Efforts to Stop `Voter Fraud' May Have Curbed Legitimate Voting

During four years as a Justice Department civil rights lawyer, Hans von Spakovsky went so far in a crusade against voter fraud as to warn of its dangers under a pseudonym in a law journal article.

Writing as "Publius," von Spakovsky contended that every voter should be required to produce a photo-identification card and that there was "no evidence" that such restrictions burden minority voters disproportionately.

Now, amid a scandal over politicization of the Justice Department, Congress is beginning to examine allegations that von Spakovsky was a key player in a Republican campaign to hang onto power in Washington by suppressing the votes of minority voters.
[...]
The bipartisan, four-member commission stirred a political tempest last year when it delayed the release of voter fraud and voter ID law studies, saying that more research was needed. A House panel revealed last month that the fraud study's central finding - that there was little evidence of widespread voter fraud - had been toned down to say that "a great deal of debate" surrounded the subject.

Commissioners rejected as flawed the second study's finding that voter ID laws tend to suppress turnout, especially among Latinos, and ordered more research.

I hope you take the time to talk with these people about something other than their case.  Human beings are social animals by nature, and when we are completely deprived of social interaction it tends to wear on us in ways that are hard to define, but it leads to a deterioration which can be lasting or even permanent.

I imagine you're aware of these things given your occupation, but I just want to remind you that a little small talk, a joke ,a smile, and simple physical contact like touching the shoulder or hand can make a difference in these situations.

Has anyone challanged this kind of detention?

The CIA has received secret presidential approval to mount a covert "black" operation to destabilize the Iranian government, current and former officials in the intelligence community tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com.
[...]
As earlier reported on the Blotter on ABCNews.com, the United States has supported and encouraged an Iranian militant group, Jundullah, that has conducted deadly raids inside Iran from bases on the rugged Iran-Pakistan-Afghanistan "tri-border region."

Seems like the same old congress to me.

I don't know how else to treat them but in any case I think Jeralyn was talking more about that then we should have totally open boarders.

What other civil infractions could result in incarceration?

I work with jail data a lot and people ask me all the time if there are people in jail who don't need to be there. The answer is yes but the jail administration is trying to get out them as fast as possible because they need the space for people who do need to be there. I do not know if the Sheriff has the authority to throw out people who don't need to be there to make room for a more serious offender. They do have the authority to keep people from entering jail if they are full.

Which is probably one of the main reasons behind the Number of Evangelical Law Schools Growing that teach the students how to circumvent the constitution, eliminate the separation of church and state and deprive all of us of constitutional rights.

And probably the main reason that Bush has been stacking the Supreme Court with right wing ideologues and religious nutbars. So that they can "interpret" the Constitution and the Bill of Rights - interpret 'the right way', of course.

Why bother going to all the trouble?

If people, love theocracy so much... well, they can always move to Iran. Or Iraq, for that matter - 4 years of working towards turning it into a theocracy is pretty close now to "mission accomplished", after all.

To Whom Does the Bill of Rights Apply?

...the Constitution doesn't apply to Americans, it doesn't apply to citizens, it doesn't even apply to "people." It applies to the federal government. The body of the Constitution tells the federal government what it is allowed to do, and in some places it explains how to do it (election procedures and such). The Bill of Rights tells the federal government what it is not allowed to do . . .

   1. Make no law abridging freedom of speech, press, religion, or assembly,
   2. Do not infringe on the right to keep and bear arms.
   3. Don't quarter soldiers in peacetime.
   4. Don't conduct unreasonable searches and seizures.
   5. Don't commit double jeopardy or force people to testify against themselves.
   6. Don't deny an accused a speedy trial.
   7. Don't deny an accused a trial by jury.
   8. Do not impose excessive bail.
   9. Just because certain rights of the people aren't mentioned in this Constitution doesn't mean you're allowed to usurp them.
  10. Don't exercise any power not authorized in this Constitution

The Constitution/Bill of Rights tells the government what it is NOT allowed to do - to anyone, anywhere, anytime, for any reason.

Damn pesky and inconvenient god*amn piece of paper.

It shouldn't be surprising, I suppose, that wingnuts holler and scream so much that they love freedom and rights.

As long as it is only them with freedom and rights.