I’m a security mom too.

Much has been said about the security moms. They think that George W. Bush will keep them safe, and the Iraq war is a good thing. Well, I’m a mom, and I have a few opinions about keeping my children safe.

Civil Liberties
I want my children to live without fear of the government. They should be able to voice their opinions without looking over their shoulders. They should be able to read what they like without being put on a watch list.

Education
I want my children to have a solid education. I want them to think and ask questions. I don’t want religious zealots choosing their textbooks. School buildings should be clean and maintained. College should be accessible to everyone.

Health
I want my children to be healthy. I want them to have access to health care. They need immunizations and check ups.

Clean Air and Water
I want my children to breathe clean air, and drink clean water. I want them to have wilderness to hike in. I want their food to be safe to eat.

Jobs
I want my children to know that they can earn a living wage doing productive work. I want them to have a roof over their heads, and the time to enjoy friends, family, and hobbies.

War
I want my children to know that their lives won’t be thrown away for a lie. We need to defend ourselves, but war should be acknowledged for the horror it is. And it should be used as a last resort.

George W. Bush has done nothing to make any of our children safer. It’s time to kick the whole lot out.

and I did not speak out

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me--
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Martin Niemoeller wrote this warning about the consequences of not resisting tyranny after WWII. It is still an important warning in this age of Patriot Acts, warrantless wiretaps, and torture being declared legal. Here are some of the better-known examples of how our liberty is being protected by the US government.

Jose Padilla is an American citizen of Puerto Rican descent. He was accused of being a terrorist and arrested on May 8, 2002. On June 9, 2002, President Bush issued an order to Secretary Rumsfeld to detain him as an enemy combatant. Without bothering to notify his attorney or family, he was transferred to a military brig in South Carolina. He was there for three years before he was charged with a crime. He still hasn't had a trial.

Sibel Edmonds is a Turkish-American who was working for the FBI as a translator. In March 2002, she was fired after reporting security breaches and poorly translated documents related to the 9-11 attacks. Court action on her whistleblower claims have been blocked by the assertion of the State Secrets Privilege.

Maher Arar is a Canadian software engineer who was born in Syria. On September 26, 2002, while returning from Tunis with his wife and children, he was detained during a stopover in New York. The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service were acting on false and misleading information supplied by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Despite being a Canadian citizen, he was deported to Syria under the extraordinary rendition policy. While in Syria, he was held in solitary confinement, tortured, and forced to sign a false confession. He was finally returned to Canada in October 2003. There was a public inquiry in Canada into the actions of Canadian officials.

In January 2004, Arar announced that he would be suing then Attorney-General John Ashcroft over his treatment. The US government used the State Secrets Privilege to dismiss the suit. The final report of the Canadian inquiry was released on September 18, 2006. It categorically states that there is no evidence linking Arar to any terrorist activity.

Perhaps this explains why the Hallibuton subsidiary, KBR, was awarded a contract to build detention centers for "an unexpected influx of immigrants or to house people after a natural disaster or for new programs that require additional detention space."

Read the January 24, 2006 press release at:
http://www.halliburton.com