[BigV]

GodDAMMIT!!

Let's just get the teensy generous part of my rant out of the way first, shall we?

AG AG is a prosecutor. I understand that. His freakin job is to take people to court, to presume guilt, to focus on wrongdoing and wrongdoers. He's a lawman. No bad guys--his kids go hungry. Fine. His motivations are clear. When you are a hammer, the whole world looks like nails

However.

The ends do not justify the means.

There are so many things wrong indicated in his statement, it makes my head spin. First off, it is not his place to pretend that one "right" has precedence over another right. Note the quotes. "right" == "[Alberto gonzales]...the right that Americans would like to see, the ability of the federal government to go after criminal activity." Contrasted with the right == ""[Framers of the Constitution]...the protection under the First Amendment..."

WTF?!

You, Gonzales, you are responsible for trying to create a distracting smokescreen by falsely suggesting that in order for the government "go after criminal activity" it is permissible or necessary to disregard the First Ammendment to the Constitution of the United States. That is lying by implication. It is *neither* necessary nor permissible.

You are a lawman. Why would you consider breaking one part of the law to uphold another part of the law? That didn't come out exactly right...I mean to disregard the protection written in the law covering the behavior you claim is criminal. The cynic in me can think of several reasons. It's easier, it suits your boss's agenda, it's habitual, you *truly, truly, cross your heart* believe what you said...

Tough. Because it makes things easier is no excuse. You weren't elected (appointed) because it's an easy job. It's not ok to cut corners. Stop it. Because your boss told you so is also insufficient. You've no obligation to obey illegal orders, capisce? I won't derail my own rant to examine the long list of his problems, but you should use your own judgement here and decide if *our country* is better served in the long run by this kind of attitude. I say emphatically no. Because that's the way it's always been done. Well, when you're doing the wrong thing, doing more of it is no way to make things better. Just stop digging. Lastly, you *may* have drunk the kool aid. I suspect you have. And that makes me sorry for you and sad for our country.

I am no anarchist. I believe in the law. It is that very belief that is the fount of my tears and the fire of my anger when I see the display of attitudes and actions of intelligent people in postitions of responsibility like this that tear our country down from within. You don't preserve, uphold and defend the Constitution by ignoring the parts you don't wipe your feet on. When you weaken it this way, by not respecting it and working within its constraints, you help win it for the bad guys by making it less, less valid, less important, less alive.