Sneezy Patriot Talk

A large portion of the United States suffers from some sort of an allergy.

Allergies tend to be inherited. So, if you can't be near the kitty next door, blame Mom and Dad as their genes are the reason why.

An allergy is defined as a hypersensitive reaction to something. Bills and ex-wives cannot cause an allergic reaction, despite reported evidence to the contrary.

Here's some basic information one may, or most likely may not, want to know. Allergic causing substances are known as 'allergens'. Ones body produces white blood cells called 'Basophils' which contain histamine and other allergy inhibitors. There are also other cells which also contain histamine and allergy inhibitors called 'Mast Cells'.

What causes some allergies? Ironically enough, ones immune system is the culprit. It wrongly identifies the substance as harmful, and then attacks the substance with a ferocity far greater than required. The problems this attack can cause range from inconvenient to deadly.

Allergic reactions specifically are caused by what the immune system does. When an immune system encounters a cell that is identified as 'evil' it immediately starts responding, fighting said cell and making all kinds of noise such as runny noses, sneezing, and watery eyes. To help alleviate the problem of ones body abusing itself, we take medications such as Anti-histamines. Ironically, these aren't to prevent the allergen from entering our body, since in most cases that won't cause us problems. It's to prevent the evil gestapo cells from hurting us while pretending to protect us.

In many cases, the Constitution and the liberties provided by it provide an interesting corelation to allergens and our body's destructive immune system. The nature of the Bill of Rights is to provide the citizens of our country with protection from the government. I would consider the Bill of Rights akin to an anti-histamine in the legal system of the US.

Unfortunately, I have some problems with our government removing our 'medication', and losing some protections we need.

The Patriot Act has some portions that give Government the power to abuse 'ourselves' without the benefit of the needed 'anti allergy' support that our laws provide for us. Essentially it grants increased surveillance and intercept powers to the government against our citizens that defy the guarantees given in the Bill of Rights.

Amendment 4 of the Bill of Rights reads, "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

Much of this is circumvented by the Patriot Act.

Amendment 6 of the Bill of Rights reads, "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense"

U.S. citizens designated enemy combatants are being held for years without trials. This goes directly against the rights we are guaranteed. While this may, or may not, be done for the right reasons, the fact this is done at all should be scary. It effectively neutralizes our rights in the name of security, and this must not ever be allowed.

I personally believe the war on terror is important, and we need to ensure we are safe. However, we need to not take away our inalienable rights in our goals of safety, or we lose the battle before it has even begun.