each case a decision to use lethal force against a U.S. citizen must get special permission. . . .

He also said there are criteria that must be met to authorize the killing of a U.S. citizen that include "whether that American is involved in a group that is trying to attack us, whether that American is a threat to other Americans. Those are the factors involved."

Assassinating American citizens is extremely dangerous ground to be on, even if they are on foreign soil.

This may come as a surprise to many in government and even to members of the society at large, the constitution conveys rights and protections even to those we do no like. Being accused of something does not make you guilty.

As better legal minds have stated this is a huge departure and a massive increase in the power/scope of the executive. With no oversight, and only their own prerogatives as a governor to their behavior is not a recipe for good governance or faithful execution of civil liberties.

I understand that the terrorists are a threat, but we are seem to be the bigger threat to ourselves. The idea that simply by calling an American citizen a terrorist suspends due process and allows them to be put on an "assassination list", is absolutely terrifying to me. It is one thing to kill someone in the midst of a crime this is entirely different.

-Cheers