Mayor Michael Bloomberg appears to be moving beyond dictating what people can drink and eat in his city despite judicial rulings finding his policies in violation of the Constitution. Bloomberg joined the Pavlovian response of politicians this week in calling for a reduction in civil liberties in response to the Boston Marathon bombing. Bloomberg warned citizens that the Constitution will “have to change” to allow for greater security to stave off future attacks.
Bloomberg warned that “The people who are worried about privacy have a legitimate worry. But we live in a complex word where you’re going to have to have a level of security greater than you did back in the olden days, if you will. And our laws and our interpretation of the Constitution, I think, have to change.”
It is statements like this that show a fundamental lack of understanding of our constitutional history and values. It borders on constitutional defamation. We have a Constitution that has survived pressures that could have reduced many systems to a fine dust from depression to social strife. Yet, two brothers plant make-shift bombs built from pressure cookers and Bloomberg wants to take a cleaver to the Constitution. Exactly what part of the Constitution does Bloomberg want to reduce like an over-sized soda? Privacy? The warrant clause?
Bloomberg however feels that the Constitution is not the object that we are fighting to protect but the very thing that is endangering us: “Look, we live in a very dangerous world. We know there are people who want to take away our freedoms. New Yorkers probably know that as much if not more than anybody else after the terrible tragedy of 9/11. We have to understand that in the world going forward, we’re going to have more cameras and that kind of stuff. That’s good in some sense, but it’s different from what we are used to.”
Bloomberg is of course calling for such changes before we even analyze this attack. His call for more cameras ignores that fact that this attack would not have been avoided with such measures and occurred in one of the most heavily surveilled areas of Boston — a point discussed in an earlier column.
While it is politicians like Bloomberg who are endangering our rights, he prefers to blame his proposed actions on the terrorists: “We cannot let the terrorists put us in a situation where we can’t do those things. And the ways to do that is to provide what we think is an appropriate level of protection.” How exactly are the terrorists “putting us in a situation where we can’t” protect ourselves unless Bloomberg is including the Framers among the terrorists.
It appears that, yet again, privacy will be the right to bear the brunt of political responses to the bombing. Bloomberg was quick to say religion must be protected while calling for increased government surveillance of citizens: “You still want to let people practice their religion, no matter what that religion is. And I think one of the great dangers here is going and categorizing anybody from one religion as a terrorist. That’s not true … That would let the terrorists win. That’s what they want us to do.”
No, Mr. Mayor, what the terrorist want us to do is to cause self-inflicted wounds like ripping down our constitutional laws and traditions. They want to show that we are hypocrites. That is the point of terror — to trigger a bigger response to the bombing out of fear and hate. Bloomberg responded perfectly on cue in calling for the expansion of the already burgeoning security state.
We are truly living in dangerous times but the greatest threat can be found in men like Bloomberg who fit the description perfectly of Louis Brandeis: ““The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in the insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding.”
Source: Politicker
I could say sooooo much on this. Most would echo other comments here so I needn’t do so. Bloomberg is a scary man, indeed, as he will lure in many of the scared crowd.
The Brandeis quote is spot on. If only we could heed the wisdom of the ages.
Bloomers-Berger…. you are so wrong! What is needed here, is not another excuse to start limiting American ‘Rights’! We ALREADY HAVE THE ‘WRONG WING’ OF the Rethuglican party dedicated to trying to do that!!! What is required here is for us to set an example to the rest of the world as to what will happen to terrorists in the future…After this boy/man is completely healed from his injuries….. Give him a very speedy trial, then subject him to the most exruciating type of execution, broadcast live on every TV in America… and to the rest of the World. … To demonstrate what kind of punishments terrorist will & should receive in the future…… Don’t come to my country, Terrorists, and try to destroy it and our way of life….. You, terrorists, deserve to be slowly lowered into giant tree shreaders, or vats of boiling acid. We need to stop worrying about being kind to violent offenders, and proceed with the punishment phase…The offenders need to be punished, not Americans!!!!!!!!!!!
This guy is scary, a LOT more scary than a couple kids & bombs.
I don’t want “security”, particularly Bloomberg-style security. I want freedom. It is sad to see what the once-free USA has become. Every time the President, Congress, or indeed, Mr Bloomberg, rolls back civil liberties a little more, the terrorists are handed another victory. Eventually we will have a “safe” society which is neither truly safe nor free, and which everyone with a little sense will seek to flee. Think East Germany…
Let’s send Bloomberg to a small concentration camp……… to teach him about RIGHTS!!!!!
Dredd:
Beginning? to look like a plutocratic jerk?
We have passed the beginning stage.
underdog Navy prevails over perennial favorite St. Johns in a rousing game of croquet.
“Bucking a trend, the U.S. Navy triumphed over the favored St. John’s College in a traditional match of croquet on Saturday.
The Navy midshipmen’s 4-1 victory over the so-called Johnnies is just its sixth in the 31-year history of the two teams in the battle for the prized Annapolis Cup. According to The Capital-Gazette, the Navy last won a match against St. John’s College in 2005.”
http://annapolis.patch.com/articles/navy-triumphs-over-st-john-s-in-31st-annual-croquet-rivalry
“We know there are people who want to take away our freedoms.”
Yes, people like the terrorists..and Bloomberg..
Bloomberg is beginning to look more and more like a typical plutocratic jerk.
To keep you believing you are free, I must take away your freedoms? Brilliant! Ben Franklin and the Founders must be very disappointed…..
The Constitution has worked for 2 1/4 centuries now, through a civil war, two world wars and several regional wars. It has worked pretty well up till now. This country has faced worse threats than a handful of young people with homemade bombs.
From where I sit, Bloomberg does not really understand democracy or the Bill of Rights.
Bloomberg is an authoritarian personality. He is controlling, does not really understand civil liberties or the Constitution. He is so used to barking orders that he has no concept of not meddling in other people’s business.
He also fails to see himself for the hypocrite he is. The picture at the link below was sent to me by one of my friends in the military, who in turn got it from a New York agency member who, for obvious reasons, wants to remain anonymous.
http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt256/otteraylens/Bloomberghyprocisy_zps6f5ab43f.jpg
The Mayor seems to embody the worst of both parties. He needs to shut up, now.
Sorry, o.t. however this is important testimony.
Published on Apr 23, 2013
[WASHINGTON, DC] Farea Al-Muslimi, a Yemeni youth activist and writer, testified today at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights chaired by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) on the moral, legal and constitutional issues surrounding targeted killings and the use of drones.
Bloomberg warned citizens that the Constitution will “have to change” to allow for greater security to stave off future attacks.
Another “Elected Official” suggesting we dismiss the Constitution they swore to defend and support.
There seems to be a rash of them since 9/11…
Well stated Professor Turley.
I wonder if Mayor Bloomberg can help with the funding to install a camera system, perimeter fence, and pressure cooker x-ray device at the intersection of Road 47 NE and Road T NE in rural Grant County, WA. There is a haystack and some old farm buildings that are vulnerable to terrorist attack. Maybe, just maybe, we might be able to prevent another tradgedy, just like happened in Boston recently.
If one Chukar or Sage Grouse could be saved, it would all be worth it.
“We must give up our rights in the name of safety.”
Fantastic. What’s next, Shorty?
“We must forgo our laws and appoint a Supreme Leader”?
“War is peace”?
Doubleplus ungood.
Bloomberg and those like him need to be out of our political dynamic in positions of power. The growing influence of corporatist authoritarian fascists needs to be excised from the body politic like the cancer that it is.
Goes to show that all the money in the world will buy neither intelligence or common sense.
All hail the benevolent all knowing dictator Mr. Bloomberg. I am amazed how many people think this guy is working for the people. He is working for the billionaires and the developers. His gun control sorties are distractions to make liberals love him. Finally he shows his true colors. We don’t need no stinking Constitution!
Mayor Bloomberg needs to take a refresher course in history and constitutional law. His type of thinking will lead us to less security and less rights.