Anyone remember habeas corpus? A latin phrase used in jurisprudence that means you shall have the bodyâ What it means legally is there was the right of the accused to petition before civil legal authority for justice. Habeas corpus prevented law enforcement groups from indefinitely locking people up without charge or trial, and not letting detainees see a judge or an attorney. President Bush effectively erased habeas corpus , at least temporarily, when the original Patriot Act was passed and signed into law. President Obama extended its supposedly temporary suspension in 2009. That was bad, but what is going to be discussed in the next few days in the US Senate is potentially worse.
The Militarization of Civil Society continues apace....