It's official: The police state is here.

[shanek]

http://www.southjerseynews.com/issues/march/m031603e.htm

If the nation escalates to "red alert," which is the highest in the color-coded readiness against terror, you will be assumed by authorities to be the enemy if you so much as venture outside your home, the state's anti-terror czar says.

A red alert would also tear away virtually all personal freedoms to move about and associate.

"Red means all noncritical functions cease," Caspersen said. "Noncritical would be almost all businesses, except health-related."

And of course, since you would be considered to be the enemy, you could be arrested and held indefinitely without charge and not be allowed to contact an attorney.

If it is true that the terrorists want to take away our freedom, then the Bush administration has just handed them a victory. Either way, there doesn't appear to be much left of the Constitution.

[roger]

Selective quoting?

You left out this quote:

"You literally are staying home, is what happens, unless you are required to be out. No different than if you had a state of emergency with a snowstorm."

I'm not sure we can equate police response during a snow emergency as a "police state."

[Tmy]

Why is eveyone freaking out. What are we worried about, more box cutter attacks? Any terror cells that currently exist are weaker now than ever. Worry more about drunk drivers.

[bignickel]

Hey Shanek, which Free State do you have a preference for?

http://www.freestateproject.org/

I like Delaware: looks like the warmest weather.


PS how about making Dante your avatar again? 'Clerks' rules!

[shanek]

Originally posted by roger
Selective quoting?

You left out this quote:

"You literally are staying home, is what happens, unless you are required to be out. No different than if you had a state of emergency with a snowstorm."

I'm not sure we can equate police response during a snow emergency as a "police state."

Except that you aren't "assumed by the authorities to be the enemy if you so much as venture outside your home" during a snowstorm.

[shanek]

Originally posted by bignickel
Hey Shanek, which Free State do you have a preference for?

I'm not participating in that, as I don't think it'll work. Besides, North Carolina has a very good Constitution which very strongly supports individual liberty (not that anyone pays attention to it).

PS how about making Dante your avatar again? 'Clerks' rules!

I might, or I might change it to something else depending on how the mood strikes me at the time.

[Andalyn]

Of course, it is different in every State, but here in Oklahoma we will move to "Code Red" if the USA does. "Code Red" means that we are actually under attack, or have been just attacked.

If you are currently under attack, don't you think that some situations may require limiting certain rights for the moment? Curfews? Limited access to areas?

Not to be confused with martial law.

Probably every State has provisions for martial law, which have been on the books since well before 9/11. Martial Law would very seriously curtail your freedoms, and can be imposed by the State's Governor. Martial Law is much more serious and "right limiting" than the provisions for "Code Red".

Sometimes people have to be controlled. Sometimes people have to be told "no".

Sorry. :(

[shanek]

Originally posted by Andalyn
"Code Red" means that we are actually under attack, or have been just attacked.

[url=http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=29]Not according to the Department of Homeland Security—and it's their code.

5. Severe Condition (Red). A Severe Condition reflects a severe risk of terrorist attacks.

And I'm sorry, but there's nothing in the Constitution that gives the government any authority to curtail our freedoms without due process.

[Patrickt]

I read the article eagerly looking for the quote that gave the reporter his lead paragraph:

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If the nation escalates to "red alert," which is the highest in the color-coded readiness against terror, you will be assumed by authorities to be the enemy if you so much as venture outside your home, the state's anti-terror czar says.

It wasn't there. How could a reporter possibly fail to get the quote of the anti-terror czar saying anyone venturing out of their home would be assumed to be the enemy? Could it be it wasn't said?