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Later in the day, AP reported that "Holder said changes may be needed to allow law enforcement more time to question suspected terrorists before they are told about their Miranda rights. (He) said the White House wanted to work with Congress to examine the 1966 Supreme Court" ruling to give law enforcement agents "necessary flexibility to gather information from suspects in terror cases."
For sure, this is a dangerous slippery slope down which the end game is grim - full-blown despotism once constitutional rights are ended. Post-9/11, they've been incrementally stripped away.
In a May 3 editorial titled, "Luck and Vigilance," The Times called the city "lucky this time....no one wants to bet their security on it," so to prevent a future disaster "Officials in New York and Washington also need to take a hard look at what, if anything, might have been done to head off this earlier." The implication is clear - more repressive laws, sweeping surveillance, and police state crackdowns against suspects to tell others what to expect.
Clear as well are the targets - Muslims and people of color. Rarely ever are white persons charged with terrorism, no matter the offense.
For example, white supremacist Paul Schlesselman pleaded guilty in January to conspiring to kill Barack Obama and dozens of other Blacks in 2008. He got 10 years in prison on:
"one count of conspiracy, one count of threatening to kill and inflict bodily harm upon a presidential candidate, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence," not terrorism that surely would have been charged if he was black, Latino or especially Muslim, the main target of choice in the "war on terror."
According to AP, authorities described Schlesselman and co-defendant Daniel Cowart (awaiting sentencing) as "white supremacist skinheads who hatched a plan to go on a cross-country robbery and killing spree that would end with an attack on Obama in 2008. Their plan was to kill 88 African-Americans and behead 14 others before trying to take out Obama. The numbers 88 and 14 are symbolic in the white supremacist movement."
Proposed Homeland Crackdown Measures
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