gunderwood wrote:First, you, I and everyone else here actually know
NOTHING! None of us were part of the group or the raid. All we think we know is what the government is putting out and what do we know about government propaganda? It is a common tactic with prosecutors is convict people in the media long before their trial. Same thing with leveraging lots of charges, throw enough sh*t and something might stick. They make you think you are getting a deal when they know full well they can't prove most of what the charged you with.
Second, grand jury, been there done that, it's a joke. We tried to throw a case out (because it was rediculous) and the prosecutor got the judge to let him "rework" it and bring it back to the next grand jury (which wouldn't be us). How many times was that case before a grand jury? Who knows, but I do know it will keep coming back till someone bites.
Third, Secretary Rice's comment on 9/12 have shown to be false. There were previous unsuccessful attempts to crash planes into buildings and if I recall correctly, a government report/audit suggesting this vulnerability. It wasn't a new idea, but rather one that hadn't been successfully used on a large scale till then.
as you well know ignorance of the law is no excuse
Do you even know where this comes from? I doubt it because if you did you wouldn't use it to justify "conspiresy" charges.
Finally, thank you for describing the America no freedom loving person wants to live in; a country where anyone who expresses dissent is actively monitored by the government because they *could* do something in the future. You come off almost like a distopia novel...
Mr. Gunderwood your outrage about living in a country where those who dissent might be monitored is welcomed. Unfortunately, your outrage was missing when the legislation that gave our government that authority was conceived and written in total secret, and plopped down for an up or down vote without giving legislators any time to read the bill.
If you didn't join us who protested long and loud back then, why are you protesting now? In 2001 a lone Democrat, Senator Russ Feingold voted no. In the House 65 Democrats voted No, while only 3 Republicans voted NO.
To be fair, however, you are ignoring history because you have always lived in a country where anti-government dissent is actively monitored!
1. The FBI under Hoover not only monitored dissenters, he monitored people and groups he personally didn't like. He illegally monitored government officials. He employed his own team of burglars as well.
2. In the 50s, the red scare era, organizations were banned and careers destroyed through McCarthyism's tactics
3. In the 60s Civil Rights and anti-war organizations were monitored and suppressed.
4. President Nixon actively monitored and suppressed his political opposition
5. In the 40s hell you didn't even have to dissent, just be Japanese American and click you were locked up.
American government from the very beginning has always actively monitored and suppressed dissent. Every State does. The USA Patriot Act just made it easier, under this act government could legally do what it previously did illegally.
If, at the time, you were on the side of the ACLU and others who vehemently opposed rushing USA PATRIOT into law with provisions that seemed to be clearly unconstitutional then I sincerely apologize.
Gat6