I am not a crook

Or, why I don't like America anymore.

One of the founding principles of American justice is, or WAS "innocent until proven guilty". Also referred to as, presumption of innocence it puts the burden of proof on the government.

The burden of proof is thus on the prosecution, which has to collect and present enough compelling evidence to convince the trier of fact, who is restrained and ordered by law to consider only actual evidence and testimony that is legally admissible, and in most cases lawfully obtained, that the accused is guilty beyond reasonable doubt. If reasonable doubt remains, the accused is to be acquitted.

The fourth amendment of the constitution is supposed to protect the public from random, arbitrary searches by the government.

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.

In other words, the government is supposed to have a REASON to conduct a search, "he looks suspicious" is NOT a valid reason for the government to search someone.

The sixth amendment states that if the government accuses you of a crime, it HAS to give you a trial.

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.

This IS freedom. This is the kind of law that made people from all over the world want to come to America.

But it's not like that anymore. Thanks to greedy, power hungry, rotten politicians and a LOT of compliant sheep who keep buying their bullshit more often than not the presumption now is guilty, until(at great legal expense) proven innocent.

The rot started with the so called "war on drugs". It got kick started by the prestigious and eminent president Richard Nixon

It kicked into full swing in the 80's, when the lapdog press began blurting out government talking points like "you have to give up some freedoms to prosecute the war on drugs". Most of the sheep watching the idiot box nodded in agreement as the government began its game play to make an end run around the constitution.

After about 20 or more years of this, even the sheep got antsy and there started to be some pushback.

9-11 to the rescue!

For a while things were lookin' bad for the politicians, with people beginning to tire of the war on drugs it was starting to look like the government might actually be forced to return some of those freedoms it "borrowed" from the American people.

Then, BOOM, the twin towers went down and soon after what did I hear from the media? The same, tired old mantra about how we have to "give up some freedom" to fight the new "war on terror".

For a while, this did NOT go quite as smoothly as it did under the war on drugs. President George W. Bush was not beloved by the main stream media and they rightfully called him out on some his shady, constitutionally questionable, activities. The press had lots to say about gitmo, phone tapping, and invading Iraq.

Then something happened. A miracle! The evil GWB was gone and Barack "Jesus Christ" Obama became president!
Hope and change! Freeeeeeedoom! The return of sanity and civil rights to a government which had been getting more repressive every year!

So what has happened under Chicago Barry's watch?
Gitmo closed?
Nope.

Patriot act repealed?
Nope.

Halted GWB's domestic spy program

Nope!
Instead the NSA went from spying on so called "terror suspects" to spying on EVERYONE! Let freedom ring Barry!

It doesn't stop there, There is an indefinite detention clause in the NDAA.
This isn't something Obama signed reluctantly in order to "get soldiers paid", Obama insisted that provision be there.

But don't worry, be happy, the same guy who insisted the indefinite detention provision be included in the NDAA has promised us he will never use it.
Lets say he keeps that promise. What about the next president? Or the one after that...