As of lately, the United States government has taken some quite frightening positions in regards to the 1st Amendment and general citizens' rights. First, there are
egregious attacks on the 1st Amendment right to peaceably assemble (with blatant disregard for lawful use of force). Next, there is pending legislation to implement the
Great Firewall of America (overriding "safe harbors" protections of the DMCA, and effectively granting private corporations the right to dictate who can have a website with little to no judicial due process, by merely claiming "copyright infringement"). Finally, you have
grotesque legislation placed in a standard budget appropriations bill (anyone surprised?) that would treat basically anyone like an al Qaeda terrorist, regardless of citizenship or residency, all by throwing around incredibly vague definitions of "suspect of terrorism."
It is unfathomable how the United States went from a powerful nation of freedom to one where
corporations are people and receive limitless bailouts, laws allow
unprecedented invasion of privacy (with
full-fledged cooperation by corporations), senators
propose legislation to "fix" the 1st Amendment (claiming it should not be "a right but ... a privilege"), and so many other
absolutely horrible laws are attempted.
It is truly sad that
seeing a U.S. Senator stand up and defend the people is such a rare thing that it simply takes your words away. Senator Sanders's points hold so very true (even well beyond his stance on
Citizens United v. FEC), that everyone should take the time to
write their Congressmen and tell them these outrageous attacks on freedom and democracy MUST stop!