But what if you are a very good citizen?

Question

This is a follow up to my previous question: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20061020151433AA2ywCx

Okay I can see that there is the tiniest chance that the provisions of the detainee bill might apply to some American citizens. But what if you never break the law and always vote Republican and never criticize Bush? And what if you got arrested accidentally. Like because someone confused you with someone else. Or you were at a Republican fundraiser and you sat next to someone who had a relative who once sold someone a tv system that gets the Hezbollah channel and you were taken in for questioning. Someone would hear about it and get you out, right? They'd give you a chance to prove your innocence and your loyalty, right?

I have one of those faces that is easily mistaken for somebody everyone has seen somewhere. I always have to worry about being a case of mistaken identity.

Answer 1

If you never break the law and always vote republican and never criticize Bush then you are playing into the hands of a very scary totalitarian philosophy. This country was founded on dissent. To live a certain way because you are afraid of what your government may do to if you don't go along with them is not the American way. I'm not talking about doing things that are clearly immoral, like murder or rape. I'm talking about just everyday life.
As far as the other part of your question, if you were arrested for something that you didn't do, you should have a chance to prove your innocence. THAT is the problem. Ideally, under our constitution, you are innocent until proven guilty. Watching the Hezbollah channel shouldn't be a crime. Watching anything on TV shouldn't be a crime.
A citizen of this country shouldn't have to PROVE that they are loyal.

Answer 2

A little paranoid, even from the ACLU. What are the criteria for suspending the writ of habeas corpus? That seems to be where this is going. Do you have to be an enemy combatant? Does there have to be some kind of showing beyond merely espousing unpopular beliefs? Let's deal with reality. That is usually scary enough.

Answer 3

I think you're over-thinking this. You might as well ask, "What if you 'accidently' got arrested for murder and were sentenced to death?" The detainee bill is a constitutional problem but to what extent it will be abused is unknown... so far.

Answer 4

Then if Hillary gets into office you'll be taken into custody and waterboarded until you sustain enough brain damage to convert to liberalism.