Southern Oregon Conservatives and Liberals Join to Protest NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2012)

EVENT DATE: Monday, 13 February 2012, Noon-1pm PST
PLACE: Vogel Plaza, Central Ave & Main St, Medford OR

MEDFORD, OREGON - On Monday 13 February 2012 at Noon in Vogel Plaza there will be a demonstration against the passing of the NDAA, including Wake Up America Southern Oregon, and Occupy Coalition of Ashland, Medford, and Grants Pass, as well as concerned individuals across the political spectrum.  

The indefinite detention clauses (sections 1021 and 1022) within this year's National Defense Authorization Act (signed into law 31 December 2011) are a direct attack upon the civil rights of all Americans, and represent another step taken toward eroding the freedoms which lay at the foundation of our society.

The detention sections of the NDAA begin by "affirm[ing]" that the authority of the President under the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), a joint resolution passed in the immediate aftermath of the September 11th 2001 attacks, includes the power to detain, via the Armed Forces, any person "who was part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners," and anyone who commits a "belligerent act" against the U.S. or its coalition allies in aid of such enemy forces, under the law of war, "without trial, until the end of the hostilities...".  The text also authorizes trial by  military tribunal, or "transfer to the custody or control of the person's country of origin," or transfer to "any other foreign country, or any other foreign entity."[1]

After signing the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 into law, President Obama issued a statement on it that addressed "certain provisions that regulate the detention, interrogation, and prosecution of terrorism suspects." In the statement Obama maintained that "the legislation does nothing more than confirm authorities that the Federal courts have recognized as lawful under the 2001 AUMF.  I want to clarify that my Administration will not authorize the indefinite military detention without trial of American citizens."[1]  The only provision from which U.S. citizens are exempted here is the "requirement" of military detention.  For foreign nationals accused of being members of Al Qaeda, military detention is mandatory; for U.S. citizens, it is optional.  This section does not exempt U.S citizens from the presidential power of detention [by the military OR civilian agencies such as the CIA/DHS/FBI etc.]: only from the requirement of military detention.[2]

A demonstration uniting groups and individuals from across the political spectrum will be held on the 13th to show that united we can begin to stand up to the problems which face us as a nation and a people.  Please join us in standing up for justice and freedom.

Speakers:

Gil Gilbertson - Josephine County Sheriff, http://www.jocosheriff.us

Joseph Snook - Wake Up America, http://www.usobserver.com/wua/wua.html
 
Ben Playfaire - Occupy Medford, http://facebook.com/occupymedford
 
Linda Sturgeon - Occupy Ashland, http://www.occupyashlandoregon.org

Jeff Golden – Immense Possibilities as seen on SOPTV, http://www.immensepossibilities.org

STATEMENTS:
 
"A group full of conservatives, Libertarians, and Tea-party members by the name of Wake Up America Southern Oregon is proud to unite with the Southern Oregon Occupy Movement to take a Bold Stand against the National Defense Authorization Act known as the NDAA.  Further, it is time that ‘We the People’, all of us unite!" – Joseph Snook, Wake Up America Southern Oregon

"Occupy Ashland is standing with libertarians, progressives, conservatives and the Tea-Party alike to speak out against the attack against our civil rights which is the National Defense Authorization Act. In times such as these, when the injustices of a system and a government become too large to ignore, it is vital that we stand together not as members of a political party but as fellow citizens and human beings to defend our precious freedoms." - Emery Way Occupy

Cross-Partisan Concern about NDAA includes:

Jeff Landry (R-La) "The NDAA ... includes provisions which allow the President to hold any individual associated with terrorist forces in “detention under the law of war without trial until the end of hostilities.” While these provisions do mention certain protections for American citizens, the language defining these exemptions could be interpreted a number of ways – some good and some providing no protection of our rights." http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/civil-rights/209527-rep-jeff-landry-r-la

ACLU: "The statute is particularly dangerous because it has no temporal or geographic limitations, and can be used by this and future presidents to  militarily detain people captured far from any battlefield." http://www.aclu.org/blog/tag/NDAA

http://youtu.be/KDsKApesG3Y Senator Jeff Merkley: Why he voted against the NDAA

http://youtu.be/us4lcKPoTkk The Final Loss of Freedom in the United States

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Defense_Authorization_Act_for_Fiscal_Year_2012
[2] http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/01/02/president-obama-signed-the-national-defense-authorization-act-now-what/

OCCUPYMEDFORD

Email: occupymedford@gmail.com

Occupy Medford on Facebook: http://facebook.com/occupymedford

Occupy Medford on Twitter: http://twitter.com/occupymedford

Occupy Medford on Youtube: http://youtube.com/occupymedford

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NO MORE LEFT. NO MORE RIGHT. TIME TO UNITE. STAND AND FIGHT!

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Tag: #ndaa, #teaparty, #ows, #medford, #fascism, #worldwarweb, #vvvpr

Search Google News for "National Defense Authorization Act". NeoCon Heritage Stimson Lies on top? Think about that.

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